Why be a princess when you can rule the shadows? Rejecting the senseless demands of her wicked stepmother, Ella of Locksley shares her family's abundance with the people of her land. Yet, the desperation of her community has only begun. When the nation of Llundyn is brutally attacked, Princes Ric and Johan begin to fight for their right to rule, leaving the kingdom's very heart to hang in the balance as subversive forces emerge. Taxation drives the citizenry toward hopelessness, with the absence of leadership taking its toll. Striking out on her own, Ella takes up the nation's cause, making a name for herself as the infamous Hood, and leads her cunning crew, stealing from the rich to provide for the poor. But the return of the rightful heir, along with a forbidden romance, changes everything-with artifice and betrayal leading to an unlikely alliance that unites prince and thieves. The passion and true love of a king leave Ella torn between duty and loyalty when, at the stroke of midnight, her identity is exposed. She'll face the ultimate choice-enduring as the Hood or sacrificing it all for the ones she loves.