A widow after only one year of marriage, Lady Roysa chooses to run to her sister Idalia, who is wintering at Dromsley Castle, rather than retreat to the property granted to her. What she doesn't realize is that Idalia and her new husband have a secret--they are part of a rebellion against the king, as is their gruff host at Dromsley Castle. let alone one who seems more concerned about fashion than the Order of the Broken Blade's rebellion against King John. He may be more of a Scot than an Englishman, but the English royals have a long history of doing his family wrong. He won't miss his chance at revenge, especially not by the poorly timed arrival of a pampered English miss. Even so, Idalia is as good as a sister to him, and he cannot refuse shelter to a member of her family. --whose beauty and stateliness is but a small part of what makes her a strong, noble woman. Dromsley Castle is about to become the first battleground in what promises to be an all-out war between the king's men and the Order.