At the knights' tourneys across the land, Edith is a strange, foreign princess. But in the privacy of her tent with the other survivors of her village, she is simply a smith's widow with a silver tongue. If discovered, the punishment is death. And one knight - fierce, arrogant,and perilously appealing - is getting far too close.

Sir Ranulf of Fredenwyke cares little for tourneys: playing for ladies' favours, when his own lady is dead; feasting, while commoners starve; 'friendly' combat, when he has seen real war. Still, one lady captivates him - mysterious in her veils and silks, intoxicating with her exotic scents and bold glances. Something about her is simply irresistible.