Sophie Rochelle, the Duke of La Croix's only daughter, is an unhappy soul even though she is a wealthy girl living in a prosperous city. Due to a mysterious illness, she has been confined to the grounds of the Duke's vast estate since age two. Sophie immerses herself in books and waits for her twentieth birthday, when she embarks on an adventure of her own, daring physical harm and her father's wrath-all for just one stolen day of freedom. But she is about to discover that her dream may not unfold exactly the way she imagined. Alaric Vashon, the greatest swordsman of the age, is on the run from a dangerous band of men who will stop at nothing to destroy him. As his flight takes him to the embattled city of La Croix-now overrun with bandits-he realizes that fate has dictated his journey. Meanwhile, Sophie encounters a strange beggar hated by all the townsfolk; just as their destinies and the fate of La Croix become intertwined, Sophie realizes she is facing a far greater conflict looming on the horizon. In this classic tale of good, evil, and love, one woman must take control of her future before it is too late.