Crown Princess Aurelia is impetuous and headstrong. When her father hides several assassination attempts from her and calls to the edges of his kingdom for his former King's Spy the king of Tyralt does not get what he wants. Robert, a former classmate and childhood friend of Aurelia's returns to court in the guise of a young man attempting to find his place--his real task is to keep the princess alive.
Aurelia is overjoyed to have Robert return, but her friend's return is overshadowed by this strange and inexplicable notion her father has to keep her locked within the palace. Aurelia wants to be among her people and hopes to get to know the subjects she will one day rule, but her father's sudden tendency to be overprotective strain her patience. Even further frustrating her is her father's lack of communion with the people--he is running the country into the ground with lavish parties to please his second wife while the people suffer.
Robert does not want to keep his real mission from his friend, and when the attacks on her life become more and more overt, the king realizes he may be right. Aurelia is shocked to discover anyone might want to kill her, but agrees to be protected. The friendship between Princess and her favored courtier looks to grow into something more than just friendship when Aurelia is nearly destroyed by a mob--her quick thinking and ability to convince the crowd she is genuinely interested in their concerns save her, but the stakes are raised.
To prevent another possible disaster the friends plan to bring the conspirators out into the open--but the plan is sabotaged and Aurelia finds herself fighting for her life while her father and Robert watch without chance of rescuing her. Betrayal is at the highest levels of the palace but who can Aurelia trust, and will it gain her freedom?
Robert is the long-lost suitor, pining for his old friend, but the woman she's grown into is passionate and knows when to concede the point. Their relationship becomes something for the court gossips to chew on, yet their story is one readers of all ages can enjoy.
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