He was a prisoner of war at seven. She was a widow at fifteen. For Thomas, bastard by birth, the opportunity to fight and serve the King was an honor he should never have expected, but by chance received. Focused and driven, his dreams were simple; just to have a place to call home. For Rosamund, her beauty was renowned, yet it was her faith that was her strength. She struggled with the reality of her world; dreams were for fools and love was for wastrels. Life in the 12th century, when King Henry II ruled, was a time when responsibilities and obligations were your birthright and honor demanded you saw them through to the end. The price was high, even to death. As Thomas and Rosamund struggle in the separate paths of their lives, the complications of politics and war and hatreds and revenge swirl around them making every forward step seemingly impossible. And then things get even worse, for they fall in love. Could it really be that the path most difficult to follow is the only one worth choosing?