Five winters have passed since young king Bridei ascended the throne of
Fortriu. Five years, in which the people have felt a contentment unknown
for generations. But the security of a people can vanish in a heartbeat,
for wolves are often drawn to fields filled with fattened sheep. Bridei
is determined to drive the Gaelic invaders from his lands once and for
all. And so, with his land secure and his house in order, he prepares
for war. One of Bridei's plans to win the war to come involves the
beautiful young Ana. A princess of the Light Isles, she has dwelt as a
hostage at the court of Fortriu for most of her young life. Despite
being a pawn of fortune, she has bewitched all at court and is dearly
loved by Bridei and his queen. But Ana understands her duty. And so she
will travel north, to make a strategic marriage with a chieftain she has
never seen, in the hopes of gaining an ally on whom Bridei's victory
relies.
For secrecy's sake, Ana must travel at a soldier's pace, with a small
band led by the enigmatic spymaster Faolan. Bridei implores Ana to trust
him and see the good in Faolan...but Ana cannot see beyond his cold
competence and killer's eyes. Then, when she arrives at the chieftain
Alpin's stronghold in the mysterious Briar Woods, her discomfort and
unease increase tenfold, for this is a place of full of secrets and her
betrothed is an enigma himself. The more Ana tries to uncover the truth
of her new life, the more she discovers a maze of polite diversions that
mask deadly lies. She fears Faolan, but he may prove to be the truest
thing in her world.
Or her doom.
