In the throes of England’s bloody Anarchy, forbidden love is awakened. A strategist, teacher and key player in a secret knightly order fighting to restore Queen Matilda to the throne, Lady Elara Wycliff dedicates her life to the cause. Amidst political maneuvers and hidden plots, her days take a tantalizing turn when she meets Alden, the blacksmith’s son who dreams of becoming a knight. The sole recruit without land or title, Alden of Shirsten St. Mary forms a forbidden bond with his Strategies instructor. He and Lady Elara’s connection defies their stations and threatens to unravel the very order they’re sworn to protect. When a traitor within Castle Blackwood endangers their cause, Alden and Elara must navigate their forbidden romance amidst threats from within the order, culminating in a pivotal battle in Winchester where Alden’s loyalty is tested, his dreams of knighthood hanging in the balance.