Xavier Brice is a feared man. The king's own executioner and most loyal servant. Io Desmond is a nobody who has stayed alive being independent and self reliant. She is loyal only to her own needs. When the king brings these two people together, wills clash and hearts pound. Xavier must first show Io that trust is possible before his demands for obedience can be met. Io must trust that obedience does not mean subjugation. Together they will give and take in the name of pleasure, pain and love.