Sometimes the best knight is a damsel. In a world where women are seen as weak, defenceless creatures for men to protect and own, one orphan girl wants to be different. She dreams of being a knight. Slaying dragons, taking down armies with her father's sword. Only her foster parents don't agree with her views. On the night of her betrothal to a man over twice her age, the King's soldiers come to their tiny village, and in the chaotic aftermath she's left with a choice. Go back to life she knows and marry a man she despises, or journey onward and risk death to earn the knighthood she dreams of. The road forward isn't a safe one for a girl travelling with only her foster brother as company. Magic lurks in dark places. Vengeance burrows deep in many equally dark hearts. And all around the circle armies are gathering to defend the Kingdom against a threat that has not been seen in a thousand years. In the third part of this four part 140 thousand word fantasy, the barbarians are closer than ever to taking the King's City. But Boone comes to realise there are enemies lurking within the castle walls as well as beyond them.