Nicholas Ravenova, the Duke of Balmornia, grieving for the death of his wife, is faced with another crisis. Under Balmornian law, his only daughter, Alexandra, is not allowed to rule as sole heir and Nicholas is under pressure to arrange a marriage for her. To spare her a loveless marriage to a much older man, Nicholas realises that he will have to marry again in order to produce a male heir.It is agreed that he will marry Ruanne de Morray, the beautiful and impassioned Crown Princess of neighbouring Nevillana, who is still coming to terms with the death of her brother, Joseph, and the heavy responsibility now placed on her shoulders - for Ruanne had a very different life in mind for herself and had trained as a doctor in Britain. Will Ruanne and Nicholas be able to defy scheming politicians and meddling parents and find happiness together?