Julie Auten hadn't wanted to be the fine young lady her family expected, but even she had never anticipated becoming the Royal Champion Knight of a foreign kingdom She's lived up to her vows and impassive reputation as well as anyone could ask. In fact, it isn't until she meets a girl as open to emotion as she is closed that the legendary Champion begins to realize just how restrictive reputation can be. Fleeing from the heavy magical and physical abuse of the Lord of Raindell, Joy Arase wants nothing more than to escape her identity, or lack of one. She can't believe her luck when, over her own arrow, she becomes the very unlikely friend of the most famous knight in Isidore. Julie and her companions are not the kind of people Joy is used to calling 'noble'. She becomes more than a little alarmed when even among these strange and wonderfully accepting new people there come rumors, and these might actually be ture.