By secret decree, Nicholas Romanov, a prince of Imperial Russia, is next inline to the throne. Driven by dark passions, he has sworn to avenge the execution of his father who led an ill-fated revolt against the Tsar, the murder of his mother who spurned the Tsar's love, and to lead his people to freedom. But the dangerous charade he plays is threatened by those who would stop at nothing to keep him from the throne, and by the fiery American beauty who teaches him that, without love, the freedom he seeks is just an illusion.What begins for Alana Welles as a capricious European holiday turns into a journey of deceit and betrayal. From the blood-soaked sands of the Spanish bullring, to the English countryside, from the war-ravaged Crimea, to glittering St. Petersburg, Alana follows her own reckless heart into the arms of the handsome prince whose secrets can topple an empire.