Life has never been quiet for Frances Gorges at the court of King James, but new difficulties lurk close at hand. When the King becomes infatuated with a handsome visitor, the established order of the court is threatened. Ambitious George Villiers is ready to take down whoever stands in his way, including Frances and her husband, Sir Thomas Tyringham. In this conclusion to the trilogy that began with The King's Witch, they will need the help of Walter Raleigh, and even that may not be enough.