Since the death of her father, Lady Emma de Leon has lived a lonely existence in the court of King Stephen of England. Although her father traitorously supported Queen Maud in the Anarchy, Emma is kept in court because of her royal Welsh blood and rumors that she's a descendent of King Arthur. Her sister Gwendolyn is married to the noble who was awarded their family's estate, and her younger sister Nicole has been sent to a nunnery. Emma is trying to appeal Nicole's fate and have her removed from the nunnery when she sees the man of her dreams -- or more precisely, the man she saw in a vision she had when she was twelve. Since the man, Darien of Bruges, has just been falsely accused of murdering a nobleman and is about to be hanged, Emma thinks fast and provides an alibi by swearing to the king that they were together in her bed. The king demands they marry on the spot and sends them out of the city.

Although he is glad to be free, Darien of Bruges doesn't want a wife. He wants to find the true murderer who stole his dagger and framed him. As he travels with Emma, he's acutely aware that she's a noblewoman, while he is no more than a mercenary and assassin. Lady Emma tries to avoid her visions and the terrible truths they bring, but she cannot forget the erotic vision of Darien in her bed. She isn't sure it will come true, but with each passing day, her hope increases.

The mid-12th century English civil war between Stephen and Maud is a popular setting in fiction, most notably Ken Follett's classic novel THE PILLARS OF THE EARTH and the Cadfael mystery series from Ellis Peters. In this second book in her enchanting trilogy, Shari Anton continues the stories of the three magical daughters of a man who was a traitor to King Stephen. As in the previous book, the heroine, Lady Emma, has been given magic that she initially doesn't understand or accept. I am eagerly anticipating the final book in this trilogy; I'm looking forward to reading the story of the headstrong younger sister and also discovering if she shares the magical gifts of her older sisters.