The third book in the Elizabeth Fremantle series tells the story of Penelope Devereux (later Lady Rich)—a woman whose strength of character allowed her to gain a position at court. She was the muse of poet Philip Sidney, for Queen Elizabeth I she was the daughter of an enemy, and to King James she was a "beauty with a black soul."
Penelope and her brother, Earl of Essex, arrived at court, winning the favor of the aging Queen Elizabeth. Despite her love, Penelope is married off to someone else, and her life becomes full of love and hatred, while the kingdom is locked in a deadly struggle for power.