Shane is sent to study in the Empire of Europe as part of a political scheme by her sister and father, but everyone knows she’s really a hostage. Assigned a commoner knight, Harry, as her bodyguard, Shane navigates daily threats, political traps, and betrayal. After surviving an assassination attempt, she asks Harry to train her in swordsmanship. As their secret lessons begin, so does a quiet resistance against the empire’s hold on her fate.