Prince Zayan has watched men die from the sidelines for years while traveling to and from the battle sites to bring reports home to the palace. What right will he have to rule these men who risk their lives when he is perceived as unwilling to do so. Switching places with a soldier, Zayan sneaks to the front lines. Though the battle is won, Zayan is wounded and quickly discovered by his father. In an attempt to protect another soldier, Mordeus, from his fathers wrath, Zayan inadvertently bestows honors on a farm boy whose family has always been impoverished. Little does Zayan know that Mordeus' sister holds a secret that could endanger everything.