By secret decree Nicholas Romanov, a prince of Imperial Russia, is next in line to the throne. He is a man driven by dark passions and yearning for freedom. Sworn to avenge the death of his father who led an ill-fated revolt against the tsar and the murder of his mother who spurned the tsar's love, the dangerous charade Nicholas plays is threatened by those who would resort to murder to prevent him from reaching the throne, and by the daughter of an American senator, a fiery beauty who teaches him that without love freedom is just an illusion.What begins for Alana Welles as a capricious European holiday turns into a journey of deceit and betrayal, where friends become adversaries and misguided affections lead to heartbreak, and the only thing she can trust is her own reckless heart. From the blood-soaked sands of the Spanish bullring to the verdant English countryside, from the war-ravaged Crimea to glittering St. Petersburg, Alana follows her heart and the handsome Russian prince whose secrets can topple an empire.