In Russia, during the 1600's, the place of a duke's daughter was to marry whomever her father chose for her. Lady Arisha Bagry, disgraced, ruined, and exiled to a small town, has learned to survive on her own, without any man telling her what to do, and she's content living her life alone. Even if it means she'll never have a husband or children. When Lieutenant Alexei Zolvar is sent to retrieve the duke's daughter, he's furious. He should be at the front, leading the fight against the Turks. It feels more like a punishment than a plum assignment, but he knows his duty. He is ordered and he must obey. He is determined to bring the duke's daughter home. She is determined to never return. For both of them, this mission becomes one of life or death. However, not just their lives hang in the balance. Who will live and who will die? And who can know how far a madman will go?