As the heir to a thriving smithy and a substantial estate, Phillip wants for nothing...except perhaps bravery and self-confidence. But when he meets Irma, the headstrong daughter of a poor farm worker, he is smitten. Her father, thankfully, can see Phillip's goodness and is quick to give his blessing. Marriage does not guarantee affection, however. Phillip's quest to woo his very independent wife has only just begun.

In the course of a single night, Holgarians take over the village of Kenshore. Irma falls into despair, assuming her elderly father is dead, and Phillip scrambles for a way to help. A rumor leads him into the forest, in search of a caravan of wounded persons fleeing Kenshore. Instead of finding his father-in-law, Phillip falls into a trap. While his life is spared—thanks to the Patron Saint of Creators and Innovators—he's still taken to the Holgarian prisoner camp. There, he learns that the heavenly being has a secret mission for him and that his father-in-law is still alive.

Phillip's only hope of survival, of reuniting Irma with her father and perhaps finally earning her love, depends on the success of his divine mission...which will require more than a little bravery, unfortunately.