Eight years ago, Amii ended a civil war in her country when she became sovereign with the help of a guild of warriors called The Men of the Mark. Now, as a plague sweeps through their capital city leaving enough unrest to give Amii's uncle an opportunity to challenge her rule, Amii finds herself at odds with the guild in her greatest hour of need. This time, she must trust her own strengths if she's to cure her people and defeat the usurper, but there's one Man of the Mark she can't help but lean on, the one who's been at her side from the beginning and stolen her heart along the way: her Master Shield and personal guard, Aro. Aro was appointed as Amii's protector by his guild's leader when she became sovereign, but falling for her was never part of the job. Just when he decides to finally act on the feelings he's found for her in their years together, illness strikes and leaves Aro disabled. He's not sure he can protect Amii anymore, and a bitterness grows in his heart that threatens to end their relationship before it begins. As Amii's partnership with the guild becomes strained and her uncle makes his move to overthrow her, Aro must find the strength to fight with her or walk away and let someone else stand beside his sovereign and the woman he loves.