Theodora now has the power to repay everyone who ever crossed her path but she has much more to offer the world than just revenge. Justinian dreams of restoring the broken Roman Empire to its former glory but lacks the means. He is making many enemies with his audacious schemes. There is so much to do and so few who want to pay for it to be done. Together they are stronger than apart yet they seem to be constantly pulling in opposite directions. Sophia is being pushed into a marriage she abhors but seems helpless to avoid. She still must protect the secret left by her mother and decide what to do with the hidden knowledge of the past she has gained. She moves in the circles of power but has none herself and must do what she can to survive. Enemies are everywhere at home and abroad. The barbarian kingdoms in the west will not tolerate any Roman recovery and the Persians are stirring again in the east. Even nature seems to have turned its full fury against the Empire. The world has reached a turning point both for Sophia's life and the future of Constantinople.