Constantinople, 1179
Princess Agnes of France is thirteen when she is sent to marry Alexios, heir to Byzantium, an empire unmatched in wealth, power - and glamour.
But her husband is a deluded weakling with mighty enemies and treacherous allies, and Agnes must learn to play the City s game before it devours her.
Trapped in a court simmering with intrigue, she faces down bloody revolution, shipwreck and exile - and discovers there is no limit to what she will do to survive. Even betray the man she loves.
It s not until crusading knights from her homeland attack the City that she finally understands what is truly worth fighting for.
