Princess Sabine Katerina Annaatje of Dulce is on the run outside the castle walls from a vicious invader who has killed her entire family and usurped her fathers throne. With only one man at arms and a faithful handmaiden, she barely escapes the invaders clutches as he has vowed to leave no blood heir alive.
Stumbling into a camp of itinerant performers, Sabine hides her identity, becoming Katerin of Aimsbury. She learns to trust the leader of the traveling circus, Ros Adamsson, a bawdy woman who is half-rogue and half-gentlewoman. Trust may eventually blossom into more if Katerin can overcome her fear and conservative upbringing.
Meanwhile, the invader is still searching for her. A rumored uprising in the Dulce Province, a royal summons for the Adamsson Circus, and a traitorous servant all collide to reveal a secret even deeper than Katerins identity.
