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After earning the status of warrior and taking her father’s place in the Iceni ruling body, princess Ceridwen begins to realize that she should accept her prescribed future, marry Donogh and become queen of the Ordovices when he succeeds his father as king. Donogh is witty and intelligent and they’ve been friends since childhood, but the fact that he doesn’t even come close to matching the intensity of her passions causes her tremendous frustration. In spite of her attempts to convince herself that Donogh could learn to be the sexual aggressor she dreams about, she remains unsettled about it and a disturbing prophecy from Llyn the Druid further reinforces her doubts; doubts that become underscored when the Romans come to Britannia. The Iceni establish a trading partnership with the Romans which results in Ceridwen meeting an intriguing foreigner named Marek, an Egyptian serving as an officer with the fourteenth legion. While from vastly differing cultures Marek and Ceridwen discover they share much in common and it soon becomes apparent they can also fulfill each others darkest desires. When a common enemy threatens one of the allied tribes and both Roman cavalry and Iceni warriors rush to assist, Ceridwen and Marek fight side by side and demonstrate to the Druids that the combination represents the best of both of their worlds and a promise for the future of Britannia. A perfect match, they develop plans for an idyllic life together once Marek’s time in the army is up. Political change comes first, however. The emperor Claudius who advocated for foreigners to achieve the rights of citizens in society and rank in the Roman army is assassinated and replaced by Nero who seeks to undo all of Claudius’ advances. All things Roman begin to sour for Marek, but he is bound by his pledge and must serve out his time. His distain for the Romans intensifies to hatred as he is first ordered to destroy the Druids and then, when the Iceni queen Boudica is brutalized by Roman soldi