Includes appendix titled, "The author and the book."

Maid of Honor Lady Grace Cavendish becomes fearful for her queen, Elizabeth I, when mysterious events begin to unfold and sets out to investigate the strange happenings.

"Newly widowed and the father of an infant son, Henry VIII realizes he must marry again to ensure the royal succession. Forty-six, overweight, and suffering from gout, Henry is soundly rejected by some of Europe's most eligible princesses. Anna of Kleve, from a small German duchy, is twenty-four, and has a secret she is desperate to keep hidden. Henry commissions her portrait from his court painter, who depicts her from the most flattering perspective....

"United in sisterhood by birth and marriage, Katherine of Aragon, Queen of England; Margaret Tudor, Queen of Scots; and Mary Tudor, Queen of France immediately recognize each other as both allies and rivals in the treacherous world of court and national politics. Their bonds extend beyond natural and expeditious loyalties, as romance, scandal, war, and religion inextricably unite these three for better or for worse"-- Adapted from Booklist.

Lady Grace Cavendish, Elizabeth I's youngest maid of honor, finds herself in the midst of a battle at sea while posing as a boy aboard the ship of Francis Drake, where she and Masou stowed away in hopes of finding the kidnapped Lady Sarah.