Keiran, returning from a six-year war, learns the king has broken his promise to give him Diana's hand in marriage, instead offering Keiran his illegitimate daughter. Keiran despises the woman, viewing her as a substitute for his intended bride. Diana, Keiran's intended, is already married and has a child. She has a complex relationship with her illegitimate sister, marked more by pity than affection. Keiran's resentment and anger towards his new wife are central to the story.