On her wedding day, Eleanor is approached by two ragged strangers—her long-lost parents, Edmund and Margaret, who secretly control the royal estate. Hiding their identity to test her character, they watch as Eleanor defends them while her husband Roderick and his family humiliate and plot to expel the "poor relatives." When Roderick abandons the marriage contract to court a more powerful family, Eleanor annuls it. Adrian, heir to the Rochefort trading house, repeatedly protects her and stands by her when others see only a commoner. Eventually Eleanor's royal bloodline and inheritance are revealed; those who mocked her and her parents pay for their greed, and she reclaims her family, dignity, and identity—finding love with Adrian, who truly respects her.
