At seven, Christine drank poison meant for her childhood sweetheart, Ryan, leaving her slow to learn and easy to trust. Ryan promised to marry her, but grew ashamed and left to become a knight.
Chasing him, Christine met Anna, a runaway substitute bride, and they swapped clothes. Misunderstanding an old betrothal, Christine accidentally married Sebastian, the Duke of the North—Ryan's superior. Though drawn to her, Sebastian refused to trap her, giving her time to heal while he searched for Ryan and Anna.
His grandmother Elizabeth, at first cold, grew to love Christine and became her protector. When the Black family tried to bribe her, Christine publicly exposed their corruption. Sent away for safety, she rode back to Sebastian. When Ryan demanded she honor their old promise, she refused, telling him she was not a thing to be owned. After Anna testified and the betrothals were annulled, Christine—healed and certain—married Sebastian by her own choice.
