Es Navidad en la corte. Una controvertida mascarada enemista a Eduardo, protestante, y a María, católica. Isabel se encuentra en medio y María le pide que vaya a vivir con ella. El lord protector Somerset intenta mantener la paz entre los hermanos.

La decisión de Isabel de aliarse con uno de sus hermanos hace que el lord protector Somerset deba intentar mantener el equilibrio entre las dos religiones enfrentadas. Cuando liberan al enemigo de Catalina de la Torre, Isabel asiste horrorizada a la reacción en cadena que ella misma ha causado sin quererlo.

Having been sent away from Catherine and Thomas' household, Elizabeth is amongst strangers in the house of Kat's brother-in-law Antony Denny, and terrified of anyone finding out her secrets from Chelsea Place.

Elizabeth is determined to not fall into the same traps she did when last she was at Chelsea. While the court has been rocked by Mary’s defiance, the Lord Somerset is still more concerned with the war in Scotland.

Both Elizabeth and Somerset face the consequences of Thomas’ actions, while Mary finds that she is the only family member that the king can now trust.

There is a new Lord Protector and Mary and Elizabeth both find themselves at the mercy of the new regime and their zealous little brother.

With the king sick, court fears he will be succeeded by one of his sisters, but which sister?