Margaret Gunn, a destitute orphan caring for her younger siblings, faces an impossible choice. When her cousin Isobel flees an arranged marriage decreed by Queen Mary, Margaret is asked to take her place to save her clan from the Queen's wrath. But the groom is none other than Laird Alexander Mackay, the sworn enemy of the Gunn clan.

Torn between her duty to her family and her love for her childhood sweetheart, Gavin, Margaret must decide: sacrifice her independence and her future with Gavin, or risk her clan's destruction.

As she steps into a marriage with the handsome and formidable Alexander, unexpected sparks fly. But loyalties are tested when Gavin begs her not to consummate the marriage, and she agrees.

Caught between two loves and two feuding clans, Margaret's heart and honor hang in the balance. Will she find a way to unite their worlds, or will centuries-old hatred tear them apart forever?