Eleanor endures years of cold disdain as the commoner duchess of the realm, constantly accused by her husband Duke Adrian of using their marriage for personal status and political influence. Exhausted by his endless suspicion and a humiliating public repudiation before the royal court, Eleanor packs her modest belongings and walks away forever.
Only after her departure does Adrian discover that the masked guardian who turned the tide of battle and saved his life countless times was his discarded wife. When Eleanor reclaims her birthright as imperial heiress to a neighboring empire, Adrian drops to his knees amidst civil war, begging for her forgiveness.
