Opening in the Danish dungeon where James raves at the end of his days, the book tells the story of his life from childhood to the betrayal by a spurned lover that leads to his imprisonment. Born in a climate of religious schism the young James Hepburn, Lord of Bothwell, soon finds himself divided between his loyalties and his conscience. Maturing rapidly into a brilliant young man, he is called home from Paris to take his place as Lord Bothwell. Life had taught him to be a fierce warrior and a passionate lover, and James's fate is set in motion when he meets his Queen. A love springs up between them that will overcome religious divides, spill blood, and haunt Bothwell until his dying day.