1192 AD - David de Lohr, the younger brother of the great Christopher de Lohr (Rise of the Defender), is a man who has lived his entire life in his prestigious older brother's shadow. While his brother was nicknamed "The Lion's Claw" as the right hand of Richard the Lionheart, David was nicknamed "The Lion Cub" because of his youth.

But David is a force to be reckoned with. Lightning-fast with a sword, he is a knight of the highest order and worthy of his own great legacy. And so, the story of David de Lohr, the knight with the heart of steel, begins.

Frustrated that he is living in the shadow of his older brother, politics and personal differences with his brother see David strike out on his own, finding his way in a world wrought with danger. At a grand feast given at Windsor Castle, David meets the daughter of the Earl of Canterbury. Emilie de Nerra Hampton is a lovely slip of a woman with flashing blue eyes and hair the color of spun gold. David is smitten with her but he's not the only one. He has competition, a man from another very fine house, the legendary House of Hage, the ancient rulers of the Southern Mercia.

Separated from his brother, and pursuing Emilie, David uncovers a plot that could destroy the entire kingdom, including his brother. He finds himself forming a strange alliance with the House of Hage in order to uncover the plot and stop it before it's too late, but his distraction with Emilie and her rambunctious sisters prove to be a great distraction. It's politics, mystery, passion, and chaos for David and Emilie as they try to find their way in a world that would see the two lovers torn apart.