"I am valor for my Valor, the King. I am strength for my Strength, the King..." A broken vow. A murdered king. A missing prince. And a villain's plot distressingly incomplete. The King's Guardsmen of Rilken are legendary for their strength, skill, and loyalty. How is it then that the king of Rilken is murdered on a forest road while surrounded by the elite Guardsmen who have sworn to give their lives to protect him? The king's death, the loss of his eldest son, and the death of the Guardsmen drive the last remaining prince into a spiral of grief and the country into confusion. The blame falls on Bevan, a Guardsman captain, and as punishment his wife and daughters are cast friendless out of the capital city. Deep in the woods, the women-observant Silvie, impulsive Rosie, and their determined mother Tara-scrape out a home for themselves. They seek to keep hidden, but surprising friends appear. So do hunters and spies, and an unearthly bear no weapon can harm. When the heartbreaking truth surrounding the king's death slowly comes to light, Silvie, Rosie, and Tara must turn to the wisdom of the Guardsmen for strength to face the foe and dare the impossible.