When Angus MacDonald, Lord of the Isles, agrees to harbor Robert the Bruce from the viperous English fleet, they are forced to be on the constant move. When they arrive in Ulster seeking support from kin, they are met with a brutal battle.

As Angus escapes, it is not a man who challenges him in a hidden birlinn. A wee wisp of a lass faces him with a battle axe in her hands. Aye, he can steal the boat and rescue his king, but he cannot bring himself to throw a woman overboard. Moreover, if he lets her go, she’ll raise the alarm for certain. With no choice but to bind her wrists and take her captive, he races against time to save his men.

As they seek refuge, the woman proves feisty and clever beyond her worth, a complete thorn in Angus’s side, no matter how bonny she may be. However, once Angus discovers the lass is Anya Chathain, granddaughter of his nemesis, Lord Guy O’Cathain, the king insists the only solution is for the pair to marry. But will this union of two hated rivals erupt in passion or war?