Russia, a country shrouded in secrecy, staggering under an oppressive, warmongering ruler. But revolution is in the air, and things are about to change.

Natalie Tereshchenko works in the household of the Tsar and his family, but she is no ordinary Lady In Waiting ~ she is a niece of the Tsar himself, related to Queen Victoria and Catherine the Great ~ although it is a secret that no-one will admit.

As the Russian monarchy collapses, and the country descends into civil war, the royal family is sent into exile, and Natalie and her friends must accompany them. Natalie tells her story as though chatting to a friend. She reveals her insecurities and longings, her friendships and fears. She tells of the men who loved her and the one who deceived her, and, when the family is slaughtered, who saves her. But she cannot escape her past, and is driven to make an agonising decision.