AURIANE, warrior maiden of the Chattian tribe, was sworn to remove the cursed Romans from the lands of the Rhine. Then fate intervened: she was captured, brought to Rome in chains, and trained to fight in the arenas as a gladiator — only to fall in love with a Roman aristocrat, Marcus Arrius Julianus.
Marcus and Auriane have lived in tranquillity for the last seven years, and Auriane has delighted in raising her two daughters on Marcus's grand estate. But now her birth fate is poised to claim her. in a way that will rend her family apart. Auriane loves Marcus — but unknown to him, she is a traitor to Rome.
Roman law forbids the Chattian tribe from having weapons or the means to buy them. Plundering her husband's coffers for nearly a decade, Auriane has provided her people with enough wealth to arm themselves against the legions invading their land. But Auriane's betrayal has been discovered, and should word of her duplicity reach the Roman authorities, her life — and the lives of her family — will be forfeit.
Torn between her love for Marcus and her duty to the Chattian warriors, Auriane must decide whether to surrender her spirit to Rome — or to once more lead her people into battle against any and all who would oppress them . . .