Standing beside her brother, Silvano, Duc of Allessandro, in the Vatican apartments of the Pope, Francesca Novar came face to face with the notorious Borgia family and began to wonder if the rumours travelling the Italian countryside were little more than malicious gossip. All three looked genial enough - beautiful Lucrezia, smiling a smile of angel innocence, handsome Cesare, silent, watchful, and their father, Pope Alexander, hands out-stretched in welcome. At their side stood Raoul de Sebastini, the mercenary whose sword was at the disposal of the Borgias. At that moment Francesca had no way of knowing this was the man who was to bring both love and tragedy into her young life - the life she would come near to losing before happiness could be won.