Elianna Bernstein comes from a family that would rather be reading than doing almost anything else, so when Crown Prince Christopher proposes marriage during her debut at court, she's not exactly thrilled, until he offers her free rein over the royal archives in exchange. Four years into their arrangement, both keeping up appearances while pursuing their own lives, Elianna spots Christopher growing close to a viscount's daughter named Irene and realizes the convenient engagement has stirred feelings she wasn't prepared for.