London 1578 – a cauldron of conspiracy, intrigue and torture. 

The might of Spain and the growing influence of the Catholic League in France all threaten the stability of Queen Elizabeth and her state.

William Constable, a physician and astrologer, is summoned to the presence of the Queen’s spymaster, Sir Francis Walsingham. He is charged to assist a renowned Puritan, John Foxe, in uncovering the secrets of a mysterious cabinet containing an astrological chart and coded message. Together, these claim Elizabeth has a hidden, illegitimate child (an “unknowing maid”) who will be declared to the masses and serve as the focus for an invasion.

Constable becomes an unwitting pawn, in a complex game of thrones and power.