This novel follows two story lines, one taking place in the Frankish Kingdom and the other in New Rome in the early seventh century AD. The first continues the narrative of Achtriel and Tirzah, two remarkable girls living in Merovingian France. The second concerns the life of Sunil, a court musician in the palace of an expat Persian prince in Constantinople. It is the third book in the series "A Clever Girl" and informs our understanding of Tirzah's past.