When the caliph of al-Andalus, al-Hakim II, dies leaving an eleven-year-old boy as his heir, Queen Subh knows that her son is in danger-other members of the Omayyad court have their eyes on the throne. Captured by slavers and brought to Córdoba as a child, Subh has risen to become the most powerful woman in the realm. A woman of great intelligence, beauty and ambition, she does not intend to let her enemies win. Now she must use those wits and beauty to ensure that her son comes to no harm and that she maintains her position. She sets up a Regency to rule in his place until the child comes of age. But she has underestimated the ruthlessness and ambition of their enemies. Keeping the seat of power under her control is not as simple as she thought. In the end she has to chose between her own ambitions and her son's safety. Rich with the historical details of an exotic way of life, long disappeared, this is a story of intrigue, betrayal and murder.