Queen Elena of the island kingdom of Thallia is set to marry the new sheikh of Kadar. However, as soon as she sets foot in his country, she is captured by a mysterious man named Khalil. He fixes Elena with a golden-eyed glare and declares that he is the rightful ruler of Kadar. He then takes Elena to a desert village, where she is touched by his kindness. Things aren’t always what they seem, he tells her, and she can sense the truth in his words. But though Elena’s heart has begun to open to Khalil, she believes that to him she’s nothing more than a pawn he can use to take his throne.