These are troubled times, fraught with intrigue and danger. John Knox is preaching against the young Mary Queen of Scots, while her treacherous husband, Lord Darnley, is twisted with jealousy of Rizzio, the royal favourite. The arrival of the Queen's messenger at Leezie Sinclair's squalid croft one day means a new life for the young girl. Taking the opportunity to escape from the harsh land of her drunken stepfather, Leezie flees with her mother to 'civilized' Edinburgh of 1565. There, Leezie's mother is to be nursemaid to the Queen's expected child. One day Leezie finds a trapped falcon which leads her to an unexpected friendship, giving her a chance to escape the intrigue and treachery in which she has become inextricably involved. But the sudden arrival of her stepfather changes everything. He is intent on vengeance - against Leezie.