It is 40 AD in Ancient Briton.  Aria is two years old travelling with her parents. On the road her mother is murdered leaving her father to raise her alone. The tragedy causes him to become a recluse and they live in a cave only trading with the near tribe when necessary. He dies suddenly leaving her an orphan at twelve. She has to survive on her own and overcome the fears that plagued her father. She eventually ventures out and meets friends, and through them, she becomes adopted.

She desires to fit in with the Dobunni people who live on the hill and observes her friends about their customs. She learns quickly but has some disappointing setbacks and starts out as a misfit later becoming a beautiful woman through the love and care of her adoptive family. Soon she is the most sought after woman in the land, but this places her in peril. Only the radical thinking of the changing times can save her.