Emilia Bassano is one of the most dazzling ladies at court when she meets the little-known playwright William Shakespeare. Shakespeare sees the world like no one ever has before, and despite everything — his wife in Stratford-Avon, Emilia’s husband and young son, and the will of the fiery and unpredictable queen — they fall in love.
But the course of true love never did run smooth, and the Virgin Queen does not take lightly to her ladies straying. These star-crossed lovers must fight for their love — and, eventually, their lives. Meanwhile, William, courting the queen’s favor for his new theater, pens some of the most memorable stories ever written, and encourages Emilia to write. He helps her compose, and eventually steals, a little bedtime story she calls A Midsummer Night’s Dream.