When he is called before the queen, Jacob, the handsome Captain of the Royal Guard, is sure it is to discuss the baffling increase in assassination attempts against the royal family. Instead, the queen assigns him to tutor her out-of-control, tomboy daughter, Marie. He is to teach her to be a lady in preparation for her royal ball. All other tutors have failed miserably, and he is given leave to use any teaching method he likes. Angry at what he feels is a degrading assignment, he determines to train the princess like he would one of his guardsmen, with strong discipline, using sword combat as a technique. He is sure that in so doing she will complain to her mother, who will then remove him from the assignment. But instead, Marie responds to the discipline, and becomes a princess like no other. And when they come under attack, her training might be just enough to save both of their lives.