An heiress to the red rose of Lancaster, Margaret Beaufort believes that her house is the true ruler of England and that she has a great destiny. Her ambitions are disappointed when her cousin King Henry VI fails to recognize her as a kindred spirit, and she's even more dismayed when he sinks into madness. Sent into remote Wales to marry a man twice her age, quickly widowed, and a mother at only 14, Margaret is determined to turn her lonely life into a triumph. She sets her heart on putting her son on the throne of England regardless of the cost to herself, to England, and even to the little boy. Disregarding rival heirs and the overwhelming power of the York dynasty, she sends her son Henry into exile in France and pledges him in marriage to a daughter of her enemy, Elizabeth of York. As the political tides constantly move and shift, Margaret charts her own way through another loveless marriage, treacherous alliances, and secret plots. She feigns loyalty to the new king, Richard III, and even carries his wifes train at her coronation.

Widowed a second time, Margaret marries the ruthless, deceitful Thomas, Lord Stanley. Gambling her life and her son's future that he will support her, she then masterminds one of the greatest rebellions of the time all the while knowing that her son has grown to manhood, recruited an army, and now waits for his opportunity to win the greatest prize.