June 1540. Thomas Cromwell, lately Earl of Essex and lord great chamberlain of England, is arrested, stripped of his titles and imprisoned in the Tower of London, where he awaits trial. His fall has been dizzying. As Cromwell struggles to make sense of it, he is visited by his friend and former ward, Rafe Sadler, now one of the king's gentlemen. Rafe is the only person brave enough, and loyal enough, to bring the so-called traitor news from court.