Two households, both alike in dignity, In fair Verona, where we lay our scene...

In the House of Montague, there's the darling heir apparent—Romeo—but there's also his cousin, Benvolio ... and Ben is the quiet, stable, responsible one who's always trying to keep his relatives out of trouble. Usually unsuccessfully, through no fault of his own.

But Ben has secrets. For the past seven years, he's been refining his skills as the legendary Prince of Shadows, the most notorious thief in Verona—he steals only from the very rich, and (although his motives are known only to him) only from those who threaten or insult House Montague in some way.

When Romeo writes thoroughly unwise (and probably terrible) love poetry to the Lady Rosaline—a Capulet!—Benvolio's family tasks him with retrieving the potentially damaging letters ... but when the Prince of Shadows meets the Lady Rosaline, something happens. Something significant, that will change life in Shakespeare's Verona forever.