Set against the backdrop of Mussolini's 1935 invasion of Ethiopia, 'The Shadow King' follows Hirut, an orphaned maid forced into a new stark reality within the household of Kidane, an officer in Emperor Haile Selassie’s army. As Kidane readies his men for war, Hirut yearns to contribute more than mere domestic support. With the Emperor in exile and despair enveloping Ethiopia, she proposes an audacious plan—to disguise a peasant as the Emperor, with herself as his protective guard. This act of defiance uplifts other women to join the fight, reshaping Hirut’s world into one of empowerment and resistance. However, her struggle intensifies when she’s captured by a brutal Italian officer, leading her into a personal battle amidst the larger war—a poignant journey of a woman’s resilience and the reclamation of power in an era of tumult.