Adam de Guirande has cause to believe the turbulent times are behind him. Hugh Despenser is dead, and Edward II is forced to abdicate in favor of his young son. It is time to look forward to a bright new world in which the young king, guided by his council, heals his kingdom and restores its greatness. But the turmoil is far from over.
England in the early months of 1327 is a country in need of stability, and many turn with hope toward the new young king, Edward III. But Edward is too young to rule, so instead, it is his mother, Queen Isabella, and her lover, Roger Mortimer, who do the actual governing, much to the dislike of barons such as Henry of Lancaster.
When it is announced that Edward II has died in September of 1327, what has so far been a grumble grows into voluble protests against Mortimer. Yet again, the specter of rebellion haunts the land, and things are further complicated by the reappearance of one of Adam's personal enemies. Soon enough, he and his beloved wife Kit are fighting for their survival—even more so when Adam is given a task that puts them both in the gravest of dangers.