Roger, Earl of Hereford, has had enough of wars. He has fought bravely for King Henry II in a brutal civil conflict, only to see his lord attempt a union with bitter enemies. Now Roger must turn to the very real task of securing his long-neglected lands and founding a family line with strong and loyal wife Elizabeth, who understands that she may not be married to the most considerate of men, but that she’s made a powerful match, all the same. Now Roger and Elizabeth must fight to master a dangerous world where mortal danger and intrigue constantly lurk and civilization has only the most tenuous of footholds.