In the Spring of 1063, Alfred, a peasant of Wessex, saves the life of Lord Harold of Wessex, the most powerful Earl in England. Suddenly he finds himself serving as Harold's page, and caught up in all of the intrigue and danger of Anglo Saxon England. At Court, he meets and falls in love with a charming maid who is one of King Edward the Confessor's favorite performers. No problem, except that she happens to be betrothed to Hugh Fitz Wymarck, the son of one of the King's counselors. Alfred finds himself being harassed and mutilated by Hugh's gang, as well as the target of whatever secret conspiracy has targeted Earl Harold. He even finds himself at Harold's side as a "guest" of Duke William of Normandy. Surviving murder plots, ambushes, a shipwreck, captivity in Normandy and danger at nearly every turn, Alfred grows in stature and knowledge - even gaining the respect of the housecarls, Earl Harold's personal guards. His new life leads him through the turbulent politics of the age, culminating in the two great battles that would ultimately decide the future of England for the next thousand years.