1399: England's crown is under threat. King Richard II holds onto his power by an ever-weakening thread, with exiled Henry of Lancaster back to reclaim his place on the throne. For Elizabeth Mortimer, great-granddaughter of Edward III and wife to Sir Harry Hotspur, there is only one rightful King - her eight-year-old nephew, Edmund. Only he can guarantee her fortunes, and protect her family's rule over the precious Northern lands bordering Scotland. To question her loyalty to the King places Elizabeth in the shadow of the axe. To concede would curdle her Plantagenet blood.