The fourth book in the illustrious Birth of the Plantagenets series delves into the feud between the spouses Eleanor of Aquitaine and Henry II, painting the portrait of an empire steeped in conflict, treachery, and wild gambling for power.
England, 1171. Thomas Becket is dead, beheaded at the altar of Canterbury Cathedral. As news of his assassination spreads across the country and into Europe, Henry's reputation as a just and mighty king begins to disintegrate.
Eleanor, no longer loyal, nor in awe of her husband, instigates the revolt she has craved for years – with Henry's three eldest sons as her allies against their father. Yearning to dethrone him and to gain power and liberty for herself, she begins to stir trouble at court.
But when Henry discovers the plot, will Eleanor be strong enough to withstand his outrage? The punishment for treason is death. And what of the empire they have built together – can it survive when the royal family are at each other's throats?
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