Coming to his senses in a place he's never seen before, Alfred discovers he has survived the deadly sickness sweeping the land and has also managed, quite by accident, to find his family. But he's also a traitor to the Crown for desertion on the field of battle, so he and his family must live in complete seclusion in a remote corner of Gwen's homeland. Avoiding all contact with the outside world lest the king's spies discover their whereabouts, they have no idea what is happening with the war, if the king has turned on the lords for dissolving the kingdom, or if they will ever be able to return home.When horsemen are spotted in the forest one wintry morning, the chill that runs through the cottage has nothing to do with the temperature outside.