A crown can be won, but blood cannot be changed.
Mathilda of Flanders is furious at her father’s choice of husband for her for William the Bastard of Normandy has a reputation as a rough warrior. After a violent start to their courtship, however, Mathilda discovers a man of unexpected sensitivity, driven by two goals: to win her heart and to win her a throne.
Astoundingly the throne seems to come first, for King Edward of England invites the newlyweds to Westminster and declares William his heir. But with the passing of time, this secretive promise is soon forgotten . . . though not by William. Or Mathilda.
As events either side of the Narrow Sea reach crisis point, Mathilda has to decide what she wants: heart or throne? How deep does her ambition run and what is she prepared to sacrifice to succeed?