King Alfred’s health gets even worse, and a very weakened Alfred requests Uhtred’s presence, now known in all Wessex as a great warrior, to persuade Uhtred to swear an oath to Alfred’s heir, his son Edward. Uhtred doesn’t want to do it as it would prevent him from returning to Northumbria and retaking the stolen Bebbanburg.

However, Uhtred is already tied to Wessex due to his oath to King Alfred, and as responsible for the Lundene military, and he now faces a new threat, two separate Danish forces in Cent. One is commanded by his known enemy Haesten, now self-proclaimed Jarl, and the second, and more serious, is commanded by Jarl Harald Bloodhair.

Alfred commands Uhtred to bribe Haesten to leave, Uhtred doesn’t trust Haesten as it has proved untrustworthy, but he does as commanded. While traveling with a small force, Uhtred manages to capture Skade, Harald’s wife and sorceress. Harald doesn’t take it easy and goes to meet Uhtred with a group of Saxon women that he has captured, and threatens to kill all of them if Skade is not released. He starts killing the prisoners, and Uhtred decides to release Skade to end the butchery. Skade escapes with Harald, but not before cursing Uhtred.

Uhtred creates a plan to trap Harald, and it works really well, Uhtred commands Alfred’s men took Skade as a prisoner again, and the wounded Harald is forced to flee to Torneie Island.

But big and devastating news arrives, Uhtred’s beloved wife, Gisela, has died while giving birth, and the child also didn’t survive. Uhtred returns to Lundene and finds cleric Godwin ranting that Gisela was the devil’s whore and has come back as Skade. Uhtred is taken by anger and accidentally kills him, and this gives to Alfred the power to punish him, and a big price is demanded, Uhtred has to pay a huge fine, and swear an oath to Alfred’s son Edward and Alfred also holds Uhtred’s children as a hostage to his terms, and places them in the custody of Aethelflaed. Furious with the treatment from Alfred and his demands, Uhtred reneges on his oath and sails to Dunholm, where his friend Ragnar is based, he also takes Skade with him.

Uhtred now wants to get money to form a small army capable of attacking Bebbanburg, and Skade tells him that Skirnir, her hated husband, has a small treasure hidden. Uhtred sails to Frisia to find Skirnir, and during the travel he and Sake become lovers, but all changes when Uhtred defeats Skirnir and discover that Skirnir doesn’t have the treasure described by Skade, and denies her part of the pillage, without enough money and with winter starting Uhtred returns to Dunholm.

While staying in Dunholm, Uhtred receives news that Alfred has died, and without its king, Wessex is now fragilized and open to attacks. Ragnar plans to attack Wessex together with the Northumbrian Jarls, Cnut, and Sigrid, but during the discussions Haesten arrives, even without being invited, and offers to attack Mercia first. Skade leaves with Haesten.

Uhtred is now in a tough position, raised with the Danes and sharing their beliefs, but also having an oath to Alfred and Aethelflaed, and with his children in Mercia that would be attacked. But when his friend Father Pyrlig arrives and reminds Uhtred of his oath to Aethelflaed and that “oaths made in love cannot be broken”, Uhtred makes a decision and chooses a side, the Saxon side.

Things are not easier in Mercia now that Alfred is dead, Aethelred wants to be free of Wessex’s influence in Mercia, and for this, he wants to divorce Aethelflaed. But he needs an excuse for it, and he orders Lord Aldhem to rape Aethelflaed, giving him a chance to accuse her of adultery. However, Uhtred is back and he kills Aldhem and frees Aethelflaed as well as his children.

Uhtred and Aethelflaed then go to Aethelred’s council, surprising him before the assembled Mercian lords. Uhtred warns about Haesten’s plans and asks Mercian lords to bring their men to Lundene. But, due to Aethelred’s influence, only Lord Elfwold comes.

Uhtred and Aethelflaed get closer and become lovers, and Uhtred discovers that Alfred had advised Aethelflaed to bring him back. Steapa arrives with an army of twelve hundred of Alfred’s best house troops, along with Edward. Uhtred again refuses to give his oath to Edward.

Uhtred decides to attack Haesten, but he doesn’t find him at Baemfleot (Benfleet), but a large Danish force. Uhtred almost loses the fight but is saved by Steapa and together they capture one of the two forts. They reunite and prepare for a tougher battle to capture the second, which they do but with more losses.

Uhtred finds Skade and a good amount of gold in the hall, and Harald Bloodhair, crippled and vengeful over Skade’s betrayal of Haesten, suddenly appears, embraces her and kills her, and then asks Uhtred to kill him. Uhtred does, then meets with Edward, who says that he does not need Uhtred’s oath as long as his sister has it. Uhtred and Aethelflaed then sail away.