Der leere Thron

On Æthelred's throne rested an intricately decorated helmet. In earlier times, kings wore not a crown, but always the helmet. Who was it now intended for? In long battles, the united armies of the Anglo-Saxons have pushed the Danes back. Yet the deadly threat from the north still looms over the English kingdoms. And now Æthelred, ruler of Mercia, lies dying. How will his land maintain independence from the neighboring Wessex? In the struggle for succession, the warrior Uhtred remains loyal to Æthelflæd, his lady and secret lover, Æthelred's wife. But will the leading men of the realm accept a woman on the Mercian throne - no matter how stubborn and brave she may be?.