Llywelyn ap Ioworth's life is not easy. Haunted by his dead mistress Tangwystyl, and in love with his young wife, Joanna, illegitimate daughter of King John of England, his world is rocked when the ill-fated de Braose family cross his path with such devastating effect that the repercussions will ripple across the Kingdom and threaten the security of Wales. Entwined with these events runs the conflict between his legitimate son Dafydd, and his illegitimate son Gruffydd, over the succession to a kingdom already torn apart by conflict with King John and England, which ultimately ends with Llywelyn's dreams for an independent Wales after his death in tatters.
Caught in the midst of it all Joanna struggles to be accepted by Llywelyn's children, born to a woman who cannot rest in her grave until she sees her son crowned as the next Prince of Wales. But Tangwystl is not alone in her battle to fulfill her dying wish, for on her death bed she had secured the promise of her ladies maid and confidant, Bronwyn, who's meddling in the dark arts unleashes forces beyond even her control....