Baldwin Iron Arm, a soldier in the king's army, had no intention of falling in love with the king's daughter. Judith, already a double widow from two arranged marriages, felt her soul reawaken when she met Baldwin. After a year on the run from the king, they finally received tenuous permission to marry. With the marriage comes the countship of Flanders, which they must govern and defend. The land is at the edge of the kingdom, marshy to the north, thinly populated by shepherds and farmers, and beset by bloodthirsty Northman raiders, stealing anything valuable and leaving death in their wake. Baldwin is determined to make a life here. Despite the king's expectations of failure and the potential spies in his court watching him for a single misstep, Baldwin is determined to build this land into a geographical power, even if it kills him.