In 773 AD, after centuries of conflicting relationships, the hour of reckoning has come between the Lombards and the Franks: King Desiderius and his son Adelchi find themselves facing the rising star of Charles, called to Italy by Pope Adrian to defend the territories of the Church.
After the failure of diplomacy, and before the word goes to arms, it's time for intrigues and spies. Liutgardo, the young gastaldo of Sibrium, is in charge of carrying out a delicate mission, which will take him away from his fortress, within which a secret is hidden, capable of upsetting his life and perhaps the fate of the war.
Hatred, resentment and the desire for revenge, a legacy of peoples who have recently emerged from a long barbarism, are mixed with intense feelings of friendship, love, loyalty and a sense of honour, against the backdrop of the anguished waiting for a final showdown.
