Askeladd's band has successfully extracted Prince Cnut and escaped into the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Mercia, where they seize control of a town and hunker down to endure the winter snows. But no ice could cool the rage of the terrifying Thorkell, whose chance meeting with a survivor of Askeladd's attack will put him back on their trail... A KING IS BORN Pushed to the brink of despair after his father attempted to have him killed, Prince Canute has experienced an awakening, transforming him from a timid, gentle boy into a clear-eyed man with the heart of a king. But a king needs a crown, and Canute now knows that nothing will be given to him. If he wants to rule, he will have to prove his ruthlessness with a plot that will change the fate of the kingdom and spatter the throne with blood! Meanwhile, Thorfinn watches events unfold that could steal away the vengeance he has waited so long to achieve...