With King Edward dying of illness, the Danes led by King Anlaf invaded Northumbria and Prince Ælfweard took the throne with the support of the Ealdormen of Wessex and mercenaries, forcing Queen Eadgifu and Prince Edmund to flee to Uhtred for refuge. In Bebbanburg, Finan’s wife Ingrith predicts that “seven kings must die and the woman he loves” before England is united. While Uhtred, now an old man, rejects the prophecy because he is not a king and has no wife, Uhtred of Bebbanburg and his comrades venture through a fragmented kingdom in hopes of finally uniting England.