The scene is Monmouth's Rebellion, set in the West Country in seventeenth-century England. As the ill-fated and weak 'King Monmouth' attempts to rally his insubordinate troops, Anthony Wilding embarks upon his own quest - to woo his unwilling bride. The political and personal stories are interwoven in this historical romance.

This account of King John's reign is a study both of the king and his political misfortunes, and also of his times. John is set against the background of his predecessors, of the society in which he lived and of the problems posed by continuities independent of his making.

French king Louis XVII officially died at the age of ten, but, legend has it, he escaped abroad where he lived to old age. The author explores these myths, creating a story of passion, revenge and betrayal. He tells how the young child escaped to Switzerland, from where he plotted his triumphant return to claim the throne of France.