Lord Uhtred of Bebbanburg fought all his life for his king Alfred, although he did not receive a worthy reward for his valor. He keeps his oath of allegiance to the king, but does not want to swear allegiance to his heir, Prince Edward, who is too weak to retain power. On his deathbed, Alfred asks Uhtred to represent him in negotiations to unify the country. If all Christians in Britain united, then when young Edward inherited the crown, his throne would be secure. The whole country awaits the death of its ruler with trembling, because many people lay claim to British lands, including barbarians from the north. Uhtred must make a difficult decision that will forever change his life and the course of history: take up the sword or lay down arms, and let Alfred's dream of a united kingdom die with him... The sixth novel in the "Saxon Chronicles" series. For the first time in Russian. !