A.D. 871 to 875
In A.D. 870, King Charles of France crushed a rebellion, annexed Provence, and reached an agreement with his brother, King Ludwig the German, to partition the Kingdom of Lorraine between them. But the pope ordered Charles to withdraw from all occupied territory, or face excommunication. Seeking to settle his claim, and to save his soul from damnation, King Charles sent an embassy to negotiate with His Holiness.
William hoped to make a name for himself in the service of the king, and was thrilled to join King Charles's embassy as an apprentice. But the trip does not go as planned. After a harrowing crossing of the Mediterranean and a stormy meeting with the pope, William discovers a secret that threatens the survival of the kingdom. With less than a week to go, there was no time to warn the king. But if he did nothing, everything he cared about would be lost.
Based on the true story of Charles the Bald, The Count of Montferrat is a spellbinding tale of friendship, ambition, and absolute power set against the sprawling medieval canvas of ninth century France and Italy.
In A.D. 870, King Charles of France crushed a rebellion, annexed Provence, and reached an agreement with his brother, King Ludwig the German, to partition the Kingdom of Lorraine between them. But the pope ordered Charles to withdraw from all occupied territory, or face excommunication. Seeking to settle his claim, and to save his soul from damnation, King Charles sent an embassy to negotiate with His Holiness.
William hoped to make a name for himself in the service of the king, and was thrilled to join King Charles's embassy as an apprentice. But the trip does not go as planned. After a harrowing crossing of the Mediterranean and a stormy meeting with the pope, William discovers a secret that threatens the survival of the kingdom. With less than a week to go, there was no time to warn the king. But if he did nothing, everything he cared about would be lost.
Based on the true story of Charles the Bald, The Count of Montferrat is a spellbinding tale of friendship, ambition, and absolute power set against the sprawling medieval canvas of ninth century France and Italy.
