In 773 AD, after centuries of conflicting relationships, the hour of reckoning has come between the Lombards and the Franks: King Desiderius and his son Adelchi find themselves facing the rising star of Charles, called to Italy by Pope Adrian to defend the territories of the Church.<br />After the failure of diplomacy, and before the word goes to arms, it&#39;s time for intrigues and spies. Liutgardo, the young gastaldo of Sibrium, is in charge of carrying out a delicate mission, which will take him away from his fortress, within which a secret is hidden, capable of upsetting his life and perhaps the fate of the war.<br />Hatred, resentment and the desire for revenge, a legacy of peoples who have recently emerged from a long barbarism, are mixed with intense feelings of friendship, love, loyalty and a sense of honour, against the backdrop of the anguished waiting for a final showdown.