A spellbinding tale of love, friendship and betrayal set against the turbulence of 17thCentury England. England 1604. A new king has ascended the throne and the future of the realm is uncertain. As the different factions vie for supremacy, two friends are swept into the conflict. Ben Kemp has recently returned from seven years of exile in the East. Now, seeking only to be left in peace to worship how he wishes, he joins a small community of puritans who have so far escaped persecution. But in a world where non-conformity is a crime, the king has stepped up the hunt for dissenters, and the net draws ever closer. Then his old friend, biblical scholar Richard Clarke, is offered a place on the king's new translation of the bible. For Richard it seems like a gift from God, a way back in from the cold where his friendship with Ben has kept him for many years. With his loyalties questioned, he had given up hope of advancement long ago. But Richard soon discovers there is a price to pay for his new-found favour, and that price is betrayal. Caught between love for his friend and faith in his church, Richard is faced with a devastating choice.