77 AD: Gaius Valerius Verrens is an honored member of Emperor Vespasian's inner circle, but the enmity between him and Vespasian's son Domitian means that, even in Rome, danger is never far away. Meanwhile, in the outer reaches of the Empire, in Britannia, trouble is brewing. The governor, Gnaeus Julius Agricola, is preparing to march his legions north and Valerius is Agricola's chief legal adviser and deputy governor. It's the opportunity he seeks...