In 1411, England is still torn apart by the civil war caused by the dispute for the throne between King Stephen and Empress Matilda. Among the victims of the slaughter is the monastery of Hyde Minster, which has been completely destroyed.

The brothers of the monastery are scattered here and there. Two of them seek asylum in Shrewsbury: Brother Humilis, who gave up on the marriage he intended to pursue in order to embrace the shape after the serious injuries he sustained in the Crusade, and the mute Fidelis, his devoted servant.

Everything goes well until Nicholas - a former attendant of Humilis - decides to court the former fiancée of his master on his behalf and comes to seek his blessing for the decision to ask for her hand in marriage. Then a hidden tragedy comes to the surface, and only the ever-diligent Brother Cadfel can distinguish the guilty among the innocent - and the victims are doomed in advance by the claims of honor, love, and Destiny.

[Excerpt from the text on the back cover of the edition]