1013AD: King Ethelred has fled England, abandoning his country to the cruelty of the Danish usurper, Svienn Forkbeard, and his malevolent son, Cnut. Seeking refuge in Normandy, Ethelred hopes to secure a life free from danger, one where he'll be able to take care of his family and avoid the intrigue and double-dealing that had blighted his reign back home.

Yet not every Englishman is happy to just leave their nation to the Danes. A son of Ethelred, now known by his fearsome name, Edmund Ironside, has refused to flee and is raising an army. Aided by the heroic Ealdorman, Ulfcytel of Eastengle, Edmund hopes to rally what's left of his people and lead them in a furious campaign to win his father's throne and drive the foreign hordes into the sea.

But the Danes are not the only enemy the young Edmund has to contend with, and even as he meets them in battle other forces are coming into play, ones that seek to control his fate and place England under a crushing yoke for centuries to come.