In the third and final volume of the trilogy, Prudence and Rupert have returned to the besieged capital of Ealdhun where they must await the arrival of King Arien's allies. It is a dark time for Prudence and the battle to liberate the city promises to be a hard one. However, she knows that liberating the city is only the start of the battle; if they can achieve this then she must march, with Rupert and the King's forces to the portal between the human and the faery worlds. Here, she will have to confront Mareck, a dark wizard, take back from him the magical sword, Excalibur and prevent him from starting a war between the two worlds. Meanwhile, in the mountains to the north of Inrhir, Sam and Maggie are on an adventure of their own, assisting the wizard, Emrys and the dragon, Bob in their quest to locate an ancient book of magic - a quest that must succeed if Prudence and Rupert are to have any hope at all of retrieving the sword.