When a comet appears in the sky over England in 1066, Ailith, a young Saxon wife, feels sure that it can only bode well. Yet, within a year, Ailith's joy turns to heartache as her husband and her child are taken from her and the conquering Normans advance. Ailith's grief turns to love for a brief period with a handsome Norman invader. She bears him one daughter, but in the aftermath of the Battle of Hastings she discovers a betrayal she cannot forgive… Years later, the spirited Julitta is determined to find happiness. Her quest takes her on a pilgrimage to Compostella, to a colourful horse fair in Bordeaux, to the terrors of piracy on the open sea.