Harald and Leif prepare for a dangerous trek from Novgorod to Constantinople.

: Queen Emma continues her investigation into an attempt on her life. She discovers that her lady-in-waiting, Ælfwynn, is the sister of the man who tried to kill her.

: When a young girl named Hrefna is tricked into a dangerous rite of passage at a boneyard, Freydis rescues her and defends them both from a wild boar, solidifying her status as a protector. Emma and Godwin : Intrigue in London

: Emma becomes deeply suspicious of Earl Godwin when she learns he is romantically involved with Ælfwynn and has even proposed marriage to her.

: She is revered as the "Last Daughter of Uppsala" and appointed gudija (high priestess) by the community leaders, Lord Harekr and Lady Gudrid.

: They are joined by Lord Vitomir and his daughter Elena, who are transporting a mysterious, heavy silver chest.

: Freydis quickly notices that Jomsborg is not the utopia it seems; pagan refugees fleeing Christian persecution are treated as second-class citizens and forced into hard labor outside the city walls.