In the Shadows of the Mountains - Introduction

The world shifted in 1066.

From the windswept cliffs of Normandy to the desert sands of the Seljuk Empire, rumors grew—whispers of change, of blood, of power. In the courts of Constantinople, the Emperor’s advisors spoke of a storm on the horizon, a clash of faiths and empires that would shake the very foundations of Byzantium. Beyond the Georgian Mountains, on the Empire's edge, shadows moved in secret, and the fires of war flickered in the dark.

Constantinople—the jewel of the East, where gold-adorned mosaics gleamed in the sunlight, and holy hymns filled the air. Here, among the splendor and corruption of the Byzantine court, a young noble knelt before the Emperor, his heart torn between loyalty and doubt.