In 1399, King Richard II of England is deposed by his cousin Henry Bolingbroke, who is crowned King Henry IV. Richard II maintains a group of loyal allies among the nobility who are reluctant to part with the privileges they enjoyed under his rule. A faction of these powerful Lords plot to assassinate Henry IV. Warned of their intentions, Henry IV manages to evade the assassins and musters his army, causing the Lords to retreat throughout England. All the intended usurpers are eventually caught and executed. Those who provided aid to these Lords are disgraced, encountering ostracism and persecution.

Myles Falworth is eight years old on the night Sir John Dale arrives at his father’s castle, seeking protection from Henry IV’s troops. The blind Lord Falworth, a Baron, had been a loyal confidant to Richard II, but played no part in the attempt to murder Henry IV. However, Sir John Dale did plot against Henry IV, so Lord Falworth shelters his friend. The next morning, a group of horsemen, led by a knight clad in black amor, arrives at the castle. Myles sneaks into the great hall, now filled with Henry IV’s soldiers, where the knight in black interrogates Lord Falworth’s steward.