Godmund, the White King and Hrosmunda, his Queen, live in warmth and peace with their people in the garden. But one day a coldness arose between the King and the Queen, which allowed the enemy, the Red Horde, to invade the garden, led by a serpent with the head of a man. Then the chessboard at the centre of the garden becomes the battefield for the battle to end all battles. Rosemary Sutcliff's books include The Eagle of the Ninth, The Lantern Bearers (winner of the Carnegie Medal) and The Minstrel and the Dragon Pup.