Theophano : the crusade of the tenth century : a novel

The story opens on a mist‑laden spring morning in the Bosphorus hills of 956, where a royal hunting party rushes down from Mount Damatrys with a badly wounded youth clutched in a crude litter. The boy, a strikingly handsome heir of the empire, lies pale and near death, while his companions frantically seek the nearest shelter. They arrive at the modest home of Craterus, a wood‑cutter whose daughter is known for her skill in bandaging the suffering; she is summoned to tend the noble’s injuries, setting the stage for a meeting of high‑born destiny and humble compassion.

Beyond the immediate crisis, the narrative hints at the larger currents of a Byzantine world on the brink of conflict. Ambitions at court, the looming call to crusade, and the fragile alliances among families begin to surface, promising a blend of political intrigue and personal drama that will shape the fate of the empire and its people.