
audiobook
by Baron Edward Bulwer Lytton Lytton
In a rugged Welsh landscape where ancient Roman ruins linger beside a newly‑erected Norman fortress, the story opens on a tense meeting between Earl Harold, a proud Saxon noble, and William de Graville, a courteous Norman envoy. As the sun sets over the winding rivers Conway and Gyffin, the two men navigate a fragile truce, exchanging news of distant wars and mournful letters that hint at personal loss and shifting loyalties. Their dialogue reveals the clash of cultures—Saxon steadfastness versus Norman ambition—while the crumbling stonework around them whispers of empires long gone.
Against this backdrop of stone and water, Harold must balance his duty to his people with the uneasy hospitality he offers a foreign guest. Listeners will be drawn into the vivid descriptions of medieval fortifications, the palpable tension of diplomatic intrigue, and the quiet humanity that surfaces when strangers share grief. The first act sets the stage for a tale of honor, rivalry, and the looming uncertainties of a land caught between old and new powers.
Language
en
Duration
~1 hours (64K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Release date
2005-03-01
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1803–1873
Best remembered for vivid historical and supernatural fiction, this prolific Victorian writer also left a surprising mark on everyday language with phrases that people still quote today. His stories mix drama, mystery, politics, and the occult in a way that helped shape popular fiction in the 19th century.
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