Fifteenth century Europe was a time of political upheaval and uncertainty. Mary of Burgundy of the House of Valois ruled over a collection of states including modern-day Luxembourg, Belgium and Holland. The only child of Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy, she received many offers of marriage, from the age of 5, from parties who wanted to control the territory. She was just 19 when her father was killed in battle and that same year married Maximillian of the House of Hapsburg in what appears to have been a love-match as well as a political maneuver. However, just five years later, Mary, pregnant with her third child, was killed in an accident. Sandwiched between the two strong rulers of Charles and Maximilian, Mary's tenure is often overlooked. In this novel, Mary is depicted as the representation of maternalistic feudalism. - Summary by LynneT