After decades of strife and a pair of bloodily savage wars, the Kingdom of Dacia is no more. With King Decebalus dead, and the surviving members of the royal family in captivity, an uneasy peace descends upon the new Roman Province of Dacia. The senate and people of Rome eagerly expect the return of the victorious Emperor Trajan. With equal eagerness, the people await the legendary great Dacian treasury, said to equal hundreds of tons in gold and silver, making its way to Rome. Like Vespasian before him, Trajan's intent is twofold: to use the newly-won hoard for the benefit of all Romans, while leaving monuments that will echo across the ages.
For Tiberius Artorius Castus, his nine-year tenure with the emperor's Imperial Horse Guards is about to end. His thoughts return to Britannia, the land of his youth and home of the Artorians for the past sixty years. While Emperor Trajan celebrates his triumph, Tiberius returns home to begin the next chapter in his life of service to the Empire.
