In the shadow of Canterbury Cathedral's spires, a fateful encounter brings together Edward, heir to the English throne, and a darkly handsome soldier from Gascony, Piers Gaveston. Youthful infatuation gives way to a bond more powerful than any attempt at keeping them apart. Edward and Piers enter a pact of sworn brotherhood but still must hide their passion, taboo in medieval Europe. A decade later, Edward's spirited new Queen, Isabella of France, quickly becomes smitten as much with her royal consort as with his dashing lover. But the power-hungry Earls resent Gaveston's monopoly of royal favour and his defiant self-assurance. Political intrigue mounts and the Earl of Lancaster schemes to murder Piers. The Spellbinders is an alternate historical epic with its foundation in the story of England's most infamous homosexual prince.