Emperor, Deus

It is 732 AD, twenty years after Duke Odo usurped Aquitaine, a territory in Gaul stretching from the border of Spain to almost Paris. Now as his eighth decade of life quickly approaches, he has come to Paris to meet with the bastard Frankish mayor, Charles Martel, to discuss the possibility of a war against Muslims invading from Spain. After Charles finally agrees to help fight the Muslims by the city of Tours, he also must assure Odo that he will remain in control of Aquitaine as its duke, but loyal to Martel and the Franks. Thirty-six years after the Battle of Tours, Martel’s son, Pepin, has gained a reputation as an equally effective ruler, but without the major triumphs. Two days before he takes his last breath, he appoints his son, Charles, to be the kingdom’s Charlemagne. Charles, who inherited his grandfather’s military genius, holds additional skills that propel him down a successful path to conquer the Lombards, Saxons, Bavarians, Huns, and the Muslims of Northern Spain. As he incorporates a feudal system with the increasingly powerful Church in Rome, he eventually unifies Europe. His success is supported by many that include his concubines, four wives, and the one who remains with him till death, Hildegard. Emperor, Deus is the historical tale of Charlemagne’s efforts, through military might and political ingenuity, to forge the first unified Europe over one thousand years before the official European Union.