Rodrigo is a young knight with all the qualities of a future hero. The son of a Castilian nobleman, he combines his education at court with his friendship with Sancho, the king?s first-born son, and his furtive visits to his loved one, Jimena, whose father, the Count of Gormaz, readily approves of their relationship. This handsome, fun-loving, and courageous young man has a brilliant future to look forward to. However, after the death of King Fernando, he unwittingly gets involved in a world of intrigue and conspiracy culminating in the death of Sancho and the subsequent coronation of Prince Alfonso. Suddenly, our young hero loses everything that life had bestowed upon him, including his best friend and the love of his dearest Jimena, and is unjustly banished from Castile. Having lost his honor, far from home, and living in a hostile land, Rodrigo DÃaz de Vivar and a few of his men, with the special help of Prince Al-Mutamin, set off on an adventure filled with action and excitement that they will never forget. These brave young men recuperate lost territories and confront the fearsome Ben Yussuff, the sworn enemy of new King Alfonso, who is set on conquering the entire Iberian Peninsula. As he attempts to earn the forgiveness of his king and recuperate his position and the love of Jimena, Rodrigo discovers the eternal universal values of love and friendship
