The Summer Garden is a fantasy tale, based on a tale from Boccaccio's The Decameron. It is set in the fictional Empire of Kar V'Shem, but makes use of the Medieval notion of courtly love. A romantic knight, Rand, seeks the hand of Dianora, the wife of a local merchant named Ansovald. Dianora is a kind person who prefers not to cause injury to others. This impulse prevents her from accepting Rand's pleas and hurting her husband. However, she cannot simply dissuade Rand from his pursuit. In desperation, she offers to give herself to Rand if he can produce a garden full of summer fruits and flowers in the dead of winter. Rashly, Rand agrees. He trades his substantial wealth to a mage named Portolis, who, despite warnings against Rand's scheme, provides Rand with the garden.