Trust no-one.
That was the advice of King Adeone's father, Altarius, as he lay dying.
Trust no-one: not your friends, not your family - love them but don't trust them. Danger and betrayal can come from anywhere, from anyone.
With bereavement stalking the corridors of power and treason brewing in the taverns of Oedran, what was once safe is threatened, and the ancient magic might not be dormant.
If trusting his friends is dangerous, trusting Sergeant Wynfeld might be madness but Adeone needs all the help he can get. Friends betraying him are the least of his worries when his brother has plans...