Having returned to Herouxville, capital of Vestonia, Max Renard has found himself drawn into the dangerous game of courtly intrigue. King Carl III is ill and weakened by his wounds. This leads to tensions between the various princely parties at court. The struggle for influence inside the country is spilling over onto a whole new level. Carl III's foreign enemies are taking advantage of his weakness and ramping up their pressure. The stakes are high, and Max has to find a delicate balance between his own personal interests and those of the powerful people in this new world. He'll have to use all the cunning and mastery at his disposal if he's going to raise his own profile and stay alive at the same time. Besides that, Max has a powerful new enemy, one against whom the usual methods are useless. Max will have to remember everything he learned from his adoptive mother if he's going to win this fight.