Through cunning and trickery, Evgeneides, the Eddi thief, became the new king of Attolia. He desired the queen, not the crown—but he got tangled in the web of intrigues he created himself, and then dragged a naive young guard right into the center of a political storm. Poor Kostis understands that he has become a victim of the king’s whims, but his contempt for Evgeneides gradually gives way to respect—because the new king, in reality, is far more complex and deep than he seems at first glance. Soon, the corrupt court of Attolia learns that no delicate and dangerous intrigue scares Evgeneides…