Smart people get nothing but worry from crowns. Better leave that to those whose eyebrows meet on the bridge of their nose. Three witches meet on a heath. The king is cruelly murdered; his throne has been usurped by an ambitious cousin. The baby—heir to the throne—and the crown vanish without a trace. Omens promise nothing good for the new ruler, for whom ascending to that stained throne will be far harder than you can imagine. Especially if the bloody stains on his hands can’t be washed off, and the future threatens with blades.