Shattock is the realm's finest scholar, but he hides a second life as a legendary sword immortal. When General Quinn dies under suspicious circumstances, Shattock enters the palace to investigate — and walks straight into a royal marriage he never wanted, bound to Princess Cecilia.
As the Northern Tribes press at the border and Chancellor Rowan plots rebellion, Shattock and Cecilia work from inside the court to unravel the truth. Every clue pulls them closer to a shocking answer: the paralyzed emperor himself ordered Quinn's death. Shattock must decide how far he will go to expose a man everyone believes is helpless, with the princess's life and the realm's peace on the line.
