Publisher's Synopsis
Not all is well in the flourishing Realm. Bandits, long thought eradicated during a decade of growth and prosperity, have made a mysterious reappearance in a wealthy province, raising the crime rate and provoking unease among the people. The press has turned against the Council, and its members have received strange and alarming threats.
But the Majesty faces other frustrations closer to home. The benevolent last wishes of an old friend and ally are in dispute. The expectant wife he loves has grown distant, and his troublemaking young son needs guidance. Meanwhile, his sister has abandoned her responsibilities to the Realm for a life in the nearby city - all while he himself dreams of escape, beckoned by the dense forests and high jagged cliffs of the blue mountain and their promise of adventure. Late one night in the midst of a heatwave a long-absent knight arrives at the castle atop his black mare. When an act of heroism captures unwanted attention, his reluctant revelations prompt the Majesty to reconvene the Council and agree to call a Conference of the Realm, a decision with unexpected and terrifying consequences that will change the Majesty's life forever.
