The bitter conflict in Faerzen has drawn to a close with the Grantzian Empire's victory. As Hiro and his allies return to the capital, it would seem that, for the moment, the bloodshed is done. Yet only a fool would take this temporary lull for a lasting peace. The empire's foundations are creaking. War is coming; indeed, for those with eyes to see, its harbingers are already here. Second Prince Selene has left the north, an almost unheard-of occurrence. The beleaguered House Krone scrabbles to maintain its grip on power. First Prince Stovell, to the astonishment of all, announces that he will relinquish his place in the line of succession. And as Hiro plots to place Liz on the throne, blood is spilled at last on imperial soil. When schemes months, years, and even centuries in the making come to a head in the capital, who will prevail-and at what cost?