 The novel begins five and a half years after the conclusion of "King Javan's Year", as a Deryni pretender leads his forces across the border to claim the crown of Gwynedd.Forced by his great lords to live as a puppet king since the death of his older brother, King Rhys Michael Haldane finally gets the opportunity to be a true king and defend his throne.However, the great lords may be even more dangerous than a foreign invader, and Rhys Michael must find a way to defeat both if he is to survive.