Emperor Greiheit is dead, cut down by his own son's hand. What remains of the court struggles to contain the fallout of Stovell's insurrection. Yet even in this hour of crisis, there is no time to rest. Six Kingdoms is carving a bloody swathe through the western territories with one of the largest forces Soleil has ever seen, bound straight for the heart of the empire. Hiro leads a desperate foray west to confront this terrifying new foe, aiming to buy Liz and the rest of his allies time to assemble their defense. But for all his schemes, the Black Prince may have finally met his match, for this time he faces not only overwhelming odds, but the legacy of one of the empire's oldest sins . . .