The Throne of the Six Duchies again needs the services of a royal bastard, a capable apprentice assassin and one of the few who still wield the ancient magic of the Seers. The Crown Prince's engagement hangs in the balance; Half-Blood rebels still threaten to reveal the secret of the royal house; riots are brewing in the country; Ambassadors from distant Udachny ask for military assistance in the war with Chalceda. Someone must teach the prince how to use the magic of the Seers, create for him a squad of magicians who will support the heir to the throne at the decisive moment. Someone has to... The Fool, Fitz's old friend and White Prophet, believes that only one person can bear this burden - Fitz Chivalry the Seer.