Prisoned pickpocket Lot has no idea why the bunch of idiots who just broke into his cell are claiming to have come for the lost prince of Aguilon, and he doesn't care. They are looking for a red-haired prince, and he will be happy to play along if it will give him freedom. But his capricious cellmate, Worm, complicates matters by claiming that he is the prince. So they flee across the country, and Lot has to share a horse and a sleeping bag with Worm, playing the role of a member of the royal family, choking on eel porridge and dodging swamp monsters and bandits. Along the way, Lot suddenly realizes that there is more to the Worm than meets the eye. Despite his filth and bad temper, Worm is not all that terrible. Perhaps even attractive. Actually, Lot has a nasty suspicion that these are budding feelings, but he's not quite sure what to do with them. And, uh, it would be a lot easier if people stopped trying to kill them. Well, at least there's a dragon.