In a country called the Six Duchies there lives a boy. He is the illegitimate son of the crown prince, although he does not even have a name. They plan to kill the boy in order to avoid future confusion with the succession to the throne, but the reigning monarch, his grandfather, stands up for him, and he receives a room in the royal palace, a place at the common table and the name Fitz. One day, a mysterious old man, Chade, appears in his room. He begins to teach the boy the art of controlling people and killing them. The Six Duchies are plagued by pirate islanders, and Fitz and Chade are looking for ways to protect their country. For people who are captured by pirates return shackled - they lose interest in everything in the world and all humanity. The boy becomes both a scout and a performer of delicate assignments, omniscient and playing the role of a simple teenager...