Eugenides is a former Thief of Eddis who loses his hand but marries the Queen of Attolia, uniting the two previously warring countries and bringing peace to his kingdom.

He appears to sleep during important briefings, makes casual remarks, wears unusual clothing, and refuses to be more than a figurehead, allowing the Queen to continue ruling as she has always done.

Initially finding the king obnoxious and conniving, Costis gradually develops sympathy for him, recognizing him as a young man far from his home in Eddis, married to the formidable Queen.

Central to these are the traitorous Baron Erondites and his sons, Relius, the Queen’s master of spies, and Nahuseresh, Eugenides's old enemy from the (fictionalized) Mede Empire.

Costis's own life and reputation become jeopardized, and the fate of three nations depends on Eugenides's internal struggles as he contemplates accepting his destiny as the King of Attolia.