King Arthur, his nephew Sir Gawaine, and most of the other surviving Knights of the Round Table, have "crossed the water" to pursue vengeance upon Sir Launcelot, whose relationship with the Queen has caused the collapse of the Round Table Fellowship. In the King's absence, Mordred,King Arthur's son, reigns supreme in the city as the Prince Regent. When news from abroad suggests that the King may be dead, Mordred lays plans for his own coronation; he summons Britain's highest nobles to attend the event. Among those nobles is Lute, Mordred's half-brother and the Earl of Sanham. What does Mordred have in mind for Lute, who, because he is several months older than Mordred, actually has a greater claim to the throne? Whatever it is, it's bound to be something quite nasty.