Staevald is a prosperous mercantile duchy, seated at the headwaters of a great river. Money begat growth for the lands, which have carefully stewarded their resources to become the envy of their neighbors. From his fortified keep, Duke Ebin IV t’Ishobin reigns without mercy or rest for himself or his people, as the nascent empire of his cousin watches hungrily from the west. To his supporters, Ebin IV the Ready leads valiant knights in a vigil against encroaching war. To his detractors, Ebin IV the Terror is a ham-fisted tyrant who exploits fear to justify his arbitrary authority.

He uses his only grandson, the crown prince Ebin, as a pawn. The crown prince is more popular than the liege among the minor nobility, who generally resent their liege's controlling behavior. Thus the ruler takes advantage of his heir by sending him about on errands, usually in secret. He hopes to guard the young man from seditious plots, and to instill a harder warrior mentality in him by surrounding him with knights. He also hopes to keep the young man too busy to consider rebelling against him, since many minor nobles would support him doing so.

The duke has several keen advantages to his name, however, not least his command of a bevy of knights, lured with the promise of the duchy’s wealth. Among the retinue are a pair called the Sable Stag and the Azure Hart. Both have been tested battle, but they are better known for their loyalty and wits than their love of glory. For this were they favored as the prince’s escort, because protecting the prince often meant forgoing pomp and being discreet.

Their mission this time was to deliver a conscription edict to a town far in the hinterlands, and to take note of any stirring unrest. Little did they realize the unrest would be within Prince Ebin himself, once he came to realize the true nature of his knights’ unshakable bond.