Introduction

The King shall lose both head and crown…

Doomed by ancient prophecy, the ineffectual ruler of the Remish Empire faces countless enemies: rebellious nobles, an insurgent middle class, nationalistic rebels from breakaway provinces, a restive serf population.

The King summons the one man in all his empire who can save his dynasty: the janissary General, Dmitry Konchak.

But can the King truly trust this strange man — a military genius who is squeamish and faints at the sight of blood, a religious mystic, an effeminate drunkard?

The Conspirators

The King orders the janissary to arrest the conspirators of the White Lodge, wealthy young aristocrats seeking to overthrow the monarchy. The newest recruit to their cause is Reiss Tselatse, whose tormented past has made him a fervent idealist, renouncing everything for the sake of the Revolution. Tselatse's chance encounter and bizarre friendship with the janissary will have far-reaching implications for the fate of the empire.

Threads of the Story

A letter of type missing from a printing press… Mystical visions born from the bite of an insect… The fateful consequences of a young widow's ordeal… Threads which weave throughout this epic story of revolution, war, friendship, love, and betrayal.