In Zhou, Empress Lysandra ascends—but rules in the shadow of the Su clan. Heeding their counsel, she demands a hostage from the realm's only king of non-imperial blood, Justinian of Qi. His young, simple-minded son, Crispin, is sent to the capital. Since her coronation, the capital's lands have stayed dry. Chancellor Su seizes the drought, urging her to wed Su loyalist Corin—a power play for his clan. Though vast, Qi remains a vassal of Zhou. But Justinian's power unsettles the Empress—a fear Su and Corin exploit, prompting her to demand a hostage. In Qi, Crispin's mother died giving him life. Justinian has no other heir. But Mortimer, Crispin's uncle—hungry for power—saw his chance. A childhood "accident" on horseback left the boy simple-minded and easily replaced.