Book I: One dark night, a stranger arrives at Elspeth’s door, speaking unintelligibly about an important message for the King of Caelius. Using his last bit of strength to foist the sealed, leather pouch upon her, he then drops dead in her hall, the result of three musket balls drilled violently into his back.
The young woman is a poor peasant, abandoned by her father and left to care for her ill mother until her death, now alone, living in a dilapidated shack, at the edge of starvation. Faced with the gruesome specter that now moves her to action, she decides to ride the gentleman’s horse to the Blue Isle, to deliver the message to the King herself.
Pursued by the ruthless, evil Casimir, sworn enemy of the King, she arrives at the castle, where the entire household greets her with warm acceptance and the King offers a fatherly love she has never known, nor could ever have imagined. But the castle holds mysteries and secrets at every turn and the King’s apparent love requires her to trust, even as he offers only evasions and riddles in answer to her many questions.
Unable to leave her past behind, Elspeth struggles with the acceptance and offered love until a remarkable discovery changes everything.
Book II: The Fourth Man