Bertin is a liar and a thief. Once an orphan on the street stealing purses, his life was forever changed when he saved a boy's life-and then became that boy to the rest of the world. But one lie always leads to another, and life as a Belemeren spy planted in the Engineer Corp has led him to the role of liaison in Ruemri, a kingdom he helped Ruemri's enemies steal. His primary duty is to watch King Sesta, which means he is himself watched by the whole of Ruemri's royal court. For a man used to being overlooked and ignored, the situation is a living nightmare. That situation is further worsened when he receives word of an unspecified terrible event that is going to take place-and then the last person he expected arrives, bringing Bertin's past and secrets with him.