The determination of a man to transform his country may come at too steep a price. Professor Ryan Byrne once believed he could help lift countries into prosperity. When given the opportunity to work with his theories, murder was not the result he anticipated. Barely escaping with his own life, he plunged into guilt-ridden reflection until he was drawn from self-isolation into other work. King Phillip of Malathos, however, feels Ryan is the man who can help guide his country from centuries of bloody violence and crushing poverty. If he can convert the sham constitutional monarchy into a true state, it is a legacy he will leave for future generations. The King knows there are resistance and obstacles to his sweeping vision. What neither man realizes is the depth of betrayal being plotted within the royal house. Charlie Hudson has moved from her scuba-themed novels to take readers into a novel of intrigue and thought-provoking discussions. As a retired Army officer and veteran of Desert Storm and Operation Uphold Democracy in Haiti (1995), she brings a different cast of characters to life.