King Ulysses of Scousas had five sons. Naturally, the eldest was the heir to the throne, but there was an unspoken hierarchy among these royal kin. At the bottom of the immediate family food chain was Erwin, the youngest and rowdiest son.

Erwin was sweating in the royal fields, practicing his sword fighting skills. He’d gotten quite good, no thanks to his father. Not that he wanted to spend time with the old man, anyway. He was entirely self-trained.