Though the attempt on Dao's life was thwarted by the king's intervention, salvation has come at a price. He was ready to acquiesce to whatever was demanded of him in return for his life, but nothing could have prepared Dao for what he would encounter in the king's private chamber--or what service he would be asked to perform. A king and his attendant, each haunted by painful memories of the past, each with a role to play in the future of the kingdom ...