At twenty-eight, Julian Konarski runs the family estate near Kraków, but the job bores him. Leaving the day-to-day work to his steward, he spends his free time reading Machiavelli, debating philosophy with friends, and drinking at taverns. While returning home late one night Julian witnesses a brutal attack in a dark alley and rushes to aid the victim, a young nobleman. The unfortunate man dies in his arms, but not before he entrusts Julian with a mysterious message. Filled with sympathy, Julian promises to find its intended recipient.
When the judge presiding over the inquest dismisses the death as the result of a drunken brawl, Julian decides to conduct his own investigation. Aided by his cousin Rozalia and Magda, an impoverished noblewoman, he soon discovers a connection between the murder and the household of Princess Anna, heir presumptive to King Zygmunt August. The search for justice becomes a desperate race to stop the throne from being usurped – but by whom? And will Julian avoid the deadly trap that his elusive opponent has set for him?
A fast-paced mystery that follows Julian through the streets of sixteenth-century Kraków all the way to the royal castle, Royal Heir examines the boundless ambition and lust for power that arises when an aging ruler has failed to secure the legitimate succession.
