At twenty-eight, Julian Konarski runs the family estate near KrakΓ³w, 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 KrakΓ³w 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.
