Book
The King’s Road
First published 1970
Twelve-year-old Federigo is the orphaned King of Sicily, but possession of a crown gives him little control over his own life. Pope Innocent III claims guardianship, the German captain Diepold governs him strictly, and competing factions at Palermo regard the boy as the key to the kingdom. When Federigo overhears a plan to murder him, he escapes court and joins the pirate Hadji Mustafa, beginning a dangerous journey by sea to Cefalù and then overland towards his capital.
Away from ceremony and supervision, Federigo encounters sailors, soldiers, villagers and a prophet who recognises the future emperor beneath the hunted child. His conspicuous red hair and royal habits make concealment difficult, while every offer of help carries a political price. The novel turns the childhood of Frederick II into a compact coming-of-age adventure about identity and kingship, showing how the young ruler learns to judge loyalty before he can return to Palermo and claim authority in his own name.
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