A Folly of Princes

At the beginning of the fifteenth century, Robert III remains king of Scotland in name, but real power is contested within his own family. His son David, Duke of Rothesay, and his brother Robert, Duke of Albany, struggle for supremacy while noble factions choose sides and the authority of the crown steadily weakens.

Sir James Douglas of Aberdour cannot remain outside the conflict. His marriage to the king’s illegitimate sister gives him access to the Stewart court, but it also makes every decision politically dangerous. James must negotiate between men who treat loyalty as a temporary bargain, while his conscience prevents him from accepting the cruelty and opportunism expected of a successful courtier. As rivalry closes around the throne, honour becomes a liability that may cost him his position, his family or his life. The second House of Stewart novel portrays the final years of Robert III as a contest in which princes endanger the kingdom they hope to rule.