Chapter 10 is in the queue to be posted.
When Imperial Knight Johannes Braun is presented at the court of Emperor Frederick Barbarossa, he quickly discovers he knows more faces than he ever expected. Some once sought to consign him to a monastery, and only the intervention of the then-King Frederick spared him that fate.
His father's warning echoes in his mind: trust no one, and be slow to call anyone a friend. The imperial court is a place of ambition, intrigue, and hidden rivalries. Johannes's celebrated arrival earns him admiration from some—but resentment from others who see his rank as a threat and are eager to test the young knight's worth.
Yet not everyone at court is an enemy. Johannes forges friendships and begins to believe he has found his place among the emperor's household. Just as life seems to be turning in his favor, tragedy shatters everything. Left grieving and consumed by guilt, Johannes must find the strength to endure a loss that threatens to break both his spirit and his future.