Roo Avery, recently returned from a harrowing brush with the armies of the Emerald Quenn, is now free to chose his own destiny and his ultimate ambition is to become one of the richest and most powerful merchants in Midkemia. His first step towards a powerful position in the Kingdom will come from an unexpected source as news of a local wealthy merchant who is seeking a husband for his daughter is brought to his attention.

Nothing can prepare Roo for the dangers of the new life he's chosen where the demand for repayment of a debt can be as deadly as a knife in the shadows. Even those closest to him are suspect and as Roo struggles to build his financial empire, betrayal is forever close at hand. His instinctive cunning will serve him well, but he will soon realise that the road to success is far from smooth.

And while Roo works towards acheiving his goal, the memory of the distant forces of darkness are never far away. For the war with the Emerald Queen is far from over and the inevitable confrontation will pose the biggest threat yet to his new found wealth and power.