内容简介：
Richard and his sister, Mary, lost their father at an early age, when armored knights took him from the village one day. Since then, their mother has pined for her beloved husband and has become quite sickly, wasting away for her absent husband from whom they have had no sign in six years. On her deathbed, she extracts a promise from Richard that he will find his father and try to bring the family back together. He eventually learns the truth behind his fatheras mysterious disappearance so many years ago: he was actually the kingas only son. He learns that since his father died, presumably without any heirs, Duke William Frye is slated to take the throne when the old king dies. Richard is encouraged by the friars in the monastery to claim his royal birthright to prevent the duke from ascending the pinnacle of power.