Eagan's father had claimed him as his heir, and marked him with the royal tattoo. His mother and her family swept him away from the palace to protect him from the queen. At sixteen, distance wasn't enough protection, though it wasn't the queen who brought them low, she'd died shortly after delivering her own son, though few made any connection between the two boys.

In their hurry to warn the king of the uprising that seemed to have targeted the prince, Eagan's half-brother was killed and his body was displayed beside his father - the crown had fallen. All that remained was to see who would pick it up.

Eagan denied his claim. He was only a kid. What did he know about running a country? All he wanted was a wife and a passel of kids to clutter up his life. He got his wish - for a little while. When the man who had taken his mother away, took his family away, that was the last straw. Something had to be done, and he was the only one to do it.