A Prince of Good Fellows

Stirling Castle darkens under evening sky as a young man named Ballengeich slips through its shadows, narrowly evading a court noble's suspicious gaze. He finds refuge in a cobbler's workshop, where dangerous words are whispered: a plot against the king, conspiracy brewing in the Scottish court. This is the world of 16th-century Scotland, where King James V, still young, still learning to trust, faces nobles who would see him fall and rivals who would wear his crown. Robert Barr weaves a tale of political machinations where every handshake might hide a dagger, every flattering word a prelude to betrayal. The cobbler's humble home becomes a crucible of secrets, and the fate of a kingdom hangs on who can be trusted. For readers who relish the intricate dance of power, kings and commoners alike caught in webs of their own making, this novel offers an unvarnished look at the price of loyalty in an age when loyalty itself was the rarest currency.