The king is dead. His final testament is missing. Before the funeral bells stop ringing, five claimants are preparing for war.
King Osmund Arquen forged six rival kingdoms into one realm through conquest, marriage, and blood. On the night he intends to name his successor, he is murdered inside his guarded chambers.
By morning, royal secretary Felix Stroud has been accused of regicide and forced to flee with evidence that could expose the true conspiracy. But the farther he travels, the more dangerous the truth becomes—not only to the murderer, but to the kingdom itself.
In the capital, Osmund’s daughter Catrin struggles to hold together a government already running out of grain, money, and loyal soldiers. Beyond the palace walls, four rival claims gather strength: a frightened thirteen-year-old heir, a veteran prince with an army, an illegitimate son beloved by the common people, and a pregnant queen protecting secrets of her own.
Every claimant insists they are preventing civil war. Every faction is preparing to survive one.
To find the killer, Catrin must uncover what happened during the king’s final hours. To survive, Felix must carry his evidence through a realm still haunted by Osmund’s conquests. And before a new monarch can be crowned, someone must answer the most dangerous question of all:
What if the missing testament was never meant to name another king?
*The King’s Testament* is a political epic fantasy filled with murder, rival heirs, court intrigue, divided loyalties, and morally complex characters. It is the first book in *The Shattered Crown Saga*.
