“All of life for those of us with royal blood is risk—a labyrinth—Nyke,” the Second Queen of Phitio tells her precious son who is marked for sacrifice the minute the crown prince accedes to the throne of Phitio. “We are thrust in the maze by our birth and status, and we spend our lives twisting and turning, seeking the magic center. But even there, the labyrinth becomes a living thing—scheming and fighting against us and changing its avenues, its walls closing in on us. All we can do is continue to seek out the center and to survive for as long as possible.” And from that moment forward the young Nyke is caught up in a complex web of scheming and double-dealing as, using his wits and his beautiful, lithe, young body and his ability to inflame the lusts of men of power, he works his way through the convoluted posturing and maneuvering of the warring nation states of Phitio, Brixia, Morini, and Cenopolis in an effort to gain the center of the labyrinth—both real and figurative—and to survive to return to Phitio in victory. Extract: “Come now, I know there must be a price.” The general placed his wine cup on the taboret next to the marble bench and looked scoffingly at the governor seated on the other bench. Both were looking out into the grassed courtyard, where the beautiful young and small blond man was reclining on the lip of a fountain, his back leaning on a gargoyle spouting water, and strumming a lute. The young man was naked except for a stark-white loin cloth and sandals that rose in criss-crossed leather straps up his finely sculpted calves, as he was taking in the sun’s rays. The whiteness of the cloth emphasized the deep tan of his lithe torso and legs. From where the two leaders were sitting, it looked like the sun’s rays radiated from his perfectly formed body and lit up the whole world. Off on the other side of the courtyard sat a middle-aged woman of both regal and attentive bearing, who was clearly keeping a watchful eye on the young man and a vigilant eye on the general and the governor as well. “It isn’t as easy to shop for a prince as for a serving man,” the governor murmured. “Young Nyke there is an institution—a near god—in the land of Phitio. He is here for safety because the main island of Phitio is under siege from the Cenopolis forces. I am sure he would be highly decorative at your court in Brixia, but Nyke is not just the crown prince’s brother, he is our golden priest as well. He serves a function in the ceremonial succession in Phitio, and as the king’s time seems near, Nyke must be preserved to that day at all costs.” “It is for nothing ceremonial that I want the lad,” said General Lykaios.