The King's Letter

Although the village had entrusted Philipp with its flock, he longed for something more—a task worthy of a grown man.

His chance comes when a prince and his retinue arrive in Najac. The prince needs a trusted courier to carry an important letter to the king in Paris, and impressed by Philipp, he chooses him for the mission. But there is one warning: the letter must never fall into enemy hands.

At first, Philipp sees the journey as the adventure he has always dreamed of. Yet the closer he comes to Paris, the more that excitement begins to fade. And when he finally reaches the snow-covered capital and discovers what the letter truly contains, everything he believed about honor, nobility, and war is shattered.

The prince's words mock the sacrifices of the poor—people who have given their last coins to the Crown. Furious and deeply betrayed, Philipp dares to speak the truth. To the king, however, truth sounds dangerously like treason.

In a single moment, Philipp's dream of serving the Crown collapses—and he is forced to discover just how high the price of honesty can be.