The king's friend : a play, in five acts

France is torn by war, and victory has brought little comfort to the soldiers who won it. After the battle of Ivry, the wounded Marquis de Rosny lies in the town of Mante, serving as minister and trusted friend to King Henry IV. Yet the king’s march toward Paris is threatened by a foe no army can easily defeat: hunger. With his troops poorly supplied and his own resources dwindling, Henry’s triumph may prove dangerously fragile.

Rosny’s sharp-tongued secretary, Maignan, brings humor and practical sense to a world of grand titles, battered armor, and desperate choices. Around them gather soldiers, nobles, servants, and women whose loyalties may be tested as political ambition collides with personal devotion. Rich in theatrical dialogue and historical atmosphere, this five-act drama explores friendship, duty, courage, and the cost of power as a kingdom struggles to survive its latest victory.