The wonderful adventure story of two boys, one the son of a mysterious impoverished grandee and the other the handicapped son of a n'eer-do-well drunkard. The boys together travel thru Europe on a Secret Mission and help wrest a fictitious country called "Samavia" from its wicked rulers and place the legendary and rightful heir on the throne denied the dynasty for over 500 years.

“In every nook and cranny, high and low, they sought for him…he had vanished as a star vanishes when it drops from its place in the sky.” From the author of such children’s classics as The Secret Garden and A Little Princess comes this enchanting story of a young boy discovering his true destiny.

Twelve-year-old Marco knows he is being trained for something, but he isn’t sure what. All his life he has traveled with his father in secrecy, learning many languages and the ways of a gentleman, but forbidden to speak about their country of origin, Samavia. Samavia has been fraught with war for the last five hundred years, ever since the prince mysteriously disappeared. But now, there is hope that peace may come at last, as it has been rumored that a descendant of the lost prince may have been found. And Marco is about to take on a secret quest that will change everything for his family and his country.

Frances Hodgson Burnett (1849–1924) was an English-born author of romances and books for children. After moving to America in 1865 she established a popular reputation with the publication of That Lass o’ Lowries in 1877. She is best known for such stories as Little Lord Fauntleroy, The Little Princess, and The Secret Garden.