"it's the only way, my dear tobias," king jesiah reminded his one and only son. "yes. yes, you must leave straightaway." the kind did not want for his son to have to go and leave the kingdom, but he knew it was the only way to rescue the deplorables. they were a wicked bunch, those ones who dwelt outside of the kingdom, but king jesiah loved them more than he loved his own life. he needed them to be brought into the land he had built for them. sending his own son to rescue them was the only way to bring those broken and wayward people into the kingdom and keep them safe from the trecherous storm--the storm they refused to acknowledge was coming even though they'd been made aware of it many times. tobias would do his best, but in the young prince's mind, it was doubtful that he would return to the kingdom--or his father--again.