Engineering a living chess game consisting of members of the royal court for Ludovico Sforza, the Duke of Milan, Leonardo da Vinci's triumph is marred by the murder of one of the chess "pieces," the duke's ambassador to France, and finds himself caught up in a maze of court politics and intrigue when he and his young apprentice Dino are asked by the duke to investigate the crime. Diane A. S. Stuckart has put her degree in Journalism from the University of Oklahoma to use as a yoga teacher, biker chick, purchasing agent, farm girl, and martial artist.