Prince Alfie thought he knew his destiny. He didn't know the half of it. Fourteen-year-old heir to the throne, Alfie, didn't expect to be King so soon. He DEFINITELY did not expect to be DEFENDER OF THE REALM, a legendary superhero, fighting a secret, centuries-long battle to protect the nation from monsters and super-villains. An ordinary girl, Hayley Hicks, finds herself fighting alongside Alfie in a desperate struggle to stop a fearsome new enemy, the Black Dragon. The first thrilling book in the Defender of the Realm series. From the TV writing duo behind the Danger Mouse series and relaunch of Thunderbirds All the fantasy elements of Skullduggery Pleasant combined with a "real world" royal story