Peregrine, bastard son of King Paladrine, thought he had trouble when he was transformed by a sorcerer into a falcon. In fact, his real troubles began when the prepubescent Princess Ruby changed him back into...well, almost a prince.
A bastard, to be exact.
Whereupon he found himself dragged off by a dyspeptic dragon, smooched by a sphinx, wooed by the weefolk, and finally appointed Sub-Imperial-Sub-Legate, which still not quite a prince, but somewhat more elegant than a bastard...