The story opens with the knowledge that Densu, the main character, knows that the crown prince, Appia, is murdered. He also thinks that the queen, Araba Jesiwa, is also murdered.
The novel suddenly flashes back to when Densu was a child, competing in a Hunger-Games-esque tournament meant to emphasize his masculinity. He is the best among his competitors, and would have won if he had not refused to kill an animal in the final round, which Appia does. Deep within him, Densu hides the desire that he has to be a healer and help his community, when the other part of him, a guardian named Ababio, wants him to fight and win the crown. Densu wants to help people, not hurt them, which causes an internal conflict.
Once again, the story is back to where it began, with the death of Appia. Ababio thinks that Densu is the killer, and wants to kill him while pretending to prove Densu's innocence. Densu runs away to the forest, where previously he had gone to try and live as a healer. He had met a man named Damfo, with whom he reconnects once again. Damfo heals two patients in this time; one a key witness to the murder, and the other a battle captain. The former is still unable to speak after healing, while the latter is soon convinced by Damfo that some of his practices are immoral and therefore should be stopped. Densu realizes the power of being a healer in this moment.
Densu eventually returns to his home, and undergoes a new trial. He is found innocent, and Ababio is soon tried in his place. The novel ends with a gathering of "colored people" arriving in the kingdom, something previously unheard of. The battle captain had originally kept people of color oppressed in his army. They end the novel by dancing in a traditional dance, which leaves all of the white people dumbfounded and unable to act, which leaves the ending open to interpretation and the future uncertain.
