Fifteen-year old crown prince Acolmiztli wants nothing more than to see his city-state of Tetzcoco thrive. A singer, poet, and burgeoning philosophical mind, he has big plans about infrastructure projects and cultural initiatives that will bring honor to his family and help his people flourish. But the two sides of his family, the kingdoms of Mexico and Acolhuacan, have been at war his entire life after his father risked the wrath of the Tepanec emperor to win his mother's love. When a power struggle leaves his father dead and his mother and siblings in exile, Acolmiztli seek refuge in the wilderness. After a coyote helps him find his way in the wild, he takes on a new name: Nezahualcoyotl, or "fasting coyote." Biding his time until he can form new alliances and reconnect with his family, Neza goes undercover, and falls in love with a commoner girl, Sekalli.