Set against the backdrop of 1830s Russia and Poland during a tumultuous period of war and cholera, the narrative follows two men vying for a Prince's fortune. Their rivalry unfolds in an autocratic society where the pursuit of fame and wealth is fraught with peril, highlighting the harsh realities and moral dilemmas faced in their quest for power and prosperity.
, St Petersburg, 1825. Imperial Russia still basks in the glory of victory over Napoleon, but in the army and elsewhere resentment is growing against serfdom and autocracy. Vasily, a pleasure loving, privileged young man, returns home from abroad expecting to embark on a glittering career. Having become entangled in an impossible love affair, he joins a conspiracy to overthrow the government. Threatened by exile to Siberia or death, he is forced to flee the Tsar's vengeance. Vasily hopes to rebuild his life in a distant provincial town. But he cannot forget his lost love, and now finds himself pursued by a rival who aims to destroy him. Can he escape the past, mend his broken relationships and find a better way to change the world?,