During a strong storm, a caravan of ships dies. Only one traveler manages to escape - the Count of Saint-Germain. The Baltic waves throw him ashore near the walls of a small Saxon fortress, and the fate of an immortal vampire, inexhaustible in surprises, again throws him into the thick of intrigue and the fiercest struggle. After the legal ruler of the Liosan fortress, Gerefa Giselbert, goes to the monastery, his sister takes his place. It is not surprising that a woman who dares to claim such a high position—an event unheard of in 10th-century Europe—will have to prove that she is truly worthy of power. Moreover, Ranegunda has many enemies and ill-wishers both inside the fortress and beyond its near and far borders.