Grand Duke Alexei sits on a throne in a white fortress on the top of a mountain. He receives Turkish ambassadors, who, in addition to gifts, brought him death. Various rumors circulate about him outside the borders of alluring Tavria, but the ruler is not so simple: when the Ottoman mercenary Titay tries to carry out a disastrous plan, the pieces on the game board are lined up completely differently... What is the price of happiness in a world where you can buy a human life? What is brighter: the aroma of blood or sandalwood? Where is the line after which betrayal goes from evil to good?