The sovereign's servants are the children of those who gained glory for Russia on the fields of the Northern War, among the Ukrainian steppes, Belarusian swamps and “Finnish cold rocks.” It is difficult to maintain nobility in war, but it is possible. The young officer Alexei Veselovsky will have to not only go through the battlefield, but also survive tragic love, exile, the loss of his family, carry through all the trials loyalty to duty and oath, without being tempted by tempting offers to change the state and service. This is what many who faithfully and bravely served Russia did, because they were foreigners, mercenaries, and not true servants of the sovereign.