The action takes place in a fictitious world, historically close to the Ancient East. The Aels - warriors from a huge and strong empire - attack the nomadic neighbors of the Viels on the night when the leader of the tribe married his daughter to a prince from another nation. The troops of the Aels are led by the heir to the empire, Prince Keidar, the bride falls to him and becomes his slave-concubine. The prince-groom from the Maraga people also remains alive, and Keidar's son-in-law, the husband of his sister Lidas, makes him his servant and bodyguard. They return to the capital of the empire, Caracas, and further events take place in the Palace of the Supreme Ruler. The Aels learn that gold and weapons, which they wanted to receive from the Viels as booty is produced not by nomads, but by those very Maraghs, and they live far away in the Riphean Mountains.