1443 The Hundred Years' War is nearing its end. The forces of England are exhausted, and Henry VI sits on the throne - a pale shadow of his illustrious father, a weak-willed ruler, gradually sliding into the abyss of madness. Ragged refugees from lands recaptured by the French are flocking to England, uprisings break out one after another, rebels threaten to capture London. Meanwhile, the lords from the dynasties of Lancaster and York are preparing to grab each other's throats for the right to wear the crown. This is the eve of a long and bloody game, in which the stake is the English throne. The glow of the War of the Scarlet and White Roses is flaring up over the country...