Xenia Godunova is the tsarevna of the Tsardom of Rus. She begins as a humble and docile daughter, willing to do all she can to serve her father, Tsar Boris. But when a man appears claiming to be the son of Ivan the Dread, Xenia finds the foundation of her beliefs crumbling. The man called False Dmitri claims he miraculously survived a cruel murder attempt organized by her own father.Xenia soon feels like she can trust no one except for a handsome young prince named Pozharsky. Together, Xenia and Pozharsky search for the truth behind the strange reappearance of "Tsarevich" Dmitri. Increasingly disturbed by what they find, they cling to each other for comfort. But Xenia's feelings for Pozharsky are cursed from the beginning. Boris has different men in mind to take her hand in marriage. While Xenia's resentment for her father grows, she finds her heart pulled in many directions at once. Worst of all, she is slowly seduced by the wiles of False Dmitri, which may be at the cost of the entire tsardom.