King Shirvani of Bassania is shot with a poisoned arrow in a failed assassination attempt by his son. A well renowned physician, Rustem of Kerakek, is summoned to heal the king. Earning the king's favor, Shirvan is entrusted with a secret mission to the city of Sarantium. As soon as Rustem arrives, his protector is murdered. Luckily, he escapes through the city and runs into Crispin. Rustem settles in the city, offering his medical services to all those that seek it. King Shirvani orders him to assassinate Queen Gisel, but he declines.
Emperor Valerius II is ambushed in the palace and brutally assassinated while Empress Alixana flees into the city. Immediately after, Emperor Leontes ascends to the throne as Valerius III. A city-wide riot ensues and Rustem takes it upon himself to treat the wounded. He later travels to the Peninsula of Esperana with his family to escape the king's wrath.
Queen Gisel sneaks into the palace to meet Emperor Valerius III and offers him a hand in marriage. Crispin is heartbroken after the emperor orders his mosaic to be destroyed. He leaves Sarantium and heads back home to find great wealth gifted to him by Empress Gisel. Crispin uses his new-found wealth to create a mosaic in an abandoned sanctuary.
