In Cornwall, farmer Joseph Moyle's stepson Ralf, becomes page to the future Charles II. Britain is at war between the Royalists and the Parliamentarians. Ralf follows the heir to the throne through the western counties as he learns of court intrigue. When Charles begins the first of many affairs, Ralf also falls in love. But Brighid, an Irish Catholic, is also complicit in an attempt to kidnap Charles - a fact that Ralf discovers when he foils the plot...In 1645, when the conclusive Battle of Naseby marks ultimate defeat for the Royalists, Ralf follows Charles into exile. Desperate to return to Cornwall after ten years of loyal service to Charles, Ralf's dreams of the homecoming to his beloved Trecarne are shattered...