The Prince of Kiev has decided to appoint an heir to the throne, but there's a problem: who could it be? A relative, a family friend, or perhaps a princess from overseas? Without much thought, the Prince-father chooses a near-princess, and most importantly, a relative—his niece Zabava. Currently, she and her husband, Yelisey (remember Dobrynya Nikitich's faithful student?), are being educated in distant Constantinople, ruled by the treacherous Vasilevs. To return the heir to her native lands, three warriors and, of course, the court's chief horse, Julius, are dispatched in haste.