His home is war. Her home is Portugal. Yet the young, newly married wife of Lord von Ketten is determined to make her husband's family abode, an inhospitable castle on a cliff in northern Italy, into her home.

In the north of Italy, and in complete conflict with the Episcopacy of Trent, Von Ketten searches for a wife. He goes to a distant country, Portugal, so as not to interfere with his political plans or add fuel to the fire of his existing conflicts.