Prince Rupert is the second son of a king of a declining Forest Kingdom. By his father’s will, he must fight a dragon—and either die or add gold to the monster’s treasury. The prince’s meeting with the dragon left him astonished: the dragon is peaceable, collects butterflies, and the princess Julia living with him—brought there as a sacrifice—has bored him to death. Together with the girl, Rupert returns to his homeland, which now faces a threat—an invasion of demons. The country is torn apart by internal contradictions: the barons refuse to obey the king, intrigue tears the court apart, and the highest officials are preparing a palace coup…