Iosif guards the Eastern Gate of the Empire of Rowlen. It is a quiet, boring snow ridden place where nothing ever happens. The only good thing about his posting is Yegor, the sweet, handsome schoolteacher he's been flirting with the past few months.

Then Yegor fails to show on time, and when he does finally show, it's with rumors of strange men hunting an imperial tsarevich said to be traveling in that area…