On November 5th, 1688, Protestant Prince William of Orange answered the call of nobles and churchment to come and "rescue the nation" from the Catholicism of King James II. Dutch warships sailed unchallenged into English waters. Despite misgivings about King James, Thomas de Chastelain stays true to his oath of loyalty to the monarchy - thereby imperiling himself, his wife Libby and his children Piers and James. Deafened in battle, Thomas eventually has to flee with the rump of the royal party to Scotland, where he lives the life of an outcast. All the while, a noose is tightening around the family he has left behind in England. The temptation to compromise is great, as Thomas' father-in-law Lord St. Clare, who has effortlessely switched sides, never ceases to remind him. But Thomas is made of sterner stuff, and his fateful decision triggers a sense of dramatic events.