Austria, 1704: The young woman Elisabeth is trapped in the hands of the French general Gamelin who pursues dark plans - plans that not only endanger her, but also the whole Habsburg Empire.
Only one man can avert the calamity: Johann List, who loves Elisabeth and would rather die than giving her up. A fatal chase takes its course and leads through inhospitable valleys and secret abbeys of the old empire to the mighty fortress of Turin - and on into the deep heart of the Alps.
