After being spared for pulling someone out of danger, a man who refuses to serve again faces tension at a royal trial. Ivan Volkov, a wingless dragon prince shunned as a disgrace, arrives to participate despite hostility. Family members insult him and question his place, but his sister Anastasia defends his right to stand trial. To settle doubts, a challenger proposes a public duel: if Ivan can defeat him or avoid a shameful loss, the court will back Ivan's entry into the trial. Ivan accepts, stepping into a high-stakes fight with his fate hanging in the balance.