 Beginning of 19th century Georgia. Young Arsena becomes a witness of brutality a nobleman against an old serf man, young man protests but without success. Lately he falls in love with Neno, a young maidservant of prince Vakhtangi. Young woman is afraid to tell him that the prince raped her. Arsena marries Neno and they live happy together waiting for a birth of child. Once a fellow person tells Arsena that it is not his child but of the prince. Neno cannot take shame and she commits suicide. Embittered Arsena sets a house of the prince in fire.