Following the peace treaty signed with Emperor Alexios Komnenos, the Sultan of Rum Şahinşah begins marching back to Konya. But he does not make it far before being confronted by his half brother Mesud, who rides West with Danishmend support. A new Sultan comes to the throne in Konya, but one who owes his throne and his loyalty to the Danishmend Bey Emir Ghazi - just as a new Emperor dons the purple in Constantinople.

Following the death of Kılıç Arslan, the Sultanate of Rum falls into disorder and becomes eclipsed by the other beyliks, in particular the Danishmend Beylik to the east ruled by Emir Ghazi. The Sultanate becomes divided between the sons of the dead Sword Lion - the brothers Mesud and Melik Arap in central Anatolia, the young Tuğrul Arslan in Malatya as a puppet of his mother and new stepfather, and Şahinşah in captivity in Iran. Eventually, Şahinşah returns from the East and faces off against Alexis Komnenos in the aging Emperor's final campaign. And the stage is set for the arrival of the next great Roman Sultan - Mesud I.

As the western half of the Great Seljuk Empire continues to collapse, a string of fortuitous events dramatically improves Kılıç Arslan's position. Like his father before him, the Sword Lion decides to take the ultimate gamble, and sets out to the East. And, also like his father before him, he takes with him his young son...