Fourteen-year-old Pavel, alias Pako, falls into an underground tunnel during an expedition near Lukov Castle, injures his spine, and is confined to a wheelchair. After several months of rehabilitation, he and his mother Věra find it difficult to accept that he will never walk again. Local castle warden Jaromír also has his own problems to deal with in Lukov, as he struggles with grief over the death of his beloved wife. Lukov mayor Karel Zlejšek and his wife Naďa refuse to admit that their relationship is not developing as they had imagined and that this is affecting their son Petr's behavior. Adam and Eva's marriage is also going through a crisis, but so far they have managed to hide it from their children Aničkou and Tadeáš, or Nyny and Dydyn. Tokár arrives in the village with his daughters Dragica and Štěpánka – Šmudla – and tries to fit into everyday life in Lukov.