It is the year 1597, nine years after the point of departure, i.e. the triumphant voyage of the Spanish Armada. The Kingdom of England has been conquered and converted to Catholicism under the rule of Queen Isabella, daughter of King Philip II of Spain. Queen Elizabeth is imprisoned within the Tower of London as her fellow Protestants are burned as heretics by the English Inquisition. Ruled Britannia continues to be independent under the Protestant King James VI. Border clashes continued throughout this period.