January 1830, and one of the hardest winters in memory. The prime minister, the Iron Duke, is resisting growing calls for parliamentary reform, provoking scenes of violent unrest in the countryside. Against this backdrop, Lieutenant-Colonel Matthew Hervey takes command of his regiment, the 6th Light Dragoons. His fears that things might be a little dull are dispelled by the everyday business of vexatious officers, difficult choices over which NCOs to promote and the incendiarists on the doorstep of the King himself. But it's when the Sixth are sent to Brussels for the 15th anniversary of the battle of Waterloo that the excitement really starts.