Viggo Mortensen plays Diego Alatriste in this movie that is setup in the 17th century featuring the Spanish empire. It begins with a scene shot outside Spain where Alatriste and Lope Balboa have gone to fight in the eight years war. The King Philip IV is their boss. Lope is about to die due to injuries he suffered during the war. Before he dies, he asks Alatriste to take his son under his custody. See where to order the books online to enjoy the entire story. The son then is a little boy and Alatriste in a bid to adopt him has to go back to Madrid.