Philippe de Valois: Seduction and Intrigue at the Palace of Versailles.

It is spring 1720. Philippe de Valois, newly arrived at the court of Versailles, stands in the Hall of Mirrors and watches Count Armand de Montfort laughing with a group of courtiers. Armand is tall, with dark curls and a smile that holds promise. Philippe senses that this man could be the key to his rise—and decides that very evening to spin the first thread of his web.

Philippe de Valois is a young, ambitious nobleman who seeks power through seduction and intrigue. He desires Count Armand de Montfort, an influential and handsome man at court, and later the young King Louis XV. The relationships are marked by erotic tension, but also by danger and political pitfalls.

The court of Versailles in 1720 is a dazzling cage of gold, velvet, and lies. Under the regency of the young King Louis XV, intrigues and secret alliances flourish behind every tapestry door. The nights are long, the masquerade balls legendary, and whoever seduces the wrong person or uncovers the wrong secret can lose their head. In this world of power games and forbidden desire, Philippe must find his way.

Philippe de Valois wants to rise from the lowest nobility to power through seduction and intrigue, so that he can have a say at court. His first step is the conquest of Count Armand de Montfort; later, the young King Louis XV is to follow.