Louis the Great, France's Sun King, built himself glittering palace to rival any in Europe, and surrounded himself with the cream of French society, but underneath the gilding lay a dark, criminal world where human life was up for sale, and cheap.
At Place de Grève, a nobleman gives a speech on the virtues of Louis XIV. La Voisin, the infamous poisoner, is brought on; at the stake, she bemoans the limited options women have in French society and recalls the events that led her to here [L'Ancien Regime].
Several years earlier, Marie-Madeliene is discovered arguing with her father, who threatens her with life in a convent if she does not marry the Count to whom he has promised her [Recitative]. Later, she meets with her true love, the Chevalier St. Croix, who counsels her [Think Happily].
At Versailles [Gaillarde], Athénaïs de Montespan has arrived to court, invited by her friend Louise, the king's mistress. Louise reveals she is pregnant and asks Athénaïs to help deflect the women the courtiers will parade in front of Louis to curry favor and make him loose interest in her during her confinement. Athénaïs agrees to help, but has plans of her own [A Woman Might Do Well Here].
The morning ceremony, or Grand Levée, at Versailles was a time for courtiers to beg favors from the king [Your Most Christian Majesty, Part 1].
We learn that after Marie-Madeliene was married off to the Count, he absconded with her dowry and left her destitute, forced to fend off his creditors. She has returned to Paris to beg her father for help, who refuses and, as she is now financially unable to care for her infant son, takes custody of him. He also prevents her from taking up again with her Chevalier [Your Most Christian Majesty, Part 2].
Marie-Madeliene, alone and bereft [Lament], is approached by La Voisin with a solution to her problems [Inheritance Powders].
Meanwhile at Versailles, Athénaïs has replaced Louise at mistress [Always Athénaïs; When Forever Ends and Trio]. Louis engages the Widow Scarron to discuss the raising of his bastard, but is interrupted with news from Paris: a woman named Marie Madeliene has been arrested for poisoning her father and two brothers. After Marie-Madeliene is executed, Louis charges his lieutenant Louvois with uncovering the source of the poison.
Louise gives birth, and when the bastard is spirited away to be raised in secret, Scarron counsels Louise that she must enter a convent.
Athénaïs has acquired considerable power at court, and begins to chafe against Louvois.
After a stunning young woman, La Fontanges, arrives at court, Louis shows interest in her. As the curtain falls, questioning her future with the king, Athénaïs asks one of her ladies-in-waiting to introduce her to the fortune teller she's been raving about.
Athénaïs meets La Voisin. She takes a proffered love potion, but decides against using it any of the more severe remedies La Voisin offers in solution to her problems.
Meanwhile, Louvois' investigation is gathering steam, as he rounds up the women of Paris who trade in poison.
Scarron, meanwhile, grows closer to the king through the raising of his son.
Louis' affair with La Fontanges is pushing Athénaïs out. At a picnic, La Fontanges drinks a glass of milk and collapses, poisoned. Athénaïs is the prime suspect, and Louis is furious that poison has reached his Court.
Athénaïs coach driver comes to Louvois to complain – Athénaïs has fired him after she becomes a suspect, and Louvois learns about her trip to the Paris fortune-teller.
Louvois finally apprehends La Voisin.
Louis confronts Athénaïs with the evidence Louvois has supplied to him, the love potion found in her chamber. She hotly denies it all, and the two bitterly end their affair.
Afterwards, the Widow Scarron derides Athénaïs – all that scheming to get Louis, but never thinking about how to keep him once she'd got him. She also reveals a secret to Athénaïs.
Louvois makes one more attempt to wheedle information from La Voisin. She refuses to tell him anything more ["I Will Not Bow"].
In the morning, La Voisin is transported to Place de Grève to be executed.
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