Prague, 1599. Christian Stern, a young doctor, has just arrived in the city. On his first evening, he finds a young womans body half-buried in the snow.The dead woman is none other than the emperors mistress, and theres no shortage of suspects. Stern is employed by the emperor himself to investigate the murder. In the search to find the culprit, Stern finds himself drawn into the shadowy world of the emperors court - unspoken affairs, letters written in code, and bitter rivalries. But theres no turning back now...