When rebellious Elisabeth meets Franz, Emperor of Austria, the young couple’s extraordinary love completely jumbles the dynasty’s power structure. After the wedding, the young Empress has to find her place in a totally foreign world while standing her ground against her mother-in-law Sophie who, until now, had always been the most powerful woman in the Viennese Court. Furthermore, Franz’s unpredictable brother Maximilian, who, as the second born, has always stood in the shadow of his powerful brother, turns Elisabeth’s emotional world upside down. Hostile troops gather at the borders of the Habsburg Empire and revolution is in the air in Vienna. Elisabeth needs to learn who she can trust and the price she must pay for being the Empress and a symbol of hope for an entire nation.