Set in the seventeenth century, an Italian nobleman weds an impoverished countess, who is wooed by the King of Piedmont and faces pressure from his entire court to succumb to his wishes.

The King of Piedmont is introduced to Jeanne, the beautiful young wife of one of his courtiers, with whom he falls madly in love the moment he sets eyes on her. Jeanne, very much in love with her own husband and wishing to be faithful to him, is disturbed by the king's advances and resists him. The king is obsessed with his desire for her and neglects his duties and his kingdom, until the entire court, including his wife and even Jeanne's own husband and his family, put pressure on Jeanne to give in to the king's wishes and become his mistress in order to save the king and the country. When her husband tells her it is her duty to serve the king and give in to his wishes, she goes to the king, but makes it very clear that she despises him and doesn't return his love for her. The king's passion for Jeanne never subsides and eventually goes so far that he loses a war when he returns home to nurse her through a near fatal illness instead of remaining with his troops and leading them in battle. Throughout the film the king becomes increasingly frustrated with the subservience of his court and people, who see it as their duty to serve and please him in every way: no courtier will be better at swordsmanship than the king, or at dancing, or at playing music, while the only person he desires makes it very clear that she will only bend to his wishes under pressure and against her will.