Florence, 1557. Lucrezia, the youngest daughter of Cosimo I de' Medici, has recently lost her sister and is trying to express her grief through art. On her behalf, her father agrees to marry the ruler of Ferrara, Modena, and Reggio. Thus, the socialite lion, his own in the company of artists and musicians, the ruthless politician Alfonso II d'Este takes on the defect instead of the deceased. Now it is Lucrezia's duty to give birth to the heir to the d'Este dynasty. And no matter how noble she is, the young duchess's future hangs in the balance...