Prague 1599. Christian Stern a young doctor has just arrived in the city. On his first evening he finds a young woman's body half-buried in the snow. The dead woman is none other than the Emperor's mistress and there's 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 Emperor's court - unspoken affairs letters written in code and bitter rivalries. But there's no turning back now…