Louis has successfully put an end to the Affair of the Poisons. The war against Holland is won. His nemesis William of Orange is crushed. And now Louis has a new vision: for France, for the empire, for himself. He wants to secure France's frontiers, continue to colonise the Americas and get his hands on Spain. And he dreams of being God’s representative on earth. The Messiah… But there are grave risks. The people of France are sick of paying taxes. Worn out. Hungry. Rebellion is in the air... New challenges and problems are brewing for Louis inside the palace as well. His new favourite Madame de Maintenon is slowly pushing him down the path of Absolutism. The nobles and government are concerned. Where will this lead? Will Louis turn into an uncontrollable tyrant? Furthermore the queen Marie-Thérèse seems to have become intimate with her cousin and Louis’ arch enemy Leopold, who is close to the Vatican and determined to block Louis’ efforts to seize Spain. Louis will impose his authority - no matter how great the obstacle, no matter what the cost. All dissent will be quashed. He becomes increasingly autocratic. Convinced of his own divine powers, he wants to escape the influence of the Vatican and establish himself as a God amongst mortals. He outshines the Pope by instigating a violent and bloody repression of the Protestants. But looming in the background is a shadow that threatens to destroy everything Louis is trying to achieve. Convinced that his brother is hiding something from him, Philippe has started to investigate the mysterious Duc de Sullun, a prisoner with a dark secret whose face is hidden by an iron mask. Philippe is convinced that he will prove his brother’s guilt - not realising that he may be bringing down the entire monarchy…