A Royal Scandal

Chancellor Nicolai Ilyitch orchestrates delicate negotiations with the Marquis de Fleury to secure the Russian-French treaty. Behind the scenes, he diverts funds from the imperial treasury to strengthen his grip on power. His dual role as diplomat and schemer sets the tone for court intrigue to come.

General Michael Ronsky schemes to dethrone Catherine the Great and install his oafish nephew Boris as figurehead. He builds alliances with rebellious generals to bolster his bid for control. The plot promises a dangerous power struggle within the palace walls.

Countess Anna Jaschikoff serves as Catherine's confidante and lady-in-waiting, shaping social strategies at court. She helps Catherine navigate the treacherous waters of court life, influencing decisions and alliances.

Catherine discards Variatinsky, the palace guard commander. In despair, he attempts to shoot himself, but the attempt misses, underscoring the volatile emotions at play within the court.

To push the treaty forward, Nicolai orders that only he and the French ambassador may spend time with Catherine. This suppression of access heightens tensions and deepens the palace's factional rivalries.

Lieutenant Alexei Chernoff, Jaschikoff's fiancé, refuses to be sidelined by palace protocol. He travels for three days and storms past palace security to speak to Catherine, carrying news of Ronsky's nascent rebellion.

Chernoff's report of Ronsky's uprising comes as no surprise to Catherine or Nicolai, who have already anticipated the move. The leadership has apparently already discussed arrangements with the rebels, intensifying the sense of a looming crisis.

Impressed by Chernoff's patriotism, Catherine promotes him from lieutenant to captain and tasks him with drafting policy recommendations on foreign and domestic issues.

Catherine's romance with Chernoff secures his loyalty and accelerates his rise. She promotes him to general and installs him as the new commander of the palace guard.

Countess Jaschikoff is banished from court in anger. Nicolai grows outraged by Chernoff's reformist proposals and contemplates resignation, but Catherine compels him to stay, signaling a tense balance of power.

Ronsky and the rebellious generals court Chernoff, hoping to use his position to avoid palace resistance. Ronsky introduces Chernoff to Variatinsky, who hints at intimate knowledge of Catherine. Chernoff attacks Variatinsky, but Catherine confirms his claims, revealing she has been discarding Chernoff's policy plans and that she regards him as a 'nobody' she 'made'. Chernoff pledges allegiance to Ronsky.

That night, Chernoff dismisses the palace guard and arrests Catherine. Troops storm the palace, but loyalty lies with Catherine; Nicolai has leveraged illicit funds to win the rebels' allegiance and then betrays them. The uprising is quelled.

Ronsky becomes Chancellor Nicolai's servant following the revolt, consolidating the new power balance. Catherine sentences Chernoff to death, a verdict he accepts as a traitor defending the throne's fragile order.

Lobbying by Nicolai and Jaschikoff persuades Catherine to pardon Chernoff, reshaping the political landscape at court. The reversal hints at the delicate compromises that keep Catherine's rule intact.

Catherine finally meets the French ambassador at last, a scene brimming with flattery as the diplomat charms her. The czarina's romantic interest in him signals the alliance Nicolai has long schemed for, while he watches from the sidelines.