A young French,Vignerte, is hired in the court of Lautenberg ,an imaginary land,as the young prince's private teacher and as Grand duchess Aurore' s reader.She has been reigning since her first husband's death ,Rodolphe.Vignerte soon realizes that the sovereign, who married Grand Duke Frederic only for reasons of state,is ceaselessly threatened by her second husband.In love with Aurore,the young teacher investigates and finds Rodolphe 's corpse: he was murdered by Frederic.