The Serpent Queen

Considered an ordinary immigrant, Catherine de Medici, then an orphaned teenager, is married into the French court of the 16th century to bring a fortune in dowry and produce many heirs. But she soon discovers that her husband is in love with an older woman, that her dowry is unpaid, and that she is unable to conceive a child. Yet, relying only on her intelligence and determination, she manages to keep her marriage afloat and to master, better than anyone else, the blood sport that is monarchy for 50 years.