During the reign of Louis XV, Veronique is one of the impoverished but lovely teenage girls who are sent to Versailles to become a courtesan for the King, who disguises himself as a Polish count. But when she discovers her lover's true identity, Veronique is sent away to give birth in secret, and then marry a Breton merchant. This is also the story of the King's daughter by Veronique, Marie-Louise, who will become a midwife and a healer in a France teetering on the edge of revolution—and those with royal relatives must mind their step very carefully.