Jean Dax

Rudolf, Crown Prince of Austria, is fettered on all sides. He's bored; his father, the emperor, is domineering; his politics are more liberal than his father's, but he knows his views carry no weight. He agrees to marry a princess...

Baroness Irène de Rysbergue, neglected by her gloomy husband, is preparing for the ball. Admiring her feather-trimmed dress, her young son nicknames her "Maman Colibri".