Tutti gli episodi

La morte del ricco sovrano di Borgogna mette in moto un pericoloso gioco di potere. Non avendo eredi maschi, la sua bella e intelligente figlia Maria deve sposarsi rapidamente. Il re di Francia e i potenti rappresentanti della borghesia la mettono sotto pressione. L’imperatore Federico ha bisogno di denaro per combattere gli ungheresi e vuole che suo figlio Massimiliano chieda la mano di Maria. Quando Maria osa governare da sola, si inimica la potentissima Francia. Lo sconosciuto Massimiliano, proveniente dall’est selvaggio d’Europa, diventa la sua ultima speranza.

Maria è prigioniera nel proprio castello. I cittadini della sua capitale, Gand, vogliono costringerla a sposarsi. Il re di Francia propone come marito suo figlio, un bambino con disabilità intellettiva. Il viaggio nuziale di Massimiliano verso la Borgogna è minacciato da numerosi pericoli. Gravemente malato e senza mezzi, deve interrompere il viaggio a Colonia. I nemici di Maria sono quasi al traguardo, quando Massimiliano evita la catastrofe con una brillante mossa.

French King Louis won't allow Marie to bury her father's body in Burgundy. Instead, he forces her counsellors to accept him as their lawful ruler. When Marie refuses to marry Charles, French troops invade Burgundy, ravaging its provinces. On his journey to Ghent Maximilian has caught the plague. Confined to his sickbed, he is unable to rush to her side and help her fight her numerous enemies.

When the citizens of Ghent have Marie's closest advisors beheaded, she sends Joan, her lady-in-waiting, to Maximilian. He has recovered from the plague, but he is unable to settle accounts with the citizens of Cologne for his stay within their city walls. Therefore, Maximilian and Marie are married by proxy with his confidant Polheim acting as his substitute. Then the couple finally meets...

Maximilian's marriage to Marie turns out to be a happy one. However, the risk of war with France is imminent. Maximilian arms his men and thwarts a conspiracy of the Ghent citizens. However, everything is put to risk when Joan's husband finds out that she has an affair with Maximilian's confidant Polheim. According to Burgundy's law, Polheim faces death penalty.

Maximilian saves Polheim's life and rids himself of the conspirators. In order to dispel rumours that their first-born son is actually a girl, Maximilian and Marie have their son baptized in public. However, as the ducal family leaves the cathedral, Maximilian is stabbed. He escapes death by the skin of his teeth only to confront the young French Prince Charles in the Battle of Guinegate.