Struggles with her new duties while attempting to secure her husband's affection.
Sisi's father, who remains critical of the marriage and the imperial regime.
The episode focuses on the immediate aftermath of the engagement between Elisabeth (Sisi) and Emperor Franz Joseph.
A prostitute from a brothel who becomes Sisi’s secret ally and lady-in-waiting.
The rigid Emperor whose temper and habits begin to clash with Sisi’s nature.
At a family dinner in Possenhofen, Sisi's father, Duke Max, expresses deep skepticism. He views Franz Joseph as an "outdated warmonger" and warns Sisi that the Emperor’s lifestyle and the court's demands will "destroy her".
Rather than feeling defeated, Sisi decides she needs to understand her future husband's desires to be a better wife and queen. She pays Fanny for advice on how to please the Emperor in bed and subsequently hires her as her personal lady-in-waiting, smuggling her into the palace under the false name Francisca Von Lotti .
