An ancient court drama recounts a king's obsessive pride in his wife's unrivaled beauty, which leads him to compel his trusted guard to observe the queen unclothed. The resulting breach of trust forces the guard into an impossible moral choice engineered by the affronted wife, and his decision produces a violent resolution that overturns authority and alters dynastic fortunes. Themes of voyeurism, secrecy, honor, and the corrosive effects of possessiveness are explored through richly described ceremonies, courtly life, and the psychological consequences of betrayal.