King Leon is rumored to be cursed by a dark sorcerer and unable to sire an heir. He summons young maidens to the palace, promising the throne to whoever bears him a son — yet all women who previously gave birth were framed for adultery and executed. When Isabella goes into labor and delivers a wolf cub, she lies that the infant was abducted by sorcerers. She passes the cub off as a pet, and he quickly wins the king’s favor, stoking the jealousy of Saint Avril.
