A plague is terrorizing Elizabethan England, and its theaters are empty for fear of contagion. Just as it seems that Lord Westfield's Men must disband, they receive an invitation to perform at the Imperial Court in Prague - an event they believe will be their crowning achievement. The invitation is from the fairest maid of Bohemia and great-niece of Rudolph II, the alluring Sophia Magdalena. In confidence, their patron Lord Westfield has given Nicholas Bracewell secret documents to deliver to an English doctor in Rudolph's court, Talbot Royden. While the troupe is en route to Prague, the brutal murder of an actor during their first performance turns their journey into a nightmare, especially when Bracewell realizes that he himself was the intended victim. Arriving in Prague, after having been trailed through Europe by mysterious pursuers, the troupe discovers that the eccentric court of Rudolph II keeps its own perilous secrets, and that instead of being a revered guest of the Court, the doctor Talbot Royden is languishing in a castle dungeon. As the debut of their play dedicated to Sophia Magdalena nears, Nicholas Bracewell needs all his skills to rescue the company from the whirlpool of deceit and danger into which they have plunged.