A thin, ironic, and delightfully spicy historical novel about the astonishing fate of the most educated and extravagant woman of the late Middle Ages—the Duchess Margarita, nicknamed “Maultash” (Big-Mouth)—and about the years-long war between two women: the wife and the favorite. In one woman’s hands, weapons were beauty and charm; in the other’s—an excellent mind and truly godlike talent for weaving intricate intrigues.