At the core of the works of one of the most famous fiction writers of the early 20th century—the prince Mikhail Nikolaevich Volkonsky—lies an unofficial history of the 18th century, woven from a multitude of scandalous stories, palace secrets, adventures, and mysticism. Intrigues, power, treachery, love, and money are constant ingredients in his adventure-romances: Dark Forces and Jeanne de Lamotte.