The treaty was supposed to fix everything, but that was a lie.

In August of 1678, France signed the Treaty of Nai-Maihin to end the Dutch War.

On the surface, it put all the broken pieces back together, but France's King Louis XIV

wasn't a big fan of following the rules.

If the six-year-long conflict hadn't solidified King Louis' reputation as the bully in Europe,

the way he exploited the treaty over the next few years certainly did.

And it was a mantle that he wore with pride.

He was rich and powerful and stood at the very pinnacle of French society's cut-throat

world of upward mobility and social status.

The same year he signed the treaty, he wrapped up a construction on Versailles.

It had taken 17 years, but when it was completed, his old hunting lodge had become the centerpiece

of royal life, and the stage upon which countless dramas were played out.

We have records of women in the court literally breaking out into fights and screaming matches

to decide who would get to sit closest to the Queen.

Courtiers would stay at the palace for months at a time, afraid to leave and let some competitor

take their place, even if that meant allowing their property back home to fall into ruin

and lose all value.

It was a world full of rivalries and failure, hungry ambition and painful sacrifices.

For those closest to the King and Queen, every waking moment felt as if their happiness

and good fortune hung in the balance.

Everyone was desperate for a leg up over their rivals, and many were known to pay for help.

Astrologers, mediums and fortune tellers were all common straws that these desperate social

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