"La Princesse De Clèves par Mme de La Fayette" by Madame de La Fayette is a novel published anonymously in 1678. Set at the court of Henri II in the final years of his reign, it tells the story of a sixteen-year-old who marries the Prince de Clèves without loving him, then falls passionately for the Duke de Nemours. Caught between duty and desire, she must navigate the hypocritical court while confronting an impossible love that threatens to destroy everything she holds dear.