Episode 4

Overview

Mazarin, now the main target of the Fronde, watches the political situation turn sharply against him. The princes, the Parlement and several great nobles fuel public hatred, making his presence in Paris impossible. Threatened with arrest and abandoned by part of the court, he realizes that staying would spark civil war. Anne of Austria tries to support him, but her authority is weakening. Forced to act, Mazarin arranges a secret nighttime escape with a handful of loyal followers. His departure throws the regency into uncertainty: the Frondeurs celebrate, the capital grows restless, and the queen finds herself increasingly isolated.