One's Place in the World

 is the first episode of the first season of the Netflix series The Empress.

Synopsis
Helene and Elisabeth travel to meet Emperor Franz, who is expected to ask for Helene’s hand. At the party, he stuns everyone with a surprise decision.

Plot
Princess Elisabeth in Bavaria was free-spirited and enjoyed writing poems. Her mother, Princess Ludovika, arranged for Elisabeth to meet with suitors, but she ran away each time, angering her mother, who was already suffering from an ulcer. One time, Elisabeth snuck out with her horse, Puck, during which Puck's leg was injured. At the stables, her father, Duke Maximilian determined that the horse would not recover and shot the horse. Ludovika was angry at Elisabeth for running off again and threatened to send Elisabeth to a mental asylum if she continued to defy rules.

Emperor Franz Joseph and his mother, Archduchess Sophie, oversaw the execution of 3 revolutionists. Sophie insisted that Franz show his face, and not save any of the men. Franz is visibly upset during the execution and deliberately hurt his hand with a cross. During a meal, he disagreed with his mother over the execution of revolutionists. Theo came in the room, bringing a taxidermy bear from the tsar of Russia, and a letter inviting Austria to join Russia's war against the Ottoman Empire. Sophie believed that it was the right time to join the war, but Franz did not want to enter a war.

Archduchess Sophie arranged for Franz to marry Duchess Helene, as it would legitimise the Austrian Empire's claim over Bavaria.

Elisabeth joined her mother and sister's trip to Bad Ischl to visit Emperor Franz Joseph on his birthday.

After arriving at Ischl, her family realised that their trunk of fancy clothes were left behind and had to greet the Emperor and his family in funeral clothes.

Franz and Elisabeth first when she was saving a little bird in the garden. The two found a liking towards each other. When the two families officially met to have lunch, Franz sat with Duchess Helene, his bride-to-be, and their mothers, while Elisabeth sat with Archduke Maximillian, Franz's mischevious younger brother and the Italian baroness Maximillian was seeing. When Maximillian made unnecessary comments, Elisabeth was quick to rebut him, which intrigued Maximillian and he later tried to pursue her. During a walk in the garden, Maximilian gave Elisabeth a flower, but she acted as if the flower was for the Italian baroness. Helene gifted Franz a handkerchief for his birthday. Shortly after, he returned the handkerchief to Helene so that she could wipe the sweat off her face.

In the afternoon, when Franz was wandering around the building, he found Elisabeth lying on the floor to cool herself. He joined her and the two shared an intimate moment where Elisabeth told him about a strand of Puck's hair that she had pinned on her hair. However, the meeting ended coldly after Elisabeth asked about a scar on his neck.

At night, Franz called Elisabeth to his room to drink champagne with him. He told Elisabeth that she made him feel alive and that she reminded him of what he was like before he became emperor. Elisabeth was happy about Franz's feelings, but she initially denied his advances as he was supposed to marry her sister. Nevertheless, Franz convinced her that he wanted her and that he was done following other people's wishes.

Hence, in the morning, Emperor Franz announced that he would like to ask for Elisabeth's hand in marriage. This surprised everyone. Helene who was disappointed at the news ran away and Elisabeth chased after her. Helene even asked Elisabeth to refuse the proposal but Elisabeth told her that she had never felt this way before. This put a strain on the two sisters' relationship.

While working, a commoner told a woman the news about Emperor Franz Joseph and Elisabeth's wedding and said that it is the chance they've waited for. They smiled, as they said "For the People."

Main Cast

 * Devrim Lingnau as Empress Elisabeth of Austria / Princess Elisabeth of Bavaria
 * Philip Froissant as Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria-Hungary
 * Melika Foroutan as Archduchess Sophie
 * Johannes Nussbaum as Archduke Maximilian
 * Almila Bagriacik as Leontine von Apafi
 * Wiebke Puls as Countess Esterházy
 * Elisa Schlott as Duchess Helene
 * Jördis Triebel as Princess Ludovika

Additional Cast

 * Hanna Hilsdorf as Countess Amalia von Salm-Reifferscheidt
 * Rauand Taleb as Theo
 * Felix Nölle as Archduke Luziwuzi
 * Erol Nowak as Baron von Kempen
 * Andreas Döhler as Duke Maximilian
 * Noëmi Emily Krausz as Margarete
 * Svenja Jung as Countess Louise Gundemann
 * Merlin Rose as Egon
 * Christopher Bailey as Friedrich von Anhalt
 * Simson Bubbel as Servant Ischl
 * Irene Della Casa as Francesca
 * Linda Harmann as Spatz
 * Mathis Landwehr as Convict
 * Annalisa Weyel as Kitchen Maid Agnes
 * Marie-Paulina Schendel as Housemaid Ischl
 * Marie Dziomber as Housemaid Possenhofen
 * Jakob Nienhaus as Sophie's Servant #2

Quotes
"You get into trouble every single day. What are you even doing out there? You should be in there getting engaged"

- Maximilian speaking to his daugher Elisabeth

"The life she wants me to live, I don't want it. There must be something else out there."

- Elisabeth speaking to her father about her mother

"You ignore all the rules. You do as you please. Now it's time to pay the price."

- Maximilian speaking to his daugher Elisabeth

"They must see your face. There are moments when a ruler shows strength."

- Sophie talks to Franz

"Cold winter, bad harvest. People are hungry and ill. That leads to riots and hatred. We cannot hang everyone who is discontent."

- Franz disagrees with his mother

"There are things even we can't change. The people's rage. It is like an illness. An ulcer. And ulcers must be cauterised."

- Sophie justifying the execution of revolutionists

"You reminded me of something today. You reminded me of how I was before becoming Emperor."

- Franz talking to Elisabeth

"I want you. Everyone's always told me what to do my whole life. I can't do that anymore. For months, I've felt dead, and... but with you, I suddenly want to celebrate my birthday."

- Franz talking to Elisabeth

"You tell the truth when no one else will and you don't see things like the others. I need someone like you."

- Franz talking to Elisabeth

"If something won't bend, it must be broken."

- Sophie telling Margarete she is not concerned

"For the People."

- Leontine speaks to a man