3 , ▁ 1 5 7 2 , ▁the ▁evil ▁Queen ▁Mother ▁Catherine ▁de ' ▁Med ici ▁( Jose ph ine ▁Crow ell ) ▁persu ades ▁her ▁son ▁King ▁Charles ▁IX ▁to ▁sign ▁a ▁dec ree ▁to ▁ex termin ate ▁the ▁H ug uen ots . ▁Meanwhile , ▁at ▁that ▁same ▁ball ▁the ▁Com te ▁de ▁la ▁Ro che ▁( C our ten ay ▁Fo ote ) ▁puts ▁the ▁moves ▁on ▁Mar got ▁de ▁V ain co ire ▁( B et ty ▁Francisco ), ▁f ian c ée ▁of ▁Ru pert ▁de ▁V rie ac ▁( Con way ▁T ear le ). ▁ ▁The ▁de ▁la ▁Ro ches ▁and ▁de ▁V rie acs ▁have ▁been ▁enemies ▁for ▁years ▁and ▁Ru pert ▁challeng es ▁the ▁Com te ▁to ▁a ▁du el . ▁In ▁their ▁du el ▁Ru pert ▁wins , ▁but ▁sp ares ▁the ▁Com te ’ s ▁life ▁so ▁he ▁will ▁be ▁oblig ated ▁to ▁him . ▁Ru pert ▁and ▁Mar got ▁are ▁H ug uen ots ▁while ▁the ▁Com te ▁is ▁a ▁Catholic ▁of ▁the ▁Queen ▁Mother ’ s ▁party . ▁The ▁Com te ▁is ▁sent ▁to ▁kill ▁Ru pert , ▁but ▁instead ▁takes ▁him ▁to ▁Mar got ’ s ▁house , ▁which ▁he ▁has ▁put ▁under ▁guard ▁so ▁the ▁mob ▁can ’ t ▁attack ▁it . ▁There ▁the ▁Com te ▁says ▁he ▁will ▁ar range ▁to ▁spare ▁them ▁both ▁if ▁Ru pert ▁will ▁agree ▁to ▁become ▁his ▁servant ▁for ▁five ▁years . ▁At ▁the ▁ple ading ▁of ▁Mar got , ▁Ru