It's the start of a new season and the Cirque de la Vapeur has landed in Orleans, France to kick off a year of touring with a bang. On a jaunt to an opium den to celebrate a successful first night, they find another circus is in town - the Hirondelle, with its malicious twin acrobats and ominous ringmaster, Jacques. The twins flirt with some of Vapeur's women and fight with Asmodeus and Colette, and leave for the evening plotting the Cirque's downfall.
Marie, smitten with the acrobats and given a free ticket, takes Colette on a trip to see the Hirondelle show and check out the competition. Their jaunt is interrupted by an ominous conversation with Cristoph, the Hirondelle's animal tamer and a friend to Colette, and they return to Vapeur's campsite - only to find that Marguerite's hot-air balloon has exploded, sabotaged by the Hirondelle twins!
The fire is put out, and plots for revenge begin. Asmodeus has a trick or two up his sleeve to hit Hirondelle where it hurts: In their ticket sales. Meanwhile, after another warning from Christoph, Colette starts to wonder if she ought to finish her fight with Jacques once and for all. However, before she can take her revenge, the rest of the Cirque family interferes to drug and kidnap Colette.
Asmodeus secretly makes plans to perform for the Mad King Ludwig of Bavaria and the entire Cirque leaves France and lands behind the famous Castle Neuschwanstein. Trouble begins when Colette remains furious at the betrayal, Marie becomes smitten with the Prince and Marguerite and Alexandra have a falling out. But what will happen when the Cirque begins to get embroiled in local intrigue...
