A Life Between Borders Constantinople, 1758. The air carries the weight of the Ottoman Empire as Sophie-Ernestine de Tott enters the world. She is the daughter of François Baron de Tott, a man whose life is defined by diplomacy and the heavy machinery of war. Her lineage is a blend of French and Hungarian blood, a heritage that places her at the intersection of shifting European powers. As she grows, the salons of Paris become her tru…