The White Princess (2017–…): Season 1, Episode 1 - In Bed with the Enemy - full transcript

(theme music playing)

(laughing)

(gasps)

(panting)

(men grunting)

Mother!

Mother, soldiers
are coming!

I thought we would
have longer.

It is the Tudors, then?

Or what passes for his army.

- Is the rider here for Perkin?
- There's no time.



Quickly now, Richard,
as we planned.

You must hide.

And us, Mother?

Girls, come with me.

- To where though, Lizzie?
- Come.

(horses approaching)

- Quickly now, my Perk.
- I must protect you.

I will tell them
I'm Prince Perkin...

They think that
you are dead, my love,

and so you will be
if you don't escape now.

I want to stay
and fight.

My darling Richard.
My Perkin.

Go to Tournai.

Find Jan Warbecque,
the boatman.



Pretend to be his son.

I promise I will fetch you back
to England and put you on the throne.

Up inside.
Quickly now.

I cannot lose you as I did
your brother, Edward.

Do it for me, my Perkin.

(knocking on door)

(speaking French)

(men continue
speaking French)

(grunts)

I am Princess Elizabeth
of York!

I am betrothed
to King Henry Tudor

and he will kill you
if you lay a hand on us.

King Henry sent us here
to fetch you back to London.

By the hair, if need be.

He didn't specify a method.

Elizabeth:
There is no need for that...

Sir Thomas Stanley.

- Elizabeth Woodville.
- Sir William.

We will come willingly,
of course.

We have been waiting
to be summoned.

(shouting)

(grunts and screams)

Where is the Earl of Warwick?

Get out! Get out!

Have it. Have everything you want.
Please don't hurt us.

For York!
For Uncle Richard!

Teddy, no!

They're not Richard's men,
they're Tudors!

(speaks French)

King Henry Tudor has ordered
the traitors to be brought to London.

Traitors?

Men who fought against
him in the battle.

That doesn't
make us traitors!

We fought for our king,
Richard.

King Henry has declared his reign
began the day before the battle.

Those that fought
against him are declared traitors.

Ah, the Earl of Warwick.

The king is waiting for you.

This is yours now, Henry.

Your kingdom.

Your throne.

Burn them.

And ban the snow
from falling.

I will have nothing white
in England.

Where are my rooms?

The king's rooms, Henry.

I have dreamed of this
my entire life.

You always said
God had chosen me.

You have always known
His will.

And He will
guide you.

As will I
as I know England.

I will take
the queen's rooms for myself,

through this passageway.

So, this is how he treats the woman
he expects to make his queen?

I thought he would
at least show some respect.

It's intended as
a show of strength,

but it only goes to show his weakness
if he stoops to bully girls.

Perhaps the worst
is yet to come.

What could be worse than
killing my poor Richard?

Lizzie, you must not
speak of it.

No one must know what has passed
between the two of you.

Did my brother get away?

We must pray to God
he will.

(soldiers chattering in French)

(chuckles)
Jasper!

Welcome to Westminster,
eh, Henry?

Come.

Jasper.
How are you'?

My Lady Margaret.

Who would have thought,
to find us here like this

with Henry
on the throne.

I did.

I always did.

And your strength kept us
through the dark and cold and bad times.

And now
my stepson is king.

Man:
Move it.

Teddy, Teddy.

What is this?

My cousins are here.

And my aunt and uncle.

- Lizzie.
- Teddy.

Maggie:
Teddy, come back.

Cecily:
Teddy.

- Your Grace.
- Thank you, Ned.

Dear God, save us.

My brothers are all dead
and now we shall be next.

He dates his kingship
from the day before the battle,

so we are all
named traitors.

But he cannot simply--

Well, he has.
And Parliament has allowed it.

Or his mother did!

That woman's waited half her life

to take her vengeance
on the House of York.

I am so sorry
for your sons.

The England we once knew
is gone,

and with it
chivalry and honor.

Elizabeth:
We are Yorks, Eliza.

We do not quake in fear.

We must see how this
plays out.

You will appear
before the king.

(men yelling indistinctly)

(girl grunting, yelping)

You must not speak
unless I tell you to.

Dear Teddy.

Now, hold my hand
tightly, now.

(man yelling)
Marching on! Marching on!

Move, you old scum!

Move!

Stanley:
Come.

Elizabeth:
There is to be no welcome

for the promised
Queen of England?

The king has lost
his manners?

He will see you
when he's seen the traitors.

The others
who loved Richard.

(kids chuckling)

These are not
the queen's rooms.

The king's mother,
my wife, has those,

as First Lady
of the Court.

I'll bring some ladies
to attend you.

Perhaps he does not need me
as he means to wed his mother.

(scoffs)
He needs you.

He based his claim
for England

on you being by his side.

With you,
he joins the Houses.

And that is what you want
for me, even now?

I am to be
the spoils of war?

The wife of
a marauding madman

whose mother
even murdered children

just so he could
snatch the crown?

You knew that
you would marry

- whichever one of them should win.
- (Lizzie sighs)

This man is the victor.

For now, at least.

You're sworn
to be his queen

and nothing now could
change that.

Princess Cecily:
Well, unless he does no! want her.

(whispering)
Now, girls, please listen.

Smile sweetly
to their faces

but know them for the
Tudor spies they are

and lose your tongues
when they are near.

That childless bitch in Burgundy
will reap her just desserts.

I wonder if they've
told her yet

her brother's lying dead
on Bosworth Field.

Scribe.

"L, Henry Tudor,
King of England,

hereby, prohibit
any English trade with Burgundy."

There.

That's for all the times
that Yorkist duchess

tried to catch me in her trap
for Richard's executioner.

You must decree the English lords
reduce their guards,

or they will form them
into private armies

and rise up
at every lax you levy.

Are we certain
the York Princes are truly dead?

- If one of them still lives...
- Margaret: They are both dead.

It is well known.

King Richard killed both
princes in the Tower.

There is nobody
for England now but you.

(chuckles softly)

(indistinct chatter)

King Henry:
Step forward.

Which one of you is
John de Ia Pole, the Earl of Lincoln?

(indistinct muttering)

The dead York king named you
his heir before the battle.

You understand that
this has been revoked

and you are
now heir to nothing?

(indistinct murmuring)

Do you understand that?

(indistinct whispering)

I pledge my allegiance
to you, Your Grace.

Cecily:
I do not.

(indistinct murmuring)

You are not the king,
in law nor in God's eyes.

And while you may have killed
my son and stolen his crown,

you are descended
from a servant.

And while my grandson
may impersonate his fealty,

I bow only to God
and to my own conscience.

Mother. Please...

Your sister in Burgundy
would never stoop so low.

And she has had her
trading licenses revoked

so you should
shut your mouth!

(indistinct murmuring)

You may be glad
you are an old woman

whose noise is
of no consequence to His Grace.

You will swear fealty
or be thrown into the Tower.

Jasper Tudor.
You would not dare.

Jasper:
Take her away.

You can't.

You will release me!

(indistinct protests)

Let me walk.

I can walk.

Who are these?

Edward and Margaret
Plantagenet,

son and daughter of George,
Duke of Clarence.

The Earl of Warwick,
Your Grace.

- The last York heir.
- I'm aware.

Your Grace.

- One day, I'll be king.
- He doesn't mean it.

(all gasping)

Our Uncle Richard once thought
Teddy might be king, but...

Well... (gulps)
...Teddy isn't--

well, even Richard
changed his mind...

but he remembers.

(indistinct murmuring)

We are just children.

Do you swear allegiance
to me as your king?

We do.

And renounce your York claim
to the English throne?

Maggie:
Yes.

We do not want it.

And Teddy doesn't either.

Then he may say so
for himself.

He...

(softly) Teddy, tell the king
that you love him.

(whispering) What did you say
to your Uncle Richard?

Long live the king!

(indistinct chatter)

Your grandfather's lands of Warwick
and Salisbury are confiscated,

hereby given to Lord Thomas
and Lord William Stanley

in reward for their fealty
at Bosworth.

Thank you, Your Grace.

Take no notice of
the dead king's mother.

They will all
accept you, given time.

They will have to,
with a York girl by your side.

A whore who lay with my own enemy
before the battle-.

She has been
brought here, Henry.

Well, what if I don't
choose lo marry her?

You made a promise
at Rennes Cathedral

and raised your army
on that pledge.

There are other York girls,
aren't there?

Surely any one of them
would do as well?

Meet her, Henry.

There's no rush.
A steady course.

Uncle?

(breathes deeply)

(bell tolling in distance)

(indistinct chatter)

Who is it to?

They are awake.

Who is it to?

Jan Warbecque,
the boatman in Tournai.

I bid your brother
go to him.

We must pray
he got there.

But how will you
deliver it?

(mews)

- I forgot my prayer book.
- I'll go back and get it.

Thank you.

(indistinct chatter)

(horses Rennes)

Uh, Your Grace.

Your blood will wash
the stable floor

if the new king sees you
bend your knee to me.

You will always be
the Queen of England in my eyes.

You and the king
were very kind to me.

And is this new king kind?

- (thudding)
- (horse trotting)

Will you do my bidding, Ned?

I would not ask
if it were not important.

You will need to pay
the messenger.

- (coins rattle)
- (horse whinnies)

Take this letter.

Find an honest boatman
to deliver it.

No one must know.

When you have news,
send this to me...

(horses approaching)

(shakily)
I will come and find you.

(rain pattering)

Lady Margaret.

"My Lady,
the King's Mother" now.

I am called "Your Grace"

and I receive a royal bow.

Indeed.

And does it bring you the joy
you hoped it would?

It is God's will.

(panting)

It is God who put
my Henry on the throne.

And God who puts
my daughter

on the other throne
beside him.

She is not made
queen yet.

We will call with you
this afternoon

and if she
begs forgiveness for her sins,

perhaps, my son
will grant it.

(scoffs)
Lizzie does not beg for anything,

bu! you may try.

- (children giggling)
- (indistinct chatter)

- (door opens)
- (fire crackling)

(breathes deeply)

Good day,
Princess Elizabeth.

You will address the king!

Good day, Your Grace.

(breathes deeply)

- Some wine, Your Grace?
- Mmm.

(wine trickling)

(King Henry exhales sharply)

My other daughters...

Cecily, Anne,
Catherine, and Bridget.

Your Grace.

My mother is arranging
for your allowance to be paid.

Your service as my mother's
lady-in-waiting

will never be forgotten,
Lady Margaret.

"The meek shall inherit
the Earth."

So the Bible tells us.

Dance for me.

(snaps fingers)

No.

Princess Cecily.

I think, perhaps,
you have more grace.

The girls can
dance together.

(exhales deeply)

(lute music playing)

(exhales)

My mother has decided
on a motto for you.

"Humble and penitent."

You would do well
to abide by it.

- (door closes)
- I pray my brother

brings his challenge swiftly
so I do not have to marry him.

He does not seem
to want to marry you.

Elizabeth:
Of course he wants to marry her.

What man wouldn't?

I will not marry her.

There are a dozen
European princesses

all of whom are chaste

and would make
more obedient wives.

But none of whom
will unite the warring houses.

The other
York girls would.

Or Margaret Plantagenet.

God knows
there's enough of them.

But you have promised
that you will marry Princess Elizabeth.

If you refuse,
you will insult her

and the Yorks
will rise up in her defense.

The Yorks can still
command England, Henry.

John De La Pool, Sr.:
Your pledge was to unite the country

which is why you have us
on your council.

I-I can only tell you

what the others
of our House will do

and now they feel--
urn, forgive me, Your Grace--

that you are a Welshman
who's lived your life in France

and does not even
know our customs.

Take another as your mistress.
Take anyone you choose.

Bu! they insist
you marry Princess Elizabeth

as you have sworn to do.

(inhales deeply)

Henry?

I have prayed upon this.

Perhaps this is the sacrifice
that God would have you make.

Jesus suffered in the desert
and when they crucified him.

It is divine to suffer,

and you have more divinity
than any man on Earth.

God asks for this,

and in return,
he gives you England.

(crows cawing)

(birds chirping)

Parliament have said
that he must marry you.

I was right then,
that he does not want to.

How do you know
that they have said that?

Strange:
Princess Elizabeth?

The king will see you in his
private rooms tonight alone.

We are not married,
I cannot.

My daughter thanks
His Grace

and is delighted
to attend.

- (sighs)
- Go, Lizzie.

Perhaps you may yet
grow to like him.

Your mother should be here
to chaperone you.

Perhaps she learned
her disregard of decency from you.

Perhaps she knows a chaperone
is pointless, in your case.

Foolish to close the stable door
when the horse has long since bolted.

(chuckles)

But that filly loved
her stolen freedom

more than you could know.

In fact, she spent herself
so fully on her gallop

that its memory would sustain her
until she died.

- Come with me.
- What are you--?

- Get off me!
- Come.

(panting)
What are you doing?

What are you doing?
Unlock the door!

So, this is how the King of England
behaves towards a lady?

Towards a whore

and you have said yourself
that's what you are.

Well, if I am a whore,
you will not wish to wed me, will you?

I do not.

- With all my heart, I don't.
- (gasps)

But I am told I must

- for England...
- For yourself!

They will not have you
for a king without me.

My heir must have
some York blood

in his veins,
as well as Tudor.

And we will know
that you are fertile

before you sit on
any throne beside me.

(yells) "We!"

Your mother bids you
to rape me?

It isn't rape.
We shall be married.

Only if I will have you!

- You think you have a choice?
- (heavy breathing)

You think you have
free will in this?

I am the king
and I do not.

(breathing heavily)

Let's get it over then.

Yeah?

(labored breathing)

(De)

(chuckling)
Have you finished?

I barely even noticed.

I thought about
your sister Cecily.

It made it quick.

(exhales)

Lizzie?

Get out, Cecily.

(yells)
I said get out!

Elizabeth:
Take the little ones.

(sighing)

What is it?
What's happened?

(sobs)
Oh, Maggie...

He is a bad man, Maggie.

A horrible, bad man.

- Did he force you--?
- No!

No, he did not
take me.

He has not won
this moment.

He has not won.

He will never beat me.

(sobbing continues)

(breathing intensely)

Princess Cecily:
Your Grace?

I'm sorry
for my sister's rudeness.

I hope you see that I am

not the same as she is.

If you'd like for me to
dance for you again or...

You should show
more loyalty to your sister.

Jasper: We never planned much
after the battle-.

He's overwhelmed,
I think.

He won the battle,
he has the crown.

And he will keep it.
With our help.

He wishes us
to set about his coronation.

He thinks that
we should do it now,

show England
that he is king alone,

not joint ruler
with the girl.

He hasn't mentioned it to me.

Margaret,

in time, he will share
all his confidences with you.

But it was Henry and I alone
for many years.

He saw betrayals
from all sides,

from those who claimed
to love him

and all this is very new.

I am his mother.

I have given up
my life for him.

And he will learn
to trust you.

He will only marry her
if she conceives a child.

(chuckles softly)
Well, they are intimate already?

We have to know
if she's fertile.

He's bid me
search the Tower

for the bodies
of the York princes.

While there's no proof
that they are dead,

rumors persist
and fuel rebellions.

I will do it-.

I need to earn his trust.

Girl:
Princess Elizabeth?

- This way.
- Why?

(sighs)

Margaret:
You are lucky in your looks,

just like your mother.

You will have
handsome children.

I suppose you are still vain
in your appearance though.

I wish to speak
to you as a friend.

We continue to be at odds
with one another and...

I regret it.

I am to be
your mother-in-law

and you will find
when you come to know me

that I have
great love to give,

and that I have
a talent for loyalty.

When I was
a little girl...

I was called upon
to give birth to Henry.

Now, I knew he would be
King of England

and I would put him
on the throne.

When I me! you,

I knew that you had
a destiny lo bear his son.

That is why
I was hard on you,

why I was so furious

when I saw you straying
from your path

and fighting
against your calling.

You think I have
a calling?

You will be mother
to the King of England.

A boy who is the red rose

and white combined.

(voice breaks)
You will be the peace

that ends the cousins' war.

And God himself
will call you blessed.

You may now go to my son's rooms
and do your duty.

(indistinct chatter)

(horses De, whinnying)

(crowd applauding)

Princess Cecily:
So, Lizzie has a king to wed,

but what about the rest of us?

Who's king?
Is it me?

No, Teddy.
You mustn't say it.

It isn't fair that we are not invited
to the coronation.

(whispering) I'm sick to death
of being cooped up here.

But what if they should
cheer for us?

Londoners love
the House of York.

They would call for Lizzie
and for Teddy, too.

He cannot risk it.

Our cousins are there,

and Aunt Eliza.

Well, they have turned
their coats to Tudor

and he will want to
make a show of it.

(cheers and applause
continues)

(indistinct chatter)

(bell tolling)

(exhales)

Please bleed.
Bleed.

(gasps)

(sighs)

(door opening)

A stable boy
brought this for you.

He says
you dropped it.

(gasps)

Maggie, would you
do something for me?

I cannot go as we are followed
by the "ladies."

Would you get
some herbs for me?

For my belly pain.

What kind of pain?

It's my monthly course.

(cheering continues)

(crow cawing)

Do you have
news for me?

(paper rustling)

Jan:
"Dear Lady.

I wish that I could
give you joy about your jewel.

But I have not seen
nor heard of it,

although I have prayed
I would."

Thank you.

L-- I went as well
to your home, Your Grace.

And what did you
find there?

Nothing.

Everything that
once you had inside is looted.

Even doors have
been ripped off.

Your servants gone.
Your orchard's plundered.

There's-- there's nothing.

And...

the soldiers who were there,
who came there to collect you,

they were--

they were told to slaughter
any boys they found there.

And did they?

I don't know.

Who gave the order?

My Lady,
the King's Mother.

God save the king!

All:
God save the king.

What have you got
there, Maggie?

Oh. (chuckles nervously)

Lizzie asked me
to fetch it for her.

For her belly pain.

- (kids chuckling)
- (door opening)

Maggie brought
this for you.

Mandrake.

I know two uses for it.

One, to poison someone's
dreams.

- The other...
- To dislodge a baby from my womb.

All I have ever wanted, all my life,
is lo marry a man for love.

You know, my Lizzie, that girls
of your nobility cannot do that.

You did.

I had the good sense to fall in love
with the King of England...

And so did I.

It should be Richard's child
in my belly...

(sighs)
...not this.

But he is dead.

That part of your life
is over now, Lizzie.

And what is here
is Henry Tudor, this child!

A creature put inside me
by a monster.

A baby.

Your baby.

My grandchild.

I thought I might
outwit him.

(sighs)

Make him hope to take another
for his bride, instead of me.

But now...
(sighs)

Well, now I have no choice.

Or only one.

Because if I do not marry him,
yet have his child,

I am shamed to everyone,

and any other life for me
is gone in any case.

The stable boy
brought news from home.

Lady Margaret
told the soldiers

to murder any boy
they found there.

And did they?

(voice breaks)
Find him?

There were no bodies.

But neither is he
in Tournai.

There are never any bodies.

Can't you kill them both?

Wish a sickness on them
so they'd die in awful pain?

I cannot do that.

I know, my "curses."

But perhaps
they are just wishful thinking.

Perhaps Hake good luck
and call it "magic."

My powers
cannot be very strong

if we find ourselves
as we are now,

with my son lost again
and this before us.

Some say that
folk are sick

along the route the Tudor army
took through Wales.

Perhaps they'll bring about
their own destruction.

(inhales deeply)
I know one thing...

You cannot
blame this baby boy.

And if you have him,

he will be ours,

not Henry Tudors.

And we will make him strong

and tall

and our own rose of York.

The choice is yours,
my Lizzie.

- (sighs)
' (Snips)

Bu! I will take
a piece of this.

I have my own use for it.

Henry, a child!

My grandson!

(chuckles)

Congratulations, Henry.

Margaret:
Oh, God smiles on us.

We must praise him
with a mass.

Lizzie:
With a wedding.

I will not be dishonored,
so we must hold a wedding quickly.

We will arrange it.

I share your joy,
Your Grace.

Margaret:
We will name him Arthur

and christen him
in Winchester.

You need do nothing.

Except consent
and look delighted.

England needs
a joyful bride.

All else will be
arranged by me.

No.

No, I will choose
the dress myself.

Of course.
(chuckles)

Elizabeth?

At last, you bring
good news.

Perhaps, we may yet join as friends
in our new grandson.

Perhaps.

(snipping)

(gasps)

(whispering)
I know that you were looking

for their bodies in the Tower.

But even if
you found the bones,

you'd only find one prince.

(lamp clatters)

Because I swapped the other
for a servant boy.

(creaking, thudding)

(breathing heavily)

(gasps)

(screams)

Prince Edward: My mother and my sister
cursed you for my murder.

The male line of
your family will die.

My York Prince Richard
will come against your son.

One lives,
Lady Margaret.

(gasps, panting)

(beads rattling)

(church bell tolling)

(muttering prayer)

- (footsteps approaching)
- (tolling continues)

You have won the people, Henry.

And with (his marriage,
they will love you.

And you already
have an heir.

There is one
matter...

God has shown me that
you must relieve her of her mother

or she will poison
the girl against you.

Once your son is born,
you must imprison Elizabeth.

It is God's will.

(bell tolling)

Elizabeth:
Today, you will marry a king.

Lizzie:
In a dress fit for a harlot.

Today, I am a whore
and a martyr,

because that is what
he has made me.

They will simply think
it's red for Lancaster

and you're being loyal.

Walk through your sorrow,
my daughter,

and you will end up
where you want to be.

I will walk through
my sorrow

and I will smile
through my pain.

I will pretend
to be a dutiful wife,

but only to their faces.

He is my enemy
and so is his mother.

I will fight them
from within my marriage

and they will
not even know it.

I will plot to bring
my brother back, or if he is gone,

another who will kill
this monster Henry Tudor.

"Humble and penitent"
may be damned.

"Hidden and patient."

That will be my motto.

(bell tolling)

(music playing)

(minister speaking in Latin)

(minister speaking in Latin)

(door closes)

You're not afraid?

I approach you with a dagger
and you do not even flinch?

My life is gone, in any case.

Give me your foot.

(winces)
Ah. Own.

It's for your reputation.

So my son
is not a bastard.

Sleep.

"Hidden and patient."

(music playing)

Created by: A. Vandelay
Post Haste Digital