Versailles (2015–…): Season 1, Episode 10 - Episode #1.10 - full transcript
Louis is woken in the early hours by Henriette, who is coughing up blood, claiming she has been poisoned and, despite Claudine's best efforts, she does not survive. Panic grips the court as it is believed there is an assassin in its midst with Philippe blaming his brother before leaving Versailles and Sophie a prime suspect given her mother's treason. Fabien provides evidence to suggest the identity of the traitor, who is killed in a fight with the king. However he realizes too late that there is another suspect, who has left the palace to take the Dauphin out riding.
Adjusted for this version by GeoffS
Sir.
How is our Duchess of Orléans?
- Asleep with her husband.
Not her own chamber?
After her fall, my brother thought
it best to let her sleep there.
The rest will do her good.
May we all have peace tonight.
- Hmm.
Good night, Sire!
This is highly irregular,
Your Majesty.
My bed, your last stop before
retiring.
That was your promise to me.
I'm tired of waiting for you
to keep it.
Help me.
Please!
My God!
My King!
Fetch my doctor!
Do it now!
Henriette!
Henriette!
Sire... Sire!
- Don't!
The protocol demands if the air
is impure and you are at risk,...
...you must leave immediately.
Close the doors!
We must put her in the bed.
Get His Majesty to safety at once!
Sire...
Get your hands off me!
I command you!
Don't leave me!
Let me know when the doctor arrives.
Her life is in your hands.
Tell me what happened.
She collapsed...
- She said something about a poison.
How could she know?
It is what she told me.
She bled from the mouth, then
doubled up with a pain in her side.
Which side?
- The right.
The left.
- Both, then?
It was the right.
Not the first time.
You were not here.
You did not see.
If this is poison,
then she must purge.
If it's sickness,
then the remedy may make her worse.
I will need emetics and charcoal,
iced water and cloth.
It was the right side.
She always complained of it.
Where do you suggest we take her?
Oh, she's in no condition
to be moved.
She cannot stay in the king's bed.
- We are not touching her!
We have no choice.
She stays.
And so do I.
Shhh!
Shhh!
Wait, wait!
No food or drink shall be consumed
until its safety can be confirmed.
Take it back.
You believe Her Highness
is poisoned?
I believe many things.
I believe this palace is a symbol
of our king, of his power,...
...of his country,...
...and our enemies have stopped
at nothing to destroy it.
Since the first stone was laid
in this expansion,...
...His Majesty knew this day
would come.
So, do I believe that our enemies...
...would dare to poison
King Charles of England's sister?
Yes, I do.
But I also know that their greatest
plan has yet to show itself.
But what if she's merely ill?
Then your appetite will be merely
inconvenienced, Louvois.
Bontemps, how is she?
- It's still not safe.
Fabien!
- Sire.
Sequester the palace.
No one enters and no one leaves.
Too bright!
Who compels me to wake?
Where did you go?
I had to kiss my pillow last night.
I hope you're suitably jealous.
What's the matter?
- Our dear Henriette.
Well, I'm not surprised
that she fainted.
She hardly eats a thing.
- She is gravely ill.
Then I must go to her.
She's in her chamber, I assume?
She's in mine.
She came to find me.
Yes, I know I would do the same.
If you wish to go, go now.
Do something, woman!
- I have to find the source.
It will hurt.
Bite this.
Restrain her.
Is there any change?
She is worse?
I do not regret sending her.
She brought honour to herself
and glory to our court.
And I do not regret it
for an instant.
We are all proud of her, Sir.
Yes, we are.
And now someone is trying to destroy
me by destroying her.
But they will not succeed.
I was seeking you, Sire.
I saw your guard outside.
When I heard the news,
I came as soon as I could.
I wish to offer myself to you as
your subject and as your friend.
Is my son still in court?
With the sequester, Sire,...
...the Dauphin was confined
with his governess.
Of course.
I want him far away from my chamber.
He is not to hear her pain.
If I may, Sire, I could school him
in riding today.
The fresh air and distance
might do him the world of good.
With your blessing, of course.
- Keep him occupied in body and mind.
Thank you.
We will ride to the woods, My King.
You have my word on it.
Although, with the sequester...
Allow them passage in court.
At once!
Madame, some privacy for
Her Highness.
I will need a moment
to compose myself.
Of course, Madame.
Her Highness is resting now, but I
fear we are not through the worst.
My brother always trusted you.
I am honoured.
I don't believe I know
what it feels like.
This must be frightening for her
and for those who love her.
We are all of us in sickness here.
We're just waiting for it
to take root.
She cannot possibly be treated
in the king's chamber!
She must be moved immediately!
What if the poison were to spread?
So it is poison?
- It's not yet certain, Sire.
But the facts remain stark, Sire.
There was an attempt on
Her Highness' life...
...during her journey to England.
It could be so again.
And even if we do discover a poison,
how do we find the poisoner?
Eliminate the suspects.
Eliminating suspects doesn't mean
the same to me as it does to you.
Either way,
it will have the desired result.
By which logic we must also
question...
...the Count and Countess de
Gramont, Colbert de Croissy,...
...Sir Thomas Armstrong,
Henry Howard, Thomas Clifford,...
...Henry Bennett, Anthony Ashley
Cooper, John Maitland,...
...George Villiers, The Duke of York
and the Duke of Monmouth,...
...all of whom were with her on
that journey, either departing,...
...in transit or arriving.
Are you suggesting we interrogate
all those people?
I agree with His Majesty.
Whatever method expedites the truth.
I will talk to everyone
who had access to Her Highness.
King Charles himself, perhaps?
No one is above suspicion.
You...
You did this to her!
- Brother!
We warned you; we begged you.
Yet you heard nothing.
The only voice, your own desire
for glory.
Yet how much pain are you willing to
endure before you get what you want?
Why are you casting all this rage
at me?
Because you deserve it.
Because the whole world
gave you counsel.
Your closest confidantes told you
to look elsewhere!
But the advice you took came
from only one source.
Or two, perhaps.
Come!
Marie, the room is dirtier now
than when I left it.
Where's my money?
Your payment will come
in due course.
I want my money now!
It is not yet clear to me
what you have done to earn it.
Make sure you leave it spotless.
The court is under lock and key,
Montcourt.
What are you doing?
My apartment has a pisspot and I do
hate to urinate in the stairwells.
Never stopped you before.
To live like a gentleman, I find,
these days,...
...I must try to act like one.
- Challenging days!
Gentlemen.
I hear Fabien's security lurchers
are making enquiries.
Henriette's lady was taken
in this morning, Sophie de Clermont.
I don't know what they have to get
from her.
In any event, her lady is ill.
What more is there to say?
Very little, I should hope,
for her sake.
We cannot be seen together anymore.
Is that understood?
It's important that the Dauphin
enjoys his lesson.
We should be back
in a couple of hours.
You accompanied Her Highness
on her mission to Dover.
As was my duty.
You had close and intimate access
to her person.
As was my duty.
What contact did you have with her,
in particular?
I served her tea.
- What kind?
Chicory.
It gave her great comfort.
Though I was never the one
to prepare it.
Do you know who did?
Do you know who did?
Yes, I do.
- Then tell me.
What happened to my mother?
- I am not here to answer you.
Then neither am I.
I would recommend very strongly
that you reconsider.
I have nothing, so what would I have
to lose, except for that?
Your life, for one.
I do not have a life.
My mother told me who I was,
and since that was a lie,...
...who I truly am, I have no idea.
You are the daughter of a Huguenot
conspirator against the king,...
...funded and supported
by William of Orange.
My mother has paid her price
for her treachery.
I am merely trying to survive.
I thought your protection
would ensure it.
Unless you are more like your mother
than you care to admit.
Make no mistake, Monsieur Marchal.
My mother fooled many people
with her treachery,...
...but the biggest fool
of all was you.
Who prepared her tea?
- I did.
She knew what she had to do
and she did it willingly.
Because you told her to.
Because she was born to it.
Because she loves you.
If we do not have the English,
we cannot attack the Dutch.
You never understood politics
or survival.
The state is a person,...
...and a person either asserts
himself...
...or is subjugated to the will
of others.
We stake our claim
or we are ploughed into the field.
It is one or the other.
- You acted out of pride.
I risked my life for your vanity
to rescue your wife's dowry.
I acted for France because I am
France, because without me,...
...this country will consume itself
in noble squabbles!
Music, dance, art, fashion,...
...all of these things have
the power...
...to change a nation from
within,...
...to affect the hearts and minds of
people, to bring them over to us.
We could never invade the entire
world,...
...but the world can imagine
us to be their centre,...
...and one day, my brother,
they will.
The cost is justified a hundredfold!
If I were to teach you
a piece of music,...
...if it were to strike you
in your heart,...
...and the sheets and the staves
were burned,...
...you might then play it from
memory to a salon of a hundred.
And they might take it on
and play it and take it on and on.
The song we sing here, Brother,
I mean it to be played forever!
There is your music.
She was calling...
- I will come.
...for you, Sire.
Protocol demands that he stays, at
least that's always been his excuse.
So it is confirmed.
Poison.
Are there English diplomats
at court?
In Paris.
Sir Thomas Armstrong, Sire.
Throckmorton remained in England.
We must assume that word
will reach Paris tonight,...
...reaching Sir Thomas Armstrong
in the morning...
...and with him to London
the next day.
When King Charles hears
that his beloved sister...
...has been poisoned in France,...
...there is only a matter of hours
before a declaration of war.
A war they cannot afford to win.
My mind also moves
in a separate area, Sire.
Should Philippe lose his wife,...
...then a power shift might
emerge from her death.
How could that be?
Henriette's very existence
strengthens your position.
It keeps your brother's power
in check...
...and offers a direct connection
to England.
It unfortunately follows
that her absence...
...would weaken you in every
possible way.
My King!
Madame de Clermont conspired
against the king...
...and she gave me the names of all
those who shared her allegiance.
I only knew her in passing.
But you knew she had malevolent
intent.
It might have escaped
your notice,...
...but everyone in this building
has malevolent intent,...
...though only a few actually
act on it.
Why did you return to us at court?
I became aware of a threat
to Her Highness,...
...and I thought it was my duty
as a noble and as a steadfast...
...and true friend of the king
to inform him.
I find that hard to believe.
Although I would imagine should
Her Highness pass away...
...and you were found wanting,
such as your lack of judgement...
...concerning the late
Madame de Clermont...
And what judgement would that be?
I believe you were seen together
a few times walking in the gardens.
But then again, card tables
are always so full of idle gossip.
Who would seek to harm Her Highness
Henriette?
Whoever harms her, harms the king.
Your question misses the question.
You are wondering who,
despite his grace and glory,...
...might yet plot against
His Majesty.
I have an idea if you
are interested.
Go on.
It has been my experience that
it is only those closest to a man...
...who can inflict the greatest
pain.
When we are near, we must make the
enemy believe we are far away.
When we are far away, we must make
him believe we are near.
I saw angels.
When we are the king's enemy,...
...we must make him believe
we are his friend.
What is it like to have a king
as a father?
The same as any father, I expect.
He will be glad to hear
you are improving,...
...but it is one thing to ride
for pleasure,...
...quite another to train
for war.
How would you like to play a game?
A game of war?
- Precisely!
Before you speak to me, I would
suggest you speak to the king.
I am His Majesty's eyes and ears,
Monsieur Louvois.
I speak to whomever I like.
- I know this is true.
I'm merely suggesting
you might save some time.
Did you have any interactions
with Her Highness Henriette...
...on her mission to Dover?
- No, I did not.
But you were not convinced
of the merits in the plan.
No, I was not and I made my opinions
clear to the king.
Do you ever agree
with His Majesty's ideas?
I agree with most of his ideas, sir.
Hmm...
Why, then, are the utterances
that emanate from your mouth...
...so loudly critical of the king?
Because I ask him to do so.
Sire.
You are diligent, Fabien,
but in this case, quite mistaken.
The king has asked me to assume
the role of critic and conspirator.
Attracting the flies to the paper.
Oh, there are those that complain
at some time or another,...
...but those that truly move against
the king are becoming known to me.
This is a task you yourself excel
in, Fabien,...
...but I prefer to maintain two
springs from which to draw my water.
You are both the angels
at my shoulder.
Now let's find this poison toad
and skin him.
Sire, wait!
Do you remember you once made
a request of me...
...to see the faces of those
who killed the Parthenays?
I believe I might deliver him to you
now.
Did you deal these cards?
You are a cheater!
Clear the room!
Not you, Montcourt.
Seal the doors.
No one enters.
My prayers have been with
Her Highness all day, Sire.
Do you think God will hear you?
- I don't know, Sire.
Of course.
What about the angels?
The angels?
- Do you see them now?
I do not, Sire.
I have heard many say
they see angels before they die.
Charlotte de Parthenay,
for example,...
...and many others killed
on my road...
...members of my court...
...and even attempts on my own life.
And now, Her Highness,
my beloved Henriette, lies dying.
I am sure I do not know
what you mean, Sire.
And that makes you a liar,
Montcourt.
No, Sire, I am a friend.
I am a true friend of the king.
And when we are the king's enemy,...
...we must make him believe
we are his friend.
Right?
You are a fool.
And you, a murderer!
You have the wrong man, Sire.
I let a wolf back into my barn!
I saved Her Highness
from certain death.
You used her to find my favour!
You burned her stomach
with a poison!
What?
No, I do not seek to harm!
Lies!
Good idea.
Kill him, then me and blame it
on him.
That's exactly what I would be
thinking.
But your first strike would have
to be true,...
...and that is the problem you face,
Montcourt.
You have never been a man
who is true!
Today, you get the chance to kill
a king.
Your Majesty...!
Guards!
Position!
One, two, three!
You're dead, sir!
Mercy, My Lord, mercy!
Do you remember our fort?
Which one?
The first one we ever played in.
100 years ago, or 20, I suppose.
When we came here for a visit.
You, me, Henriette.
We were taking the air
with our governess,...
...and we made a break for freedom.
You went north, I went south
and she went west,...
...and by the time
they'd righted themselves,...
...we'd found our way down
by the mill stream...
...and then down by the promontory.
God knows the wolves might've taken
us, but what did we know?
We were young, cats with nine lives.
We found an old building, a sorry
shack made out of stone and moss.
You wanted to make it
your castle,...
...but I said,
"Let's make it our fort",...
...and for once in your life,
you played along.
We defended our position
from the Spanish all morning...
...and in honour of
your distinguished service...
She was the one that found it,
actually:
a yellow Spanish topaz
buried in the mud.
We awarded it to you for bravery...
...in the days when it was only you
who truly had my back,...
...like only a brother can.
I was so proud of you
and so was she.
It felt like if the whole world
came running for us,...
...we might fend off
all who would take us ill.
Hold on to this moment, I told you.
Never forget.
Not that you'd remember.
Sire?
She will not survive the poison.
How long does she have?
- I do not know.
But it is her wish to see you both.
I'm so deeply sorry, Your Majesty,
Your Highness.
She has asked to be carried
to the garden,...
...so that she might be surrounded
by her favourite flowers.
Then do so.
It would cause her too much pain.
It would torture her to move.
Bring the garden here.
Is there a breeze today?
Is there anything more beautiful...
...than the scent of blossom
in the air?
There is.
I'm looking at her now.
I am scared.
There is nothing to fear.
- How do you know?
Do you remember
before you were born?
Then how can you be scared?
Can you feel my skin?
So cold.
I am sorry.
I could never love you well.
You did the best you could.
How handsome you both are.
Oh, God!
It hurts so much to breathe!
Lift your head.
- Make it go away!
Now the pillow.
You move the pillow.
I'll lift her head.
Get him out!
Henriette...
- I will not hear it!
Something for the pain!
Her throat is closing.
Open it up!
Open it!
Brother...
- Something must be done!
Let me live.
Please!
My sweet!
Let me bathe in the lake,
feel the sun.
Let me feel the sun upon me.
Oh, Lord, receive me!
Can you hear that?
The flowers... they are singing.
Amen.
You are a fool.
When we are the king's enemy,...
...we must make him believe
we are his friend,...
...make him believe we are near.
His friend...
Those closest to a man
who can inflict the greatest pain...
...you are a fool.
His friend...
We're leaving
and we're never coming back.
I cannot permit it.
I'm not asking for permission.
I'm leaving.
You would defy me even
in this moment?
I know what this moment is.
We are grieving.
I grieve alone.
You will marry again.
I simply want to live.
- It is your duty.
I have had my fill of duty!
Then you set yourself against me.
Gladly.
And sacrifice your future
to see me suffer?
What does a king know of sacrifice?
Lord Rohan?
You are injured.
- Listen to me!
There are only two men in this court
who move freely...
...between the outside world
and the king's inner circle,...
...but only one who has never raised
a single voice against him.
The king's brother?
...is a critic, but there is another
who has lain hidden before us:
Rohan.
You told us Montcourt was to blame.
- He has killed many, but not her.
Oh, how can you be so sure?
- The king once told me.
He warned me quite clearly
that his enemies...
...would seek to destroy those
closest to him.
Montcourt tried to tell me the same.
We must get the king, the queen
and yourself to safety at once.
Oh, my!
- What?
What is it?
The king's son, the Dauphin.
Rohan took him riding.
- No, no, no!
On whose word?
- Call the guard!
Call the guard!
Sir.
How is our Duchess of Orléans?
- Asleep with her husband.
Not her own chamber?
After her fall, my brother thought
it best to let her sleep there.
The rest will do her good.
May we all have peace tonight.
- Hmm.
Good night, Sire!
This is highly irregular,
Your Majesty.
My bed, your last stop before
retiring.
That was your promise to me.
I'm tired of waiting for you
to keep it.
Help me.
Please!
My God!
My King!
Fetch my doctor!
Do it now!
Henriette!
Henriette!
Sire... Sire!
- Don't!
The protocol demands if the air
is impure and you are at risk,...
...you must leave immediately.
Close the doors!
We must put her in the bed.
Get His Majesty to safety at once!
Sire...
Get your hands off me!
I command you!
Don't leave me!
Let me know when the doctor arrives.
Her life is in your hands.
Tell me what happened.
She collapsed...
- She said something about a poison.
How could she know?
It is what she told me.
She bled from the mouth, then
doubled up with a pain in her side.
Which side?
- The right.
The left.
- Both, then?
It was the right.
Not the first time.
You were not here.
You did not see.
If this is poison,
then she must purge.
If it's sickness,
then the remedy may make her worse.
I will need emetics and charcoal,
iced water and cloth.
It was the right side.
She always complained of it.
Where do you suggest we take her?
Oh, she's in no condition
to be moved.
She cannot stay in the king's bed.
- We are not touching her!
We have no choice.
She stays.
And so do I.
Shhh!
Shhh!
Wait, wait!
No food or drink shall be consumed
until its safety can be confirmed.
Take it back.
You believe Her Highness
is poisoned?
I believe many things.
I believe this palace is a symbol
of our king, of his power,...
...of his country,...
...and our enemies have stopped
at nothing to destroy it.
Since the first stone was laid
in this expansion,...
...His Majesty knew this day
would come.
So, do I believe that our enemies...
...would dare to poison
King Charles of England's sister?
Yes, I do.
But I also know that their greatest
plan has yet to show itself.
But what if she's merely ill?
Then your appetite will be merely
inconvenienced, Louvois.
Bontemps, how is she?
- It's still not safe.
Fabien!
- Sire.
Sequester the palace.
No one enters and no one leaves.
Too bright!
Who compels me to wake?
Where did you go?
I had to kiss my pillow last night.
I hope you're suitably jealous.
What's the matter?
- Our dear Henriette.
Well, I'm not surprised
that she fainted.
She hardly eats a thing.
- She is gravely ill.
Then I must go to her.
She's in her chamber, I assume?
She's in mine.
She came to find me.
Yes, I know I would do the same.
If you wish to go, go now.
Do something, woman!
- I have to find the source.
It will hurt.
Bite this.
Restrain her.
Is there any change?
She is worse?
I do not regret sending her.
She brought honour to herself
and glory to our court.
And I do not regret it
for an instant.
We are all proud of her, Sir.
Yes, we are.
And now someone is trying to destroy
me by destroying her.
But they will not succeed.
I was seeking you, Sire.
I saw your guard outside.
When I heard the news,
I came as soon as I could.
I wish to offer myself to you as
your subject and as your friend.
Is my son still in court?
With the sequester, Sire,...
...the Dauphin was confined
with his governess.
Of course.
I want him far away from my chamber.
He is not to hear her pain.
If I may, Sire, I could school him
in riding today.
The fresh air and distance
might do him the world of good.
With your blessing, of course.
- Keep him occupied in body and mind.
Thank you.
We will ride to the woods, My King.
You have my word on it.
Although, with the sequester...
Allow them passage in court.
At once!
Madame, some privacy for
Her Highness.
I will need a moment
to compose myself.
Of course, Madame.
Her Highness is resting now, but I
fear we are not through the worst.
My brother always trusted you.
I am honoured.
I don't believe I know
what it feels like.
This must be frightening for her
and for those who love her.
We are all of us in sickness here.
We're just waiting for it
to take root.
She cannot possibly be treated
in the king's chamber!
She must be moved immediately!
What if the poison were to spread?
So it is poison?
- It's not yet certain, Sire.
But the facts remain stark, Sire.
There was an attempt on
Her Highness' life...
...during her journey to England.
It could be so again.
And even if we do discover a poison,
how do we find the poisoner?
Eliminate the suspects.
Eliminating suspects doesn't mean
the same to me as it does to you.
Either way,
it will have the desired result.
By which logic we must also
question...
...the Count and Countess de
Gramont, Colbert de Croissy,...
...Sir Thomas Armstrong,
Henry Howard, Thomas Clifford,...
...Henry Bennett, Anthony Ashley
Cooper, John Maitland,...
...George Villiers, The Duke of York
and the Duke of Monmouth,...
...all of whom were with her on
that journey, either departing,...
...in transit or arriving.
Are you suggesting we interrogate
all those people?
I agree with His Majesty.
Whatever method expedites the truth.
I will talk to everyone
who had access to Her Highness.
King Charles himself, perhaps?
No one is above suspicion.
You...
You did this to her!
- Brother!
We warned you; we begged you.
Yet you heard nothing.
The only voice, your own desire
for glory.
Yet how much pain are you willing to
endure before you get what you want?
Why are you casting all this rage
at me?
Because you deserve it.
Because the whole world
gave you counsel.
Your closest confidantes told you
to look elsewhere!
But the advice you took came
from only one source.
Or two, perhaps.
Come!
Marie, the room is dirtier now
than when I left it.
Where's my money?
Your payment will come
in due course.
I want my money now!
It is not yet clear to me
what you have done to earn it.
Make sure you leave it spotless.
The court is under lock and key,
Montcourt.
What are you doing?
My apartment has a pisspot and I do
hate to urinate in the stairwells.
Never stopped you before.
To live like a gentleman, I find,
these days,...
...I must try to act like one.
- Challenging days!
Gentlemen.
I hear Fabien's security lurchers
are making enquiries.
Henriette's lady was taken
in this morning, Sophie de Clermont.
I don't know what they have to get
from her.
In any event, her lady is ill.
What more is there to say?
Very little, I should hope,
for her sake.
We cannot be seen together anymore.
Is that understood?
It's important that the Dauphin
enjoys his lesson.
We should be back
in a couple of hours.
You accompanied Her Highness
on her mission to Dover.
As was my duty.
You had close and intimate access
to her person.
As was my duty.
What contact did you have with her,
in particular?
I served her tea.
- What kind?
Chicory.
It gave her great comfort.
Though I was never the one
to prepare it.
Do you know who did?
Do you know who did?
Yes, I do.
- Then tell me.
What happened to my mother?
- I am not here to answer you.
Then neither am I.
I would recommend very strongly
that you reconsider.
I have nothing, so what would I have
to lose, except for that?
Your life, for one.
I do not have a life.
My mother told me who I was,
and since that was a lie,...
...who I truly am, I have no idea.
You are the daughter of a Huguenot
conspirator against the king,...
...funded and supported
by William of Orange.
My mother has paid her price
for her treachery.
I am merely trying to survive.
I thought your protection
would ensure it.
Unless you are more like your mother
than you care to admit.
Make no mistake, Monsieur Marchal.
My mother fooled many people
with her treachery,...
...but the biggest fool
of all was you.
Who prepared her tea?
- I did.
She knew what she had to do
and she did it willingly.
Because you told her to.
Because she was born to it.
Because she loves you.
If we do not have the English,
we cannot attack the Dutch.
You never understood politics
or survival.
The state is a person,...
...and a person either asserts
himself...
...or is subjugated to the will
of others.
We stake our claim
or we are ploughed into the field.
It is one or the other.
- You acted out of pride.
I risked my life for your vanity
to rescue your wife's dowry.
I acted for France because I am
France, because without me,...
...this country will consume itself
in noble squabbles!
Music, dance, art, fashion,...
...all of these things have
the power...
...to change a nation from
within,...
...to affect the hearts and minds of
people, to bring them over to us.
We could never invade the entire
world,...
...but the world can imagine
us to be their centre,...
...and one day, my brother,
they will.
The cost is justified a hundredfold!
If I were to teach you
a piece of music,...
...if it were to strike you
in your heart,...
...and the sheets and the staves
were burned,...
...you might then play it from
memory to a salon of a hundred.
And they might take it on
and play it and take it on and on.
The song we sing here, Brother,
I mean it to be played forever!
There is your music.
She was calling...
- I will come.
...for you, Sire.
Protocol demands that he stays, at
least that's always been his excuse.
So it is confirmed.
Poison.
Are there English diplomats
at court?
In Paris.
Sir Thomas Armstrong, Sire.
Throckmorton remained in England.
We must assume that word
will reach Paris tonight,...
...reaching Sir Thomas Armstrong
in the morning...
...and with him to London
the next day.
When King Charles hears
that his beloved sister...
...has been poisoned in France,...
...there is only a matter of hours
before a declaration of war.
A war they cannot afford to win.
My mind also moves
in a separate area, Sire.
Should Philippe lose his wife,...
...then a power shift might
emerge from her death.
How could that be?
Henriette's very existence
strengthens your position.
It keeps your brother's power
in check...
...and offers a direct connection
to England.
It unfortunately follows
that her absence...
...would weaken you in every
possible way.
My King!
Madame de Clermont conspired
against the king...
...and she gave me the names of all
those who shared her allegiance.
I only knew her in passing.
But you knew she had malevolent
intent.
It might have escaped
your notice,...
...but everyone in this building
has malevolent intent,...
...though only a few actually
act on it.
Why did you return to us at court?
I became aware of a threat
to Her Highness,...
...and I thought it was my duty
as a noble and as a steadfast...
...and true friend of the king
to inform him.
I find that hard to believe.
Although I would imagine should
Her Highness pass away...
...and you were found wanting,
such as your lack of judgement...
...concerning the late
Madame de Clermont...
And what judgement would that be?
I believe you were seen together
a few times walking in the gardens.
But then again, card tables
are always so full of idle gossip.
Who would seek to harm Her Highness
Henriette?
Whoever harms her, harms the king.
Your question misses the question.
You are wondering who,
despite his grace and glory,...
...might yet plot against
His Majesty.
I have an idea if you
are interested.
Go on.
It has been my experience that
it is only those closest to a man...
...who can inflict the greatest
pain.
When we are near, we must make the
enemy believe we are far away.
When we are far away, we must make
him believe we are near.
I saw angels.
When we are the king's enemy,...
...we must make him believe
we are his friend.
What is it like to have a king
as a father?
The same as any father, I expect.
He will be glad to hear
you are improving,...
...but it is one thing to ride
for pleasure,...
...quite another to train
for war.
How would you like to play a game?
A game of war?
- Precisely!
Before you speak to me, I would
suggest you speak to the king.
I am His Majesty's eyes and ears,
Monsieur Louvois.
I speak to whomever I like.
- I know this is true.
I'm merely suggesting
you might save some time.
Did you have any interactions
with Her Highness Henriette...
...on her mission to Dover?
- No, I did not.
But you were not convinced
of the merits in the plan.
No, I was not and I made my opinions
clear to the king.
Do you ever agree
with His Majesty's ideas?
I agree with most of his ideas, sir.
Hmm...
Why, then, are the utterances
that emanate from your mouth...
...so loudly critical of the king?
Because I ask him to do so.
Sire.
You are diligent, Fabien,
but in this case, quite mistaken.
The king has asked me to assume
the role of critic and conspirator.
Attracting the flies to the paper.
Oh, there are those that complain
at some time or another,...
...but those that truly move against
the king are becoming known to me.
This is a task you yourself excel
in, Fabien,...
...but I prefer to maintain two
springs from which to draw my water.
You are both the angels
at my shoulder.
Now let's find this poison toad
and skin him.
Sire, wait!
Do you remember you once made
a request of me...
...to see the faces of those
who killed the Parthenays?
I believe I might deliver him to you
now.
Did you deal these cards?
You are a cheater!
Clear the room!
Not you, Montcourt.
Seal the doors.
No one enters.
My prayers have been with
Her Highness all day, Sire.
Do you think God will hear you?
- I don't know, Sire.
Of course.
What about the angels?
The angels?
- Do you see them now?
I do not, Sire.
I have heard many say
they see angels before they die.
Charlotte de Parthenay,
for example,...
...and many others killed
on my road...
...members of my court...
...and even attempts on my own life.
And now, Her Highness,
my beloved Henriette, lies dying.
I am sure I do not know
what you mean, Sire.
And that makes you a liar,
Montcourt.
No, Sire, I am a friend.
I am a true friend of the king.
And when we are the king's enemy,...
...we must make him believe
we are his friend.
Right?
You are a fool.
And you, a murderer!
You have the wrong man, Sire.
I let a wolf back into my barn!
I saved Her Highness
from certain death.
You used her to find my favour!
You burned her stomach
with a poison!
What?
No, I do not seek to harm!
Lies!
Good idea.
Kill him, then me and blame it
on him.
That's exactly what I would be
thinking.
But your first strike would have
to be true,...
...and that is the problem you face,
Montcourt.
You have never been a man
who is true!
Today, you get the chance to kill
a king.
Your Majesty...!
Guards!
Position!
One, two, three!
You're dead, sir!
Mercy, My Lord, mercy!
Do you remember our fort?
Which one?
The first one we ever played in.
100 years ago, or 20, I suppose.
When we came here for a visit.
You, me, Henriette.
We were taking the air
with our governess,...
...and we made a break for freedom.
You went north, I went south
and she went west,...
...and by the time
they'd righted themselves,...
...we'd found our way down
by the mill stream...
...and then down by the promontory.
God knows the wolves might've taken
us, but what did we know?
We were young, cats with nine lives.
We found an old building, a sorry
shack made out of stone and moss.
You wanted to make it
your castle,...
...but I said,
"Let's make it our fort",...
...and for once in your life,
you played along.
We defended our position
from the Spanish all morning...
...and in honour of
your distinguished service...
She was the one that found it,
actually:
a yellow Spanish topaz
buried in the mud.
We awarded it to you for bravery...
...in the days when it was only you
who truly had my back,...
...like only a brother can.
I was so proud of you
and so was she.
It felt like if the whole world
came running for us,...
...we might fend off
all who would take us ill.
Hold on to this moment, I told you.
Never forget.
Not that you'd remember.
Sire?
She will not survive the poison.
How long does she have?
- I do not know.
But it is her wish to see you both.
I'm so deeply sorry, Your Majesty,
Your Highness.
She has asked to be carried
to the garden,...
...so that she might be surrounded
by her favourite flowers.
Then do so.
It would cause her too much pain.
It would torture her to move.
Bring the garden here.
Is there a breeze today?
Is there anything more beautiful...
...than the scent of blossom
in the air?
There is.
I'm looking at her now.
I am scared.
There is nothing to fear.
- How do you know?
Do you remember
before you were born?
Then how can you be scared?
Can you feel my skin?
So cold.
I am sorry.
I could never love you well.
You did the best you could.
How handsome you both are.
Oh, God!
It hurts so much to breathe!
Lift your head.
- Make it go away!
Now the pillow.
You move the pillow.
I'll lift her head.
Get him out!
Henriette...
- I will not hear it!
Something for the pain!
Her throat is closing.
Open it up!
Open it!
Brother...
- Something must be done!
Let me live.
Please!
My sweet!
Let me bathe in the lake,
feel the sun.
Let me feel the sun upon me.
Oh, Lord, receive me!
Can you hear that?
The flowers... they are singing.
Amen.
You are a fool.
When we are the king's enemy,...
...we must make him believe
we are his friend,...
...make him believe we are near.
His friend...
Those closest to a man
who can inflict the greatest pain...
...you are a fool.
His friend...
We're leaving
and we're never coming back.
I cannot permit it.
I'm not asking for permission.
I'm leaving.
You would defy me even
in this moment?
I know what this moment is.
We are grieving.
I grieve alone.
You will marry again.
I simply want to live.
- It is your duty.
I have had my fill of duty!
Then you set yourself against me.
Gladly.
And sacrifice your future
to see me suffer?
What does a king know of sacrifice?
Lord Rohan?
You are injured.
- Listen to me!
There are only two men in this court
who move freely...
...between the outside world
and the king's inner circle,...
...but only one who has never raised
a single voice against him.
The king's brother?
...is a critic, but there is another
who has lain hidden before us:
Rohan.
You told us Montcourt was to blame.
- He has killed many, but not her.
Oh, how can you be so sure?
- The king once told me.
He warned me quite clearly
that his enemies...
...would seek to destroy those
closest to him.
Montcourt tried to tell me the same.
We must get the king, the queen
and yourself to safety at once.
Oh, my!
- What?
What is it?
The king's son, the Dauphin.
Rohan took him riding.
- No, no, no!
On whose word?
- Call the guard!
Call the guard!