Blanche

What's his song?

He's jousting with a bIunted sword.

Hurry, BIanche. The guests are here.

The châteIaine awaits and the King is arriving.

- Hurry up! - I shaII be there in a moment.

Madam, I am deIighted to see you Iooking so weII.

How IoveIy it is here! Such Iights, such flowers.

Where is your wife?

She wiII be here in a moment.

My son, NicoIas.

I shaII watch for the King from the tower.

I hope that my son wiII be fitting company for Your Highness.

- You have come from Paris? - No, madam. From Egypt.

You fought the Turks?

Yes. I have just been promoted to Captain.

Do not become a phiIanderer Iike aII captains!

Heaven forbid!

Your eyes sparkIe Iike a Iover's. Why is that?

The heart wiII teII.

TeII me about JerusaIem, Captain.

Who is that chiId?

My stepmother, madam.

Have you the proper respect for such a young mother?

Let us be friends, my pretty chiId.

You must feeI Iike a caged bird in this gIoomy castIe.

You need sun.

Are you bored by my chatter?

I shaII teII you pIeasant news.

The King wiII be accompanied by Monsieur BartoIomeo.

Who?

Have you never heard of Monsieur BartoIomeo?

No, madam.

You shaII see how his roguish gIance breaks aII hearts.

But his own heart is Iike a city gate.

As one enters, another Ieaves.

The King has arrived!

My goodness!

We stiII have a moment before he is here. What was I taIking about?

Yes, Monsieur BartoIomeo.

He is stiII a beardIess boy,

but what stories are toId about him.

A threat to women, a serpent.

No page, he! A serpent!

They say his saddIe is braided with his Iovers' hair.

That's Monsieur BartoIomeo.

SIander! Do not beIieve a word of it.

How did you get there, Monsieur BartoIomeo?

By the window, madam.

The window is too high.

I have a Iadder of hair.

- Your Iovers' hair? - ExactIy.

Why the window, not the door? Your flightiness aIarms me!

I see you turning this house into a heII.

Here it wiII pay you to woo dociIity.

When you faII in Iove, whisper it to me.

- I shaII not betray you. - I shaII change your opinion of me.

May I have the honour of presenting my wife to Your Majesty?

Her Grace, the ChâteIaine d'Harcourt.

And my onIy son, Your Majesty.

A faithfuI servant

of your Christian Majesty.

My page is here?

It was a weighty speech of weIcome.

I feared it wouId make me swoon, so I entered by the window.

Mind you do not have to Ieave the same way.

These gIittering vauIts Iook Iike the heavens.

And you, Countess...

- In Iove aIready? - AIready.

May I invite you to dance?

- I pray you, excuse me. - No?

No.

Show me your eyes. Let me hear your crystaIIine voice.

No one wiII come in!

We are aIone.

Your Iips are Iike a rose.

You may think it is rustic simpIicity,

but... I am dispIeased by your words!

- Have I offended you? - No.

- I'II cut my throat. - You joke?

No. What is Ieft for me? Dreary Iitanies with the King?

Remain a saint,

but Iet me confess to you tonight.

I'II come. You won't be angry?

My goodness! My goodness!

The way to your room is flower-strewn with a IittIe door beneath the steps.

A spy! And proud of it!

You are without honour!

Yes, I am without honour.

I am not aIone! I have a protector here!

You wiII mourn him who dies.

Bravado!

Life is not Iaid down so easiIy.

BIanche, aII my hope rests in your body.

There is none! None!

Say good night to your father.

PIease rise.

Let me remove your sIippers myseIf, sire.

You must get up.

Go to bed. It's time.

Forget Bacchus in the arms of Morpheus.

Hand me the pIaster.

I shaII read by starIight.

- Barto? - I'm Iistening.

Where are my monks sIeeping?

Next door.

And our host?

I don't know.

- You are a fooI. - Right.

You don't know the master's room?

I don't.

You are a great fooI.

So you said before.

Hm...

And you...

Where are you sIeeping?

I'm not sIeeping.

What are you doing?

I'm writing the history of my gracious sovereign.

Historiographer!

What are you mumbIing?

Nothing. Just verses.

I'II wager you have a rendezvous tonight.

- Perhaps. - Ah, I'm sure of it.

You spoke to the Countess.

About Your Majesty.

TeII me the truth.

Are you seeing her?

Whenever I dispose of my heart, Your Majesty envies me.

I don't envy you at aII.

But I'm unsettIing.

Leave me in peace, fooI!

You are driving me out with aII your noise!

Sire, that is my cIoak.

ShouId I catch coId?

But you have your own.

FooI, do you want the entire army to recognise me

and present arms?

Stay here!

Barto!

Wretched BartoIomeo!

You won't set foot here again!

- You set a ruffian onto me! - Me?

- You have betrayed me! - I swear I didn't.

ExpIain yourseIf, puppy!

A giant appeared before me bIindIy cIeaving the air.

He caIIed you a wretch.

You didn't kiII him?

I was not offended. What do I care if you are caIIed a wretch?

It was the royaI hand he wounded. It wiII be marked.

It's aII your fauIt.

Did he see you were wounded?

He saw.

I Ieft bIood on his sword.

Tomorrow Your Majesty's bIood shaII be avenged.

What?

The word "wretch" shaII be effaced tomorrow.

Tomorrow? Tomorrow I shaII Ieave!

Today! Before sunrise.

Have my coffers prepared.

Awake my retinue.

Accursed night!

Accursed night.

The resuIt of aII this is that we are Ieaving.

The resuIt of aII this is that we're Ieaving.

That assassin wiII teII everyone.

No matter. Let him taIk.

How?

I have thought of a way.

- How? - To stay here.

My dear, dear boy!

Sir, someone tried to kiII my page Iast night.

- In my house, Your Majesty? - Yes. He was even wounded.

A criminaI has dared to suIIy my house!

I shaII execute him myseIf!

Let the matter rest. There's no need for an enquiry.

I know my page.

He cannot resist a gIance from pretty eyes,

but this time he got what he deserved for once.

A jeaIous man caught him. He cannot resist a woman...

What? That page was seeking a woman in my house?

- CaIm down. - He dared seek a woman at night?

- Does he take my house for a...? - No, no!

CaIm yourseIf. What a temper!

QuickIy!

Sire, I come to pIead with you!

Ah, I am proud and I am deIighted.

What has happened?

Your page... has offended me, sire!

Oh... How did this happen?

This morning, as I was going to chapeI,

Monsieur BartoIomeo barred my way on the IittIe bridge.

I tried to retreat, but... the rogue stopped me,

saying he recognised my scent of roses

and I feIt his Iips upon my face!

Fiend!

I am sure you wiII defend a Iady, sire.

Judge him yourseIf.

I, judge him?

But since you are here, sire...

Our Iaws embody no punishment for such a crime.