Versailles

An eye for an eye. It sends a message.

Sire, it was an isolated incident.

And a forceful response will ensure it remains so.

The King must be seen to be just.

This is justice.

An affront on authority will not be tolerated.

No, Sire.

So...

The rebuke is already under way.

No women, no children!

Tristan!

Tristan! Tristan!

Tristan!

Train your weapons!

Arr... Arrgh!

Stand back! Bastien, no.

Arr... Arrgh!

Argh!

Evil must be extracted.

Sever the root and it will wither.

Come on.

You, come on. Get in there!

Come on!

Come on! You!

Arrgh!

Stay close.

I'll see you right.

I haven't done anything.

Put my clothes besides the bed, please.

That is not why I am here.

I believe Her Majesty's expecting a messenger. You believe wrong.

I have news.

From the Emperor.

Do you play with me, Duchesse?

I simply follow orders.

One word from me and you could lose your head.

As could you.

How do I know I can trust you?

Because I know who gave you that brooch.

You would betray your king?

You would betray your husband?

You must find a way to persuade the King to let you leave tomorrow.

I'll ensure Princess Eleanor joins you in the forest

so she can ride with you to Madrid to marry your brother.

Why not? The moon is in our favour.

I don't think so.

It's your duty as my husband.

Another child won't cure your pain.

The Queen requests your presence as a matter of urgency.

I don't know how,

but Madame de Maintenon has cursed us.

Cain, brother of Abel. Two brothers drenched in blood and cursed!

No, that's not right.

Make it, "Tu querido hermano, Charles."

How may I serve Your Majesty?

I'm so glad you could come.

It's... from Madrid.

My brother sickens.

I fear he'll not survive the summer.

I'm so sorry.

I have to see him one final time.

Is that possible?

Perhaps together we could persuade the King this afternoon.

He's always valued your honesty and kindness

and you know what it is to be separated from family.

Of course.

I can teach you how to gamble and when to raise the stakes.

How to gain favour and how to make others lose it.

How to hook a man...

..and how to land him.

And most important, how to use the most powerful weapon you have.

That delicate flower God gave you.

We should meet...

away from prying eyes and eager ears.

You could plead for him. They won't listen.

But you have business at the palace. Yes...

Oh, for God's sake, they could be torturing him right now.

They might even kill him.

We'll do what we can.

We'll beg for him. We'll go on our knees if we have to.

You provoked the king once before

and you were lucky to get away with it. Tristan is a child.

I don't want us mixed up with this.

The King will be merciful.

We owe this to our people.

No, we owe it to them to keep this business going. What good'll it do if there's no work?

Then we're mixed up in this already.

It is our belief that man can have a direct relationship with God.

We may need priests to illuminate our lives

and show us the path to God.

But they cannot take the place of God.

They cannot talk to God on our behalf

and they do not need to because we can do so ourselves.

But surely in saying this,

you question the place of those in authority.

Not just the King, but the Pope.

No-one respects the King or the Pope more than I.

And what about matters of the flesh?

Be more precise.

But not too precise.

Are intimate relations between man and woman

encouraged in the Protestant faith?

Are Catholics not encouraged to have intercourse?

I meant outside marriage.

I personally consider intercourse between a man and a woman

to be a healthy activity at all times.

Well, who doesn't?

The Church does not see it quite that way.

I believe them to be wrong. You would defy your own Church?

No.

But I have the right to think freely and question the world.

And no-one will take that right away.

Bravo.

Bravo!

Bracing, isn't it, to be challenged in one's thinking?

Well, that's not your only challenge. What do you mean?

The fabulously wealthy widow whom you're trying to seduce.

Don't be ridiculous.

Just as well, because you haven't a chance.

And why not?

Because she knows you.

What is the matter with him? He has an obsession.

Oh, yes. I used to be one of them.

The book of Genesis tells simply that Cain killed Abel

and then was condemned to walk the Earth.

Brother killed brother. I know that much.

But why?

For jealousy.

For greed.

It was the first act of true evil.

That's why God gave him the mark.

What mark?

God put a mark on Cain as a punishment,

so everyone would know who he was

and that he was a sinner.

Was it a...

A symbol?

A scar?

Your Highness, I believe it is more of a curse.

Your Highness, the Bible is meant to help us, not cause vexation.

I suggest you might achieve peace through more prayer.

That's a great help. Thanks.

Jeanne, I said no. You don't have power over me.

Yell at the king again, there'll be trouble.

I won't yell.

Guillaume!

Your Highness.

I've an appointment with the King.

I know, but I was hoping I might have a word?

Of course, sir.

Do you mind if we...?

You can meet the King, but don't mention Tristan. I'll deal with it.

You appear somewhat preoccupied too.

It's the arrests in Paris, sir. Everyone in town is worried.

We pray the King won't hurt them. Don't worry about that.

I'll talk to him.

Listen, I've been...

..given an assignation in Paris.

What sort of assignation?

Hard to explain, but...

..I need to know if it's safe.

I'll go with you.

I was hoping you'd say that.

I need to deliver this message for His Eminence.

You'll find him at the end of the hall. Thank you.

It's from France, Your Eminence.

So...

the esteemed Monsieur Bontemps

fears trouble may be brewing at Versailles.

Damn kings are more trouble than they're worth.

Will they ever learn their place?

Tell the Pope we must speak of this imminently.

Why is it always the bloody French?

I don't wish to trouble you, Sire. I hope that you won't, Madame.

But I have a predicament that needs your compassion.

My brother's health is failing.

They fear he'll not survive the summer.

I seek your permission to travel to Spain to see him one last time.

Sire, perhaps the Queen would thrive in the sunshine.

Her pallor is a little wan.

Did she not recently sample the waters at Vichy?

Yes, but the warmest place is in the bosom of one's family.

To be separated in times of need is...

cruel.

You may undertake the journey.

I thank you, my King.

But without spectacle to ensure your safety.

You are as wise as you are good.

If Charles dies, having the Queen in Madrid should provide us

with the chance to take complete control.

That would certainly strengthen your hand, Sire.

An unlikely ambassador, but perhaps an effective one.

Your Majesty.

Sorry.

The stitching is exquisite.

Our youngest apprentice did it.

He's called...

Tristan.

Tell him the King spoke highly of his work.

I would like to, Sire, but...