Elizabeth: The Golden Age Page #2

Never listens to me.

Not a thought for his health.

So you talk to him,

he's your brother.

William, what do they say in Paris

about the Pope's call for holy war?

Many welcome it.

Why must we talk

about war?

Tell us your nice

news, William.

Are you married yet?

Not yet.

Mary, would you leave

William alone, please?

Sweet, sit.

Grace?

Oh, Lord,

provider of all things,

we offer Thee

our humble thanks.

In the name

of the Holy Trinity, amen.

Amen.

More lines on my face.

Where do they come from?

Smile lines, my lady.

Smile lines?

When do I ever smile?

Now you have

smile lines, too.

ARCHDUKE CHARLES.

The beauty of Your Majesty

is dazzling to my eyes.

I am overwhelmed.

I am conquered.

I die.

Only your love,

my stattlich Elizabeth,

can restore me into life.

Your Highness

does me great honor.

Oh, Elizabeth.

How blessed am I to stand

in your fabled presence.

Ah, Elizabeth.

To speak your name

is to hear celestial music.

May that sweet sound

guide me through my life

to come, Elizabeth.

I have traveled here

to this illustrious court

in the hope that

our two great nations

might be

joined in love.

He interests me.

Talk to him.

Him, my lady?

Him.

I adore the natives you brought. I

don't suppose you could get one for me.

They're not

dangerous, are they?

That depends on what you

propose to do with them.

I'd dress him up in

mulberry colored silk,

and have him walk behind

me, carrying my cloak.

I have a secret,

my dear.

I pretend there's

a pane of glass,

eine Glasscheibe

between me and them.

They can see me,

but they cannot touch me.

You should try it.

Majesty, I am...

It is something,

after all,

to take a blank on the map

and build there a shining city.

Which you will no doubt

name after yourself.

No doubt.

May I ask

a question in return?

Of course.

How am I to win

the Queers favor?

Why should I tell you that?

I've little enough to offer,

but whatever I have to give,

ask, and it's yours.

Say what you mean to say

as plainly as possible.

All men flatter the Queen

in hope of advancement.

Pay her the compliment

of truth.

I don't even know

your name.

Elizabeth Throckmorton.

A second

Elizabeth?

Everyone calls me Bess.

Your most serene Majesty,

bright star of our firmament,

we present our humble masque

of the heavenly spheres.

His Highness is tired

after his long journey.

No man

can become tired

in the presence of

so lovely a queen.

His Highness, the Archduke informs

me that my charms overwhelm him.

He will retire to his

private chambers to rest.

I don't want him hurt

by your schemes.

So how should

we proceed?

Perhaps we should

all retire.

I suspect him of being

a professional charmer.

Am I right?

He is certainly

charming, my lady.

Well, there are

duller professions.

You like him, don't you?

He's a man that lives in a

world far beyond the court.

It's refreshing.

Well.

We shall let him

come again.

Blue.

SIR WALTER. Can you imagine

what it is to cross an ocean?

For weeks, you see nothing but

the horizon, perfect and empty.

You live in the grip of fear.

Fear of storms.

Fear of sickness on board.

Fear of the immensity.

So you must drive that fear

down deep into your belly.

Study your charts.

Watch your compass.

Pray for a fair wind.

And hope,

pure,

naked,

fragile

hope.

Majesty, the Archduke

and court are waiting.

Let them wait.

Go on, Mr. Raleigh.

You were hoping.

At first, it's no more

than a haze on the horizon.

So you watch.

You watch.

Then it's a smudge,

a shadow on the far water.

For a day.

For another day.

The stain slowly spreads

along the horizon taking form,

until on the third day,

you let yourself believe.

You dare to whisper

the word.

Land.

Land.

Life.

Resurrection.

The true adventure.

Coming out of

the vast unknown,

out of the immensity,

into new life.

That,

Your Majesty,

is the New World.

I like

your immensities.

Your ocean is an image

of eternity, I think.

Such great spaces

make us small.

Do we discover the

New World, Mr. Raleigh,

or does the New World

discover us?

You speak like

a true explorer.

I like you,

Mr. Raleigh.

And I like you.

You know, of course, that when

I like a man, I reward him.

I have heard that.

And what have you

to say about it?

Reward my mission,

Majesty, not me.

Is the mission

not the man?

Then you leave me free

to like you in return.

Go on.

I think it must be hard

for so great a queen

to know the simple pleasure

of being liked for herself.

Now you grow dull.

Come on!

Mine.

You have

the stronger horse.

Yours carries

the lighter load.

No.

The Queen does not

give way to others.

Whoa! Whoa!

Forgive me, Majesty. My horse

doesn't seem to know his place yet.

Have you ever known

your place, Mr. Raleigh?

Oh, come on!

It's from her.

Mary Stuart is the heart

and soul of our enterprise.

Make sure she

and only she reads this.

We wait for her order.

The order

must be given clearly.

The jailer, madam.

My noble jailer.

Am I a danger to England

even when I pray?

As always, ma'am, my

concern is for your safety.

I pray for

my cousin Elizabeth.

Do you think

she prays for me?

Is it true

that I've never known the

pleasure of being liked for myself?

I hope you believe I like

you for yourself, my lady.

Is anyone ever liked simply

for themselves? I doubt it.

Are you?

Men like you

because you're pretty,

and because you have

the ear of the Queen.

No doubt.

Him, too.

He likes you because

he wants my favor.

You do realize that.

Yes, my lady.

And the other thing,

too, of course.

But then,

all men want that.

Male desire

confers no distinction.

Oh, I envy you, Bess.

You're free to have

what I cannot have.

You're my adventurer.

Thank you for coming.

You mustrt send

letters to the palace.

You know what would

happen if I was caught.

I need your help.

More money?

No.

My father doesn't want

to hide like this anymore.

Of course.

We both want to get back

into favor with the court.

That's impossible.

You know that

you're Papists.

Why impossible?

Everyone at court has a Papist

somewhere in their family.

Francis.

Just as you have.

Speak to the Queen.

You are her favorite.

My father and I

will embrace the new faith.

Cousin Bess.

No.

We have known each other all our lives.

I would do nothing

to harm you.

Why can't you help us?

They will kill us!

Oh. Do not tease me,

Mr. Raleigh.

There's nothing

I'd like to do more.

So why don't you?

All right, then. I will.

You see? You lie.

You don't want me on your

ship at all. You're a liar.

Bess. Would you

like to go to sea?

I'm afraid

that's not possible.

Women bring bad luck

on board ship.

Do they?

Lock up a hundred men in a

space smaller than this room

for months at a time.

Men have needs.

A beautiful woman

would drive us all mad.

Men have needs?

Let them stay on land

and see to their needs.

Mr. Raleigh is eager to sail

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