Elizabeth: The Golden Age Page #3

away to his maiden colony.

We must persuade him to stay a

little longer. Mustrt we, ladies?

Bess?

No!

Wait! What do you want?

Who are you?

Let me go, damn it!

Who the hell are you?

If you won't assist me,

perhaps your father will.

No.

Enough.

Enough.

Enough.

Yes?

You cannot

save England now.

The Enterprise

has begun.

Ambassador?

What do you know of the

Enterprise of England?

The Enterprise? Forgive me,

Majesty, I'm not familiar...

Two armies landing on the

coasts of Sussex and Norfolk.

Mary Stuart is to be set free

and placed on the English throne,

and I am to be

assassinated.

Does any of this

sound familiar?

I know nothing

of any invasion plans...

Well, I refer to this plan

as the Enterprise of England,

it should more accurately be

called la Empresa de Inglaterra

because it is

a Spanish plan.

The plan of my

one-time brother-in-law,

your king,

to attack my country.

Your country? It is my

country that is under attack.

Your so-called piratas, your pirates

attack our merchant ships daily.

And you... You think we don't

know where the orders come from?

The whole world knows these

pirates sail up the Thames,

all the way

to your royal bed.

You will leave

my presence, sir.

Go back to your rat hole.

Tell Philip I fear neither him,

nor his priests, nor his armies.

Tell him if he wants to shake

his little fist at us,

we're ready to give him

such a bite,

he'll wish he'd kept his hands

in his pockets.

You see a leaf fall and you think

you know which way the wind blows.

Well, there is

a wind coming, madam,

that will sweep away

your pride.

I, too, can command

the wind, sir!

I have a hurricane in me that will

strip Spain bare if you dare to try me!

What are you staring at?

Lower your eyes.

I am the Queen!

You are not my equal, sir,

and you never will be!

DR. DEE. The alignments of the

planets is most unusual this year.

Mars is due to take

the ascendant

three days after the anniversary

of Your Majesty's birth.

And also on that day,

there is a full moon,

which governs the fortune of

all princes of the female gender.

Princes of the

female gender.

I mean to say, a prince

who is also a woman.

Yes, Dr. Dee,

I am following you.

What does it mean?

It means the rise of a great empire,

Majesty, and the fall of another.

Convulsions.

Which empire is to rise

and which is to fall?

That I cannot say,

Majesty.

Astrology is, as yet,

more an art than a science.

Nothing more, Dr. Dee?

No more specific calamities

we can guard against?

He means,

will I be assassinated?

Walsingham, would you

leave us for a moment?

And the private life of this

prince of the female gender,

what do the stars

foretell there?

These are matters

of state, Majesty.

Surely the stars foretell

matters of state, Dr. Dee.

For such a prediction I must

look in a different chart.

Wonderful.

Such strength.

You will need all your

strength in the days to come.

But you doubt yourself,

my child.

I have not seen fear in your

face for such a long time.

Have I reason to fear?

Something has

weakened you.

There are

hard days coming.

But I am no prophet.

I see no more than

the shadows of ghosts.

Visitor, sir.

Sorry to come

aboard your ship

without permission,

Mr. Raleigh.

Welcome aboard.

The Queen wishes

to see you.

She asks me

to assure you...

I need

no assurances, Bess.

I'm no courtier.

Never have been.

Then you should

say so in person.

This is

my life, Bess.

This is where

I belong.

It seems to be

a Ionely life.

Sometimes. But it's

the life I've chosen.

I understand.

You ask permission to go.

Yes, Majesty.

You plan to return

to your colony

for two, maybe three,

four years.

If Your Majesty grants me

your royal warrant.

That is a long time.

There's nothing

for me here.

At sea, I know what I'm

to do. I know the risks.

Here...

No. You're wrong.

You're needed here.

As captain of my

personal guard.

Captain of your guard?

Kneel.

Majesty.

I said, kneel.

Sir Walter Raleigh.

Well, you may express

your gratitude.

This is too great an honor.

If it's so great an honor, why

are you staring at your boots?

You know why.

Now you stare

at the wall.

Am I so hideous you can't

even look me in the face?

Why do you speak

like a fool

when you are anything

but a fool?

Fool?

Yes, I am a vain

and foolish woman.

And you, you...

You come here

as if from another time.

And I've...

You have real adventures. You

go where the maps end. And I'd...

I would follow you there

if I could. Believe me.

The storm clouds are

gathering. You are needed here.

You cannot leave England.

"For he that will save

his life will lose it.

"And he that will lose his life

for my sake shall find it. "

Lord be with us

as the end approaches.

We will not fear the coming

of the shadow of death.

Sorry, I didn't mean

to disturb you.

I thought I prayed

in silence.

You did.

Excuse me, sir.

I must go to the Queen.

The man who was

hanged today...

He was your cousin.

Yes.

I'm sorry.

The last time

I saw him,

he needed my help.

I did nothing.

What could

you have done?

I don't know.

Now he's dead.

I keep seeing his face.

I keep seeing his eyes.

Believe me, there's nothing that you

could have done that would have spared him.

I'm so afraid.

We're all human, Bess.

We do what we can.

PAULET. Your laundress was found to

be carrying letters in her washing.

Not her job, I think.

How am I to send

my intimate letters?

Through me.

And you will read them.

With respectful

admiration.

Am I to have

no privacy?

No.

You disappoint me, sir.

The Queen orders these

measures for your protection.

The Queen?

I am a queen.

They call her

the Virgin Queen.

Why is that, sir?

Can it be that no man

will have her?

Let him

throw you round.

Be bold. Come on,

you can trust him.

And jump.

When I bend like this, you

take a leap into the air.

The Volta.

I require all my ladies

to learn it.

You see

how fearless Bess is?

You like your ladies

to jump at your command.

Do you think

that wrong?

No. You are the Queen.

You are to be obeyed.

To tell you

the truth,

I'm very, very tired of

always being in control.

Nonsense.

What?

You eat and

drink control.

Is that so?

Bess.

You should try a dance

with Sir Walter.

He's eager

to show us his skill.

No skill at all, Majesty.

I don't know the steps.

Come now.

You stand

like this,

with your hands here.

And when she jumps,

on the fifth step,

you lift her.

What could be simpler?

Take your position,

Sir Walter.

I am to be obeyed.

As Your Majesty

wishes.

Hold her firmly.

I don't want her dropped.

Play.

Six counts.

One, two, three,

and lift, down.

Leave us.

I want both of them

left alone.

Madam.

I must reply.

"If our forces

are in readiness,

"both within and without

the realm,

"then your Queen commands you

to set the gentlemen to work."

I think we have it.

Yes.

Let God's

work begin.

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