Elizabeth Page #4

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Perhaps Her Majesty's heart

is already set upon another.

Do not presume, monsieur,

to know the secrets of my heart.

Monsieur de Foix may leave.

Please, Excellency...

Je vous prie de mes excuses.

Secrets, Madam?!

You have no secrets!

The world knows Lord Robert

visits your chambers and you

fornicate with him!

It's even said you already carry his child!

Yes, Sir William, I live my life in the open!

I am surrounded by people!

I do not understand how so bad

a judgement has been formed of me!

Madam, you...

You cannot marry Lord Robert!

He is already married.

Here comes our married man.

Lord Dudley is not himself today.

Lord Dudley's cup runneth over.

Imagine being discovered

in another woman's bed!

Aye, and that it to be his wife's!

Lord Robert, we are amazed

you show your face at Court.

The Queen!

Spanish!

Spanish!

English pirate!

English pirate!

Is it not enough that English

pirates attack and rob our ships

but we are to be made fools of

in this Court.

The King, my master, has become

impatient for Your Grace to act.

If you will not, then others may.

You must reassure His Majesty

the time is close at hand.

He must not act precipitously.

- His Majesty has heard a rumour

- The world is filled with rumours.

that Your Grace has made contact with

Mary of Scots to promote your ambitions.

Even that you mean to marry her.

Do you suppose me an idiot?

Your master is the most powerful man

in the world. I would not cross him.

Will the Duke not come to dance?

Madam, His Grace is indisposed.

He has some pains of the stomach.

Oh.

I am very sorry for it.

We wish to give the Duke this ring

as a token of our love.

- Madam...

- No.

I shall give it to him myself.

Madam, I should not...

Sir William.

Come along.

What!

What?

What, er... what!

You stare, Madam.

What is it?

Do you see

something strange, perhaps?

You are wearing a dress, Your Grace.

Oh! Yes, I am wearing a dress.

Yes, yes, I am wearing a dress!

I wear a dress like this,

my mother, and you.

But I only dress like this when I'm alone,

in private, with my friends.

Your Grace...

Although my affection for you

is undiminished

I have, after an agonising struggle,

determined to sacrifice my own happiness

for the welfare of my people.

My God!

Madam, I will explain.

Allez-vous-en, allez!

Jouez! Jouez!

Madam, is the, er... is the Duke...

There will be no more talk of marriage.

Lord Robert!

Your Majesty?

Will you dance?

If it please you.

Play a volta!

Why will you not see me?

You must let me explain.

Others will take advantage of this.

You must not believe

what they tell you. They are jealous

and envious,

because I am nothing to them

and everything to you.

Do you love her?

No, I love you.

I have always loved you.

I was afraid of losing you

because I was not free!

For God's sake,

you are still my Elizabeth!

I am not your Elizabeth!

I am no man's Elizabeth!

And if you think to rule here

you are mistaken!

I will have one mistress here

and no master!

It matters nothing to me.

I can live without her

most happily.

Better than I could live with her.

I have no need of her love.

Have I not suffered enough already

for loving her and showing it?

I envy you, my Lord.

To love a woman so deeply.

Monseigneur... envy no man for that.

Such love is hateful.

It tears the soul apart. Envy a man

who has never known such love.

Perhaps there may still be a way

to reclaim her affections.

Why should I want to?

And to save her life.

- You jest with me.

- No, I do not.

For she will be dead soon enough,

perhaps even at Norfolk's hand,

if you do not help her.

How can I help her?

She will not even see me.

His Holiness has issued the Bull.

It deprives Elizabeth, pretended Queen

of England, servant of wickedness,

of her throne,

and declares that her subjects

are absolved of their allegiance to her.

His Holiness also decrees that any man

who should undertake her assassination

will be welcomed by angels

into the Kingdom of Heaven.

Give these letters of blessing

and hope to our friends in England.

Your Grace.

Monseigneur.

And Thomas Elyot.

You serve your master well, Elyot.

As well as I can, in truth.

I mean your real master.

What's this?

What master?

Walsingham.

The priest is mistaken, my Lord.

I am Your Grace's servant,

as God is my witness.

- Isabel...

- Sshh, don't fuss.

You should not try them on, Isabel.

They are the Queen's dresses.

Why not?

You're my secret.

I am Queen, aren't I?

Say you're mine.

You're my Elizabeth.

Say you're my Elizabeth.

I am your Elizabeth.

I am your Queen!

Ssh...!

Sshh...!

Kat?

Kat!

Kat?

Who are you?

You will declare yourself to me.

Madam!

Something has happened!

You must come quickly!

Who was with her?

One of the guards found her.

He says he saw Lord Robert leave...

No, Madam, no.

The dress was poisoned.

Uncover her.

No...! That dress was a gift

for me.

French silk.

Vite! Vite!

Sir Francis,

you and I must be honest with each other.

Your Queen is weak.

She has no army,

no friends. Only...

Comment dit-on...?

- Enemies.

- Enemies.

Mm-hm.

What terms can she propose?

Madam, Her Majesty was, I believe,

too hasty at rejecting

the Duke's proposal of marriage.

But how can I marry such a woman?

Huh?

She is frigid!

Yes! They even say she is really a man!

Forgive my nephew.

He speaks when he should not.

He is terrible.

Ne fais pas l'idiot, Henri.

I hear you are a wise man, Sir Francis,

and a creature of the world

like me.

Yes.

I have no illusions.

I know it is only a matter of time

before my Queen is overthrown.

Her Majesty rules with the heart,

not with the head.

I understand.

It is hard for a woman to forget her heart.

But, er...

what of you,

Walsingham?

A wise man would be careful

not to put himself in the way of harm.

And how would a wise man do that?

He would, as I said, change allegiance.

Allegiance?

There are but two choices.

He would get into bed

with either Spain or France.

And whose bed

would you prefer?

Your Majesty, may I speak with you?

In private.

Speak.

You are in the greatest danger.

You must believe me.

But you have a friend.

Someone who can guarantee your safety

and your throne.

A friend?

The King of Spain.

Leave us.

How would he guarantee it?

He would marry you.

Only to make an alliance. Nothing more.

He would not expect to...

He would live in Spain.

Why do you do this, Robert?

Because I love you.

And though you will not see me,

I am the only one who would care for you.

You love me so much

you would have me be your whore?

For God's sake, I do this for us.

I ask you to save some part of us!

Lord Robert, you may make whores of my

Ladies but you shall not make one of me.

Your Majesty.

Get out! Get out!

Of course I shall deny it.

Your Majesty must publicly dissociate

herself from this most bloody act.

I never ordered it.

Of course, Madam, of course.

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