Elizabeth I Page #11

---

If I did, would I be so foolish

as to commit them to paper?

Oh, you are fool enough

for anything, Robin.

But perhaps not this.

But you must understand,

there is speculation about you and l...

gossip...

jealousy and faction

even in the Council,

and it may be that my favor to you

is the cause of it.

Never forget that government is

my sacred trust, Robin.

You know

I would never...

And yet my heart

still rises in me

when I walk into a room

and you are there...

oh, and these poor feelings

clamor to be heard.

I hear them, Bess.

Well, I never

let them see it.

But I do grow old,

as do those who are

long in service to me.

Come here.

Oh...

- Madam...

- Sir Francis.

It is a matter

of urgency, madam.

You'd best

leave us, Robin.

It might be better

if his Lordship stayed

since it concerns him.

Oh, how so?

My daughter Frances

is with child

by the Earl of Essex

and I would seek

to know his intentions.

She's with...

She's with...

You treacherous

villain, you!

You villain!

You villain! You!

You villain!

I think the earl intends

an apology, madam.

Indeed.

He is in mourning

for the loss

of our favor.

And as might be expected,

the apology is

on a far grander scale

than the offense.

He looks well dead,

does he not?

None of us can

escape it, madam.

Francis, we hear

you are not well.

To tell you

truthfully, madam,

it is not thought that

I shall live out the year.

This cannot be.

I'm afraid it can,

Your Majesty.

We must look

to what comes after.

King James

of Scotland?

Is that to be

discussed?

I feel we have

worn you out.

I have laid down

my life

for the Protestant

cause, madam,

and I have done it

gladly.

Ah, the happy couple!

Oh, why such

long faces?

- We did not seek...

- To be happy, ma'am.

Hmm. Happy.

Her father has asked you

your intentions.

Well, I will tell you

your intensions, sir.

You shall marry her

and you will be happy.

L...

We must all marry, Robin,

or so I'm told,

but such a thing

was not in prospect

where you and I

were concerned, was it?

The love I felt

for Your Majesty was...

But a marriage was

never in question.

Did you think

to be King, Robin?

Did you?

I sought your love.

Oh, all seek

attendance on the Queen.

She has

no shortage of suitors

and little inclination

to play the housewife.

So what could be

more satisfactory than this...

arrangement?

And you, Frances,

would you have your husband have

the Sovereign's love?

'Tis my dearest wish,

Your Majesty.

You may leave us,

Frances.

Do you have

no words, sir?

No, you have

no need of words.

Your Majesty knows

the secrets of my heart.

Hmm.

I'm damned

if I do, sir.

But it seems

you must be married.

Oh, pretty, pretty...

boy.

We've heard that

some persons at Court

may have been

writing letters to...

King James of Scotland,

ma'am.

Why, we must have been

listening at the same door.

Of course, the mere idea

of that boy

succeeding to my throne

is absurd,

but if some fool

should take it upon himself

to make the idea public,

then we will have

any number of other fools

keen to implement it

as soon as possible.

"Out with the old woman

and bring on

the dribbling idiot."

Perhaps both descriptions

are a little harsh, ma'am.

We grow less

tolerant, pygmy.

We are alone too much.

Walsingham died.

Yes, ma'am.

Of course, I never cared

much for the man, but...

"But," ma'am?

For the moment,

you and your father

can fulfill

his responsibilities.

I am happy

to relieve Your Majesty

of some of this

great burden

of government business.

They say your marriage

is a happy one.

I am blessed

in my wife, ma'am.

She...

she sees past...

Then there is hope

for the world still.

Who is it?

Your Majesty?

Who has been writing

these letters?

I would not like to...

Accuse anyone

of treason?

Some nobleman

with dreams

of greatness?

I'm a great admirer

of the English

aristocracy, ma'am,

but some of them

seek to fly so high.

Like Icarus,

they may approach the sun

of Your Majesty's

favor too closely

and burn their wings.

Hmm.

It's hard to believe,

but that creature in the hat

is the King of Scotland.

No one must hear of this,

Master Secretary.

Do you understand?

We understand each other

very well, ma'am.

My only wish, apart from to beg of you

your kindness as always

and to ask for an increase

in the pension

- which you have so kindly allotted to me...

- No.

...is to beg you

for some clear statement

as to my surely

undoubted right

to succeed you

on the English throne.

"Undoubted"?

"Undoubted"!

Your letter assures me

you will not be prejudicial to my cause.

I have come

to instruct you

to be less pleasant

to your Catholic nobility

and to ensure

you do not make overtures

to any nobles

of our court.

Overtures, ma'am?

What overtures?

I have little knowledge

of the English court.

Well, then you'll

have to acquire some

if you dream

of ruling over it.

It ill becomes me

to strive with a lady, but...

The fame of our nobility

has reached even

as far as Scotland,

I imagine.

Our poor country is so far

from the bright lights.

We go to bed early and have

little informed conversation.

Not even the Earl of Essex

is talked of?

I have heard

his name of course.

I have been told

he is a very...

handsome lad.

I've heard many tales

of the handsome lads of London.

Your Majesty.

Here is a messenger from the very place.

You will excuse me.

Tell me, how is it to be

ruled by a woman, my lord?

I like it well, Your Majesty.

She grows old.

As do we all.

And the Earl of Essex?

Was ever kind to me,

Your Majesty.

When I am King,

I shall have handsome

young men around me

and we shall use women

as dogs do b*tches...

for our pleasure

and their profit.

I'm sure she called

that fellow over

so that she can watch us

at her leisure.

Carefully now.

On my life, ma'am,

I swear I have

written no letters

to King James

of Scotland.

So you never think

of the succession?

Why do you no longer

trust me, Bess?

Who is it that has

come between us?

Only the rest of the world,

poor foolish boy.

If I ever talked

of the succession...

God forbid

that a day should come

when England no longer

has you to guide them...

Hmm.

Then I did it

to your face,

unlike some others.

At the end,

Leicester and I were friends.

I would hold you close

to me in friendship.

When love is changed

to kindliness,

then I'll none of it.

If you seek a life

in politics, Robin,

you'll have to learn

to be a politician.

The same name,

but not the same.

I loved the Earl

of Leicester well.

And like him,

you love to go to war,

and since you love to fight

my quarrels for me,

we offer you

command of the army.

The Spanish

have attacked Calais

and we intend to respond

by taking Cadiz.

Bess!

Oh, what a boy

it is still.

What a boy.

The greatest command

of his Lordship's career, ma'am.

Indeed.

You have no doubts?

He'll join the fleet and sail

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes