The Lion in Winter Page #5

chapel. Good. Let's get this over with.

You'll make a lovely bride.

I wonder if I'll cry.

You sound as if you think

it's going to happen. I do.

He's only plotting. Can't you

tell when Henry's plotting?

Not this time.

He'll never give me up.

You think I won't?

Because you told me so.

You're not my helen. I won't fight

a war to save a face. We're done.

I don't believe you!

Wait ten minutes!

Please! Richard, Richard,

we're not...

honestly, we're not!

Please!

We love each other.

Come on! It's lunacy!

I won't do it! I won't!

- Lunacy! Let me go, Henry. Richard, no!

- Come on!

I won't say the words!

Not one of them!

It makes no sense!

Why give me up?

What do you get?

What are you gaining?

Why, the Aquitaine,

of course.

What's that again?

Your mother gets her freedom,

and I get the Aquitaine.

That is the proposition,

isn't it? You did agree.

Of course she did. I knew it. It

was all pretense. I believed it all.

I meant it all. No wedding.

There'll be no wedding.

But, my boy, look.

Durham's waiting.

Marry her, for my sake. It

isn't much to ask. Never!

But I promised it to Philip.

Think of my position.

Damn the wedding and to hell with

your position. You don't dare defy me.

Don't I?

You're the king of France, for

God's sake. Speak up. Do something.

Make a threat. Come on,

frighten me. Am I? Dunce!

He never meant

to have the wedding.

Come again. You're good at

rage. I like the way you play it.

Boy, don't ever call a king

a liar to his face.

I'm not a boy...

to you or anyone!

Boy, you came here asking

for a wedding or the vexin back.

By God, you don't get either. It's no

to both. You have a pact with France!

Then damn the pact and damn France.

She never marries, not while I'm alive.

Your life and never

are two different times.

Not on my clock, boy!

Listen to the lion!

Come on, frighten me. Don't spoil it,

Richard. Take it like a good sport.

How's your bad leg?

Better, thank you.

Your bad back? You're getting

old. You'll have me once too often.

When? I'm 50 now. My God,

boy, I'm the oldest man I know.

I've got a decade

on the pope.

What's it to be? The

broadsword when I'm 85?

I'm not a second son now. Your

Henry's lies in the vault, you know.

I know.

I've seen him there.

I'll have the crown. You'll

have what daddy gives you.

I am next in line!

To nothing!

Then we'll only have the

broadswords now. This minute?

No, on the battlefield!

So we're at war?

Yes, we're at war. I have 2,000

men at poitiers. Can they hear you?

Call and see who answers. You're

as close to poitiers as you'll get.

You don't dare hold me prisoner. Until we're

all agreed John comes next, I can and will.

You're a king's son, so I treat you with

respect. You have the freedom of the castle.

The castle doesn't stand that

holds me. Post your guards.

My God, I'm king again.

Fantastic.

Are you happy for me, Geoff?

I'm happy for us both.

You played it nicely.

You were good.

Yes, I was.

I fooled you, didn't I?

Oh, God, but I do love

being king.

Well, Henry,

liege and lord,

what happens now?

I've no idea.

I know I'm winning, and I know I'll

win, but what the next move is...

you were scared,

weren't you?

No.

I think you were.

I was. You mustn't play with

feelings, Henry. Not with mine.

It wasn't possible

to lose you.

I must hold you dearer

than I thought.

You've got your enigmatic face

on. What's your mood, I wonder?

Pure delight.

I'm locked up

with my sons.

What mother does not

dream of that?

One thing.

Yes?

May I watch you kiss her?

Can't you ever stop?

I watch you every night.

I conjure it

before I sleep.

Leave it there.

My curiosity

is intellectual.

I want to see

how accurate I am.

Forget the dragon

in the doorway. Come.

Believe I love you,

for I do.

Believe I'm yours forever,

for I am.

Believe in my contentment

and the joy you give me.

And believe...

you want more?

I'm an old man

in an empty place.

Be with me.

How beautiful you make me.

What might solomon have sung

had he seen this.

I can't.

I'd turn to salt.

I've lost again.

I'm done for this time.

Well, there'll be

other Christmases.

I'd hang you from the nipples,

but you'd shock the children.

They kissed sweetly,

didn't they?

I'll have him next time.

I can wait.

Ah, there you are!

My comfort

and my company.

We're locked in

for another year.

Four seasons more.

What a desolation.

What a life's work.

Is it too much?

Be sure to squlnt

as you approach.

You may be blinded

by my beauty.

Merry Christmas.

Is that why you're here...

to tell me that?

I thought

you might be lonely.

Here, chancellor.

Try it on for size.

It's puzzling.

I remember my third birthday.

Not just pictures

of the garden or the gifts,

but who did what to whom

and how it felt.

My memory stretches that far back,

but never once can I remember...

anything from you or father

warmer than indifference.

Why is that?

I don't know.

That was not an easy question from me,

and I don't deserve and easy answer.

There are times I think we

loved none of our children.

Still too easy,

don't you think?

I'm weary, and you want

a simple answer,

and I haven't one.

I'm so sick

of all of you.

I thought I'd come

and gloat a little.

Mother's tired. Come stick

pins tomorrow morning.

I'll be

more responsive then.

It's no fun goading anyone

tonight. Bastard's boxed us up.

What's that, dear? We're his

prisoners, if that interests you.

Why should it?

I'm his prisoner anyway?

It was... correct me

if I'm wrong...

but it was my impression that

you wanted Henry's throne for me.

We can't win, Richard.

We've lost it this time.

You think I'm finished, do you? So I do.

I've suffered more defeats

than you have teeth.

I know one

when it happens to me.

Take your wormwood like a good

boy. Swallow it and go to bed.

I will be king. So you

will, but not this year!

Oh, leave it, Richard!

Let it go for now.

I can't.

It's not so hard.

Try saying after me:

John wins, I lose.

And what if John died?

You wouldn't dare! A

knife. Why wouldn't I?

He's got a knife! Of course he

has a knife. He always has a knife.

We all have knives. It's

1183, and we're barbarians.

How clear we make it. Oh, my

piglets, we are the origins of war.

Not history's forces, nor the times,

nor justice, nor the lack of it,

nor causes, nor religions,

nor ideas,

nor kinds of government,

nor any other thing.

Weare the killers.

Webreed wars.

We carry it,

like syphilis, inside.

Dead bodies rot in field and stream

because the living ones are rotten.

For the love of God, can't we

love one another just a little?

That's how peace begins.

We have so much

to love each other for.

We have such possibilities,

my children.

We could change the world.

And while we hugged each other,

what would Philip do?

Oh, good God, Philip!

We're supposed to start a war. If

father finds out, I'll be rulned.

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