The Lion in Winter Page #9

mean it. Ask for something.

Eleanor, we're passed it, years

passed. Test me. Name an act.

There isn't one! About my

fornication with your father.

Yes, there is. You can expire. You first,

old man. I only hope I'm there to watch.

You're so afraid of dying. You're

so scared of it. Ah, poor Eleanor.

If only she'd lied. She did. She

said she never loved your father.

I can always count on you.

I never touched you without

thinking, "Geoffrey, Geoffrey."

The day you hurt me,

I'll cry out.

I've put more horns on you

than Louis ever wore.

Am I supposed to care?

I'll kill you if you leave me.

You can try. I loved your

father's body. He was beautiful.

It never happened. I can see his

body now. Shall I describe it?

Eleanor, I hope you die!

His arms were rough,

with scars here.

No!

I can feel his arms!

I feel them!

I feel it!

What?

Have I hurt you?

Let me finish!

You were in the next room

when he did it!

Well,

what family doesn't have

its ups and downs?

I'm cold.

I can't feel anything.

Not anything at all.

We couldn't go back,

could we, Henry?

William!

Up! Up!

When the king is off his ass,

nobody sleeps!

Up! Up!

Up! Up!

Tell her to pack. She

leaves when it's light.

Up, up!

- Henry?

- We're packing up and moving out.

Is there a war? What's happened?

Henry, what's the matter?

Nothing, for a change.

Would you believe it?

Where have you been all night?

What for? Making us an entourage.

We're off to rome

to see the pope.

He's excommunicated you again.

No, he's going to set me free.

I'm having Eleanor annulled.

The nation will be shocked to learn

our marriage wasn't consummated.

Oh, be serious.

I am.

It seems that you and I

are getting married.

By the pope himself.

You mean it?

Shall I kneel?

It's not another trick? The bridal

party's drilling on the cobblestones.

- She'll find a way to stop us.

- How? She won't be here.

We're launching her for salisbury

tower when the winds change.

She'll be barging down

the river by lunchtime.

If she doesn't stop us,

Richard will.

Not anymore, I've corked him up. He's in

the cellar with his brothers and the wine.

The royal boys are aging with the

royal port. You haven't said yes.

Would you like

a formal declaration?

There, my finest angle.

It's on all the coins.

Sad alais,

will you marry me?

Be my queen.

We'll love each other,

and you'll give me sons.

Let's have six. We'll

do Eleanor one better.

We'll call the first one

Louis, if you like.

Louls le premier. How's

that for a king of England?

Henry, you can't ever

let them out.

You've lost me. Let who out? Your sons.

You've put them in the dungeon, and

you've got to keep them there forever.

Do I now? If they're free when you die,

it's the dungeon

or the nunnery for me.

But, Henry,

what about the child?

Don't bother me about the child.

The damn thing isn't born yet.

If they're free,

they'll kill it.

And I will not live to see

our children murdered.

Henry!

Are you going down?

To let them out

or to keep them in?

Could you say

to a child of yours,

"you've seen the sunlight

for the last time"?

Can you do it, Henry?

I shall have to,

shan't I?

He's here.

He'll get no satisfaction out of

me. He isn't going to see me beg.

Why, you chivalric fool, as if

the way one fell down mattered.

When the fall is all there is,

it matters.

My barge is sailing

with the tide.

- I've come to say good-bye.

- Does Henry know you're here?

I've brought you each a little

something. What's he planning?

Is he going to keep us here? For God's

sake, mother. I picked it out especially.

- How heavy is the outside guard?

- That's taken care of.

The courtyard, the gates? They're putting

Henry's train together, and it's chaos.

You can walk right out. We'll go

to poitiers. He'll expect that.

But we'll meet him with an army

when he comes. You stick close to me.

When you run, run hard. Why run

at all? I think we ought to stay.

Stay here? Till Henry comes.

He will come, won't he?

And he'll come alone.

I count three knives to

one. You think we could?

I'd only do it wrong.

You kill him, I'll watch.

- Where are you going?

- Up for air.

Don't stop her. You don't

think I'm gonna let this happen.

If you tell, there'll be a rash of

executions, and you don't want that.

No, you don't want to lose

one of us, not even me.

You're clever, but I

wonder if you're right.

Warn him, it's the end of us. You

warn him not, it's the end of him.

It's that clear.

Take the knives and run.

No, Geoffrey's right.

You're not an assassin.

Look again.

Richard.

Spare me that. You brought these

things. You want him dead? You do it.

You unnatural animal.

Unnatural, mummy? You tell

me, what's nature's way?

If poison mushrooms grow and

babies come with crooked backs,

if goiters thrive

and dogs go mad...

and wives kill husbands,

what's unnatural?

Come, here stands your lamb. Come

cover him in kisses. He's all yours.

No, you're not mine.

I'm not responsible.

Where do you think I learned this

from? Who do you think I studied under?

How old was I when you fought with

Henry first? Young. I don't know.

How many battles did I watch? But those

were battles, not a knife behind a door.

I never heard a corpse ask how it got so cold.

What were you thinking when you fought him?

You. I did it all for you!

Of your unnatural animal?

You wanted father dead.

No, never that.

You tried to kill him.

Why? What did you want? Yes!

I wanted Henry back.

Liar!

I wanted Henry.

Don't trust her. She'll

warn him if she gets a chance.

Dear, dear, whatever

shall we do with mother?

It wants light.

What we do in dungeons

needs the shades of day.

I stole the candles

from the chapel.

Jesus won't begrudge them,

and the chaplain works for me.

You look dreadful.

So do you.

I underslept a little.

We can all rest

in a little while.

There, that's better.

Bright and clear,

just like the morning.

Fine looking boy.

What do you want from us?

You must be mad.

Why did you have to come here?

Damn it, why did you come?

You were the best.

I told her so.

You, I loved.

You're going to keep us here.

You can't ever let me out.

You know you can't.

I'll never stop.

I can't stop either.

Brave boys...

that's what I have.

Come for me.

What's wrong?

You're Richard, aren't you?

But you're Henry.

Please, take me back.

Can't we try again?

Again?

We always have before.

Oh, yes,

we always have.

Go on!

Execute him.

They're assassins,

aren't they?

This was treason, wasn't it?

You gave them life.

You take it.

Who's to say it's monstrous?

I'm the king. I call it just.

Therefore, I, Henry,

by the grace of God,

king of the english, lord of

scotland, ireland and wales,

count of anjou, brittany,

poutou and normandy,

maine,

gascony and Aquitaine,

do sentence you to death.

Done this Christmas day

in chinon in God's year 1183.

Surely that's not

what I intended.

Children.

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