The Princess of Montpensier Page #2

I thank heaven every day

your father and I

have been spared such trouble.

Submit.

Don't fight the fate I must endure.

I beg of you.

What do you fear from me?

It's myself I fear.

He sleeps so soundly.

My brother doesn't dream of you.

It's my sleep you haunt.

Give me something of yourself.

Providence spares us great folly

by parting us.

My father wants a wedding

before Michaelmas.

I said yes.

They say the Romans...

or the Greeks, I don't know...

Some people from Italy...

They fed lampreys

like my cook does eels.

He feeds men to your eels?

No, he finely chops

intestines and livers

from poultry and game,

adds a little pork,

making a sort of sausage meat

he throws to the eels which,

in fresh water running over a bed

of fine gravel, fatten in a month.

The one I offer you today

weighed 9 lbs.

A serpent...

How did you prepare it?

Skinned,

browned, spread with anchovy butter,

rolled in fine bread crumbs,

under the grill another ten seconds,

and served with olive oil beaten

with lemon, mustard and hot pepper.

You mother taught you nothing?

Close your eyes.

Well?

We heard nothing.

Just a mousy squeak.

But there's blood.

I believe you've won, my friend.

Thankyou.

I'm off. I have rents to collect

in Tourneuil.

Get comfortable.

It's a long journey.

At least 10 days.

We leave in an hour.

Mr. De Chabannes seems

very attached to you.

As much as I to him.

It's only natural.

For 5 years, he taught me

all that is good in me,

in my heart, manners and mind.

His qualities are matchless.

Yet did he not suddenly leave

Mr. De Cond's service?

Is it a quality to betray

one's camp like that?

I'll let him explain,

if he deems it necessary.

My father,

before dying, recommended me

to two dear friends:

The Prince of Cond,

with the Reform,

and the Duke of Montpensier,

a Catholic nobleman.

Cond being the first

to honour my request,

I entered his service

and campaigned with him.

But every day I dreaded

meeting the Prince, your husband,

on a battlefield.

However, I knew

I could only salute him

and not fight.

One event enlightened me

as brutally as Paul of Tarsus

on the road to Damascus.

But unlike Paul,

it didn't blind me.

It opened my eyes and mind.

I had just,

in Christ's name,

killed a pregnant woman.

How can people

of the same blood and faith

kill each other

in the name of the same God?

So I threw down my weapons.

I resolved then to give up war,

Madame,

and not only the Huguenot camp.

For a time, Mont-sur-Brac

will be your kingdom.

Modest, but of our castles,

the farthest from the war.

In your company it will be pleasant.

As none other could make it?

What could be better company

than my husband's?

I warned you, it's quite rustic.

Do you think I was raised

in gentleness and satin?

The Ladies of Longwy schooled me.

They weren't tender.

So you've no fear of convents...

Forgive me.

My parents, the Duke and Duchess,

wish to keep their apartments here

for rare visits.

The choice is yours:

This side has more sun,

the other a better view.

I love the sun.

Will you love me, too, Madame?

When you order me to.

We considered

awaiting your recovery,

but Mzires might change his mind.

So I moved up the wedding.

And the dowry?

Mzires only quibbled

over the horses.

- We have plenty.

- No, the war's taken a quarter.

Mzires yielded on everything:

The furniture, linens, copperware,

Venetian glass...

He even added 8 male peacocks

and 2 hens,

but I refused.

Why? I love peacocks!

You forget our watchdogs.

They'd have devoured them.

Lock up the dogs.

Peacocks, like geese,

warn of intruders.

Dogs warn...

- and bite!

- They don't lay eggs.

It's done, my dear.

I exchanged them.

For falcons.

Always the hunt!

They bled me twice,

this morning and just now.

I'm exhausted.

Your illness runs out

with the blood.

I find you better.

We return to Paris tomorrow.

You'll sleep on the way.

The young people

will gladly be rid of us.

The Guises were vile.

The Guises are always vile.

She keeps complaining.

Gently!

Don't touch me.

It hurts!

Help me!

- Be brave, dear.

- I'm going to die!

The King asks for us.

I must leave you.

Leave us.

On the battlefield, spare yourself.

Think of those two who value

your life more than their own.

I won't forget.

Madame, let me bid you farewell.

Come back quickly.

The campaign will be brief.

Just long enough

to pluck some glory.

Farewell.

I'd follow you. But you know

the disgrace that bars me.

I'll plead your case.

You serve me better serving my wife.

Use this time to instruct her.

She knows neither art nor poetry.

I want her equal to her rank

at Court.

Farewell.

You heard, sir,

what arduous task awaits you.

I'm not afraid, Madame.

You have a fine mind for learning.

This defeat announced

to the Romans...

Not, to the Romans. To Rome.

It's a singular accusative.

Start again.

I know Latin.

Little.

And poorly.

Enough.

And well enough.

I want to write.

If I can write Latin,

I'll read better.

Writing gives you time to learn

and understand.

Writing takes time.

I have more than enough.

Very well... tomorrow.

Now.

Please.

I think it's Delphinus.

The dolphin constellation.

The Arabs call it the Camel.

And the Hebrews the Whale.

Do you believe

they influence our fate?

I have no certainty either way.

- But when you're at Court...

- Me?

You really believe it?

Don't forget Queen Catherine,

her son the King

and the Court believe

in the influence of the stars.

At least don't fight it.

Let them talk. Listen.

At Court, everyone imitates.

So imitate.

But what do you think?

Me?

I believe,

like many great minds who sought

to understand the heavenly,

and thus divine mechanics,

that the stars

give us a wonderful example

by which to govern society.

Bound to immutable paths

that obey the universal hierarchy

of the weak

kept in the orbit of the powerful,

they teach us...

Resignation?

Not resignation.

Simple obedience to the laws

of equilibrium and modesty

without which terrible collisions

would occur,

causing terrible calamities.

Terrible calamities...

Weren't we to work on triangles?

Didn't we say later?

I promised the women in the kitchen

a remedy for chilblains.

I know where the herb grows.

I was going...

To go out?

I'll come along.

Apium graveolens

grows in muddy soil.

You also know cures?

You're a very useful person,

Mr. De Chabannes.

A few remedies.

At home in Quercy,

women hand down the recipes.

That way.

A woman taught you?

I didn't say that.

Not a woman?

Yes, but...

I wasn't prying, you know.

But now I am curious.

Aren't we good enough friends?

This woman you hide...

Was she your wife?

I can't cross.

Here it is.

I found it.

It's lovage.

L-o-v-a-g-e.

Also called wild celery.

I boil it...

I wouldn't be ashamed to speak of

a person I once felt for.

- What makes you...

- I went through the ordeal.

Now I'm cured.

Never have I...

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