To Kill a King

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( horses galloping )

Man:
l now believe

that all crowns

corrupt those

who wear them.

l never thought that l would lead an army

against my own countrymen,

but for three bloody years brothers

fought brothers in the struggle

to be treated fairly

by our king.

( men shouting )

We won and the king was

imprisoned in his London palace,

but the people

paid dearly.

l was convinced then

we could heal the nation,

but the path to reform

was to prove longer and darker

- than l could ever have imagined.

- Come on, over here!

( man screams )

- Help me here!

- Sir!

Nurse:

Pull it tight.

- Man:
All right, lad. All right.

- ( soldier screaming, crying )

Shh shh.

Bring down the prisoners.

Man:
Bring the next 10

prisoners down, sergeant!

Man:

No, move along, next.

Take it, be quick.

- Look out!

- Long live the king!

Man:

Stay where you are!

No, please, sir.

No, sir, please please!

Man:

Keep back, stay in line.

Next!

Man:
Next!

( men laughing,

chattering )

- Man:
Who's this?

- Man #2:
Do you see what l see?

Man:

Wait, Daniel, look.

- General Fairfax.

- At your service.

l thought the rebels

wore short hair

to protest against

courtly decadence.

l didn't expect

to find their chief

with such

a luxuriant mane.

You came to talk

of hair, madam?

l have a message

from your wife.

Then you've traveled far.

My wife is in Yorkshire,

as l understand,

tending our estate.

Then you mistake your wife

for a dozy housemaid, eneral.

Lady Fairfax has tended house

long enough.

- lndeed?

- lndeed.

lndeed she's headed

for London.

She thinks three years is long enough

to lose her husband to the wars.

You kept it for me.

What do you think?

Forgive me, madam.

l do not sleep well.

Best place to look

at the stars.

- What is your name?

- Oliver Cromwell.

Well, then you are

a liar, Mr. Cromwell.

You guard my husband's tent

every night

and have done ever since

an assassin tried to take his life.

Why do you forfeit

your sleep for him?

Your husband is one

of god's beloved.

lf he died,

l am his deputy.

lt would be inconvenient.

Fairfax:

Lost your tent, lieutenant?

Or are you just trying

to steal my wife?

Time we got you back

to yours.

( crowd shouting )

( bells chiming )

( crowd cheering,

applauding )

Oh, Henry, you're safe.

There is our victory.

The lord has granted us

a great victory, brethren.

Give them something to eat.

God bless the general.

Man:

Well done, General!

Well done,

General Fairfax.

Well done, General Fairfax.

Well done.

God bless you.

Well done!

Do not thank me.

lt is you who won

England's freedom,

Every one of you!

Now the king

has decreed...

Your majesty, step away

from the window.

Man:
...awarded to Lord

General Fairfax

for valor in the field.

At last,

we can all sleep soundly,

Knowing that for once the king

cannot impose a new tax

on us in the morning.

You make it sound as if we fought

the war only to save your profits, Holles.

- Where's the treaty?

- All ready for your signatures.

But first, let us cross

to the palace

and toast a new era

of peace and prosperity.

- ( quiet music playing )

- So is it true

men who've been to war return

with more steel in their bones?

- l have no complaints.

- How do you expect to drink a toast

without a cup of wine?

- To your favorite soldier.

- To his favorite soldier.

Man:

Make it near 600,000.

Good work.

God's blessing

on you, General.

And all our men.

The lord chose you

to be the nation's warrior,

as he chose our cousin

Oliver to be its conscience.

( chuckles )

Holles, when will

the troops be paid?

As soon as we can.

Parliament has other pressing debts.

This is not the treaty.

The armories

and gunsmiths are owed.

This no more than a warrant

to ensure free trade.

Where are the law reforms,

the guarantees of basic freedoms?

l believe if you read it carefully,

you will find them.

We'll remove the king's

power to appoint judges.

You do not say why.

Every man has a right

to fair trial and opportunity.

lt is a fundamental

principle.

lf you have not the guts

to write it, then let me.

There is a procedure.

Fairfax:

He's right, Holles.

Let us enforce

the king's limits.

None of us would want

to fight this war again.

By all means, amend it.

Ready, my dear?

l'm afraid we must leave.

Now do you see why

l saved his life?

- Evening, Elizabeth.

- Evening, milord.

Please forgive

the late hour, Elizabeth.

Papa, how do you?

How do l?

As well as can

be expected for a man

who's seen his daughter

wed a traitor.

lt will not continue

in the future.

ln the future? lf your husband

proceeds on this course

- we shan't have a future.

- Milord.

- Come into the parlor.

- No, l won't impose.

Only came to see

if you're well, my dear.

- l am well. We both are.

- l'm glad.

So you've enjoyed chasing his majesty

about the country, Thomas,

Confining him like a child

to his rooms,

driving our friends and cousins abroad

in fear of their lives?

lt was he who first raised

his flag against the people.

- Let us all sit down.

- No, l'll be on my way, my dear.

lt may have escaped

your notice, Thomas,

but London is not

a welcome place

for loyal subjects

just now,

our friends' houses lying

empty and ransacked,

your rebel redcoats

lining every street.

To keep the peace,

not to harm you.

You know where

to find us, my dear,

for the time being,

at least.

( distant birds chirping )

Fairfax:
Oliver.

Oliver, we have

a meeting with the king.

( laughs )

Rumor has it you have

a home somewhere.

What do you think?

You forgot to say how often

he may cut his toenails.

We're late.

lt's all here, Holles,

the troops' accounts.

- The treaty.

- Man:
Mr. Oliver Cromwell, your majesty.

- Anyone else?

- Lord General Fairfax,

Mr. Denzil Holles,

Earl of Whitby,

Mr. Henry lreton,

Lord Baker,

Sir Richard Pritchard.

We have the peace terms,

your grace.

Let me guess.

You would...

dismantle my arsenal,

strip me of my power.

Power to abuse and steal

from your subjects

was never

rightfully yours.

Parliament merely wishes

to bind your grace to the law of the land.

No army shall be levied,

no taxes imposed upon the realm,

unless by the common...

...council of the realm.

l am familiar with the Magna Carta,

Mr. Holles.

Your hand in this too,

Lord Fairfax?

l would call you "General,"

but it is hard

to forget the day

you came of age,

when l laid my hand

on this shoulder

and named you

Lord Thomas Fairfax.

Amusing to think you swore loyalty

to me then forever more.

l swore to honor and defend my king

as he is meant to be.

You were proud

that day.

Trembled a little too,

as a l recall,

all the court whispering

of your beauty--

our angel-faced

Lord Thomas.

Who'd have thought

you'd be seduced

by the cheap glory

of a rebel's cause?

Your majesty wronged

this kingdom.

Lord or not, l was

compelled to protest.

Once your majesty

is a true king again,

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