Do you mean... Henri of Navarre?
Yes. Henri of Navarre.
But he is not in Paris!
As if you knew who is in Paris and who is not!
You know nothing - you do not see, you do not hear!
Henri of Navarre!
Remember - should any misfortune or failure befall you...
...do not look for the cause - no need for curiosity or doubt!
Just say "It is Henri of Navarre!" and you would be right.
That man! That man is the sword the Lord placed over the House of Valois!
So you think... I should retract my order to eradicate the Angevins?
At once!!!
Do not delay - run and retract it! Or you will be lost!
Open the door! Open, darned Angevin!
Open! You are trapped here!
Open, you scum!
-Have you heard me, Riberac? Open! -Who is there?
My rapier! And a kiss.
Maugiron, I am here!
Stop, where are you going?! Stop! You will not get away, scum!
Got you!
Idiot.
Take this!
-Still alive, Angevin? -As you see, yes!
Look out!
Again!
Follow him, quickly!
Here he is!
Look who is there!
Based on a novel by Alexandre Dumas (père)
La Dame de Monsoreau
Episode 15
So glad to see you, monsieur d`Antraguet!
You brought an army of lackeys...
Coward!
I have you where I want you, Antraguet!
Your big mouth will not save your hide.
I will drag you to my king with a noose around your neck.
I warn you - whatever happens here will dishonour your name, Comte de Quelus!
Recall all this riffraff while there is still time!
Or I will kill them all like the dogs they are and then, face to face, like a nobleman...
...I will kill you as well!
You are a rebel and an enemy of the king...
And, by order of the His Majesty`s, I will haul you to the Louvre alive...
...or dead!
Seize him!
Here, monsieur!
My lord... He fled.
Darn it!
What are you doing here?!
Instead of defending your king, you are drawing pictures!
And, like Archimedes, will not raise your head...
...even if Paris is taken by storm!
It`s my throne, up with you!
Help yourself, I am not staking a claim on it.
Chicot! We must stop this bloodshed at once.
Help me assemble my Swiss guards!
Swiss guards, certainly! They left with monsieur de Quelus.
-Then my regular guards! -They left with Maugiron.
-My servants at least! -Schomberg took them.
Without my direct order?!
Since when have you been giving orders, Henri?
When it comes to processions or whippings, you are granted full power...
...both over your own skin and over skins of others!
But when it comes to war or matters of governance...
Those are the provinces of messieurs Quelus, Schomberg and Maugiron!
I am not mentioning d`Epernon, as he tends to run and hide in such situations.
You have noticed quite late, my friend...
...that you are the seventh or eighth king in this kingdom!
What should we do then?
We committed a horrible folly, Henri.
Which folly?
The one we committed.
Your friends are crying "Death to the Angevins!" all over the city...
...thus launching a small civil war...
The civil war the Guises need so much!
So you think it has already come to this?
Or progressed even further.
Chicot, cease this!
You know well that I am surrounded only by ravens and owls -
...harbingers of doom!
At night, an owl`s voice has a fitting ring to it, my son.
Because it is heard at a proper time.
And our time has grown so dark... So dark, Henri...
...that one cannot tell day from night.
Take a look at this.
What is it?
My geographical map.
Judge for yourself - Anjou.
Should it be tackled properly - as it will be by your Huntsman Monsoreau and Bussy -
...it could give your brother 10 000 soldiers.
You think so?
This is the lowest number it could produce.
Now to Guyenne.
Guyenne is an old hotbed of rebellion...
It will be delighted to rise against France.
Here we might count with... 8000 men.
Let us move to Bearn and Navarre.
If the king of Navarre shakes and squeezes them, these might provide 16 000 men.
You assume then that the king of Navarre will ally himself with my brother.
I am certain he will.
So, in total: 16, 10 and 8.
Thirty four thousand.
Anjou and Bearn, together...
My brother Francois and my cousin Henri.
You forgot the three Guises!
What?! You think they all will form an alliance?
But Navarre and de Guise are enemies!
This will not prevent them from allying against you...
...in the hope that they can destroy each other after dealing with you.
Ah, your friends have returned.
What is the matter?
I had no idea where to search for you and am waiting with bated breath!
Do not even think of leaving again without my permission!
No need to leave again, Sire.
It`s over.
What, you actually killed them?
Too high an honour, Sire!
What do you mean, Schomberg?
No work involved - those cowards scattered like rats!
There was barely anyone left to cross rapiers with...
This means they were on their guard.
Darn it! What have you been expecting, Henri?
Your friends cry "Death to the Angevins!" brandishing every piece of metalware in Paris...
...and then expect those people to have ears as dull as these lads` wits!
Monsieur Chicot, you are scolding us, but just two hours ago you yourself...
-...were shouting, same as us! -I was?
Yes, monsieur Chicot! You were shouting and battering at walls with your rapier...
But I am a different matter entirely, messieurs!
Everybody knows I am a fool!
-But you - you are intelligent fellows! -Enough!
Enough, messieurs.
Make peace. We will have an opportunity to wage war soon.
Civil war has already begun.
What are the orders, Your Majesty?
Attempt to calm my people down with the same zeal you roused them!
Have the bourgeois think that the events of this night were no more...
...than infighting among drunks.
Why are you still standing there? To work!
Meridor
Such a sudden visit, count! Where have you been until now?
We`ve been expecting you here...
-I had to hide. -Hide?!
-Yes. -How romantic!
Tell us, where have you been hiding? Why did you not return with Diana and her father?
Firstly, I could not join Diana because they took the route via Rambouillet...
...and I the route via Chartres.
As I did not want to meet you in the presence of your father and his people...
...I was gnawing the handle of my whip with impatience on my way here!
-Aha! Diana, look how thin the count is! -Yes, this is the reason, dear Jeanne!
But I arrived at last and rented a house on the outskirts of the town.
-I have been hiding there ever since! -And no one recognized you in Angers?
No, look at me - I dressed modestly for a reason!
In this doublet I should be unrecognizable!
Why are you laughing, pray tell?
The handsome Bussy has been living in a small provincial town...
...for a few days already - unnoticed!
No one at court would believe that!
But do continue, what happened then?
The day after your arrival I mounted my favourite horse and, in only 20 minutes...
... covered all distance between Angers and the Meridor Castle.
I climbed over the garden wall and saw you.
-You saw us?! -Yes!
-Not possible! -You had two giant hounds with you, yes?
-Yes! -They were jumping to get at the pheasant you were holding.
Correct!
Then you went inside, and I, sighing and cursing the circumstances...
...climbed over the wall and returned home.
A lovely tale fit for a novel! But if I were you, I would have gone to the castle...
Easy as you please.
Alas, anything but easy for me, madame de St. Luc.
Why?
The countess is married, and the baron...
...is responsible for his daughter in his son-in-law`s absence.
How often have I promised not to interfere with madmen anymore!
Madmen?
Yes, madmen! Or should I say people in love?
We must go inside if we do not want anyone to come here...
And you, monsieur de Bussy... Return to your lovely horse!
Diana, I am waiting for you!
Madame...
Will you not speak to me anymore?
Till tomorrow!
Is this all?
Till tomorrow... And until the end of my days!
I must say, my dear, that one does not treat friends like this.
I thought we were close enough not to have any secrets from each other!
Jeanne, you are my best, my closest friend!
Truly? One does not hide matters of the heart from friends!
And one does not try to mislead them like you and monsieur Bussy have just done!
And Diana, forgive me... but I also have some moral principles!
I am a married woman, and there are certain things I cannot afford to do.
Jeanne, what is the matter?
Yes, I can no longer afford...
...to continue...
...being a nuisance to you, my dear lovebirds!
I will ride out on a hunt with St. Luc and your father tomorrow.
And you will be free to love each other!
Let us go. St. Luc is waiting impatiently!
Have pity on him, same as I pity the knight in the brown doublet!
Louvre
So, what happened?
What you said would happen, mother!
-They fled then? -Yes.
What else?
Else? I think this is enough!
And what of the city?
The city is in an uproar.
But it worries me less than the provinces!
They might rise any day now.
What is it that you intend to do?
We must be strong in the face of danger!
-Meaning? -My army will march against Anjou.
And what of de Guise?
I will have him arrested if needed.
Of course! If you succeed in that.
All these plans are unworkable, Henri.
Yes... All my ideas are misshapen today.
Help me with your counsel, mother.
We will send an ambassador to your brother.
An ambassador to that traitor? Do you wish to humiliate me?
This is no time for false pride!
Will this ambassador ask for peace?
He will even buy peace if needed!
Lord! But at what price?!
What does it matter?
The end justifies the means. All this must be done...
...so that, as soon as peace is concluded, we could hang all those who escaped...
...and planned to go to war against you!
Oh... I would give four provinces of my kingdom for this!
One for each!
But... whom will we send?
Search among your friends.
I do not know, mother.
Why search? I do not know a single man I could trust with such a mission!
Then entrust it... to a woman.
A woman?
Mother!
Would you truly agree..?
Son, I am very old.
I am extremely tired.
I might even die after this journey...
But I will travel so fast...
...that I will arrive in Angers before your brother and his allies become aware of their power!
Mother...
Dearest mother, you are my sole hope, my rescuer!
It is just... that I am still the queen of France!
Meridor
Louis, tell me - why do you refuse to visit the Castle openly?
My father would be happy to see you!
And Jeanne and St. Luc are our friends...
They can keep a secret.
Should I appear in the Castle once, I will be visiting every day.
And if I visit every day, everyone living in the vicinity will know it.
To preserve our happiness, we must jealously guard our secret.
The Lord is merciful, Louis, you should not doubt Him.
I do not doubt our Lord - I fear the devil!
Only Jeanne knows about us.
Yes. This means St. Luc knows as well!
Why do you think so? Jeanne would not betray us!
Could you hide anything from me now?
No.
I sent a message to St. Luc requesting a meeting in Angers.
I will have his word that he would not tell anyone about us.
Is it so important then?
Alas, yes. When I was leaving Paris, some major events were about to take place.
I suspect they might be searching for me everywhere.
Are you in danger?
Not in grave danger, I do not think.
Mon ami... Now, when our lives- both yours and mine - are one...
Protect us!
My love...
I fear even your horse!
No fast riding anymore - please!
Do not fear - he is the most clever horse I have ever owned.
When I return to Angers thinking of you, I let go of the reins...
...and he brings me home on his own!
May the Lord watch over you!
Till tomorrow!
Your Highness, please ride slower!
Faster!
Faster!
Your horse is tired - he might even collapse soon!
Monsieur, watch out! Mind your horse!
He is falling, legs to the front!!!
Monseigneur, are you unharmed?
-I did warn you, monsieur! -Darn it, what now?
Tsk, tsk, tsk!
How could one reduce a good horse to such a state?!
You there! I will give 300 pistoles for your horse, I am in a hurry!
Take him free of charge, Your Highness!
He is yours!
Do not shoot!
-I will be darned if this is not Bussy! -Yes, my prince, it is I!
But to what end are you riding horses to death on the road at this hour?
It is truly monsieur de Bussy!
Then, Monseigneur, please "release me to return to the one who sent me"...
...as is written in the Holy Scripture.
But first accept my gratitude and my eternal friendship!
I accept both and will remind you of these words at some point.
Until our next meeting, Your Highness!
Monseigneur, I can scarcely believe my own eyes...
Is it truly you?
How, you did not know?
Have you not been waiting here to meet me?
Not only waiting, Your Highness - I have done much more!
Yes, but if we wish to reach Angers before they close the gate...
The saddle awaits!
Give me your hand!
Angers
-We are at home, Monseigneur! -Finally!
Thank Lord.
Where should I bring you?
-To the castle, of course! -At once.
It does not look like people here are glad to see me.
Your Highness, this is likely due to your irregular clothes...
I myself did not recognize you at first!
Call the chief of the guards, quickly!
Darn it, how is it that a master is not recognized in his own home?
-Oh Lord! It is our master! -What, awake at last?!
Trumpeter, blow that trumpet till you burst!
In a minute`s time the city must know that Monseigneur has returned!
Will be done, my lord!
Forgive them, Your Highness - we are in the province after all.
Your Highness!
Have them fly my flag and assemble all noblemen of Anjou...
They are to receive me with full honours!
As you wish, Your Highness.
My faithful vassals...
I have come to seek shelter in my good city of Angers!
My life was in danger in Paris.
Even my freedom was taken away.
But I was able to flee with the help of some loyal friends.
I will challenge Paris today!
All of us must prepare for a siege...
...as the war with Paris is unavoidable!
But I hope to rouse the whole province, the whole of France...
...and we will all declare war on the unworthy king who nearly took my life!
But, praise the Lord, my life is no longer in danger in my city!
Long live our duke! Long live the duke of Anjou!
You may leave.
Listen, Bussy, I have not eaten since this morning.
-Let us have dinner! -I gladly accept, Monseigneur!
Talk to me?
If you wish, Monseigneur.
When we last saw each other, you were gravely ill...
And a doctor, who took too great an interest in your health, attacked all who dared to approach...
Remy loves me a lot, Monseigneur.
Why did you not tell him to go to hell...
...and leave with me, as I had asked you to?!
Something important was at stake for me, but you were afraid to risk your life!
Forgive me - I thought I heard you say I had been afraid to risk my life?
Yes, you heard right!
Listen, Your Highness... I have twelve scars on my body.
All of those bear witness to the fact that I have risked my life often and never feared anyone!
-You may take back your words! -Why did you not come?
I was occupied elsewhere!
I thought that when a nobleman is in a prince`s service...
...his main concern should be the matters pertaining to that prince!
-Who else attends to your matters if not I?! -I know, I know - you are faithful and true!
But you should not have refused to come with me!
Instead of going out to perform unnecessary feats!
I? Which feats did I perform?
I understand you do not like them - but d`Epernon was beaten on your command...
-What do you mean? -What do I mean, indeed!
His doublet was all torn up and it is said he returned to the Louvre wearing only a hose!
And Schomberg was dipped in indigo on your orders...
-And you think these pranks funny! -You assume these are my pranks?
By all saints, whose else, mine?
How can you accuse someone who has such marvellous ideas, my prince?
You are being ungrateful!
Listen, if this is the reason you went out that time, I forgive you.
But next time please... kill them!
Kill all four of them!
Kill them... but do not mock them!
As they tend to channel their anger towards me in your absence.
I give you my word, Monseigneur - I will kill them to avenge those insults.
By the way... how did you escape from the Louvre?
I have friends.
Is it so? Friends? Who are those?
The king of Navarre and monsieur d'Aubigné.
Ah yes, Henri of Navarre.
Both of you participated in the same conspiracy, after all.
Monsieur de Bussy, I have never participated in a conspiracy.
Well, La Mole and Coconnas could have told us a tale if they had been alive...
La Mole was not executed for the crime he had actually committed.
But I am not yet done with you!
What did you do to help me in my predicament?
-You know well what I did! -No, I do not.
I left for Anjou.
Or, in other words, you were saving your skin.
No, Monseigneur. I came to Angers to acquire allies for you!
We would have needed an army to free you, would we not?
By saving myself, I was saving you as well.
Well, this is a different matter entirely - what did you achieve?
I have been here a mere two days, but I managed to inspect the city walls...
...and will provide a full report tomorrow on whether Angers is prepared for a siege.
In any case, you are here and you are unharmed.
We will kindle Angers, and the fire will spread to Bearn.
What a lovely bonfire will that make, Monseigneur!
But now I must request your permission to leave, as I have matters to attend to.
-Very well, you may go. -Thank you, Monseigneur.
Bussy!
Go, but be on your guard!
Why? Is there someone we should fear?
Just in case. Take no risks!
At attention!
Good night, monsieur Chief Commander!
-Monsieur de Bussy! -Orville?
Orville!
How are you here? I am glad to see you!
-Truly? -Yes.
-I thought I might get a scolding... -Why?
Because I came here without permission!
I heard that the duke of Anjou escaped from the Louvre and that you were in Angers...
-So? -So I thought, if we must have a civil war...
...swords must be maintained and you will have need of an armor-bearer!
You did well! I think we will find something for you to do here.
Come with me.
I will bring you to Remy.
He will be glad to see you too, I am sure.
At attention!
Everything is in order, monsieur de Bussy.
Good morning, Your Highness!
So you are already here...
Of course!
I did not sleep last night - our plans kept me up!
And what is it you wish to tell me?
I wanted to tell you it is time to rise.
-Already? -Yes, today will be busy.
Why, what will we do?
-You wish to know it now? -Yes.
Firstly, we must go on a ride around the city to take stock of fortifications.
Secondly, we must inspect the troops and their armor.
Then you must make a speech in front of your people...
And offer your hand for a kiss to noblemen who rode all night...
...from the most distant recesses of your province.
Afterwards there will be a luncheon, an inspection of the armoury...
...and a ball for the nobility in the evening.
Listen... Let us go on a hunt!
We have no hounds.
Yes... And no Chief Huntsman!
Certainly - all we need!
No, I do not agree - I miss him!
We could use Monsoreau`s knowledge of this province...
Why?
Why? His estates are in this area!
-They are? -His or his wife`s...
Meridor is just three leagues away from Angers, you did not know?
Wait, it was you who brought the old baron to me!
Damn it, I only brought him because he held on so tight he nearly tore my cloak in half!
Besides, as you very well know, Your Highness...
...my favour did not help him much.
Listen...
Sit!
-I have an idea! -Oh Lord...
I am listening, Your Highness.
Monsoreau won the first game...
...but we will win the second!
What do you mean, my prince?
Everything is quite simple, you know me...
Yes, I have the displeasure of doing so.
As I told you before...
Monsoreau stole a woman from me - a woman I loved to such an extent...
...that I would have married her - and I, in turn, will steal his wife from him!
And make her my mistress...
You wish to steal... monsieur de Monsoreau`s wife?
Yes! I think nothing would be easier now.
His wife returned to her estate... You told me she hates her husband.
Then I can count on her preferring me to Monsoreau!
-Especially if I promise her... -What will you promise her?
If I promise to free her of her husband.
Will you do such a noble deed, my prince?
For now, I will just visit Meridor!
Why not.
You are a prince, you may do as you please.
By the way, do you think the old baron is still angry with me?
I do not know.
-Have you seen him recently? -No.
You could have done so when assembling the province`s nobles.
Of course, if he had not met me before, I would have.
Meaning?
Meaning I had little success in fulfilling all those promises I had made...
...so I am not in a hurry to see him again.
You are right...
But we do have an excellent excuse!
Which?
I will tell him I did not annul that marriage...
...because Monsoreau, who knew you were one of the most respected League members...
...and I practically the chief of the League, threatened to betray us to the king!
I will make him believe I saved his life by marrying off his daughter.
-Wonderful! -I think so as well!
Call the cavalry, let us go see how the esteemed baron de Meridor is faring!
I obey, Monseigneur!
Ah, by the way... How many riders do you wish to accompany you?
Four or five - I will leave it to you.
I would have taken a hundred...
Hundred? What for?
To have at least 25 you could rely on in case of an attack.
In case... of an attack?
Yes, the area is covered with woods, one can be easily ambushed.
You think so?
True bravery and caution are not mutually exclusive, it seems.
-Fine, I will assemble 150 men. -Wait!
Do you think I am safe in Angers?
How do I put it, Your Highness - the city has no strong fortifications.
-Although, with some competent defense... -Yes, competent!
-But if it is incompetent? -Yes, this might be the case, I admit.
I wish to inspect the fortress.
-You are right, with good defense... -And another idea.
Such a fruitful morning!
I wish to invite the baron and his daughter here.
You are truly in good form today, Monseigneur!
A fountain of glorious ideas.
Rise now, we are riding out to inspect the fortress!
I will call your servants.
So...
-Are you ready? -Yes, monsieur le Comte!
Take these.
When you ride through the city, make sure they do not draw undue attention.
As soon as you reach the grounds of Meridor...
...let go of the reins - Roland will carry you to the wall.
You must throw the flowers over the wall when he stops - and return at once, understood?
I will do everything as instructed!
Then this is all. Go!
Oh Lord...
Finally!
"The one you expect will not come, as the one who was not expected had arrived."
"He is even more dangerous than ever, for he still loves."
"Feel with the soul and the heart what is usually only expressed with a kiss."
Translated by Grafinyademonsoro on Tumblr
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