All language subtitles for Borgia S02E05 - Ascension.EN

May 1494
Feast of the Ascension

Holiness, he is almost here.

Holiness, please.

Holiness.

Hail Cesare.

Cesare, did you ever imagine the walls of
the Eternal city would echo your name

as they once did for your namesakes,
Julius and Augustus Caesar?

Be honest, does not this hero's welcome
live up to your boyhood dreams?

Even more so.

Then why so dour?

Dour? My face beams
like the sun on a blue day.

You shine brightly for show.

They sing my praises for eliminating Savonarola,
in their eyes, an enemy to Rome.

But my goal in manipulating the monk's death
was not to save Christendom or my father.

You're wrong. The efforts were on
behalf of Holy Mother Church.

And that divine entity towers above
Rodrigo Borgia, Savonarola or any man.

I did not place my future
in the brutal hands of God

but in the delicate fingers of
the goddess known as Fate.

No, I have told you. I do not want to
be Vice Chancellor. I have grander plans,

starting with my resignation as Archbishop of
Valencia and at the Sacred College of Cardinals.

Did you think that I would just lose
my love for Carlotta D'Aragona...

or abandon my desire
to become King of Naples?

We already have ties to Naples - our secret
agreement for Lucrezia to wed Alfonso di Calabria.

- Your brother Goffredo was destined
to claim... - The throne of nothing.

Goffredo is a cypher.
Juan and Pedro Luis are dead.

I am the only son left who can fulfill
your dream of a unified Borgia-Italy.

I will not be denied.

The Pope cannot grant you permission to
resign, only your brother cardinals can.

- This must be done...
- Legally, yes.

I will connive to convince
my brother cardinals.

You will convince King Federigo
to give me the hand of his daughter.

Summon Cardinal Carafa.

Mama, you have caught us.
We've eaten tonight's dessert.

Oh, well. You would have eaten it
anyway and the husband grows too fat.

Alfonso, now that the bonesetter
has freed your leg...

how do you explain to your wife
that you're not at home in Ferrara?

Each day my excuses grow more stale.

Soon I will need to leave Rome.

Or break another leg.

I must ask a question. And in love's
name, I expect an honest answer.

We have in the month past
shared many hidden truths...

- but I have not told you my most perilous
secret. - You will put us all in jeopardy.

Know this. Whatever I am told
will die with me.

I fear your love will die as well.

Then cut out my heart.

I have a son.

- I understand the ways of court.
- Wait, my son was taken from me.

Lucrezia, Alfonso di Calabria.
Prince Alfonso di Calabria.

My goddess, I am so...

d'Este.

Manners did not accompany
your new crown.

A genuine prince waits for permission
to enter the presence of a lady.

Please, Highness. Take my seat.
I am due at Bishop Boccaccio's.

I thank you both for a lively visit.

Hey ho, Bishop Sinibaldi.

Lanzol, Farnese, you're back
from Florence, the City of Lilies.

Unfortunately, the day-to-day cost
of lilies runs extremely high.

The expenses for your journey.
Let's have a look.

- What is wrong?
- Your food and drink.

The Commission on Reform has decreed that the
Papal Treasury no longer remunerates for luxuries.

We were sent on a mission by the Pope.
Were we not expected to eat?

Fasting is good for the soul.

Oh, and horse fodder.

In the past, I've been reimbursed
for horse fodder.

Alas, the Commission on Reform has also
eliminated fodder as a valid expense.

So our horses are expected to fast as well,
even though they do not have souls?

Your true reward shall be in Heaven.

Mama, do not say a word.

I have held my tongue long enough.

You reside once more in the Apostolic Palace
but you have not put your beauty back to work.

I cannot ask Rodrigo for more favors.

You must. Alessandro has not risen in the
Vatican as quickly as we had hoped.

He should be sharing
in the adulation of the crowd, but no.

The only sound we hear is 'Cesare'.
Alessandro should be Vice Chancellor.

I do not hold the same influence
I once did, Mama.

In fact, Rodrigo now seems
indifferent to my presence.

But the two of you still indulge
in beastly acts, yes?

His lovemaking is erratic, not erotic.

When he is 'he', I can sway him...

but when he's 'we', I am powerless.

He once commissioned a painting
of you as the Virgin Mother.

Take your cue from that.
Forget about Rodrigo Borgia.

Seduce the Holy Father instead.

Mama.

A cold welcome.

An overdue visit.

I have remained away out of shame.

For the accusation I hurled at you.

I am here to beg you to forget.

My son, my sweet boy.

Lucrezia, do not stand there like
a sphinx. Come, greet your brother.

Welcome back to Rome, Cesare.

Next, we need to review the agenda
for today's Consistory.

La Bella. You radiate
more beauty than ever.

You say I am beautiful.

Yet, you walk to your desk,
rather than my arms.

Giulia, we are very, very occupied.

I want to take you somewhere.

Holiness.

- Where are we going?
- Be patient.

- Swear no one sees us. - I have guards on the
other side of every door, blocking the way.

This cannot take long.
We must get to the Consistory.

And we stop.

You may remove the blindfold.

Giulia, no. Not here.

This room is sacred. So is our love.

We can never be married, but we can, like
two virgins, consecrate our bond before God,

who in His wisdom
brought our souls together.

We have been waiting on Borgia
for an hour.

Burchard, call this meeting to order
so that we may adjourn.

- Yes, it's too long.
- How much longer shall we wait?

Oh, my love, tell me I make you happy.

You do, La Bella.
How can we make you happy?

I have but one wish. Yet I fear
what I ask might be too much.

Wish. We will not disappoint.

My brother. Appoint Alessandro
as Vice chancellor.

- No, we have another in mind for that job.
- So, I do ask too much.

Alessandro will remain
mired in the muck.

We have said, we will not disappoint.

Verbum incarnatum. His Holiness
Pope Alexander the Sixth...

- calls to order a meeting...
- That will be all, Herr Burchard.

Cesare.

Eminences, I have tried with
every sinew to become one of you.

But the bare fact is, I never wanted
to be a cardinal nor even a priest.

I wish to exchange an ecclesiastical
career for a secular one.

I appeal to you, release me from
the false vows to which I have sworn.

I support Cardinal Borgia's plea
and praise his honesty.

Cardinal Riario-Sansoni.

Indeed, Cardinal Borgia
has shown time and again...

that there is no one less fit
to serve in this Sacred College.

I would thrill to see the stain which
he has brought upon us wiped away.

However, if we allow Cesare Borgia...

to vacate his cardinalate...

it would be the first time
in the history of the Church...

that such permission is granted.

1500 years of precedence
cannot be casually tossed away.

I urge you, brothers, to preserve
the sanctity of this institution...

and deny Cardinal Borgia his request.

- You. You are jealous.
- Silence.

- Burchard, the vote.
- What says the consistory?

Assent.

Ten.

Dissent.

16.

Giuliano, do you abstain?

Yes. For even though the majority
denies your son's petition...

you will take whatever action
you choose.

As usual, you are mistaken.

If precedent is to be upset, we will
not impose our personal desire...

but rather a period of reflection.

We ask this holy fraternity
to pray on the matter.

Then, when we reconvene,
your wisdom will prevail.

And the choice must be unanimous.

Unanimous? You want this vote to fail.
You want me to remain a cardinal.

If we wish to stop you from resigning,
we would have let the vote stand.

We have given you
a rare commodity, time.

- Use that time to sway the others.
- But to get all of them to agree?

They never will. Never.

That word was uttered
when I entered the Conclave.

Never again would
a Spaniard be Pope.

Yet here is the ring
mankind must kiss.

If all 28 cardinals agree, then they are
all culpable. None can condemn us.

You must be wily enough
to align their will with yours.

- We must change 17 cynical minds.
- And how are we to do that?

- With honey or vinegar.
- You would ask us to use violence?

To be violent in order to destroy
is criminal.

To be violent in order to restore
is heroic.

I've divided our enemies into six groups. Each
of you will approach two or three cardinals.

At every name, I have listed
their individual vulnerabilities.

Do not hesitate to exploit their flaws.

- And whom will you approach?
- My greatest obstacle...

and the only man whose deepest flaw
I've yet to discover, Riario-Sansoni.

You're well aware
that I am in love with Alfonso d'Este.

And that he's married.

I would rather love him and sin
than not at all.

- My sweet child.
- Do not lecture me. Help me.

I want to be with Alfonso d'Este,
not Alfonso di Calabria.

- Perhaps you can love Alfonso d'Este
without sin. - How?

A high hurdle, but one
that a skilled horseman can jump.

I came back to confront Sinibaldi
about our reimbursements.

I convinced the guards to
allow me to wait in here.

The time at the Consistory was drawing near. I grew
impatient and decided to take the money owed me.

- You stole from the Papal Treasury? - It is not
stealing if the money is rightfully mine.

- A lawyer's distinction, I will not follow your
lead. - Let me finish, Lanzol.

I opened this chest,
reached inside and found...

nothing.

The chest is...

- empty.
- All of them are empty.

Not a ducat or florin
or shilling in sight.

You mean that the
Pope is bankrupt?

Or Bishop Sinibaldi
has been embezzling papal funds.

Or both.

As a reward for having brought Sinibaldi
to justice, cardinal Farnese,

you will replace the bishop as
Papal Treasurer. - Me?

- Holy Father, I am an expert in Church dogma, not
a bookkeeper. - This promotion displeases you?

I am touched by your bounty,
but the job is not one I desire.

Are you not forgetting something?
You have family depending on you.

Now I see.

I root my faith in the dimension of mistery. In
some ways my family will always be cared for

but spending days on end in a capacity that
requires nothing of my natural gifts, my spirit will die.

If my wits were ever a true resource,
I beg you, select someone else.

Cardinal Lanzol, to you we bestow
the Church of Santa Maria Via Lata.

What? This displeases you as well?

Holiness, Santa Maria Via Lata
belongs to Cardinal Piccolomini.

A benefice given by us. We should never have
let the parish out of our family's hands.

Now do you want
the damn thing or not?

- I do, but are you certain Cardinal...
- Do not worry about Piccolomini.

Christ. Go back to the pack.

Oh my love, I'm devastated
that you are to marry again.

- The image of you with another man...
- Alfonso, it will not be that way.

- Are you saying you will not marry?
- No, I will marry. I will marry you.

Me? I would divorce Anna Maria?

Tell the Pope how much you love me, then
quickly follow with something quite unforeseen,

something you have learned
while married to Anna Maria.

- Such as?
- She's a heretic.

- Anna Maria? But she's not.
- It matters not, you will say she is.

- That she has practiced witchcraft.
- She will be burned at the stake.

No, I will see that papa sends her to a
cloistered convent. In Bulgaria.

- We're scheduled to meet with the Pope.
- Divine one, I cannot.

A messenger has newly arrived
from Ferrara. Anna Maria is with child.

I will be a father.

All of Ferrara celebrates.
My family needs an heir.

Rafaele, I see you are taking
the Holy Father's directive to heart.

No, I do not pray about you.
I, like Nehemiah, am a man of prayer.

- Either kneel with me or leave me be.
- I will do neither.

Like Nehemiah, who restored the walls
of Jerusalem, I also am a man of action.

Lay your hands on me again,
Cardinal Borgia, and you will regret it.

- You believe you are a match for me? - I believe
I am holding cards which you do not wish me to play.

You're about to say that the investigation of my
brother's murder has never been officialy completed

and that I killed Juan. - No, I'm quite
certain that you did not.

But there is one person whom we
never discussed nor interrogated.

- Your sister Lucrezia.
- Lucrezia? Ridiculous.

Before the Spanish departed Rome,
I heard some rather intriguing facts...

from one of De Cordoba's lieutenants
about that young man, Pedro Caldes...

the one you killed?

You pretend to be a priest, yet
at every turn you act the politician.

Unlike you, Cesare, I have known
my true calling...

the reason I was born,
since childhood.

I cannot imagine living life
any other way.

The priesthood has liberated me
from all temporal anxiety...

knowing that my reward
of everlasting life awaits.

Why do you smile?

Because the Red Sea
has suddenly parted.

If you do not vote my way, I know exactly how
to destroy you. You will be excommunicated.

Obviously, your influence with the Pope
has reached new heights.

But even Rodrigo Borgia would never dare
excommunicate a priest without sufficient...

Ground? A moment ago you accused the
Holy Father's daughter of murdering his son.

Bishop Flores dies daily in Terra Nuova
prison for the sin of false witness.

No one heard me but you.

We did.

My vote is yours.

With that vote, we bury everything that has been
said here today. No more lies about Lucrezia.

She is purity personified.

And you will deliver Giuliano
della Rovere's vote as well.

- Impossible. - For a man of prayer,
nothing is impossible.

I will try. But even if I succeed,
Piccolomini has turned against you.

Because of your little cousin Juan.

Piccolomini? No, absolutely no.

- You said that I must earn unanimity.
- Piccolomini despises us. How are we

to know what he as our diplomat will say in private
to a king? He cannot be made Papal Legate.

You caused this problem by giving away Santa
Maria Via Lata without thinking it through.

I did warn you, Holiness.

The time has come. You either
support me or deny me. Decide.

Bring our new legate.

I do not want to be Papal Treasurer.

I do not need you or Giulia
meddling in my life.

Why do you not badger my brother to
advance our family's fortune.

Angelo is a rapscallion.

And you are a lemur for speaking
in such tones to your mother.

- You should not allow her to rile you so.
- Let us join a band of gypsies.

You were born for greatness.

Greatness that will exceed any
member of your family, any Borgia.

If Pope Alexander
bestows this honor...

upon you, then you will do
what you always do, excel.

I love you.

If you want Lucrezia
to marry an Italian...

my cousin, Roberto San Severino,
prince of Salerno...

- would be a perfect spouse.
- Good lord.

You mock, Ascanio, but will you deny

that Roberto is both a naval genius
and exceedingly rich?

If he was spawned from different loins,
I would be the first to second your proposal.

- But sadly, his father's ties to France...
- Do you also have a bid, Cardinal?

I do. Ottaviano,
son of Caterina Sforza...

No doubt His Holiness is jumping at the bid to
have his daughter marry yet another Sforza.

- Gianbattista, your thoughts.
- Duke Francesco of Gravina...

a distant Orsini.

We Colonna would blister
at such a pairing.

She should marry my brother Fabrizio.

We will deliberate on each
of your generous offers. Be gone.

Any word from Riario-Sansoni
about Della Rovere's vote?

Not yet. But Rafaele
will bend his cousin, I have faith.

Who?

I am sorry to intrude, Eminence, but time is of the
essence and you are the only one who can save me.

Alfonso, sit, speak.

I confess.

I came here from Naples
in your company...

with the secret desire
to wed your sister.

And then like a fine harvest,
the engagement came to pass.

But now, after a torrent of new suitors,
my betrothal has died on the vine.

And you wish to revive it.

You have beaten on the wrong door.
Go whimper in my father's ear.

Much has happened. I can no longer
gain an audience with the Pope.

So I am to be your voice.

- What I cannot see is why I would agree.
- Out of friendship.

We ate and drank together. That
is convenience, not friendship.

Then I am lost.

Not necessarily. How far would you
go to achieve your heart's desire?

To the gates of Hades.

Cardinal Zeno has told my cousin that he
would rather die than vote in my favor.

- Do you think he should?
- Vote in your favor, yes.

And if not, should he die?

Or should he die before the Sacred
College meets again to decide my fate?

You want me to kill him?

I did not say that.
I asked how far would you go.

If you were in my place,
would you murder Zeno?

Strangled in his bed perhaps.

Or with a sip of Cantarella.

I would.

Is that your plan? To assassinate
all Cardinals who oppose you?

All? No.

We will first see
how this one goes.

Cardinal Zeno?
Would you dine with me tonight?

You can sample the latest wines
from Ischia.

I would be delighted.

Prince Roberto has proven himself
to be an admirable admiral.

Our intention is to build a papal navy.
So we happily agree...

Beg pardon, Holiness.
Cardinal Carafa.

Forgive me, Holy Father.

So sorry for my delay. Bad tripe.

We are finalizing an agreement
for our daughter

to marry Roberto San Severino
of Salerno.

Wonderful, then I am doubly glad I appeared
in time, as I have an urgent report

which may cause you
to reconsider this decision.

Federigo, utilizing his right as King of
Naples and sovereign of Salerno has

seized the Principality and banished the San
Severino family. Roberto is no longer a prince.

But Holiness, he is still an admiral.

Admirals are much easier to find
than princes. You may leave us.

Therefore, my king implores you
to revisit your proposal

that Lucrezia marry
Prince Alfonso di Calabria.

No, we would not like to revisit
that offer, we would implement it.

- Wonderful. I shall inform...
- Father, I bear sad tidings.

Cardinal Giovanni Battista Zeno
has died, quite suddenly.

He was drunk.

Eminence, what is the King's answer
regarding my marriage to Carlotta?

- Oh, yes. That would be a 'no'.
- No? What if we insist?

His Highness did arm me with a
reply for such a query.

If you do insist, I am to vote
against Cesare's resignation.

Federigo is king of Naples because his
ascension was approved by my father.

That decree can be rescinded.

Then a state of war would exist
between Naples and the Papal States.

Federigo, being a d'Aragona, would
call upon his cousin King Ferdinand

to send Spanish troops back
to invade Rome

and your brother Goffredo,
in Squillace, would be a prisoner.

So how would you
like me to respond...

to His Sublime Highness?

Fine.

Supply your vote tomorrow. I will
win Carlotta without the King's consent.

- What are you doing over here?
- Working.

- These ledgers are a disaster.
- You are angry at me.

A jumble of numbers. To reorganize
this mess, I'll have to redo the entire...

Not tonight.

Mama has cooked a feast
in your honor.

His Holiness has honored me with this
August position. I must not let him down.

Try to see past yourself
and be grateful.

Did the idea ever occur to you
to put faith in me?

That I might find a way
to provide for my family?

Alessandro, you have many gifts,
but you are...

a feather. Too soft.

If I left matters up to you,
we Farnese would starve.

So thank heaven above we are
once again saved by your cunt.

You are asking me to stand down
and let Cesare Borgia have his way?

The best of the first fruits of your
ground you shall bring to the Lord.

Rarely have I seen you in such a state.

Whatever this is, it must be juicy.
Tell me why.

Just trust me. Releasing Borgia
from his vow is for the best.

Whose best, yours?
What does Borgia lord owe you?

Giuliano, I have done your bidding
many times over, however repugnant.

- This once, I demand that you do...
- Please.

You are from the lesser side of our
family. A discarded grape

never to be blessed with the best
of the fruit on Ascension Day.

Giuliano, for your own sake.

My sake? You are the desperate one.

And that desperation will change hands
if you refuse.

I refuse.

Very well.

I will expose you as a sodomite.

Oh, cousin, you are pathetic.
I have fought off such rumor before.

I witnessed from outside your bedchamber
window the vile, abominable acts

you committed on Bishop Flores.

The Pope's Pear is a horrible death.

Your word against mine
will not go as far as you think.

Remember, I hold the shears.

A second cardinal watched with me.
He will testify to the debauchery.

You lie. There is no second cardinal.

Refuse again and find out.

First fruits are bitter fruits...

Eminence.

I have decided the most righteous act
is to vote on your behalf.

What a great and grand surprise.

Despite my uneven relationship
with your father...

I have always admired you, Cesare.

Your pluck.

You have an odd way
of demonstrating admiration.

Still, by my calculations,
you are a few votes short.

What a pity after all of your strain if you
do not garner the final tally you need.

I appreciate your concern,
my dear new friend...

but it is concern born
out of your own desires.

You have come to realize that If I am
not a cardinal, I cannot become pope

and when my father dies...

I have a suggestion for a way
to secure your victory.

I will continue to argue
with those who resist.

Yes. Well, my way,
you do not have to say a word.

The Lance of Longinus.

- With which he killed Pedro Caldes.
- An act of blasphemy.

And so, we will pray
for the soul of Giovanni Battista Zeno.

Amen.

The supreme Pontiff will now
hear further testimony

regarding Cesare Borgia's appeal

to resign from
the Sacred College of Cardinals.

What is there to talk about?

Do none recall the day Cesare Borgia
brought bloodshed into this holy place?

Yes, he should leave
the Sacred College

and burn in hell.

Silence.

Assent.

- 27.
- Unanimous.

The Consistory has spoken.

We reluctantly accept
Cesare Borgia's resignation...

effective immediately.

I recommend Juan Borgia Lanzol to
succeed me as Archbishop of Valencia.

Eminences, your vote proves
that to do something holy,

you must sometimes do
what is unholy.

You are a cabal of hypocrites.

If Hell does exist,
we will all fry in the same pan.

So what have you come to say?

Do not marry Alfonso. Underneath
his fine exterior is a depraved soul.

Even if papa would listen to me, this union is
another punishment from God for Juan's death.

The Almighty has made Himself clear,
I do not deserve happiness.

Do I not make you happy?

No, brother.
I think you make me saddest of all.

Because of our shared feelings?

Lucrezia, I have spent these last days
charting a new course for myself.

But in this moment
I am not certain any of it matters.

I love you.

Then this marriage will be your
punishment for killing Perotto.

Though the...

Though the joy we feel is tempered by the
continued absence of little Giovanni,

we propose a toast...

to the beauteous bride...

and to our new son,
Alfonso di Calabria...

Prince of Bisciglie and Salerno.

Salute.

Now, everyone, enjoy the evening.

Rodrigo.

With so much love in the air,
I'm in the most amorous mood.

Let us spend the rest of the night
in our bedchamber.

Alas, I have a duty to perform
that will take me to the hour of Matins.

A duty?

King Federigo insists that this marriage
be consummated tonight

so that there can be proof, at a later date,
that the groom functions as a husband.

I could not believe it with
my own eyes. He drank all of it.

Lucrezia.

I would like to turn back the hours.
May we speak?

No, go to your wife.

- The beast snuck up behind me.
- Lucrezia.

I said: Go away.

Cesare, you played the unicorn?

Did you see? The unicorn
can only be tamed by a virgin.

Then I hope, for your sake, princess
Carlotta d'Aragona is still chaste.

Unlike you. I'm grateful that
our kiss did not become a fuck.

What sort of monster
would we have created.

Whereas you and Perotto
have given the world perfection.

I wonder, where is your son? And
I wonder why you do not seem to care.

My darling.

I long to be with you.

Alone.

- Are you nervous?
- Are you?

Oh, indeed.

But I do not mind.
You are worth the world, my love.

Convincing, but not enough.

Alfonso, pull back the sheet.

I hear and see only you.

Cling tightly. Hear and see only me.

I still cannot tell whether this is acting.

I am sorry...

but where is his penis?

Children, we must witness
the penetration.

Fuck me, husband.

Yes, fuck me. Fuck me harder.

Harder, fuck me.

Yes, you are a god.

A god.

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Edited by bifutake