All language subtitles for Seeking Persephone (2026) S01E01

Will you put that up, Asma?

I don't know why we have to do this.

Because we like to eat.

But we only pay pennies. Pennies that
keep our family from dying straight.

I do not enjoy washing the
neighbourhood's laundry any more than

you do, but being upset about it won't
change our situation.

Open the door, sweetheart.

I have had an atrocious day. Now I have
to open the door.

I'm sorry you've suffered so much.

I fear you will simply have to continue
in your wretched state a bit longer. I

will open the door, but do not be
surprised if I lie in the floor and die.

I will be many things if that happens,
my sweet little Artemis. But above all,

I will not be surprised.

She has died for far less than this in
the past.

Father wandering again?

Daphne.

Daphne, you're home.

Was Father wandering again?

Until the letter came. Then he went back
up to his daddy.

Did he say whom the letter was from?

You know Father doesn't usually talk to
me.

Well... Once I've cleaned the clutter
he's spread, sorted the laundry and

started our meal, then I very much wish
to talk with you about whatever you've

learned today.

It's ever so interesting and terribly
useful.

Cannot wait.

Thank you, Stephanie.

Of course, Stephanie.

You did say this might happen.

Yes, I did.

And what has brought you to such a
horrible end this time?

My suffering is too great. No words can
possibly describe it.

Is it because I could not buy you a
sweet from the confectionery shop? That

was tragic.

But not the reason you're expiring on
the floor?

I didn't see my friend. I watched for
him. And he didn't come. He hasn't ever

so long and it's deeply devastating.

Is this the friend I can't see? The
friend you don't see.

Ah.

Do you think your friend would visit you
again if we had...

Bread pudding tonight.

Bread pudding? I have a bit of stale
bread, and Mrs. Sanford gave me some

cream. I think we should have bread
pudding tonight. It's not even my

birthday. Bread pudding is quite
possibly my favourite thing in all the

world. Of course. If you are dead on the
floor, you won't be able to have any.

I'm all better.

It is a miracle.

Thank you, thank you, thank you. You're
very welcome, my darling little Artemis.

How do you like the latest fashions?

They're not the latest.

Mrs. Upton gave me these because she
received the most recent version, but

they are very nearly the latest.

That is gorgeous, isn't it?

I've added it to my list of dreams.

That must be quite the list by now.

Isn't that what dreaming is for?

Believing in those things you fear
you'll never have, want to continue

hoping are possible, like having money
enough and happiness, falling in love.

I want you to have all of those things,
Athena.

You must have dreams, too.

Certainly, I do.

Artemis's spirits not being dampened by
the heaviness of life.

Daphne finding a friend who helps if
you're seen and cared about.

Evander and Linus returning home to us
whole.

It's far from guaranteed for two
midshipmen in the Navy during wartime.

I should have done more to keep them
home and safe.

There's nothing more you could have
done.

Could have taken in more laundry or
reduced my portions at mealtimes. I

could have gone without fires in my
room. And it likely still would not have

been enough.

I suppose that is my version of hoping
for impossible things.

None of the hopes that you've mentioned
have been of dreams for yourself.

Seeing this family happy is a dream
enough for me.

Fetch Daphne and Artemis and take them
to the kitchen.

I do not know how frustrating he might
be this time.

Have you received a letter?

We have a very significant problem.

What has happened, Papa?

Evander? Linus?

Oh, no, I haven't heard anything about
your brothers.

I have, however,

received the most befuddling letter.

You, my dear, have received an offer of
marriage.

A what? An offer from an incredibly
wealthy gentleman with an

old and prestigious title.

Good heavens.

Yeah.

What I cannot fathom is... why the Duke
has settled on you.

They cannot even be remotely acquainted
with our family.

The Duke?

Of course, dear.

The Duke of Kildare. The Duke of Kildare
has asked for my hand in marriage.

Quite specifically.

I do not believe a word of it.

After all, I do not know his grace.

Or any grace, for that matter.

Mr. Lancaster, I am requesting the hand
of your eldest daughter in marriage.

I am prepared to settle upon your three
remaining daughters, 20,000 each for

their dowries, and 50,000 upon yourself
for the sake of your sons.

The ceremony will take place October 1st
at the Fulston Chapel.

Please reply as to your intentions.

Yours, etc.

Kilder.

It's certainly not the most romantic nor
flattering of proposals, to be sure.

The ceremony will take place.

If it's not the slightest
acknowledgement, the unforeseen offer

might be declined.

This offer amounts to more than a
hundred thousand pounds.

What is the Duke of Kilder like?

Like? Couldn't say. I've not met the
current June.

What was her father like?

Dull as dishwater.

But his mother is an active soul.

100,000 pounds?

I can hardly comprehend such a sum.

It is more than 500 years worth, our
current income.

It is more than five times the income of
the Duke of Sussex, and he is son of the

king. Good heaven.

We would have food enough to eat.

We would not need to wash laundry for
pennies.

The boys could soon leave the navy and
return home.

All of your impossible dreams would
suddenly be entirely possible.

This would not merely save our family.
It would save generations of our family.

Duke of Kilder, you might be prone to
anger or unkindness. What if he

mistreats you? What if being married to
him makes you miserable for the rest of

your life? It is also possible he will
be kind and considerate.

You don't know anything about him?

Only that he clearly has a tremendous
amount of money and wishes to marry me.

He gave no indication why. You needn't
simply accept this offer.

One may yet come from someone that you
at least know won't treat you

abominably. There will be no other
offers.

If I do not accept this one, our family
will sink further.

Even the simple hopes we currently have
will be out of reach.

Then all of your hopes will be snatched
away.

Family's happiness is worth every
sacrifice.

Isn't your happiness worth something as
well?

Artemis has always told the tale of
Hades and Persephone quite accurately.

Persephone doesn't get to be happy.

You mean to accept the Duke's offer?

Who invited all of these people?

I did.

It is not every day my poor boy takes a
bride.

This was supposed to be a quiet
ceremony.

I do not believe Miss Lancaster has
invited anyone beyond her own immediate

family. I did not intend to cause
awkwardness, Adam.

I only wish to celebrate.

I wonder if the chit will actually turn
up. Try to resist the urge to run

through any of the wedding guests.

What the devil is she?

Another five minutes and I'll go
retrieve her myself.

Dearly beloved, we are gathered here
together in the sight of God and the

faith of this congregation to join
together this man and this woman in holy

matrimony, an honorable estate
instituted of God in the time of man's

innocence, signifying unto us the
mystical union between Christ and his

church.

Therefore, if any man can show any just
cause why they should not, lawfully be

joined together, let him speak, or else
hereafter forever hold his peace.

Go on.

Who giveth this woman to be married to
this man?

Certainly I give it myself.

Take her right hand in yours.

I, Adam Richard Boyce, Duke of Kilder,
Mark with the Faustan, Earl of Faustan,

Viscount Benesse, Baron Faustan, Baron
Whiteley, take thee to be my wedded

wife, to have and to hold from this day
forward, for better, for worse, for

richer, for poorer, in sickness and in
health, to love and to cherish till

death do us part, according to God's
holy ordinance, and thereto I plight

thee my troth.

I, Persephone... Ridiculous.

Lancaster, do take

thee to be my wedded husband, to have
and to hold from this day forward for

better or worse, for richer, for poorer,
in sickness and health, to love and to

cherish, till death do us part,
according to God's holy ordinance, and

thereto I give thee my truth.

They had everything?

Not usually.

Can it be?

I suppose all the truly essential bits
have been seen to.

Those whom God hath joined together, let
no man put asunder.

To the castle, then.

Is your name really Persephone?

It is.

Did you not think to ask?

What were your parents thinking,
choosing a name like that?

My father is a scholar.

He's particularly fond of Greek
mythology.

Entirely too fond, it would seem.

Are the rest of your siblings similarly
afflicted?

In what way afflicted?

What absurd names did your parents
assign the other members of your family?

Athena is just younger than I.

Spander is 14, Linus 13.

Daphne will be 12 toward the end of the
year.

The youngest is Artemis.

Fate save us from short-sighted
scholars.

Do you have a middle name?

I do.

I suppose it is entirely too much to
hope that it is something common.

It's a genius.

Persephone Iphigenia.

Did no one ever call you anything else?

Only Miss Lancaster.

I cannot call you that.

I suppose I will have to consign myself
to Persephone.

It would seem so.

You, of course, will call me Kilder. I
will not call you Kilder. Everyone calls

me Kilder.

Kilder. It sounds as though I am
accusing you of a crime.

You would no doubt prefer Agamemnon or
Apollo or something along that vein.

My papa certainly would.

Would you propose to call me then?

Adam? No one calls me Adam.

No one?

Certainly your family and closest
friends would.

Harry does.

Who is Harry?

A friend.

One who allows himself far too much
freedom.

Calling me Adam will be fine.

Is that your name?

This

is

Barton, the butler.

Mrs. Smithson, the housekeeper.

Duchess of Kilda.

Mrs. Smithson will teach you whatever
you need.

I'm likely meant to be shown all of the
castle.

But I would very much like to rest.

Perhaps you could simply point out the
rooms I need to know today and save the

rest for tomorrow. Of course, Your
Grace.

The drawing room.

A favourite of Queen Elizabeth when she
stayed at Folkestone Castle in 1580.

Do members of the royal family still
visit Folkestone?

Heavens no!

They wouldn't dare!

This is the Grand Banquet Hall, which
has hosted feasts for some of the most

significant and influential people in
the kingdom over the past 500 years.

I believe your family will be dining in
here this evening.

Is that a gibbet?

And stocks.

Was there no room in the dark foreboding
dungeon?

There's ample room, Your Grace, but the
duke's display and weapons make them

more effective.

All of the family bedchambers are on
this floor.

This is your bedchamber, Your Grace.

Is there anything else you wish for me
to do, Your Grace? Not at the moment.

The bell pull is beside the fireplace
should you require anything.

This is never going to work.

This is never going to work.

I just saw your man of business leaving
the castle.

What did you do to him?

I fired him.

Again!

How many times have you fired the poor
man?

Six.

Seven.

Every time he sulked away like a
lily-livered coward.

You didn't pull your pistol on him this
time, did you? I have never pulled a

pistol on Josiah Jones.

I may have held an epee to his throat
once or twice, but he was never in any

real danger.

Well, perhaps his fear had something to
do with your less than pristine

reputation, Adam.

Rumour has it.

You've run through a few men in your
time.

Rumour has it I've done quite a few
things.

And you wonder why Jones thinks the
worst whenever you're angry with him.

I always reinstate his employment and he
never makes the same mistake twice.

Sir, what was his transgression this
time?

No, no, don't tell me.

Smiled too much while discussing these
state investments?

No.

Did not include enough threats in the
business correspondence he sent on your

behalf. He recommended a means of
preventing my distant cousin from one

day inheriting Faustin.

Ah.

Jones was the one who suggested you
marry.

He knew of a penniless family in
Shropshire with an eldest daughter of

the appropriate age who had no other
prospects.

His enthusiastic recommendation...

has proven intolerably stupid.

The stupidest sitting in one's book room
with one's friend on one's wedding

night.

Because that, Adam, is a level of idiocy
far and above ordinary stupidity. I

stood through the wedding and just spent
an interminable dinner with my flock of

new sisters-in-law.

Did they stare at you?

It would have been understandable, you
know, having not been warned. I ought to

have written then.

Hmm? Perhaps I could have included a
postscript with the proposal.

By the way, I have a mutilated face
you'll be forced to look at day in and

day out for the rest of your life.

Hope that's not a problem.

Hmm.

Perhaps not those precise words.

She wasn't exactly forthcoming either. I
will have you know.

I forgot to mention something important.

Another husband, perhaps.

Extraneous limb.

Her name is Persephone.

A man ought to know a thing like that
about his future wife.

Persephone Iphigenia.

What an inexcusably ridiculous thing to
call a child.

I had the chance to speak briefly with
your new bride, Adam.

She was... delightful.

Perhaps a little quiet, but that is to
be expected considering the upheaval in

her life.

I'll confess, I had expected someone
rather long in the tooth.

Rather long in the face, in all honesty.

So had I. But she's a fetching thing.

Young and...

Quite pretty.

Oh.

You expected someone desperate.

And ugly.

And undesirable.

Instead, your bride turned out to be a
vast deal more than possible.

Not quite what you'd bargained for, I
guess.

A lady who was too intolerable to have
any other options would be content with

a curmudgeon in a draughty castle in the
wilds of Northumberland.

And now, because she is young and
fine-looking, seems to be good-natured

and potentially enjoyable company, the
poor girl is upstairs, alone,

probably wondering what she's done
wrong, while you are down here brooding.

Adam, you are completely bacon-brained.

I should call you out for that.

Do you?

Not tonight.

I'm tired.

Call me out tomorrow, would you? I ought
to lock you in the dungeon.

You should.

No point having a dungeon if no one's
ever consigned to suffer in it.

Good night, Adam.

Good night.

I thought she was loud.

And Adam! What?

Give the poor girl a chance.

It's not her fault you've ended up with
every man's idea of a perfect wife.

Are you going to be lonely without us,
Stephanie?

I will miss you terribly.

But you will have each other.

So you are unlikely to be lonely.

I do not know that anyone will remember
to talk to me when you're not here.

I'm certain everything will be fine.

You don't need to worry about us.

Write and tell me about all the things
you're reading.

I do not want to go.

Let me speak with her.

Oh, my dear girl, you're crying.

It's not making you stay here.

No one is making me stay here, dearest.

Austin Castle is my home now.

I will send you letters, perhaps with a
gimme under the seal.

You could come here.

We could explore the castle together.

Of course you will.

We will have grand adventures.

Perhaps there is a tower room where we
can imagine all sorts of wonderful

stories the way we always did at home.
Do you promise?

I promise.

Who will take care of me when you're
gone?

The car will engage a governess for both
you and Daphne.

A companion for Athena when you're all
in town.

Will you visit us there?

Of course.

Stephanie? Yes, my dear?

We will take care of you.

We'll be happy even though we're gone.

Oh, Will.

When have you known me to be unhappy?

Then I will be happy too, but if I don't
leave now, I will cry again and I do not

want to cry anymore.

Then let us promise each other.

Not to cry.

Yes.

Good. I will see you soon.

Be good for Papa.

I will.

I love you, dear.

I love you too, Stephanie.

You're the best mama I've ever had.

I thought you weren't supposed to cry.

Artemis is crying as well, I'm certain
of it.

Then why make the promise?

To lessen her pain.

If my sister knew I was crying, it would
break her heart.

But you know she is crying.

I know her better than she knows me.

Shabbat shalom.

24 hours into this ill-conceived
marriage, and my wife is already in the

back of a garden sobbing.

How long into your marriage did mother
start crying?

And when did that stop making you feel
like a monster?

You agree?

Good evening.

Are you feeling well, child?

I am excessively tired.

Do not fret yourself over dinner, dear.

I'll have a tray sent to your room.

You rest.

Thank you.

You told me you'd call me out today.

Never did.

I've decided to shoot you first thing in
the morning.

Go to sleep so I can load my pistols in
peace.

Your mother said the new duchess was
indisposed, I'm presuming.

Any idea what you meant by that?

As mother said, she was indisposed.

She wouldn't be the first person to hide
from you. She?

You mean Persephone? Well, I certainly
don't mean your mother.

You could shoot a man dead in the
drawing room and she'd just smile

indulgently and say, My poor boy. Yes,
and the woman will still be calling me

that when I'm 80. When you're 80, she'll
be dead. Oh, shut up, Harry.

Is there any chance Persephone's locked
in the dungeon?

I am not a monster.

And she chose to accept me. Ah, yes.

But without the benefit of the rather
ingenious postscript you composed last

night.

I don't think she realised. You think
I've made her miserable already?

She took this morning's farewells
particularly hard.

You ought to have insisted her family
stay longer.

So I am the villain, am I?

I wouldn't be surprised if you never saw
the poor woman again as long as you

lived. In a place as enormous as this
pile of rock.

She could avoid you for years.

Where are you going?

My wife is indisposed.

I'm going to see for myself that she is
well.

Adam, I am not going to hurt the blasted
woman.

You know me better than that.

Oh, forgive me, Your Grace.

I'm attempting to find the breakfast
room.

Please tell me you know how to reach it
from here.

I got lost a few times when I first
started working here.

Folsom Castle is quite a big place.

Enormous.

New arrivals really ought to be provided
with a map.

This way, Your Grace, and I'll not tell
anyone you were lost.

Thank you.

Mother explained to Harry that you were
not leaving Folsom Castle because I

forced you to do so.

It seems to think that I drive every
person who ever comes here away with a

scythe in one hand and a flaming torch
in the other.

A regular one-person bloodthirsty mob.

That's what you are.

You really ought to think about
employing pitchforks when you...

Persephone.

Come.

Break your fast, dear.

Kidneys? Eggs?

Yes, please.

Harry, will you please... I will prepare
a plate for her mother.

You needn't inconvenience yourself.

Please.

Should I sit somewhere else? No, you can
stay where you are.

Will you be coming to town at Christmas
time?

I never go to town until absolutely
necessary.

You must convince my poor boy of the
delights of London.

I have never been to London.

Well, then you absolutely must come as
soon as possible.

I positively love taking you around town
and introducing you to just everyone.

I'm certain you can pack quickly, Adam,
and I could delay my departure by a day

or so, and we could all... I shall be
forced to take her in the spring as it

is.

Forced?

The season is such fun.

How can you say forced?

I despise London.

But the Queen will be vexed if
Persephone is not presented, and that is

one bother I could do without. Thus, I
shall be forced to town.

Do not let him burden you with even the
tiniest amount of guilt, Your Grace.

By spring, he will have gone months
without insulting members of the cabinet

or any of the royal family, and will be
itching for the opportunity.

That is good to know.

I suppose, as a good friend of the
family, I ought to remain here

indefinitely and offer my insights at
your grumbly husband.

That is simply the sort of selfless
person I am.

Even selfless people can be thrown from
the South Peripet.

I am beginning to suspect, Adam, that
you do not like me very much.

I will simply have to ponder the sorrow
of this realisation.

Your Grace.

Your Grace.

This could get confusing.

You really ought to think of names for
the three of you.