Original subtitles

(man playing violin)

I mistreated her, ignored her.

She deserved a better husband.

And now she is gone.

I miss her.

You will never be alone.

You must accept that our Lord took her away from us for a purpose.

It is his will that you continue on your path.

I didn't know what to do, so I dragged the body here.

You did the right thing. What will you do with it?

Feed it to the pigs.

Why? They leave no evidence.

What did he say exactly?

(sighs) He said...

the king is not born of God.

Is he questioning the legitimacy of your brother's claim to the throne?

How does this relate to the Vatican?

The Church likes nothing more than a secret it can use to exercise power and influence.

We must look at the records.

Not just the House of Bourbon, but all those bearing royal blood.

Every family has its secrets.

(man) I'm the king of my own land

Facing tempests of dust

I'll fight until the end

Creatures of my dreams

Raise up and dance with me

Now and forever

I'm your king

The endgame has begun.

The moment when I must play a move even though I know it to be to my disadvantage.

My claim to Spain and its possessions is lost.

Cardinal Leto arrives shortly to attend the funeral on behalf of the pope.

But, sire, with the queen departed,

surely Leopold's hand is strengthened.

(Louis) Indeed.

So I want the cardinal to approve the union

between King Charles and my niece Marie-Louise.

He cannot leave until I know that Spain is mine.

But, sire, convincing the cardinal will be no easy matter.

We know the Vatican fears His Majesty's ambitions.

Which is why I must prove to him that I'm an ally, not a threat.

The question is how.

The Protestants.

The Catholic Church fears the growing threat of the Protestants across Europe.

By showing the cardinal he does not tolerate Protestants in Versailles,

His Majesty will be seen as champion of the Catholic faith.

(Louis) How?

The Protestants should be punished and a spectacle made of their punishment.

A punishment without a crime?

(Maintenon) Well, that is a cross they will have to bear.

(Colbert) This would be seen by the Protestant community as yet another provocation.

And what will they do? Take up arms?

No. Leave the country.

And the effects on the economy will be devastating.

Commerce, law, medicine-- all dominated by Protestant families.

Let them leave.

(Colbert scoffs) And to make up the deficit?

The people will pay. We shall raise the salt tax.

Sire, we have raised the salt tax ten times in as many years.

Then at least no one can accuse us of inconsistency.

Colbert.

The Ottoman trader who presented himself. Is he still here?

Yes, sire.

Bring him to me.

(whispering) I'm sorry.

Please forgive me.

This must be very hard for you. I know you were close.

She always showed great kindness towards me.

As you did to her, no doubt.

At one time, you believed she did not die of natural causes.

I still do.

You must have mislaid this.

The servants were about to toss it in the waste.

(gasps) Thank you.

It’s an unusual box.

Where did you get it?

It was a gift.

From whom?

(exhales) I forget.

Hmm.

I've known a lot of murderers.

There's always one thing that betrays their guilt.

Their eyes.

Good day.

(door opens)

Your Highness.

I wish to offer my condolences. I know that you and the queen were close.

It is part of God's mystery that the finest souls are taken from us

whilst still enjoying the flower of youth.

One person's loss is always someone else's gain.

Meaning?

(utensils clink) The queen is gone.

Now you have the king all to yourself.

The king belongs to no one.

At least not until he seeks a new alliance.

Surely you do not imagine that the king will remain unmarried?

You may have his heart for now,

but soon you will be nothing more than a name on along list of conquests.

Your Majesty.

The document on the table. ! would like you to sign it.

It is an agreement guaranteeing me a monopoly of the trade networks

through the Mediterranean.

And in return?

If your emperor chooses to invade Austria,

I shall not stand in his way.

Am Ito believe His Majesty?

The king is a man of his word.

I shall return immediately to announce the good news.

You will travel by sea?

A ship awaits me at Toulon.

From there I shall head for Malta.

(panting)

I trust His Eminence did not find the journey too arduous.

Not as arduous as these stairs.

I shall take you to your rooms where you may rest.

No. Take me to see His Majesty first.

As you wish.

What is your name?

lam Alexandre Bontemps, Your Eminence.

Governor of Versailles.

So you are Bontemps.

Do you know who I am?

Of course.

Where is Monsignor di Marco?

l assumed he would be here to greet me.

I could not say.

Find him.

Tell him to come to my rooms.

On behalf of His Holiness Pope Innocent XI,

may I express my most sincere condolences.

She died before her time.

Thank you.

His Eminence's rooms have been prepared?

They have, sire.

Do we have any news of the Emperor Leopold?

News?

l received a message to say

he would be attending the funeral.

And I look forward to welcoming him.

(door opens)

(door closes)

A shadow has been cast.

This may only be the beginning, duchesse.

And our people's fears are growing.

We must stand strong. We must not forget who we are.

May I steal the duchesse for a moment?

The last time we spoke...

you told me

you would not marry me if ! were the last man on earth.

I should have made my feelings clear.

Your desires were clear enough.

Please ignore my past and my reputation.

The fact is, what I'm trying to say--

Yes?

I think I love you.

I know I love you.

And I did promise your nephew I would help.

But to my shame, I failed.

Nobles of the court!

l address myself to the Protestants amongst you.

By order of the king,

l command those of you who have in your possession

a Bible in the French language

to hand it over.

Either you surrender these objects of sin

or your bodies will be searched and your rooms ransacked.

Delphine.

Do not give in.

First you imprison Monsieur de Puy, then you force us to recant.

And now this?

It is an outrage. No, madame.

The word of God is expressed in Latin

and can only be interpreted by members of the Church.

Allowing people to read it without guidance

will inevitably drive them towards error and heresy.

I wish to speak with the king.

If only he wished to speak with you.

Why?

Because it is necessary.

Believe me, l feel your suffering.

No, Francoise. You feel nothing.

I do believe the duchesse has lost her mind.

Yet she has managed to retain her courage.

Your admiration is misplaced.

I think it's outrageous.

I was a Protestant myself,

and I resent the suspicion that people of that faith are not loyal subjects.

-My brother has an aversion for those who disagree with him. -(footsteps)

To whom do we have the honor?

You do not recognize her?

No.

This is your daughter, Marie-Louise,

and the next queen of Spain.

Marie-Louise, lam Princess Palatine, your stepmother.

Oh. I thought you would be-- A witch?

I thought we agreed she would marry your son.

You should see this as an opportunity.

For you. For both of us.

She will be introduced to His Eminence the Cardinal Leto this evening at a banquet.

If he approves of her,

it is my hope that the pope will give his blessing to the union.

I rely on you to prepare her.

And from now on, you belong to France.

(Louis) I have a challenge for you.

How do you convince

an arrogant, self-satisfied papal envoy to do what you want?

Why do you ask me such a question?

Well, because you know the minds of men in power...

twisting us around that little finger of yours,

toying with us, bending us to your will.

His Majesty...

makes it hard for me to concentrate.

Of course.

Let us focus on the matter in hand.

He is a papal envoy,

so power is more important than faith.

Probably.

He acquired his position...

through treachery and corruption.

No doubt.

(gasps)

All he cares for is power and status.

(sighs)

So...

he needs to be flattered.

(knocking)

Yes?

May I present Madame de Maintenon.

Your Eminence.

I hope you found your rooms to your satisfaction.

Tell me...

do you believe tyranny to be a good thing?

You demand Strasbourg and Luxembourg.

You seek to take over the world and drive the emperor Leopold into anonymity.

Believe me, Your Eminence, I do not seek power.

l seek peace.

Call that tyranny, if you wish.

You want Spain and its possessions.

Yes, in order to protect them.

As for Leopold, no one respects his authority more than I.

However, I believe the Church deserves someone stronger to defend it.

With the queen's death, your claim to Spain is now void.

It is not a question of claim but of duty.

My duty is to defend the interests of the Church.

And it is my humble hope that His Holiness will recognize my ambition for what it is.

Simply the wish to serve.

His Holiness has already given his blessing to the union

of King Charles of Spain and the Princess Eleanor.

And if I presented a more suitable candidate?

Such as?

My niece the princess Marie-Louise.

Monsieur Marchal, may I have a word?

Of course.

It relates to His Highness, the duc d'Orléans.

The king is worried about his state of mind.

I'm sad to hear it, but I don't see how this concerns me.

I have seen you in discussion with him recently.

Il wondered if he had said or intimated

anything that you considered...

out of the ordinary.

Such as?

His Highness was convinced there was some sort of plot against him.

I tried to help him solve the mystery.

Our search came to nothing, and it was my understanding that he had let the matter drop.

But I fear l was wrong.

He's mentioned nothing of this to me.

But if he does, I shall inform the king.

Best inform me first.

His Majesty has much to deal with at the moment.

As you wish.

(Cardinal) Tell me about the king's brother.

Is he still digging his nose into our affairs?

Like a hound after a fox.

He gets closer to the truth by the day.

And is the king aware of his investigations?

No.

Where is the prisoner now?

In a safe place.

Well, keep him there until l have need of him.

Your Eminence...

if the identity of the prisoner were revealed...

the consequences would be dire.

Do you think I'm not aware of that?

I shall only do such a thing if your king goes too far in his demands.

(Palatine) What in your view are a woman's duties?

To serve her husband.

To be faithful.

To remain discreet.

And to bear children.

Imagine your husband said he thought the world to be full of pixies and fairies.

What would you say?

I would support him in his opinions.

And if he asked you to walk naked through the fountain.

I would endeavor to satisfy his request.

You have been well taught.

Women are just pawns in a game played by men.

They own you.

But do not allow them to crush your spirit.

(door opens)

I've come to examine Her Highness.

It's out of the question. Now is not the time.

On the orders of the king, Your Highness.

Marie-Louise...

the doctor must examine you.

Please recline and raise your dress.

-No! -Please.

You will not place your hands on me.

Go and find His Highness.

He simply wants to confirm that you are untouched.

My dear.

I won't let him.

The doctor is only doing his duty.

You must do the same. It won't take a minute.

-Marie-Louise! -(groans)

-What on earth is going on? -The doctor is here to make an examination.

My dear, you must understand that without this test,

your marriage cannot go ahead.

Please don't let him do it.

-(knife clatters) -(gasps)

Now lie down on the bed.

(door opens)

(door slams)

The king!

Tell me, what plans does His Majesty have for his next marriage?

lam still in mourning and have not yet considered the matter.

You will, no doubt, satisfy yourself with the occasional mistress.

The fame of your court is matched only by the fame of your sexual appetite.

Now, where is the princess? lam anxious to meet her.

She is on her way.

There she is.

May I present my brother, the duc d'Orléans.

His wife the princess Palatine and his daughter Marie-Louise.

lam honored.

Eh.

Walk about.

(murmuring)

Now come.

Tell me something about yourself.

What are your interests?

Il have little to say of myself, Your Eminence.

lam young and inexperienced in the ways of the world.

I prefer to listen.

Do you pray?

l attend mass twice a day.

Embroidery?

lam very fond of it.

Tell me, what in your opinion

is the place of a woman within marriage?

I believe my place is to show loyalty and obedience in all matters.

A charming young lady.

Shall we dine?

(music plays)

(man laughing)

Ladies and gentlemen. Your Eminence.

l ask you all to rise and make your way to the window.

What are they burning?

Protestant bibles.

Shh! Don't.

(whispering) Don't.

l understood your court was filled with Protestants.

Many have now recanted their faith.

How did you achieve that?

Gentle persuasion.

Let us suppose that His Holiness approved

the union of your niece and King Charles.

You realize that there would be certain terms attached.

Of course.

Strasbourg and Luxembourg would remain under the control of Leopold.

You would guarantee protection of the Holy Roman Empire

in the event of an invasion by the Ottomans.

You have my word on it.

Good.

So am I to suppose that His Eminence agree to the marriage?

I have not yet made up my mind.

Of course.

(knocking)

Thank you, my child.

What are you doing?

I thought...

You thought wrongly.

The desires of the flesh hold no interest for me.

Strawberries, on the other hand...

(door opens)

Nineteen. Twenty-two.

Twenty-six. Thirty-one.

1619, 1622, "26, ‘31.

Four children dead at birth.

(Philippe) So?

It was another seven years

before the birth of your brother.

What happened in between?

Nothing happened in between. They tried. They failed. Then my brother was born.

Possibly.

What other explanation could there be?

What if your father despaired of ever having a son?

His wife was unable to provide one.

Every king's nightmare.

That left him only one choice.

To produce an heir with another woman. Precisely.

An heir who may still be alive.

Wearing an iron mask to conceal his identity.

Yes.

(sighs)

That would mean my father took a mistress.

I don’t even know if my father had any affairs.

I know someone who would.

I haven't seen him in the salon for ten years.

Life at Versailles is not to his taste.

Are you sure he's still alive?

My lord.

My lord.

What is it? Is there a fire?

Oh.

Good evening, Your Highness.

Please accept our apologies for disturbing you at this hour.

I'm sure you have your reasons.

I have a question to ask you.

You knew my father, did you not?

I had the honor of calling him a friend, yes.

Did he have any mistresses?

Your father was a devoted husband.

Did he have any mistresses?

Not that lam aware of.

You're lying.

You were friends with the Comte de Soissons, were you not?

Hmm?

I knew him vaguely.

Vaguely?

Yet you joined with him in a plot to overthrow your friend the king.

It would be a shame

if the current monarch knew of your treachery towards his father.

Tell me about his mistresses.

You may not like it here,

but you would enjoy the cold of a prison cell a lot less.

There was a rumor.

Her name?

Louise de la Fayette.

She was maid of honor to the queen.

What happened to her?

After her liaison with your father,

she left court and joined a convent in Chaillot.

I believe your father continued to visit her till the end of his life.

This Lafayette woman may have given birth to a child

whom my father would legitimize if mother failed to produce an heir.

Precisely.

And when your brother was born,

la Fayette chose to leave the court.

(sighs)

You are angry with me.

No.

Angry with myself.

Why?

l understand you have duties that you can't ignore, but...

I know it’s childish and naive of me, but I can't help it.

l understand.

Do you?

Ever since I set eyes on you, I dreamt of being with you.

Now I am, I see you being taken away from me.

You said to me that I would never be alone.

And now...

I say the same thing to you.

Get up.

What is it? Prepare yourself.

What for? To meet a cardinal.

I want you to impress him with your intelligence

and whatever you can muster by way of modesty.

Why?

Because with his help, you're going to be queen of Spain.

l owe you my thanks.

The fact that you stand before me now

means you carried out your duties with great courage and ingenuity.

Thank you, Your Highness.

However...

I must warn you.

lam under suspicion.

The king's head of police is convinced

the queen did not die of natural causes.

Does he have any evidence?

No. But I fear him.

Well, if there's no evidence, there's nothing to fear.

You will remain here. Keep an eye on my niece until her departure.

As you wish.

What can you tell me of Louis? What is he scheming?

The king carries out his affairs in private.

There is little talk of politics in the salon.

There is always something.

Did he have any visitors?

There was a trader here yesterday

in conversation with Monsieur Colbert.

A trader? What sort of trader? Where was he from?

I don't know.

He was of a Middle-Eastern appearance.

Mm-hmm.

He said he was going to be taking the ship from Toulon to Malta.

Find the trader. Yes, Your Majesty.

(sighs)

Please accept my condolences.

Her death was a tragedy. She was a wonderful woman.

I thank you for your thoughts.

You must feel lost without her.

She accompanies me in my soul.

As she accompanies us all.

Did you really think I would not discover the truth?

The truth?

You convinced her to go to Spain to help you marry your niece to King Charles.

You used her.

I was not the only one.

Why did you come here?

To mourn.

That was not the only reason.

No?

You came to see the cardinal.

To convince him to side with you over Spain.

You read me like a book, Louis,

just as I read you.

But I shall succeed.

No, you won't.

He pays you lip service,

but he knows you to be the weak fool that you are.

By the way, your wife was a wonderful lover.

Such passion.

Such imagination.

May I help?

Yes. By leaving.

(sighs)

Any luck?

Perhaps.

It scares me to think we may discover a half brother I never knew I had.

We will soon find out.

The records of every birth and death in this parish

for the past 50 years.

(Leopold) You are walking blindly towards a cliff top,

and if you don’t jump of your own accord,

you can be certain that Louis will push you.

Perhaps he is sincere in wishing to protect the Holy Roman Empire.

That's my job.

But are you still capable of doing it?

(Leopold) Louis serves no one but himself. He sees himself as God.

He has strength and authority,

which you, perhaps, lack.

The pope has already approved the match between Eleanor and King Charles.

Possibly.

But with the queen's death, he has no claim.

Ah, don't be so sure.

Nothing.

Nothing.

(door opens)

Monsieur Marchal, His Majesty would have a word with you.

Monsieur Marchal, I have a job for you.

Of course.

It concerns Emperor Leopold's niece, Princess Eleanor.

She’s become a nuisance to my plans.

And I don't like nuisances.

With all due respect, sire...

does the princess deserve such a fate?

She is young.

But dangerous.

(knocking)

Yes?

Good afternoon.

I see you are here on Official duty.

You're searching for evidence.

Something is bothering you though.

What is it?

I'm beginning to question all that I believe in, all have done.

Things I wish I'd never heard.

(grunts)

(panting)

Thank you.

(sighs)

For what?

For trusting me.

(sighs)

(both panting)

(moans)

(moaning)

Will we see each other again soon?

Or am I just a passing affliction?

I will visit you again tonight. If l may.

You may.

In the meantime,

there is something I would like you to do for me.

(scoffs) The real reason for your visit?

No.

What would you have me do?

As you may know,

the king has conceived a certain fondness for the Princess Eleanor.

Yes, I'm aware of that.

You are close with the princess.

His Majesty would like to see her again.

Alone. Without the knowledge of her uncle.

Where and when?

Immediately before the funeral...

in the Orangerie.

Do you trust me now?

Yes.

(door closes)

Where is your uncle?

I have no idea.

Eleanor, I believe your life to be in danger.

I'm condemned, if that’s what you mean.

No. Listen. Listen to me.

I believe someone may try to kill you.

-Who? -The king's men.

We must inform your uncle, and you must leave for Spain immediately.

I don't want to go to Spain. But you can't stay here.

Then what should I do?

Escape.

How?

I will help you.

Why should I trust you?

Because I'm coming with you.

(Leopold) Eleonor!

When?

Immediately.

You ready?

If His Majesty will forgive me, I shall remain in my rooms.

(Leopold) Why?

I feel unwell, Uncle. A feminine matter.

Oh. I see.

Very well.

You're sure?

I have nothing to lose.

I'm right.

Born on this day,

in the year of our Lord 1637,

a son, Robert.

In the presence of Father Martin, priest of the parish

and Madame Secretan, midwife.

Louis de Bourbon, king of France

and Louise de la Fayette.

(singing in Latin)

What's wrong?

Nothing.

(singing continues)

(singing in Latin)

(singing continues)

(singing stops)

(priest) We have lost someone dear to our hearts.

We weep for her. We weep for ourselves.

We feel our own suffering,

and we question the mystery that is our Lord.

But what is human life if not a brief moment in the light,

surrounded on all sides...

by the endless shadow of darkness?

We are scared of this darkness.

We do not know it.

But we should not fear it.

We should embrace it...

for it is not darkness at all...

but a light that shines forever.

It is the light of faith...

of glory.

It is the light of God.

A wonderful ceremony.

Brother.

I need to speak with you now.

Now.

Speak.

Tell me, damn it. What have you done?

I've done nothing.

What's happened? What's this about?

The truth.

The truth?

We have an older brother.