Original subtitles

Subtitle transcribed by Uncle Andy

Something amuses you?

Yes.

To see my one true enemy face to face after all these years.

Ever since I was a child, I dreamt of meeting you.

And beating me on the field of battle? Of course.

I suppose I should congratulate you.

For defeating you? For protecting Amsterdam.

I call it a resounding victory.

I call it a temporary setback.

Why did you come here this evening?

I have certain matters to discuss.

Why not follow the usual protocol?

Diplomats, ambassadors, emissaries,

offers, counteroffers, secret messages.

I know how diplomacy works.

As do I. I invented it.

If you mean you invented the art of deception and subterfuge,

then I can hardly argue.

Give me a good reason why I should not have you killed.

Because you do not wish me dead.

I don't? No.

Without an enemy, you would have no purpose.

A gust of wind with nothing to blow against.

If you are here to discuss the terms of a truce,

then I fear I must dismiss them, as I did last time.

You are now playing with a much weaker hand.

I took 40 towns in 22 days.

But not the prize, Amsterdam.

You are fighting on two fronts. Your troops are exhausted.

You are unable to advance, running out of supplies

and half of Europe is joining an alliance against you.

I too have allies.

You have Sweden and England.

Half of who's fleet lies at the bottom of the ocean.

I have Spain, Prussia and the Holy Roman Empire behind me.

Why did you come here?

To make a proposition.

What sort of proposition?

If we are to continue these discussions, then, I insist, we do so in private.

As you wish.

No, it's alright.

I'll shall call for you, if required. Of course, Sire.

About this proposition... Shh, shh, shh!

Do you hear it?

The silence that accompanies power.

I hear nothing!

Tell me about your proposition.

I propose an alliance.

With me?

Why not?

Why?

Because we are the leaders of the two most powerful countries in Europe.

Instead of squabbling here,

Why do we not join forces? Take over the rest of the world!

And you have discussed this arrangement with your existing allies?

Of course not.

I call that treachery.

Tactics. Greed.

Are you interested in my offer or not?

Let me tell you what happens next.

You are feeling confident!

You will launch a counterattack, pehaps, even take a few towns.

My forces will then rally and you will start to lose.

Thousands will be massacred.

Your people will start to question their new leader

and you will have sleepless nights.

Did I do the right thing?

Will I meet the same end as poor Witt?

Have I led my country to ruin?

and at that moment,

you will send a messenger begging for a truce,

and I shall say no.

I shall brush you off like a speck of dirt from my cuff.

You underestimate the value of allies,

not just in one's ranks.

How else do you suppose I found you?

She will find peace in God.

I'm so sorry for your loss.

I wish I could have done more to help her.

You did nothing to help her.

You know as well as I do that it was her fault the poor girl died.

She drove her into depravity.

Quite possibly, Your Majesty, but that does not make her a murderer

and in the absence of concrete evidence or a witness,

By the time the King returns,

I want her out of the palace and I don't care how.

And in the meantime, you will give orders for the salons to be closed

and all nobles to be confined to their rooms.

As you see fit, Your Majesty.

all I'm saying is that if I did something for you,

It's only natural that you now do something for me.

"Quid Pro Quo."

I have a husband.

Whom you are slowly sending to his death.

What exactly is it that you want?

That will not be possible.

You do realize that if it became known that

you're poisoning your husband,

your position here would become...

How can I put this?

...invidious.

And I would point the finger at you.

Your word against mine.

Well, I believe that my word holds a lot more weight than yours, right now.

Should I put it to the test?

Ladies and gentlemen, by order of Her Majesty the Queen,

the salons are now closed to all.

You're advised to retire to your rooms.

Good night!

What shall we toast?

Will you not share a glass of wine with me?

I prefer to see the world as it is.

Very well, I shall join you in abstinence

but it is with wine's tonic that we see the world of our dreams,

is not it?

I can end life. I can give life.

I bring truth. I bring lies.

I'm heard but not seen. Who am I?"

It's a riddle.

Are you toying with me?

No, merely trying to lighten the mood.

Why do you refuse an alliance?

Because alliance are based on trust.

You do not trust me.

You are in the process of betraying your current allies.

What is there to say you wouldn't do the same to me?

Are you wondering what I'm wondering?

Yes. How did they find us?

The Minister seems preoccupied.

Perhaps, we should humor him?

Is something bothering you, Excellency?

Perhaps you fear your master's negotiating half of Holland away?

Puppy is off his leash!

Who knows what havoc he may create?

I don't know you.

Are you a soldier?

A diplomat?

Just a humble wordsmith.

He's here to write the chronicle of the war for future generations.

Heavily embroidered, no doubt.

On the contrary,

truth is my beacon.

So, quite how I shall describe you, I do not know how.

Indeed!

The embroidered version would read as follows:

"A tall man of noble bearing,

with majestic command of the art of diplomacy."

The true version would read more along the lines:

"A pompous and humorless fellow

with a high regard of his own importance

and a low regard for his master's abilities."

Perhaps you would prefer the embroidered version?

Is this young man always so impertinent?

Tell me, how does it feel to have betrayed the man

who brought you up as his son?

To whom are you referring?

Jean de Witt.

As you know perfectly well,

he gave you protection,

education, affection.

He also stood between me and my inheritance.

I wouldn't want to be lynched, would you?

It was the will of the people.

What do you care for the will of the people?

Nothing.

And you would know all about that!

The people do not know what they want.

They are well-meaning but they are ignorant.

I protect them.

I give them a country and a history to be proud of.

You are a tyrant.

An enlightened tyrant.

I understand poor De Witt was lynched before being beheaded

and his fingers and toes were chopped off

and some parts of his body were eaten by the mob

and you did nothing to stop them.

Had I been informed as to what was going on,

I would have intervened.

First, you flood the dykes,

depriving your people of the harvest and driving them towards famine,

and then, you murder your former protector.

He was killed by his people.

But you are the guilty party. Hold your tongue!

It's odd.

You had a reputation for reserve and self control.

You will now have the reputation for being a cowardly dog.

Arrived with his tail in the air,

left with it hanging between his legs.

The first rule of diplomacy, my friend:

never show anger.

Monseur Colbert tells me he entrusted his niece to you.

She was your responsibility.

They say two days later, she was dead.

I did my best, Your Majesty.

She insisted she wanted to discover all the delights of Versailles.

I couldn't stop her. You promised to look after her!

It's not my fault if she chose to drink her weight in wine

and take a swim in the fountain.

A safe pair of hands, you said!

Everyone knows I am not a safe pair of hands!

You should never hav brought her to this man.

What was Madame de Montespan's role in the course of the evening?

Perhaps she tried to corrupt her:

encourage her to drink, indulge in sexual activity.

And drown herself, Your Majesty?

This is not a time for levity.

I apologize.

I believe Her Majesty is encouraging me to say

that Madame de Montespan is responsible for Isabelle's death.

Only if that is what happened.

In return for your honesty,

I'm sure we can find a way of improving your financial position.

I fear I am unable to help you with your enquiries, Your Majesty.

Very well. You are dismissed.

And incidentally, your little trade in silks...

Should you wish to continue, I suggest you do so in the marketplace.

Grubby commerce has no place here.

Tomorrow morning,

I wish to question all those who went to the fountains with Isabelle.

In the meantime, go and find Monseur Marchal.

Monseur Marchal is no longer in the service of the King, Your Majesty.

That does not prevent him from being in the service of the Queen.

I'm counting on you.

You put me in an awkward position. She has offered me her friendship.

Simply as a means to drive a wedge between us.

I think you exaggerate the threat.

You do not know her as I do.

Can you blame her for being jealous of you?

You stole the King from her.

No. I took what she had already lost

and that is what torments her.

Do you have feelings for him?

For the King? Yes.

I came here to please you

and remained at court to please the King.

That does not mean I have feelings for him!

Please stop trying to bend me to your will!

Do you have feelings for him?

I am a widow, many years older than His Majesty.

Why would he even look at me?

Yet, you still didn't answer my question.

I am, first and foremost, your friend

and always will be.

What on earth is this?

Oh, that. What does it look like?

Well, I'm not an expert in Catholic iconography

but it looks to me like a statue of Virgin Mary.

Yes, it is. It is.

And what's it doing in our bed?

It will bring us luck.

Help me conceive, you mean.

Precisely.

Sounds like a silly superstition, to me.

Even if it is true, you still have to, you know, do it.

And as you know, that is easier said than done.

You've managed it before.

True.

Look,

I know this is not easy for you.

You are in bed with with a woman you do not care for

but it's not easy for me either.

I am in a country I do not know with people I do not know

and customs I do not understand.

I'm in bed with a man who does not love me and will never love me.

It's not my fault that I don't love you.

Love is not this thing that you can just summon.

It's not my fault I'm upset.

The fact is, we are both here against our wishes.

We need to make the best of a bad job.

You are a good person.

I am not.

Selfish, childish...

You should like yourself a bit more.

There's a lot to like, believe me.

And I've been thinking about your problem.

My problem?

The rabbit that stays underground.

I have no idea what you're talking about.

The volcano remains dormant.

My inability to have an erection?

Yes.

I think you should use your imagination.

Close your eyes, so you can't see me.

Think of someone,

something that arouses you.

Indulge your wildest fantasies.

Think of

sweaty soldiers on the battlefield.

In a word, bravo!

Anything to oblige you.

Has the fantasy worked?

What did you think of, a soldier covered in mud?

Several, as a matter of fact.

Imagination is so much more fun than reality, isn't it?

Something's bothering you?

It's a wide rift, isn't it?

Where?

Between the world as we want it to be and the world as it is.

Did I mention Maastricht?

Impossible! I offer Orsoy in it's place.

The small town on the Rhine with a population of 500

boasting a church, 2 taverns and a linen factory?

Yes. I took it 3 days ago.

No. I want to Maastricht.

Bonn. Maastricht.

I is not mine to give. It belongs to the Spanish.

Tell them to give it to me. They are your allies.

I will have to speak to my advisors.

Why, you don't trust your own judgment?

I came here in good faith proposing alliance.

You reply with insults and impossible propositions.

You treat me like a child.

Gentlemen, your rooms are being prepared.

Dinner will be served on your return.

Sister Hermione will show you to yours, Sire,

and Sister Jeanne will attend to you, My Lord.

I'm fine here, thank you.

You should lighten your mood from time to time.

My mood is my concern!

Well, perhaps it's your clothes, then.

Who knows! A touch more orange?

Would His Majesty like me to send in his valet?

I can tell your voice and manner are of noble birth.

What is your family name?

You don't recognize me, do you?

Your face is familiar.

Just my face?

Do you recognize me now?

What are you doing?

The same service I performed the last time we met.

Does His Majesty like that?

Yes.

And this?

What do you want? I want to tell you a story.

Once upon a time, a young woman arrived at court

and like all young women, she fell under the spell of the master of the house.

So the master lured her into his bed, only to replace her with another

but by then, she had a fig inside of her.

The master denied his paternity

and the child, lucky thing,

died before it ever saw the light of day.

You say that you care and protect your subjects, but you don't;

you destroy them!

What do you want?

My life!

My life!

I'm sorry.

I used to be the Duchess of Longlet.

I want to be her again.

You wish to return to court?

Very well.

May I ask how you feel on returning to court?

I feel nothing. On what subject does Her Majesty wish to see me?

I have no idea. You'll find out soon enough.

Are you a God-fearing man, Monseur Marchal?

I do not fear, Your Majesty.

You don't believe?

I don't know.

A few weeks ago,

a priest by the name of Father Pascal, was found hanged in the chapel.

Next to his body was a note addressed to me.

In it, he admitted to sentiments towards me, unbecoming for a priest.

Torn by guilt, he decided to take his own life.

Sorry to hear it. Suicide is a lonely affair.

Yes, if it was suicide.

I have been replaced as head of police by someone else.

What makes Her Majesty believe I will be any more

effective than him extracting the truth?

Becuase you have certain methods, which have often proved effective.

Word from Holland, Your Majesty.

Yes?

The King's army have been driven back just outside Amsterdam.

And His Majesty?

His whereabouts are unknown.

Sire, may I ask what was proposed?

An alliance.

What are His Majesty's thoughts on the matter?

He would have us believe that it would benefit us both.

In truth, it only benefits him.

We lost a battle but the thrust of the war remains in our favor.

Sire, all of France supports you and your ambitions

but even ambition must know it's limits.

I'm am building an empire. I have no intention of sharing it.

Beautiful, isn't it?

I thought such icons were forbidden in the Protestant faith.

Frowned upon.

After you. After you, I insist.

She seems upset.

No doubt, you did all in your power to comfort her.

Comfort was not what she sought.

You asked me why I came here.

Now, I have a question to ask you.

Why did you go to war?

Why does anyone go to war?

You are not anyone.

Why did you choose to lead the army?

Because I am King!

But your brother is a far greater commander than you.

We shall see.

Are you afraid that he might cast a shadow over you?

Who told you that?

Do you know why it is so easy

to acquire information about you and what you're planning?

It's because there are so many people willing to turn against you.

Like the Chevalier de Rohan? No.

He did not turn against you. You turned him against you

You make an enemy of your best friend. It is quite the talent you have.

It torments you, doesn't it?

The knowledge that somewhere, very close to you,

someone you call a friend,

someone who you trust, who you confide

but who is, in fact, a traitor.

Who could it be?

A minister? A general?

Your brother? Your wife?

Perhaps your mistress the Marquise de...

I find it stuffy in here.

I think I shall take the air.

The words.

The answer to your riddle.

I can end life. I can give life.

I bring truth. I bring lies.

I can be heard but not seen.

Who am I?

The answer is words.

Very clever of you.

Have you ever wondered whether your nobles are happy?

You force them to live under your roof,

the only way they can survive is to get a foothold on the

crazy ladder of favor and promotion.

So, they started to kill each other.

Do go on. This is fascinating.

Your brother hates you for the way you treat him.

He's just waiting for the opportunity to take your place

or to humiliate you.

I am willing to return 40 towns I have taken, apart from Utrecht.

You will, in return, give me Maastricht and Franche-Comte.

Both belong to the Spanish, as I've already said and as you already know.

You will persuade the Spanish to give them to me.

They are in no position to refuse.

They rely on you to protect their lands.

You haven't answered my question.

Why did you go to war?

16 million. I beg your pardon?

You heard me.

16 million for what?

You pay me 16 million guilders and I agree to an alliance.

I shall have to think about thatt. Don't think about it!

Take a decision. Be a man!

16 million. What do you say?

I say you went to war not to fight me

but to escape the hell that Versailles has become.

I shall bear that in mind.

Who's winning?

He is.

You know, Her Majesty has banned all gambling in the salon.

Then let her come and arrest me.

May I join you? I am almost finished.

What are you playing?

It's called cards.

Perhaps you could teach me.

What, exactly, do you want?

To see whether we couldn't find a way.

not necessarily be friends but live together without bitterness.

A truce? Yes.

What are your terms?

Mutual understanding.

You accept that he is sharing a bed with me out of duty

and you accept that I do not seek to drive a wedge between you.

I find your terms one-sided.

What about understanding me?

You continue to see each other and enjoy each other's company

But without sharing a bed? Until I've fallen pregnant.

It could take years. Possibly.

You don't understand.

Meeting in the salon is a sign of friendship.

Sharing a bed is a sign of love.

If he no longer wishes to share his bed with me,

then it follows

that he no longer loves me.

He loves you

but you are making it very easy for him to hate you.

No doubt, you are full of good intentions,

but in case you haven't noticed,

good intentions count for little here.

I pity you.

Why?

Because you're scared.

This is for you.

What is it?

It's a gift.

I'm in no mood for gifts.

You haven't seen it yet.

Her name is Layak.

Where is she from?

Java.

She's a widow witch.

In the daytime, she appears as an ordinary human being

but at night she flies around in search of a pregnant woman

to suck her baby's blood.

Charming, don't you think?

You're scared, aren't you?

Of what?

That the edifice you have constructed may collapse and take you along with it.

Don't be ridiculous.

You can't be chosen by God.

But what if that's not true?

What if you're just like the rest of us mere mortals?

What if the castle you've built is no foundation?

What if the poison that inhabits it kills all who live there,

including it's maker?

You are a fool.

Not so foolish as to believe I have divine powers.

You are a fool and a liar.

You must be keen to return to the eager arms of the Madame de Montespan.

No doubt, she will offer you respite from your sleepless nightmares.

You have no idea what you're talking about.

But I do.

That's what's bothering you.

How do I know?

They say she is both witty and beautiful

and holds you completely under her sway.

I suggest we change subjects.

In Holland, we have a saying:

It is vanity that blinds us to our own blindness.

I see well enough!

Do you not fear being under the control of a woman?

She must be some woman!

Perhaps it is with her I should be negotiating.

I do not care for your gift!

Oh, dear!

I fear His Majesty's unwell.

His Majesty's in need of sleep.

I very much enjoyed our discussions.

Good night!

I understand that the sheep at Versailles are in poor health.

Yes.

TDiseases, predators,

even cannibalism are rife.

And the leader of the flock?

He has travelled to another pasture.

What sort of predators?

One in particular,

a wolf in the guise of a lamb.

He's currently with the leader of the flock,

who knows nothing of his true identity.

Nothing! He trusts him entirely.

And when the leader of the flock returns to his pasture,

the wolf will accompany him.

He will. He has much work to do.

Thomas! You're still up!

Yes. The search for the perfect metaphor does not abide by the hours of the clock.

I wish you luck in your search. Good night!

Good night!

I can see paradise

but you must build it for yourself.

All those around you

smile and will bend to your decisions.

But they all seek to destroy you.

Who's there?

Why did you go to war?

Your brother is a far greater commander than you.

Are you afraid that he might cast his shadow over you?

It is vanity that blinds us to our own blindness.

Louis, my love!

Please hold me.

Please, I'm so cold.

I'm so cold.

Please.

Hold me, Louis.

Please! They're coming to kill us!

They are there.

You do not see them, but I do.

Who?

They're all around us.

I do not see them.

Please hold me!

What's the matter? It's me.

I've been looking for you everywhere.

How did you find me here?

I will always find you.

Always!

We're meant to be together, remember?

Yes.

No! No!

Don't go away, Louis. Hold me!

You can't leave me! Not now! They're coming for us!

Louis! Look at me and only me.

I no longer recognize you.

I do not recognize myself.

You've never understood.

I was born to be King. That is all I can be.

What are you scared of?

To find nothing.

The whole thing's a mirage.

Like our love?

Who murdered you?

Was it my brother?

Was it William? No.

Who killed you? I must know!

You did, Louis.

I?

If you want to be saved, close your eyes.

What do you see?

I see a boy in a forest.

He is lost, running.

He looks behind him. He sees a shadow coming closer to him.

He trips, he falls, he gets up, he runs

but the faster he runs, the closer the shadow comes

He is scared.

He comes to a cliff.

He looks down,

he sees rocks,

darkness.

He feels the shadow behind him.

He loses his footing. He feels himself falling.

He knows he must turn around. He must.

He turns.

It's gone.

You have been here all night?

I heard you talking in your sleep.

I had a dream,

a nightmare.

I was lost in the wilderness of my mind.

You seem changed.

I am free.

I shall order you a carriage. We are returning to Versailles.

I shall not be coming, Sire.

You will not be accompanying me?

I saw how you suffered last night.

I can better accompany you by remaining here and praying for you.

Thank you for your prayers.

Has the Dutchman arisen? Not yet, Sire.

Come. We're leaving.

And what of the discussions?

There were no discussions

and no meeting.

Of course, Sire.

What are your orders, Sire?

The army will remain here under the command of Marshal Conde.

We shall return to Versailles.

I have certain matters to attend to there.

Carry on.

You slept well? Fitfully. And you?

Like a child.

I wanted to thank you.

For what? For holding a mirror up to me.

I shall remember our discussions with fondness.

Despite the distance between us,

there is something we shall share only with each other.

And what is it?

Our solitude.

And the alliance?

No.

You believe you have me weakened me

but, in fact, you have given me back my strength.

I have rediscovered my taste for war

and for victory.

Subtitle transcribed by Uncle Andy