Original subtitles

This is Hattusa,

the capital of the Hittite Empire in the 14th century BCE.

This is the story of a girl who rides the sultry winds

across the vast stretches of Anatolia.

The wind blows strong, kicking up the dry sand.

The wind blows hot,

and I live under these skies,

RED RIVER

on the banks of the red river.

THE APPOINTED TIME

The Appointed Time.

Holy Ishtar!

It's Holy Ishtar!

Yuri!

Kail, we must apprehend the king and the prince.

Don't be rash, uncle!

Why do you falter? You're willing to sacrifice victory for that girl?

The men who have fought for you all these months won't accept that.

Now, make way for us.

If you don't, Ishtar will die.

Our troops are letting him pass?

Yes. For Yuri.

Yuri!

Brother!

Clear a path.

Holy Ishtar is ours now.

Say that again.

We vow to reclaim her.

Kail.

The king and I expanded what was a small kingdom in Anatolia

into the great empire we know today.

However, we believe it is you who will build on our legacy.

You have the aptitude to be the next king.

Zannanza would lead the imperial guards.

And you have men to serve as your council of ministers.

If you had a queen, everything would be perfect.

It's a shame that girl lacks the proper pedigree.

Prince Kail, what do we do now?

We pursue them, of course.

We only have four months to return Yuri to her home.

She will not become queen, whatever her pedigree.

It's almost four months since the Prince of Darkness took refuge in Carchemish.

The end of our wet season approaches.

A dreadful predicament.

Yuri will miss her chance to return home.

Your Highnesses. His Majesty the King has arrived with his army.

Kail. I see the Mitanni have barricaded themselves here.

Yes, and I apologize.

We allowed the king to flee after we captured their capital.

I originally anticipated a drawn-out war.

But thanks to your prowess, we have driven them here in less than a year.

Sire.

This fortified city will run out of provisions in three months or less.

You'd do well to maintain the siege.

No, I'll finish everything in five days.

Say again? Can you do it?

Yes, sire.

If we send an assassin into the city, we need only slay the king and his prince.

With those two gone, the Mitanni will crumble.

Smoke from the burning of corpses.

That means scores of people are starving to death.

If they lose their leaders, the soldiers will surrender.

But how do we slip in an assassin?

We're still working on that.

Very well.

I shall leave command of the front line in your hands. Do as you please.

All I ask is that I may witness the end of King Tushratta.

Sire.

Your Highness.

There is no need to rush. Carchemish will fall if we stand our ground.

Then we can retrieve Lady Yuri without any trouble.

But then Yuri can't go home.

Yes. You can officially espouse her instead.

What?

I believe you will have recognized her qualities by now.

If you wed her, she will become queen.

When I took Yuri as my concubine, you were adamantly against the idea.

Indeed, but I didn't know how remarkable Lady Yuri would turn out to be.

You have long searched for a princess who was fit to be your queen.

One who displays aptitude, prudence, presence of mind,

and other qualities required of a leader.

You've found all of that in her.

True, Yuri may become the ideal queen, unrivaled in the annals.

But I made a vow to her that I would send her home.

She's not meant to be in these lands in the first place.

She was not meant to encounter me, nor all of us, for that matter.

It's best to treat her as someone who never existed from the outset.

More dead from hunger?

I suggest you eat while there's still food.

Seriously, what's the endgame here?

Your soldiers are dying, and you're completely surrounded.

Or are you waiting for her?

Do you believe your sister will send backup from Egypt?

What are you doing? Get away from me!

You also wait endlessly for the day you return to that man.

Of course I do.

Most captured women learn to adapt to their new circumstances within a month.

But if I were able to take possession of your heart,

I wonder how you and that man would react.

You have it?

Prince Kail, I implore you to get some rest.

We'll find a way to send in an assassin.

Sorry for my agitation.

But it'll soon be too late to send Yuri home.

I bring word. A woman claiming to be the Prince of Darkness's concubine is here.

I beg of you.

Please allow me passage to the prince.

Denied. Consort or no, we won't let you cross to the enemy's side.

Father, your pardon.

This lady is the younger sister of my dear stepmother.

Perhaps it's appropriate to grant her an exception?

What?

As a consort, she is trailed by several handmaidens.

We can use them as cover to sneak in our assassin.

Parley with the Mitanni immediately!

Prince Kail! They've agreed to allow entry to Lady Nadia.

Really?

Good. I shall infiltrate the city.

I'll go, too.

Only one will go.

Even disguised, a group will raise more suspicion.

Then I'll go, since I'm the best with a blade.

I'll slay the king and the Prince of Darkness.

No. I will infiltrate the city.

Your Highness! You can't!

Let us take the risk!

Brother, do you plan to take back Yuri yourself?

Don't tell our father.

Why, Lady Nadia. I am glad you are well.

Please follow us.

Where is the prince?

Inside the fortress.

We've prepared a room for you, so you can wait there.

Are you a handmaiden fleeing the palace?

We were also planning to abscond from the city.

How about it? Want to leave with us?

Oh? Then I'm glad I found you.

Could you turn around and guide me instead?

The Eye of Illuyanka.

The legends say it can manipulate people's souls.

Oh, come on. You don't feel anything for me!

You must be crazy to use mind control on me just to get back at the prince.

And? What of it?

Still, I do want to see his expression

when he discovers the woman he mobilized an entire nation for

has already lain with me, his sworn enemy.

This is strange.

There are too few soldiers, even if many have starved to death.

Why is the security so lax when the king and crown prince are here?

His Majesty and His Highness are located through here.

We'll take our leave now.

Not so fast. Take me to the Prince of Darkness's room.

Spare us any more of this.

We must leave this place now!

What?

You're on your own from here!

Don't get ensnared by what's coming.

Hey!

What did they mean?

N-No.

Don't... Don't do this.

Your Highness! Trouble!

What's this about?

The guards have—

Well, if it isn't the Prince of Darkness.

Our soldiers die of hunger, and here you are with a woman?

Officers of the royal guard?

Is this an attempt at revolting? Surely you jest.

Would a "jest" involve this?

Father!

Your Highness, you will join him in death.

If we hand the Hittites your head, their army will lift this horrid siege,

and no one else will die!

Get him!

You're dead!

Highness!

Nadia!

Miss Nadia!

R-Retreat!

Your Highness, are you unharmed?

Nadia, why?

Your Highness, let's get away from here.

The kingdom doesn't matter, as long as you're alive and well.

I'll be with you forever, Your Highness.

Or do you still pine for your sister?

Are you unable to forget Princess Tatukia?

My sister.

Matti! Matti!

Father, why have you traded my sister for gold?

Silence. Won't you celebrate your sister's betrothal?

Father, have you lost your pride as a Mitanni?

Enough of your impudence!

Matti!

Take this!

I love you, Matti. Be well.

Sister!

Your Highness, let us leave for my home in Babylonia.

I can ensure your safety there.

You see? You've already captured somebody's heart.

She's always been there for you, but you simply chose to ignore her.

Nadia, will you have me even if I've lost my kingdom and status?

Of course. I'll follow you anywhere.

Very well.

Yuri. I will allow you to return to Mursili.

Take this. It will serve as a warrant allowing your passage.

Uh, thank you.

Tell Kail Mursili this:

"I'll be watching very closely to see how you rule the known world."

Prince of Darkness...

What now?

I have to get out, but where am I?

No! Let go!

I have something! I'm actually—

I know.

Prince Kail?

Oh, Yuri. I've missed you so.

Prince.

I've missed you, too.

Hittite dog!

Can't you see I'm busy here? Save it for later.

You louse—

Honestly. We can't even enjoy our reunion in peace.

Prince, King Tushratta was killed.

I've heard about the king.

Right. And the Prince of Darkness has abandoned his kingdom.

Where has he gone?

To Babylonia. Will we chase him?

If that man had violated you against your will, I would've had his head,

pursuing him to the ends of the earth to take it.

But as it is, I don't care about a man with no country.

We must make haste.

We can waste no more days if we are to return you home as promised.

I almost forgot. Reuniting with him means I'm going home.

I know that, and I've made up my mind.

Lady Yuri.

I'm glad you're well.

Kash, saddle horses for Yuri and me. And a change of horses, too.

Lady Yuri, are you truly going to return home?

Yeah. I can't keep my family waiting.

I see.

Kikkuri, come with me.

Pardon me?

Praise be that we were able to find Lady Yuri in time.

Now she's able to return to her homeland. Fortune shines upon her. Don't you agree?

I-I do. If she had been held for a few more days,

she would've had to stay with us for another year.

Are you sure it was wise to let Urhi overhear us?

Yes. He'll be up to something, I'm sure.

That's bad for us.

We will let him.

I say we allow him to be useful for once.

Zannanza, you will take command.

I'll head back to Hattusa ahead of the troops.

Of course.

Yuri. By the time I make it back, you will already be gone.

Thank you, prince, for everything.

We ride!

This doesn't feel real.

But I should be happy that I'm going home.

Before I fall even deeper in love with him...

Before I have to watch him marry someone else, I'm going home.

I can give up on him now.

After one long year, I can go home and forget about him.

Mom. Dad. Sis. Eimi.

I'm coming home and everything will be back to normal.

What's going on?

Must be a fire.

What is this?

What's the holdup? We need to make haste. Let us pass!

Forgive us, Highness, but the bridge is impassable.

Then find a vessel! There must be rafts to cross the river!

Alas, the rafts are also aflame.

We've sent for replacement timber, but it will take seven days to get here.

Seven days?

Can't you speed it up?

We can't. It's at least a seven-day journey to the nearest forest and back.

How could something like this happen?

Lord Urhi was the last to cross, and everything was fine then.

Did you say "Urhi"?

Him again.

We must not allow that man free rein anymore.

So I'm not going home?

I have to stay here for another year?

I'd even made up my mind.

Mom. Dad. Everybody.

Another year with her?

Will I be ready to let go of Yuri when that time comes?

Lookee, lookee!

How do I look? I dressed up for the victory celebration.

Lady Yuri, please hold still for us.

We just need to put on this tiara now.

Yuri.

If you're ready, we'll leave for the temple.

Sure. You got it. Let's get a move on.

This party's in your honor, right? So you can't be late.

Lady Yuri.

She must be...

...putting on an act.

Prince Kail!

Long live Ishtar!

Long live the king!

Kail, your performance for our campaign was outstanding.

All know you're the one most responsible for our victory over the Mitanni.

And you are Yuri, correct?

You have truly bestowed Ishtar's blessings upon us.

We shall celebrate your deeds as well.

Thank you, Your Majesty.

We lost many warriors in the battle for our empire, including Zuida.

Uncle.

It was a stray arrow, they say. So unfortunate.

Who will fill the opening as chief of the imperial guards?

It will have to be Prince Kail, given his military exploits.

Queen Nakia appeared vexed.

I'd expect no less on hearing the praise for Prince Kail and Lady Yuri.

Yuri, you must be exhausted.

Let's return to my palace.

Sure. Why not?

Kikkuri, I'll go get the horses ready for us!

Ah, no, you shouldn't!

Your Highness, you must be gentle with women. And sincere.

Easy for you to say.

Yuri will leave these lands one day.

I don't want her to stay and be unhappy just to satisfy my own desires.

Oh? Are you saying you lack the ability to make a woman happy?

What?

If you truly cherish Lady Yuri,

won't you keep her here, love her,

and make her happy enough to forget her former world?

I could make Yuri...

so happy she forgets all about where she came from?

What now?

Do I keep avoiding the prince for an entire year?

But do I have any other choice?

Apart from living with him, smiling with him,

and spending time together for another year, what do I do?

Pharaoh!

Please wake up, King Tutankhamun!

Someone must've poisoned him!

Watch what you say, Ankhesenamen.

Mother.

You never bore the pharaoh a child.

To maintain the dynasty, we must get you remarried immediately.

I will never marry a retainer. Nor any Egyptian, for that matter.

Because one of them may have killed my husband!

TRANSLATION: GAD ONYENEHO

TIMING: KRZYSZTOF KUNC EDITING: SMR

QUALITY CONTROL: ALICIA ASHBY TRANSLATION CHECK: DAVID SAYLOR

A LETTER FROM EGYPT