Previously on The Serpent Queen...
I dreamt that Diane died.
And then what?
Then Henri died.
Then you already know the price.
That is a price I am not willing to pay.
We're here on behalf of our niece, Mary Stuart.
The king has forgotten her betrothal
to his son, the dauphin.
Francis will wed when the time is right.
When will that be?
When I am good and ready!
He does not believe the marriage is a good match.
What in God's name
does Henri know about a good marriage?
You've kept me a boy to suit your needs.
If my love has done you harm,
you must send me away.
Madame de Poitiers has business to discuss.
The wedding of the dauphin will go forth as planned.
And may I suggest we invite
the Holy Roman emperor of Spain.
Welcome the man against whom
both you and your father fought multiple wars?
- Are you mad? - France!
Will you joust in the ceremonies today?
It would please me to see you as you were when we first met.
Tell him I saw it in a dream, that he dies
on this course unless he stops now.
Once more.
You are evil, just like they all say.
Oh, come on. No one's watching.
Are you sure you picked the right girl?
Because if you don't take care of this soon,
Mary will certainly find her own way
to remain Queen of France.
You've got a visitor.
Your Majesty.
You were expecting your mistress?
She won't come for you, but perhaps
you've already figured that out by now.
Sit.
I take it I am the last person you expected to see?
I was arrested for entering your chambers
without permission.
I did not think you would care much
about my situation.
No, but I do.
Forgiveness is the basis of God's word,
especially for those who've been led astray
through no fault of their own.
I suspect it was Catherine who sent you to my chambers.
As I suspect her dalliance with the dark arts.
What I lack is proof of either.
Perhaps you could help me find what I'm looking for.
I'm sure you've heard many unflattering things about me.
And now you wonder if you can trust me.
I--I see your dilemma.
But allow me to tell you of my true nature...
so that you might better decide
which side you would like to be on.
I think if you had seen me on my wedding day,
you would begin to understand.
It was a day I thought
just as God had willed it.
Until I realized that there were other...
darker forces at work.
Henri!
Henri.
King Henri's tragic fall came as a surprise
to all except one.
Don't try to speak.
Protect my children.
Protect my children like you've protected me.
You will be here to protect them yourself.
All right? You will be here.
You haven't lost the ability to lie, I see.
Come on!
Fetch it, now.
Let me pass.
Your presence is no longer required, madam.
He needs me.
This is a family matter.
Henri!
No. Please no.
Why did you not stop jousting when I told you to?
Why?
I wanted your dream to come true.
- No. - Because I know wanted it to.
No!
I told you to stop!
You should never have loved me.
What?
I love you still.
Shh...
Then I pity you... as a fool.
A very unfortunate accident.
And on your wedding day.
A day that should be filled with joy,
now marred by tragedy.
The king is strong.
He is certain to survive.
He has a pole in his eye.
At a time like this, we should take comfort in our faith.
Perhaps a prayer?
Yes. Yes.
Lead us, Uncle?
Of course.
Though might not our Bourbon brothers
take offense to our Catholic liturgy, hm?
Uh, today I believe we are all Frenchmen first.
Oh.
I'm very pleased to hear you say so.
In these times of darkness,
we must all reach out towards the light.
For example, I would be more than happy
to promote an alliance with France
to secure the English throne.
If, God forbid,
the king does not survive the night,
and the new Queen...
of France and Scotland
happens also to be the rightful Queen of England.
You see?
Would certainly be convenient.
Ah. Let us kneel.
Really?
I'm not kneeling.
How is my father?
I'm afraid we cannot remove the shrapnel from his eye
without risking his life.
It's all right. It's all right. It's all right.
It's all right, Francis.
Take each breath slowly, yeah?
Remember? Like sipping cold water.
I'm not ready, Mary.
Francis, if it is God's will for you to be king,
you only have to trust in Him to make you ready.
We are by your side.
Let us be your pillars of strength.
And faith.
Lean on us, Francis, and all will be fine.
You... you can lean on us, too, remember.
Like a... like a chair.
- A what? - We're like the...
the legs of a chair.
To sit on, you know.
Sturdy.
Come with me.
Well, you certainly
couldn't have wished for a better time
to work your mischief, could you?
I merely play the pieces as I find them.
This is not a chessboard, Charles.
These people happen to be my family.
And you cannot expect me to participate
in their destruction.
But that's what families do.
Bit by bit,
then all at once.
No one gets out alive.
What is wrong with you?
When you operate on the king,
you must be sure of the outcome.
Of course.
What are the charges?
Murdered his mother while she slept,
set fire to his neighbor's house over a financial dispute,
and impropriety with a child.
Start with him.
No. No, no, no.
No! No!
Wait. Wait!
Please, please. No!
No! Ah!
Get him up.
Now take it out.
- Ah! - Do it!
Next.
No, no, no. Please don't. No, no, no.
This is utter madness.
Mm?
Oh, Catherine.
Excellent news.
The king has recovered.
Come. Come and sit with us.
Come.
The king has recovered.
Um... um, Francis,
your father wants to toast you on your wedding day.
Excellent idea.
Oh.
He must rest.
Nonsense. He's well.
More wine.
- No. - He's--he's well.
He's--he's fine. Ah, you're fine.
Ah...
mm... music!
Um, we must celebrate the miracle.
Ah.
Oh. Oh. Oh.
Um... he's fine.
Ah, maybe Catherine is right.
Eh? You must rest a little.
Eh? Let me hold you.
Oh.
Henri.
There.
Perfect.
Let me hold you. There.
Let me hold you.
There. There. There.
There.
Have some rest.
That is fine.
There is no pulse.
No. He's well.
Tell them.
He's well.
I'm sorry.
No. He's fine.
He's fine.
No.
He's well.
He's well. Ah?
Henri.
No. No.
No, Henri.
You're not dead, my love.
Don't leave me.
Don't leave me alone.
Don't leave me.
Henri.
Catherine.
Help me, cousin.
Help me.
Cousin.
Madame de Poitiers...
the king is dead.
No.
He's not dead.
He's fine.
Please forgive me.
Stay.
Stay with me.
Please.
Henri.
Don't look so glum.
Your ship just came in.
What we had believed to be one of God's miracles
turned out to be a tragedy.
Your mistress wanted to blame her magician
for her husband's death.
But it was her own doing.
You lied to me!
- Ugh. - Ah!
You said I had a choice!
And I chose to keep him alive, and yet he died!
Tell me why he died. Tell me!
Perhaps because he, like me, does not believe in magic.
He knew his death was what you truly wanted.
No!
No, I didn't want it. I didn't!
Yes, you did.
Because you knew in death he would belong to you
as he never had in life.
Ah.
My child.
You wanted to speak with me?
I did. I do.
How is the new king, hm?
Well, he's... overwhelmed by grief.
- Mm. - Understandably.
Well, he's lucky he has you when he's so reduced.
I have sworn my loyalty to him before God.
Nothing can come between us.
- Indeed. - Yes, and on that subject,
I believe that God has chosen you and your husband
for a reason.
Together, we can unite Europe
under the one true faith.
Well, if it is my calling, I shall answer.
Oh, I very much believe it is your calling, Mary,
and I want to help you.
But--but might the other members of the Privy Council
not object to such an alliance?
Yes. They might.
But you must remember that anybody who opposes you
is not to be trusted,
no matter what they profess their beliefs to be.
Yes.
If they oppose me, they oppose the church itself.
Exactly.
The embalmers removed the king's heart.
So I took it.
Drink.
You will be his living tomb.
Hep.
With the death of her husband,
Catherine finally got the revenge
she had so long desired.
You still have me.
I will never leave you.
Don't say things you don't mean.
I should remind you that white
is the traditional color for mourning.
I prefer black.
Reminds people of their loss.
Did Ruggieri tell you that?
He did.
I think it's time you sent Ruggieri back
to where he came from.
Don't you?
He makes you nervous.
He makes me nervous because he appeals
to the darker parts of your nature,
which frighten me far more than he does.
The darker parts of my nature
will always ensure my survival...
...and yours.
Bit too soon to tell, isn't it?
Your father always believed in you.
I know you will do his memory justice.
Thank you, Mother.
I hope you're right.
I don't doubt it.
Grief suits you.
It has enhanced your natural beauty.
I only wish I could stay and...
get to know you better.
Is that an appropriate way to talk to me
at my husband's funeral?
Why not?
You're no longer attached.
And from what I hear,
the marriage wasn't a particularly happy one
to begin with, hm?
I thought I felt a little something between us
at the service.
You were wrong.
In fact, the thought makes me physically ill.
Hm.
What a shame.
The truth is,
I always found funerals...
vaguely erotic.
I think it must be all those big feelings on display, hm?
You know, you're the most intelligent one
in the whole dreary group.
Sadly, you will never see power.
You would have made a worthy adversary.
If I were you, I'd leave France immediately.
You are no longer welcome.
I can only thank God
that these terrible events have disrupted
any treaty negotiations between our two countries.
Oh, on the contrary...
I think you'll find the king's death
has only strengthened your daughter-in-law's determination
to lead a unified, Catholic Europe,
something I have encouraged enthusiastically.
A child with a sense of religious destiny
is like a four-year-old
running around a barn with a lit torch.
I will wind her up
and watch that silly girl
burn this country to the ground.
My only regret is my old friend Francis
will not be here to see my victory.
Well, I will leave you to your grief.
As I said, it suits you.
Find out where Montmorency goes when he's not in court.
He did not cross himself at the end of mass.
As you wish.
Ah, ah, ah...
ah, ah...
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah...
I shouldn't come here anymore.
Why not?
It's not every day you meet someone who likes to take it
exactly the way you like to give it.
It's no small thing, you know.
Not to be sniffed at.
You make too much of sex
and the sensual pleasures in general.
What else is there in a world where you're lucky
to get out of the birth canal alive
and you can drop dead from a head cold at any moment?
Listen.
Things will go badly for you and your brother from now on.
Now, perhaps this makes me weak, but...
I can't afford any confusion of loyalties.
I'm flattered you think confusion is a possibility.
It's not.
You'll regret this.
Despite your best attempts with me,
you almost resemble a human being.
You're not going to get emotional, are you?
I haven't decided.
I might, actually.
Look, it's impossible.
Our families despise each other.
And we're probably related anyway.
Everyone's related!
True.
Goodbye, Antoine.
Good luck.
After the Holy Roman emperor alerted me
to my calling, I knew it was my duty
to put France on the right course.
My first order of business is to discuss the new alliance
between France and the Holy Roman emperor
in order to secure my wife's claim on the English throne.
We are prepared to consider an alliance,
but we'll need to hear the terms.
Quite. We're not writing a blank check.
No, no, no.
I think you're misunderstanding.
The alliance is happening.
It's already been drafted by the king's hand.
Without the approval of his Privy Council?
Seriously, how do you think that will
go over with the Protestants?
Interesting you say that.
What exactly is going on here?
- Yeah. - France has decided
to take her place in history.
Think is absurd. Montmorency, tell them.
Montmorency has no part in this.
The emperor has agreed
to pledge his troops to our cause,
forging a mighty alliance that will strike terror
in the hearts of every last infidel,
in exchange for a reassurance of our religious purity.
And how do you propose we do that, child?
A decree that makes Protestantism illegal
on French soil.
I-Is this a joke?
Francis, this is not wise.
It's fucking lunacy, is what it is.
Are you behind this? 'Cause it's not fucking funny.
I'm not laughing.
Listen to me, Francis.
The Holy Roman emperor plagued your grandfather's reign.
He imprisoned and tortured your father and uncle
when they were children.
You cannot trust him.
Fucking...
Forgive me, Mother, if I'm not swayed by your advice.
But you never had much to say to me before.
Why should our relationship change now?
And yet, in this case,
your mother happens to be right.
This is a very dangerous road you're going down.
The righteous path is always rife with danger.
Francis, I'm your mother,
and I only want to protect you.
Yet you left that to others in the past.
Never my choice.
May I just say that we're not cruel.
Hm? In fact,
due to the Bourbons' loyal service to the crown,
we have decided to give them the opportunity
to renounce their Protestantism
and recommit themself to the Catholic faith.
- After paying a hefty fee. - And I'd be really,
really happy to take your confession.
- What, now? - Yes.
I'm sorry, but why is a virgin who has never read anything
but children's stories talking to me?
I told you before not to speak to her like that.
I won't tell you again.
- Shut up. - This will mean war.
In which case, you will honor your king in battle.
Then you won't renounce, hm?
Fuck off.
Fine.
Sign it.
You are now in violation of a royal decree.
And what are you going to do, arrest us?
Hm, banishment seems more appropriate.
- Does it not, my king? - Yes.
- Banishment. - You can't do this.
I think you'll find we just have.
Uh, guards, please see the Princes of the Blood
out of the palace at once.
Where are we supposed to go?
Siberia. I hear they've got clean air.
You have made a terrible mistake.
On the contrary, your son
will be the savior of Catholic Europe.
- Go. - You bitch.
Hey, you get your hands off me!
Fucking bitch.
Just get them out.
I fucked your mother!
I fucked her good and hard. And you know what?
You were right. She likes it fucking rough!
I will maim you.
You're next, you fat fuck.
Ah!
- Enough? - Fuck.
I can still taste her sweet Catholic cunt.
Get them out.
Having signed the proclamation,
we wasted no time in our efforts to rid the kingdom
of the Protestant menace.
What do you want?
We are arresting him on suspicions of Protestantism.
He's not a Protestant. Are you?
What's a Protestant?
Let him go, or you answer to the Queen Mother.
We are acting on the orders of the king.
I never doubted my husband, the king's,
dedication to the church.
But I knew his mother's influence could be dangerous
unless she were brought over to our cause.
Your Majesty, to what do I owe this honor?
I believe I see the light of Lord, our savior, in you.
Mm?
He is known to be close to the afflicted.
Really?
That's not been my experience.
Then perhaps you have not found the right path.
What did you have in mind?
Your mistress has a magician in her retinue.
Rumor has it, he has lured her over to the dark arts,
and you disapprove.
Even if that were true...
I don't see why I would tell you.
The laws are very strict
when it comes to heresy of any kind,
and I would hate to see your mistress led astray.
So if you come see me with the information I need,
I will make sure you don't suffer
for your mistress' crimes.
Are we understood?
Good.
Aabis?
I need your help.
I'm not in much of a position
to help anyone, I'm afraid.
They took my apprentice,
arrested him for heresy.
Well, so get a new one.
I happen to need him.
Why?
What makes him so special?
He has no one else in the world.
And he's attached himself to me.
I'll see what I can do.
What was that about?
Nothing that concerns you.
I have the information you asked for.
Tell me.
First I have my future to think about.
What is it that you want?
I want my freedom,
away from court and all the power plays
that consume you so much.
Do you think I enjoy this game?
I think what you claim to do out of necessity
brings you more pleasure than you'd like to admit.
Now that Henri is dead and your children are grown,
you could leave court,
live in peaceful obscurity.
But you won't.
You'll say it is for France,
but I know better.
How sad.
My dearest and oldest friend...
...how little you know of me.
You sure about that?
I suggest you do not underestimate me.
Never.
"Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster
"to bring us unto Christ,
that we might be justified by faith."
"But after that faith is come,
"we are no longer under a schoolmaster.
"For ye are all the children of God
"by faith in Christ Jesus.
"For as many of you as have been baptized...
Dangerous pastime these days.
"There is no longer Jew or Greek..."
I wonder what would possess you.
Have you really found God?
Thank you.
Not today.
Mmm. It's the girl, isn't it?
Not in the way you mean.
Thank you.
She changed my life,
gave me a purpose.
The only pure thing I've ever seen in this world.
Like a true Christian.
Thank you.
What is it you want?
Same thing that you do,
peace.
A future where a girl like that
need not be afraid for her life.
Help me restore balance to the country.
You know it as well as I do.
It is what King Francis taught us.
You, perhaps. Me, he sent away.
And I'm calling you back.
Because France needs you.
Unless you're prepared to be the next person Mary hangs.
Everyone dies of something.
Is a hanging any worse than another?
What about the girl?
And everyone else in here?
Protect them.
Help me show my son reason.
You used to be a man of action.
It's time to act.
Your poor mother.
You know, it'll break her heart when she finds out.
When I think of the sacrifices she made for you.
Perhaps we could tell her we're just, uh,
- coming home to visit. - Yeah.
It's only a matter of time.
She'll hear about it in the village.
The way those women like to natter on.
They'll love to lord it over us with this.
The Bourbon boys in exile.
Well, we all have to face facts eventually.
You had one job: maintain influence.
And you couldn't manage it.
It's true. We're failures.
I can barely comprehend how it happened.
Can't you, Louis?
Well, I can.
You're Princes of the Blood,
and you let yourself be outmaneuvered
by a family of pig fuckers!
- Sorry, Daddy. - Sorry, Daddy.
We are not pigs
that get fucked!
We are the Bourbons!
And we do the fucking!
No. I've made up my mind.
You can't come home. I won't allow it.
I didn't spend my whole life working
to have you two underfoot.
Well, where the hell are we supposed to go?
I don't know. Let's have a think.
There's always Navarre.
You happen to be King there, Antoine.
- Oh... - I can't. I--
Protestantism is the state religion.
And last time I checked, you had a wife there too.
She's awful.
I mean, I fucking hate Navarre.
No music, no wine. The food is shit.
Yeah, it is.
Right, I'm giving you two weeks.
Then I don't care where you go.
I'm not going to Navarre.
- I can't. - No, you can't.
- Who's that? - I don't know.
Then again...
there may be another option after all.
Ah, Montmorency,
to what do we owe the honor of your visit?
We need you to return to court,
to reclaim your rightful seats on the Privy Council,
with all your titles and holdings restored.
We'd like nothing better,
but how do you propose we do that?
We're exiles, on the run.
Without a purpose in life.
About to join the trash heap of history.
You must forgive my younger son.
He is having something of an existential crisis.
Pay him no mind.
But seriously, do you have a plan?
Yes.
Separate the king from Mary's influence.
He worships her, if you hadn't noticed.
And that is why the separation must be made by force.
Some time alone with his Protestant uncles
to remind him of the benefits of religious tolerance.
Sounds quite practical.
Thank you, Antoine.
You are, if I'm not mistaken,
talking about kidnapping the king.
There is nothing remotely practical about it.
Yeah. If the Guises find out, they will declare war.
The Guises will not find out.
The king will be seized
by unknown Protestant militants.
You will negotiate his release,
kill the militants,
and return him unharmed as an act of patriotism,
and therefore proving to the French people
that the Protestants have the best interests
of the king at heart.
Sounds risky to me.
Well, you could always go live in Navarre.
Oh, God, no.
Though it seems very likely that Mary
and the Holy Roman emperor will set their sights
on the Protestant kingdom before long.
Father, what do you think?
Montmorency,
if my sons separate the king from his wife,
will his eyes be opened?
Frankly, I'm not sure.
I don't believe in him the way his mother does,
but it might be your only chance.
All right.
It's bold. It's risky.
From one point of view, it's profoundly stupid.
From another... inspired.
Because the people are angry.
And if we manage to pull this off,
we could win their hearts and minds and perhaps...
come out on top after all.
I like it.
And if it doesn't work, I'm fucking converting back.
So how--
how does one kidnap a king?
In a few days' time,
the king will travel with a limited escort
through the forest near Chambord.
During the journey, his carriage will be exposed.
How do you know that?
Because I will make it so.
It has come to my attention
that we have not rooted out
all of the Protestants in France.
There is, in fact, a secret cell
practicing the heathen faith
not far from where we sit right now.
Its members may even include certain...
high-ranking court officials.
The location of this secret cell
has been delivered to me
through a trusted source.
We must punish these traitors at once.
Mary, I must caution you--
Queen Mary, Uncle,
or Your Majesty, if you prefer.
Your Majesty,
too much blood's been spilled already.
It's possible to push the people too far.
They've seen their countrymen hanging from trees.
Now, it's one thing to arrest wealthy Protestants
and another to continually attack the peasantry.
I think our point has been made.
Well, I'm not interested in making a point.
I'm interested in ridding France of every last infidel,
no matter where I find them,
because the future of Europe depends on it.
The people will not question the policy...
if they know the king himself is firmly behind it.
Yes.
Well said.
I did not expect your support.
But we are glad for it.
Are we not, my king?
Hm?
- Yes. - Indeed.
We must find a way to demonstrate
the king's commitment to the new policy.
All right, then. Here's what we'll do.
Me and my brother will go and visit
this secret sect ourselves.
We will see to it.
No.
No. The king should lead us
and confront the infidels himself,
because that sends a message-- a clear message.
That's right, but the problem is--
I'm not sure the king is up to it.
Exactly.
Do not doubt his resolve.
I want the people to know where I stand on this issue.
And they do.
I-it's true, my breathing sometimes gives me difficulty,
but I am not feeble.
Of course, Your Majesty.
But this is a very, very dangerous situation.
With all due respect, the king is sick.
No. The king is fine.
He--
Francis, it's all right, hm?
It's all right. Yeah?
Mm?
Yeah?
You're all right.
I am well.
He is well.
You know, perhaps it is your resolve
that should be questioned, hm?
It has been said that even the Catholic Church
is not free of heretics, and I warn you,
I will leave no stone unturned.
You are either with us, or you are against us.
We are with you.
Of course.
Come, Francis.
Okay, what are you playing at?
He is in no condition to do something like this.
True.
But he has God on his side.
You better know what you're doing.
'Cause our niece is out of fucking control,
- if you hadn't noticed. - Just leave it to me.
I'll manage it.
That's what I'm worried about.
Another one puffed up by Mother...
and now the Holy Roman emperor.
Mary thinks she's Joan of fucking Arc.
Francis...
...I must ask you to reconsider your alliance
with the Holy Roman emperor.
And why would he do that?
Hm?
We've been over this.
Francis, please.
I must ask you to reconsider
before we reach our destination.
Or what happens at our destination, Mother?
I just don't want to see anything
happen to you, that's all.
Is that a threat?
Of course not.
You doubt my ability to lead, don't you?
You have never believed in me the way Father did
or the way Mary does.
She has always been there for me.
We can discuss all of that later,
if you will only listen to me now.
No wonder father loved Diane.
You could never give him the love he needed.
You were cold. I have felt it all my life.
Possessed of the black heart, just as they say.
You know, I've even wondered if it's
the blackness in your heart
that caused me to be born so sickly,
if that's the real reason they call you the Serpent Queen.
Francis. It's all right.
Help, help, help. Please.
Please, please, help.
Please. Please. Francis.
Indirectly or not, I believe Catherine was responsible
for what happened to my husband, the king.
Well, now you know why you must choose my side.
Thank you for opening my eyes.
I feel my soul cleansed.
I wrote to my cousin in England asking for help.
If there's one thing that can unite us,
it is our hatred of that common queen.
I believe Catherine
has intercepted her letter in return.
I need it back.
You can find it.
Can I count on you?
It would be my honor
to help you rid France of the Serpent Queen.
Good.
Find him, and bring him to me.
Move, posthaste.
Yes, Your Majesty.
I didn't hear you come in.
I came as soon as I could.
Queen Mary let you go.
Why?
I told her a pack of lies about you.
Now she trusts me.
She even gave me this dress.
I'm not surprised.
You're a clever girl.
Are you angry with me?
Of course not.
You are my friend.
Indeed.
And you have learned a valuable lesson,
that a queen never lacks a legitimate reason
to break a promise.
Shall I prepare you a bath?
How thoughtful.
♪ You must leave now ♪
♪ Take what you need ♪
♪ You think will last ♪
♪ But whatever you wish To keep ♪
♪ You'd better grab it fast ♪
♪ Yonder stands your orphan ♪
♪ With his gun ♪
♪ Crying like a fire ♪
♪ In the sun ♪
♪ Look out ♪
♪ The saints are coming through ♪
♪ And it's all over now ♪
♪ Baby blue ♪
♪ And it's all over now ♪
♪ Baby blue ♪