"Who did this to you?" "~ What did he say?" "~ Saint Toribio." "It is very humiliating for a king to have to borrow from the nobility." "You'll spend the night here and tomorrow at the last minute you'll go to the Convent of the Barefoot Carmelites." "Basilio!" "Basilio, man!" "The king's men would never suspect such vulgar pieces of ceramic." "Have you learned anything?" "Yeah." "Saint Toribio is the name of an old smithy." "It would be absurd to fall in love with a girl whose destiny is to become a nun." "Cardinal Mendoza?" "Nuño, no one can thwart his Majesty's desires." "Off the horse!" "What do you want?" "The money you took from me after leaving me half dead in the cell." "~ I got a job for you." "~ Where?" "In the Marquesa's palace." "If she finds me working there she'll kill me, followed rather quickly by you!" "I'm Fernando Álvarez de Toledo." "~ The Duke?" "~ The Duke de Alba." "Have you ever fallen for someone knowing she wasn't for you?" "In chess, as in life, if you quit, you'll never win." "Do you want to work for me?" "~ Look, I already have a Master, he..." "~ I'm offering you an advisory position." "Take her to the carriage." "What a load of crap!" "I don't have a fucking job and you get two!" "I still have very little strength, but before dying..." "I want to make him pay for what he did to me and my children." "None of the old bags we searched had the grail." "Look in every corner: hospitals, shacks, she must show up." "Is anything wrong with you?" "What I really want is to be respected." "You must go, it's best for you." "If I see you here again, I'll have you hanged." "You don't leave me any choice but to clarify who is the lady and who is the maid." "You'll receive twenty lashes." "Please, your Excellency, I need that job, I'm as good as Saturno Garcia!" "And I've never been in jail!" "You totally screwed up the only chance I'll ever have in my life!" "If you had not stolen the king's gold, my fortune would not have suffered so great a loss,... so I think the fairest thing is that I keep it myself." "Next time, don't leave me outside of something like that." "The Duke's messenger has brought this for you." "He says I deserve a second chance." "If you decide to give a costume to the new squire of the Red Eagle..." "I'll never have another squire." "God, forgive me." "Turnips, carrots, potatoes,..." "Potatoes?" "No, Gonzalo, I can't believe you forgot to buy them." "Sorry, it got by me." "I can't get it into my head how you can memorize the exploits of El Cid in chapter and verse... and not be able to remember what to buy for home." "Well, Margarita, I know, I'm a man." "I remember some things and not others." "Don't ask anything more of me." "A man?" "Well, Sátur's a man and he wouldn't forget." "Well, Margarita, not wanting to offend,..." "If we have to start comparing, your porridge this morning wasn't up to Sátur's standard." "~ My porridge?" "~ Yes, your porridge." "Well, tomorrow you're going to eat at the inn." "~ Well, maybe I will." "~ Oh, really?" "I'm really glad that you didn't go." "Help!" "Help!" "Help!" "Help!" ""Dear Lucretia, I can't wait to spend tonight with you." ""I'll expect you at Aranjuez palace at eight sharp." "Yours truly, Felipe."" "Madam, excuse me, the gown you wanted." "I think it shrank over the last wash." "No, Catalina, it's fine." "And come on, move, my aunt's expecting me at the convent at eight and she hates tardiness." "Marta, help with luggage, see if it can be ready this year." "If you're going to a convent to care for an elderly woman, I don't view that nightgown as suitable." "Listen, that's not your concern." "Go on, push off!" "God, that girlie!" "A letter from his Majesty for the Marquesa." "Very well." "Ma'am, there's a letter from the royal palace." ""An indisposition forces me to stay in bed." "Felipe IV, King of Spain."" "Unpack the luggage." "My robe." "~ You may retiree, Catalina." "~ Yes, Ma'am." "I'm grooming myself, Hernán." "You're annoying me." "Are you so desperate for peeping?" "I have a wife, Lucrecia." "You don't want to compare yourself with a woman much younger than you." "What's so funny?" "Not an hour the watch spotted the king on the road to Aranjuez,... and he was accompanied not by his doctor, exactly, but by the beautiful Elvira de Sopeña." "Elvira de Sopeña?" "What's she doing here?" "She returned from Greece when she was widowed." "She must be desolate." "No doubt looking for royal comfort." "Hernán, gossip is a common people's thing." "That's why you like gossip so much." "Lucrecia." "Catalina!" "Catalina!" "Ma'am." "Tomorrow I'll host a hunt in honor of Elvira de Sopeña." "~ Excuse me, Ma'am, tomorrow?" "~ Yes, tomorrow, the day after today." "The Contessa will have an unforgettable welcome." "Yes, Ma'am, by your leave." "Here." "I think this will help you out." "What happened?" "Nothing, he was fishing, he slipped and fell into the river." "Well, come on, if it happened to you in the open sea, you don't get to tell us about it." "Right." "Can you help me water the horses?" "I'm not enough a man even to kill myself." "When I was down there all I wanted was get out of the water, whatever it would take." "Cipri, the brave thing is to stay alive." "Look, the best you can do now is go to bed." "You'll see how tomorrow everything will seem much clearer." "No, Gonzalo, tomorrow I will remain a shit out of work and with nothing to do in this life." "No, Cipri, trust me." "Go lie down." "Right now I'll make something hot for you." "You'll see how it suits you." "You're going to feed me?" "In fact..." "I don't even want to breathe." "Let me be your servant, please." "Cipri, that can't be." "You already have a profession, you're an innkeeper." "Please Gonzalo, I need to feel I can make my own living!" "To feel like..." "I could support a family, please!" "Cipri, listen, we'll find something." "I'll help you." "Meanwhile, know that while you're here, you won't miss any food or bed." "Cipri, I'm your friend, not your Master." "But don't you understand?" "I don't want charity, I want work." "I want to earn things myself!" "I have to!" "We also need a hunting dress, and one for a gala." "Oh, and a pair of tights, I've always wanted to have a couple of pair to change." "Don't worry, two of each." "And I see that I left over enough fabric to make a suit for a child." "Not for me, for the son of my old Master." "Two, decimal point, one." "Leave it, let me, man, I'll hold this!" "~ Three." "~ This is a bad habit rather than a profession." "Now you go after the other one?" "I'd say they would indeed be the same length!" "~ Or not." "~ There we go, end of story." "Would you imagine, the guy, so dirty...?" "I see that you're gradually getting to know the service." "How's it going with your new life?" "Everything's fine, sir." "Well, all right except for the tailor, who jabbed me there, in the rocks." "Listen, Sátur: tomorrow, we we're having a high level meeting in this very room." "Fine, Master." "Tomorrow I'll be right here, on the nail." "I just wanted to say that I didn't want you present." "We'll be talking about completely secret military matters." "Fine." "Well, such things are beyond my competence." "Fair enough." "Really, sir, I know it's difficult to trust someone completely, especially in such a short period of time... but I'd certainly like to be useful." "And I can guard a secret, you know?" "All right, you can come attend me, but on one condition: you listen and keep your mouth shut." "And excuse me, sir...could you give me a clue, something to get started on..." "Let's try once and for all end the war in Portugal." "But remember: all that is spoken within these walls has to stay here." "And the punishment for treason is death." "I'll be as quiet as a tomb." "At what age do you think Columbus started sailing?" "Who was Columbus?" "Father told us about him the other day in class, he discovered America." "Look, when my father was just a little older than I am, he went to Asia." "And your father works for the king, and Sátur works for the Duke of Alba, but what about me?" "If I don't move from here I'll never get anywhere." "But we use to go to the river a lot." "But that's not what I mean, Gabi." "I want to be a great mariner." "To roam the oceans, to discover new lands, and when I get back here, to be everybody's hero." "I want to be a hero, too." "They're recruiting soldiers for a naval expedition to go from Vigo to Portugal,... and they're seeking cabin boys." "We could sign up!" "Right!" "But Alonso, our fathers won't let us go." "And who told you we have to ask them?" "We won't say a thing and it's a done deal." "Sebastián!" "What?" "Go on, back to the armory, inspect the harquebuses." "Do you think that we'll kill the quail with stones?" "Get it together!" "Marta, how many times do I have to tell you to put the fatty food at the bottom?" "If you don't, they'll drip on everything and ruin it." "Oh, dear, forgive me!" "Daughter, what bothers me is that the Marquesa could have organized something simple instead,... a quiet meal at home, but no, it has to be a hunt!" "And she just gives me a night's notice!" "Fuck!" "Is it true that Elvira de Sopeña is the most beautiful woman in Europe?" "It must be, because they say she just looks at men and they become spellbound." "Are the partridge pies ready?" "Yes, Ma'am, they're in the baskets." "Are you looking for something, Ma'am?" "The baskets, Catalina, what are you waiting for to get them out?" "Let's go, Marta, let's go." "By your leave, Ma'am." "Take that." "Ma'am." "For God's sake, Catalina, I'm going to have you wear a bell so I can keep track of where you're going!" "Ma'am, excuse me, I came just in case you needed my help." "~ So I'll just see how you're arranging everything, whether the horses are groomed." "~ I'll go with you." "There's no need, Catalina, and stop following me around everywhere, you're not my shadow." "It's that groom, Ma'am, he's kind of confused lately,... and I'm sure that when you show up, he'll be totally befuddled, so let me go with you." "Don't be insolent, I said no." "She's pretty impossible this morning!" "Marta!" "Marta!" ""Three young offenders will be publicly burned in the Plaza of Justice for hunting hares in the Gardens of Buen Retiro."" "Not too much oil on the stakes." "I want those starvelings to burn slowly." "Let everyone learn what it means to rob the king's gardens." "I'll be back with you in an hour." "You're not going to leave us, Commissioner?" "In an hour you can catch a lot." "Well, that depends on the skill of the hunter." "Don't underestimate me, Contessa." "Commissioner, Ma'am." "The Marquesa has fainted, she won't be able to join the hunt." "Is she all right?" "Yes, sir, we were given a big scare when we saw her down there in the gardens,... but fortunately she was just overcome by the heat." "~ Maybe we should suspend the hunt." "~ No, sir, under no circumstances!" "The Madam has ordered you to please continue to enjoy hunting,... she will join you at lunch." "~ Catalina." "~ Commissioner, by your leave." "Ma'am." "Contessa, you've got yourself a fine horse there." "I hope it calms down after the first few steps." "I am sure it will." "I have understood that you are an excellent horsewoman." "Oh, really?" "Your fame precedes you." "But let me be the first one to mount it." "Maybe he saw a mare and he's uneasy for that reason." "My spurs will straighten him out." "We have spent too long and lost too many dead trying to defeat the Portuguese." "The troops are demoralized." "We must change the strategy." "Deceive the enemy." "Admiral." "Sir: we will lead the Portuguese high command to believe we're preparing an attack on Portuguese shipping with all our troops." "When the false report reaches the Portuguese they'll put all of their battalions in front of us,... at that time that we'll be able to cross the frontier without any problems." "They'll have no time to react." "The Portuguese will then discover that of all our ships... only one galleon comes, scarcely armed." "But then, this means that those men won't know they're going to certain death." "Have you hired a nun of the Charitable Sisters?" "That's all for today, gentlemen." "Let me go, I'm no thief!" "Sátur, Sátur, tell them to release me!" "Alonso, what are you doing here?" "Let him go, I know him." "Nothing, I wanted to spend some time with you." "Yeah, but before coming you should be announced, Alonso, I'm very busy." "~ Announce myself?" "~ Announce yourself, yes." "~ I'll have to ask for an appointment to see you?" "~ Sure." "Sátur, it's me!" "And I won't be able to come any other day!" "But why wouldn't you be able to come?" "As long as you ask for an appointment, you can come whenever you want." "Sir, the Duke seeks your presence." "~ I have to leave you, Alonso." "~ But, Sátur..." "Give him an appointment." "But I can't see him now." "Madam Marquesa!" "Ma'am, an accident!" "~ Ma'am!" "~ Come in." "~ Ma'am, something horrible has happened." "~ What would that be?" "~ Doña Elvira's horse bolted..." "~ Don't tell me she died." "~ No, Ma'am." "~ Hernán!" "My horse was nervous, he mounted him to calm him down and it threw him down." "Call the doctor, quick!" "Yes, Ma'am." "Go on." "Go on, summon a doctor." "Hernán, Hernán, can you hear me?" "Can you hear me?" "~ No response!" "~ Now." "He has to." "~ Hernán." "~ Ma'am." "~ Ma'am, take this." "~ He's breathing." "Hernán, breathe." "That's it, that's it." "Are you all right?" "Can you move?" "~ I'm fine." "~ Are you sure." "It's better if you wait for the doctor." "Are you deaf, Irene?" "I said I'm fine." "It was just an unfortunate fall from a horse." "What's with all the drama?" "Where are you going, Hernán?" "I have a lot of work to do." "Clemency, clemency!" "Shut them up at once." "Burn them." "Yes, sir." "Please, pity!" "This is what happens to those who steal from the king of Spain." "Please, clemency!" "Please!" "No, no, no!" "My son!" "No, no, no!" "Not my son!" "Are you looking for someone?" "Yes, a thief." "Can you believe I was picking up clothes in drying area and found they took away Alonso's nightgown?" "Margarita, maybe Alonso took it away." "Have you asked him?" "No, I haven't seen him." "Whenever I come in, he leaves." "It's strange." "That's because he misses Sátur, but he'll get used to it." ""Get used to it"." "Of course, that's what you men are like, right?" "Time cures all things, huh?" "As long as everything settles down by itself, and you don't have to intervene...you feel fine." "Well, look:" "I'd thought that tomorrow we could go to the country, and we'd speak with him." "~ Good idea, so you'll rebond." "~ So, it's agreed?" "Well, you, your girlfriend, and him, of course." "Sátur!" "The door, the door!" "Hi." "What a racket, by my mother!" "I've come to bring you some trifles." "Ma'am, for you, minty melon rounds." "The ladies of the lineage eat them a lot." "You'll love them." "Thanks." "And I brought the kid...well, I brought...a mandolin." "A mandolin?" "A mandolin, yes, you always say he has to learn new things." "And music in the kid is pretty primitive, so...a mandolin." "~ Is he home?" "~ No, he's off playing with his friends." "Then, like my Gabi, Gabi was much the same." "I, I've taken him a foal...well, I left it there." "Good, Sátur, I'm glad to see you." "I'll see you around?" "Sure, very well." "Mandolin!" "Don't forget it." "~ Sure." "~ And careful, it's delicate." "Don't think I've forgotten you." "I've ordered an engraved blue writing set, and..." "Sátur, you don't have to bring us anything." "Indeed I had to, Master, but I also wanted to." "And don't call me Master, I'm not one anymore." "You're right, it's just a habit." "Note that they ask me: "Would you like some wine?"" "And I almost got up to serve myself." "~ I'll see you." "~ Later." "~ The eldest son of a baker." "~ How he's grown!" "He certainly has, and he's enlisted for a naval expedition." "~ A naval expedition, you say?" "~ Yes." "~ He won't be going to Vigo?" "~ Yes." "Why?" "Oh, never mind." "Can you see anything, Commissioner?" "I repeat what I said five seconds ago:" "I still can't see anything." "Let me alone." "He couldn't even save the life of my son." "The trauma was enormous." "We can just await developments." "What does it mean, Juan?" "Could he end up blind?" "It's possible." "I'll go with you, Doctor." "Marquesa." "Well, in case you heard the doctor, you'll recover." "He didn't say that, Lucrecia." "I'm blind, not deaf." "I'd better get used to the new life that awaits me." "Don't say that, Hernán." "I'll help you in whatever way you need." "I don't want help from you or anybody else." "~ Your Eminence." "~ Lucrecia." "I came out of concern for the Commissioner's wellbeing." "How is he?" "He should rest." "If you have something to ask, ask me, your Eminence." "I'm not a jar." "It would be preferable." "~ I know the show you organized..." "~ I assure you that it won't happen again." "No, certainly not." "I have arranged for you to be relieved of your position." "Hernán doesn't need a replacement." "He can still manage to do his job." "How?" "Tell me, Lucrecia, how does a man unable to distinguish... between a latrine and the throne room can hold the office of the town's Commissioner?" "You'll soon be informed of the name of your replacement." "~ Lucrecia." "~ Your Eminence." "Not to your liking, sir?" "~ To my liking?" "~ Right." "Yes, of course." "The thing is I'm waiting for the others." "This is just for you." "What I mean is I was waiting for the other dishes." "But since I've seen that you've already brought everything, well...no more talk." "Perfect, sir." "His Majesty the king, Felipe IV." "Your Majesty." "If you like..." "No, thank you." "~ And the princess, is she well?" "~ Very well." "And you are?" "Saturno..." "Saturno García." "Saturno de García, I am the king's counselor." "For the Duke, who's right here." "~ Your Majesty." "~ Your Majesty." "Sorry keep you waiting, but I didn't know you were coming to see me." "I could have gone to you." "I was just passing by." "I've been evaluating the plan of attack on Portugal,... and I've decided it's you who will lead the ground offensive." "It's an honor, Majesty." "~ You'll leave tomorrow." "~ As you have decided, your Majesty." "Tell the servants to prepare everything." "Right away, sir." "It'll all be ready." "Prepare yourself, too --- you're coming with me." "Me?" "Yes, you'll be in a grandiose spectacle: the end of the war with Portugal." "A historic moment." "Yeah, maybe for us it is, the ones on the galleon won't have a chance." "You're a lucky man." "They say he's blind." "We weren't expecting you." "To my office." "There'll be a lot of work." "But are you going to continue in the job?" "We were told substitute would be appointed." "~ Has he shown up yet?" "~ No, sir." "Then I'm still the town's Commissioner!" "Let me escort you to your office." "Let me alone!" "Don't ever do that again in your life." "Who have you confused me with, your mother?" "~ No, sir." "~ That's what I thought." "Now go and tell the coachman to come back in an hour." "Yes, sir." "A colt, he gave you a colt!" "But you can't take it with you, Gabi,... tonight we have to get to Lozoya to meet with the other recruits." "I know, but look, it's bad luck, that he gave it to me just today!" "Do you think they'll give us a soldier's cross when we get to Vigo?" "Gabi, we're not soldiers, we're cabin boys." "Come on, now go tell your mother you're sleeping here." "I'll say I'm sleeping with you, right?" "Sure." "Have you got everything?" "Yeah, look: spare underwear, the outfit, and soap." "Oh, wait: the sword." "But if they're going to arm us, why take it?" "Because my father gave it to me." "Well, it's dull." "Yeah." "I have to find something to sharpen it." "~ Alonso!" "~ Yes?" "Go on, go on!" "And remember: tonight at 10 on the main square, right?" "~ Good." "Hi, Gonzalo." "~ Hi, Gabi." "Son, I thought that tomorrow we could go to the country, for a picnic." "Huh?" "No, I'm going with Gabi and sleeping over." "And tomorrow, we're going fishing." "Fine, I'll going with you and show you a place I know that's full of trout." "But...all right...it's..." "Yeah, you'd rather just go with your friend, right?" "Never mind." "How fast you're growing, son!" "Well..." "I have to go prepare the gear." "Sure, go ahead." "Coachman, I didn't order you to stop." "One of the horses is lame, sir, that's all." "Well, take it off the reins and finish it off." "A damaged animal is useless." "I can't hear your answer, coachman." "At your orders, sir." "Are you here, coachman?" "Coachman!" "Commissioner, let's go for a walk." "The truth is that it doesn't bother me, I used to dress my old Master." "Wasn't that the teacher?" "Yes, yes, yes." "But he was very listless, and if I didn't help him dress, he was actually a real wreck." "Allow me, sir." "And now we're talking about obligations and duties,..." "I'd like to know --- just to have it firm in my mind --- ... what are my areas of responsibility, exactly." "You are my counselor, we're set on that." "Very well." "So now that I have complete confidence on my task,..." "I should tell you that --- since we're talking about the war --- the strategy to follow --- from my viewpoint --- it would be interesting to start it..." "I already have people specialized on that matter." "Yeah, but if I may, I would also like..." "Which is better, this or the lighter?" "Maybe the lighter one." "But if I use the lighter, would it match the helmet?" "Yes." "Excuse, me, sir, but rather than a counselor I seem to be...well, a fashion advisor." "Why did you bring me here?" "Because you saved my life." "No." "No, sorry, but you hired me because I was the only one who wouldn't tell you just what you wanted to hear." "So true to my position I must tell you... what they're doing with those poor soldiers is a real dirty trick." "War, Sátur, is always a dirty trick, and this will be neither the first time nor the last." "Cipri, Cipri." "We have him." "At nine at the smithy." "I'll be there." "Cipri." "Well?" "How was your first day of work?" "Have you heard?" "I was an owner, I had my own business, and now look at me: a servant." "Are you ashamed of me?" "Me, ashamed of you?" "On the contrary, now we're on par." "Besides, you know how I feel?" "Better." "So you won't think I loved you just because you're wealthy." "Hey, Gonzalo's girlfriend told me you fell into the lake yesterday." "Your mind was wandering away, for sure." "I slipped." "You slipped?" "Well, you could have died!" "If something happened to you, I don't know what I'd do." "Catalina, I have to tell you something." "You have to know this." "They've grabbed the Commissioner." "How could they grab him?" "They have him in a cave." "Tonight we will meet at the inn... or rather, the smithy, and we'll decide what to do about him." "They want revenge for all the harm he's done, and I'm going, too." "What are you saying, Cipri?" "Look, Catalina, when everything goes wrong in your life, the easy thing is to turn a blind eye,... but, you know, sometimes the one to set aside is the other guy." "Cipri, for God's sake, forget it!" "No way!" "You know as well as I do how many people that man has tortured and killed." "Well, so what?" "If you behave like the Commissioner, all you get is to become someone like him yourself." "But don't you see?" "We can't let him go on destroying lives." "We can't and we shouldn't." "His men raped you, Catalina." "And what did he do, what did he do?" "Nothing." "Or don't you remember?" "Do you think there's a single day of my life when I don't remember what happened?" "That's what life is, Cipri." "For people like us, there IS no justice." "Well, that's why we should do something about that." "It's time to change this world from one in which those who succeed are the rapists." "Come in." "~ Ma'am, did you summon me?" "~ Where's the Commissioner?" "I left him at his old home." "He says he doesn't want to be bothered." "~ But he lives here!" "~ He directed that he be left alone, Ma'am." "Did he say when he'd be back?" "I've been given to understand that he'll stay there a while." "He said he'd call me when he needed my services." "You may go." "Mother!" "What's happened?" "Nothing." "Go to your room, Nuño." "But, Mother, there's nothing you can do!" "I won't give up on him in this condition." "He'll recover his sight." "But, Mother, listen, there's no hope, you heard the doctor." "There are more doctors, Nuño!" "That's it." "I'll take him to Europe." "The best doctors, the most expensive, I'll pay whatever they ask." "One of them must have a cure." "No, Mother, the Commissioner won't allow it." "I'll take him in a straightjacket, if necessary." "But, hey, you, what are you doing, cutting or killing?" "For the record, it stared at me with hate." "I'm making dinner." "I've given Cipri the night off, he said he had things to do." "He left you here alone?" "Yeah, but it's all right, don't worry." "What, a tough day?" "And awkward." "The Commissioner fell from his horse." "Is he all right?" "No, they say he's been blinded." "And I won't say I'm happy about this, but I won't shed any tears for him either." "That man is not good." "Did you talk to Alonso about tomorrow?" "Yeah, but it turns out we won't be going." "He's up to something with Gabi." "He's sleeping at his house tonight and they're going fishing in the morning." "At least he's supported by a friend." "Well, it seems fine to me, but you say you're there to help him?" "~ Margarita..." "~ No, I won't say anything else." "Well, I'm going to bed, I'm dead tired." "Good night." "Good night." "Hey!" "What about dinner?" "I spent more than two hours butchering carrots." "I think I can sleep without your dishes." "Thank you." "Good night." "Good night." "Good, it looks like everybody's here." "What's the plan?" "Where we do it?" "The woods at Nebrales is fine." "When?" "At dawn." "Cipri and you will take the Commissioner out of the cave and bring him to the forest." "Us?" "We're going to take him ourselves?" "Don't worry, he can't see." "That's an advantage." "The rest of us will be waiting there." "And the Marquesa?" "She doesn't suspect a thing, right?" "She seemed happy with the explanation I gave her,... but knowing that bitch we'd better stay on our toes." "Gentlemen, if there are no setbacks we'll have the honor of ending the Commissioner's life by mid-morning." "No, there's no hurry." "I won't stop torturing until that unfortunate wretch apologizes for everything he's done to us." "If they find out what we'll be doing to him tomorrow, they'll kill us all." "And also everyone we love." "We should relieve the men who are guarding the cave." "Cipri, go with him." "Let's go." "~ Father!" "~ Man, aren't you at Gabi's house?" "Yeah, no, no, no." "I've just heard they've got the Commissioner and they'll be killing him tomorrow in the forest at Nebrales." "~ Where did you hear this?" "~ In the smithy." "Alonso, wait." "Did you see who they were?" "Yeah, they were Cipri, the blacksmith, and some other guys." "Fine, go on, they're waiting for you." "Tonight at 10 in the big plaza, right?" "Son, son!" "What?" "Nothing will happen, don't worry." "They're good people, they're just a bit warped." "Go and enjoy yourself." "~ Sure." "Goodbye, Father ~ Bye, son." "Go have a good time." "Good evening, Teacher." "How can I help you?" "Can I come in?" "If you don't mind, I was about to go to bed." "We can talk tomorrow." "No, not tomorrow." "Now." "What you're going to do is a mistake." "But who asked for your advice?" "What do you care what we do to the Commissioner?" "Killing someone who's impaired is cruel." "That never stopped him." "Why do you stand up for him?" "This man has paid dearly enough, he's blind!" "And he recently lost his son, what more do you want?" "Don't listen to his chatter, he's a teacher and can charm the spots off a leopard." "You're trying to confuse us." "~ No." "~ He dies tomorrow." "I won't allow it." "Let's go!" "Ah!" "You're still here?" "Yes, sir." "Where was I supposed to be?" "After the talks we had yesterday, I was expecting a letter of resignation." "No, sir, if I learned anything from my old Master, it was that no matter how much you disagree with your Master,... you always owe allegiance and respect to him." "Your Master taught you well." "Yes, he taught me to have a conscience, that fucking thing that makes it impossible to sleep." "Tell me: how do you manage to sleep at night?" "I haven't slept a wink in years." "Excuse me, sir, for coming so early, but I need you to sign for the arsenal for the ground offensive." "Thank you." "And in Vigo, is everything ready?" "Yes, sir, the ship is waiting for its recruits." "Here are all the details including the names of all who enlisted." "Sir, they're calling for you." "We leave in two hours." "Manuel Lazo Horcajo." "Pedro Pareja Niño." "Julián Escudero Burgos." "Juan Trinidad Ugalde." "Sir, excuse me." "You have to choose your horse in the stables." "Yeah, sure, I'm on my way." "All dead." "No, not that dress, Marta." "We're going to visit some specialists, not to a party in Paris." "No, but you always appear so...elegant..." "What clothes for the Commissioner, winter or summer?" "Bring both." "I just found out that you're organizing a trip." "They are all...perfect." "You should have informed me that you're planning to bring my husband to see doctors." "It wasn't necessary, my dear, you're not coming." "Of course I'm going." "What?" "I'm his wife and I should go." "Irene, you lost all your rights by sleeping with the gardener." "You sleep with everyone and have all your rights." "The fever from the loss of your son has affected you, too, dear." "I will prepare my trunks." "Ma'am, I'll dress you as soon it suits you." "And if after all the effort, he never sees again?" "Don't speak of such things, Ma'am." "It does not matter." "What really matters is that he's still alive." "What's up with you, Catalina?" "Believe it or not, Ma'am, what hurts you hurts me, too." "What's with you?" "Sorry, I dropped the comb." "~ What time is it?" "~ Seven." "Oh, my God!" "For just this once I came to the palace late...well, let it be." "Margarita, do you know whether Gonzalo had something to do last night?" "No." "Why are you asking me?" "Well, I went to his room because..." "Claudia, what Gonzalo and you do together is your business." "I don't mind." "What I mean is that last night I went to his room and he wasn't there,... and I went back this morning and he still wasn't." "Maybe he got up real early." "But you should know that, since you're his girlfriend, right?" "Why are you so unfond of me?" "And why should I be fond of you?" "I don't know where Gonzalo is." "~ It's a while since he moved." "~ Maybe he's dead?" "No, we gave him a big spanking to calm him down, but he'll be in shape for his big day." "Cipri!" "Cipri." "Catalina, what's happening?" "Why are you here?" "What are you doing here?" "I can't let you go do it." "What the fuck have you told her?" "Catalina, please, go on home, don't make things worse." "Do you see why I said that women couldn't get into this?" "They get afraid and cause problems." "Don't do it, for God's sake!" "Go away or I'll walk this right over you." "Catalina, for God's sake, get out of the way!" " Hold the cart for a bit." "Cipri, you can't do it." "I'm tired of being the goose that buries its head in the sand." "I want to stop thinking of myself as a coward and to avenge myself." "Look, come on, what's with you?" "Courage and rage aren't the same thing, Cipri." "What do you want me to do?" "Turn the other cheek again?" "Well, yes." "Maybe we're poor, but we know how to forgive." "No, Catalina, I'm worse than you." "I can't." "Cipri, I can't let you go do this." "If you want to stop it, just call the guard, but you'll condemn me and all of your neighbors." "Cipri, please!" ""I'm saying goodbye to you in a letter." ""Goodbye, I'm off to war." ""Thanks for everything." ""All the best,..." ""Sátur."" "The Hell with this!" ""Master, you're going to think I've had a brain fart,..." ""but I think I made a mistake taking this job." ""I'm becoming an accomplice in something that will not let me live in peace with myself." ""They say it benefits our kingdom, but I know it's wrong." ""I wish you had not instilled your values into me..." ""since they've so complicated my life." ""Anyway, I know of no way back." ""This afternoon I'm off to war with my Lord." ""Goodbye." "Sátur."" "Ma'am, I brought your meal." "~ Trash it, I'm not hungry." "~ Yes." "Do we know anything about the Commissioner?" "No, Ma'am, he hasn't arrived yet." "I'll go pick him up at his place." "No, it'd be better to wait." "Much better, Ma'am, imagine that you go over while he's on the way here... ~ I'm overwhelmed by so much intelligence." "~ Thanks, Ma'am." "Son." "You've brought the whole great outdoors in here." "Mother, it wasn't an accident." "I slaughtered the horse that threw Commissioner, and I found this between its saddle and its flank." "I told you I'd handle that horse's slaughter." "What does that matter now, Mother?" "They meant to kill Commissioner, we have to tell him!" "Nuño, relax, these things have to be done with forethought." "I'll handle it." "No, Mother." "We have to find the culprit, and I'll kill him myself." "I told you I'll take care of it." "About time you showed up!" "One of the layers is loose." "Sew it up." "Yes, Ma'am." "And you change these clothes." "The stable smell is giving me nausea." "Come on." "Do not dawdle, Margarita, I want it ready now." "Margarita, I was looking for you." "Estuarda, what are you doing here?" "How nice!" "The king's commissioned my husband for some work and we have to go to Ciudad Real." "Can I leave Gabi with you for another day?" "With us?" "But the kids were at your house!" "Oh, yeah!" "Come on, pig, come on!" "Come on!" "Get up!" "Up!" "String him up." "Bring him up." "You're going to pay for all the years of suffering." "This is for what you did to my wife." "For my parents." "And this...this is for what you did to me!" "Make sure you kill me, otherwise I'll have no mercy." "Your men raped my daughter, and you allowed it!" "Go on." "Come on, it's your turn." "It's your big chance, go on!" "This is revenge for killing my brother." "Let him go!" "We're not letting him go, he deserves to die." "Enough already!" "You're not killers." "Let him go." "They're not by the river." "They're not on the road to Pardo, either." "They often go to play there, but no one's seen them." "You stay at home, and I'll go look for Estuarda, to see if she knows something." "Claudia!" "Hi!" "What are you doing out of the house?" "Your son's disappeared." "He didn't sleep at Gabi's." "No, I already agreed with Gabi to sleep together." "Well, when I went in, he was gone." "Alonso has gone." "What?" "Have they been asking for me?" "~ No, sir." "~ Are you sure?" "Nobody came by with the name Gonzalo de Montalvo?" "No, sir, no Gonzalo de Montalvo." "Have you checked at all the palace's entrances?" "Yes, sir, nobody's been looking for you." "Well, go back and ask again." "Hurry, move." "Sir, with all due respect, it's the second time you send me." "When are you planning on leaving?" "The Duke left hours ago." "Yes, of course." "It's about time for me to leave, right?" "You may retire." "Let's see if I end up getting better known for being the first to be late for the war!" "My God!" "I left my soul with the armor!" "Alonso de Montalvo." "Gabi del Corral." "It surely is childish mischief, don't worry." "No, his sword's missing." "Why would he want a sword?" "Master!" "Master, Alonso and Gabi, they're headed straight for death." "Where are they?" "Look, this is the list of recruits who have enlisted for the naval expedition... but the whole thing is a feint." "They're all consigned straight for death, Master, and the kids are headed straight there!" "Where is the expedition sailing from?" "First to central Lozoya, then to Vigo." "But, Master, they're already several leagues on the way." "Let's go." "You're a traitor!" "You warned the Red Eagle." "And what's wrong with these guys?" "Please, we're in a hurry, let us pass." "You'll learn what the right side is." "You want to test my steel, eh?" "Go on, out of here!" "Go on!" "Sátur!" "Let's go." "But what happened here, Master?" "What's going on?" "They grabbed the Commissioner." "They wanted to kill him." "You make enemies of half the town just to defend that horrible bastard?" "Let's go." "When you're a little more recovered, we'll go to Europe." "I've contacted a pair of doctors." "You'll be as good as new, Hernán." "And everybody who duffed you up will pay for it." "Lucrecia, if you don't mind, I'd like to rest." "Sure." "Hernán!" "Alonso, how many men do you have to kill to get a medal?" "I don't know." "Heaps, I expect." "Then look, just in case the soldiers need our help." "Where did you get that?" "I took it from my father." "Don't do that, it's dangerous!" "Drop it, it's not a toy!" "~ Sátur." "~ Sátur!" "Are you all right?" "Yes, Master, yes." "Had it not been for this contraption I'd be explaining myself to Saint Peter." "~ But are you sure you're all right?" "~ Sure!" "The ones who aren't going to be fine are you two." "But what were you thinking of by enlisting for that galleon, boys?" "Alonso, Gabi, home." "We'll talk there." "No." "My dream is to be a mariner, and there it is." "War is no place to pursue a dream." "You've always talked about your wonderful journeys, everything you saw and learned." "And I want to do it myself, too, so I'll go." "Me, too." "Well, like Hell you are!" "Do you know what they're going to do with that ship you want to get on?" "They'll blow it up it with all of the crewman inside." "~ Well, no..." "~ That ship is a feint, Alonso." "The sharks are going to feed on what little of you is left after the Portuguese blow you out of the water." "Alonso, Gabi, home." "Go on, move!" "And you, too!" "We'll talk later." "Move it!" "Those two won't be willing to search out adventures until they've turned forty, you wait and see!" "Sátur, I'm going to tell these men the truth." "No, Master, you can't, it's a state secret." "Had I swallowed toads and snakes to bite off my tongue!" "Besides, if you say something, the Duke's strategy will be ruined." "You can't." "Right, but these men have the right to know the truth." "Many will choose to die for their country, but nobody can decide that for them." "How do you always lay things out so clearly?" "For I grow a wall here in my forehead, a bullfighter wouldn't sneer at it!" "Well, I have to catch up with the Duke, who should be arriving at Burgos." "Are you all right?" "No, Master, I'm not all right." "Surely this isn't worth the pain." "Fuck the honors and going down in history!" "Fame is overrated, I tell you!" "Come back with us." "Well, I'll try, but you know what war is, men are known to go, but those who come back..." "No, Sátur, I mean come with us now." "Back home." "Master, you have no idea how much I longed for those words!" "Watch out!" "Who could have done all this?" "It was no accident, Commissioner." "Someone stuck a needle into that horse to make it bolt." "You just give me the only reason to make staying alive worthwhile." "Men who eat other men." "There are cannibals in the woods by the town." "Come on, how clear it is that this is your first harvest festival!" "Keep your eyes peeled, what they call tonight is "the night of the pregnant"." "~ Who are you?" "~ I'm Fernando de Medina, the new town Commissioner." "Could it be that he went to the harvest festival, celebrated there in the meadow by the forest?" "This marriage ensures the continuity through marriage of the throne of Austria." "Fear isn't necessary when justice prevails." "I wish you luck." "By thinking that way, you're going to need it." "For the good of all, it'll be better to assume that I'm working in this house." "For everyone's sake you'd better leave here soon." "I want you to summon all the grooms to find and kill the ones who left me like this." "We've searched every corner of the palace and the princess isn't there." "She's disappeared."