"Borgia, 14." "I am the Pope!" "As Pope Alexander VI, he plans to reform the church." "We hereby officially dismiss your brother, Fabrizio, as Prefect of Rome." "Today ends the casual lawlessness which has marked life in the Vatican." "We're appointing you Captain-General of the Papal Guard." "Does this please you?" "Yes, of course." "This is my dream." "You put the security of Rome in the hands of an amateur." "Marcantonio Colonna spoke of a plot to dethrone the Pope." "Della Rovere, Orsini and King Ferrante of Naples were mentioned in this conspiracy." "I will be Vice Chancellor." "Your niece, Lucrezia, will marry my cousin, Giovanni, to bind us in blood." "Lady Giulia stays in Rome." "Unless, Adriana, you no longer need her assistance." "Mother." "But I do." "Giulia is an enormous help running such a big household." "And sometimes the Pope's own family becomes the most dangerous threat of all." "You lavish blessings upon my brother who cares nothing for you!" "But as I now hold no hope of joining you in the Kingdom of Heaven" "I choose to burn in my own hell." "Your ears do not deceive you, Holy Father, respected Eminences." "A new world." "The visionary navigator and explorer, Cristoforo Colombo, financed by their most Catholic Majesties," "King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella has discovered a new, immeasurable landmass rich with gold, silver, pearls." "Populated by feral natives." "King Ferdinand hopes Your Holiness will confer papal legitimacy upon Spain's claims to sovereignty." "Need I remind Cardinal Da Costa that Portugal rejected the proposed expedition not once, but twice?" "As did your masters." "Cristoforo Colombo is nothing but a cheese dealer." "Ambassador De Haro, there is not only the King of Portugal to consider, but... all the monarchs of Europe." "Yes." "If we, with our Spanish blood, favor the cause of Spain, what do we gain, except wide spread hostility." "Remain here, Vice Chancellor." "In exchange for granting Spain's claim for legitimacy," "King Ferdinand offers the marriage of Juan Borgia to Maria Enriques de Luna." "Coupled with the King's niece," "Juan's dukedom of Gandia will be augmented by the Marquisate of Denia, in Valencia and a Lordship in the Kingdom of Granada." "Dawn of a dynasty." "What troubles you, Holiness?" "Legitimacy." "We hate that word." "Spain's claim to the New World?" "And Juan's to the throne of Spain should this marriage put him or his offspring in the line of succession." "Queen Isabella will hold his illegitimacy against us." "She has already once rejected their betrothal." "Fortunately, King Ferdinand will not, if you give him what he craves." "As Pope, we must devise a way to decide fairly between Spain and Portugal." "Or at least, seem to decide fairly." "Compass." "Compromise." "Lord, make us an instrument of your peace." "We say the compass shall decide." "All territories west of the line are hereby deeded to Spain." "All those eastward belong to Portugal." "We await reports of conversions innumerable." "Stop." "How are you, cardinal?" "I'm not a cardinal quite yet." "And in the Vatican, not quite yet means maybe never." "What are you doing here?" "I have news." "della Rovere conspires with the Orsini, the Colonna and Naples to attack Rome." "With the mass of desertions from the Papal Guard because of Juan's incompetence." "Pope Alexander is in danger." "Arriving without being summoned?" "You are the one who's in danger." "I am not afraid." "I have already died." "My son, Alessandro." "They brought my son, his remains." "And I tried to kill myself." "Because I stopped believing in God." "But when one dies, one is born anew." "I grieve your son's death, but I celebrate your life and revived faith." "But will the Pope?" "Where is he?" "A meeting of the consistory." "Then I must remain invisible until I can speak with him alone." "You never saw me." "An apparition, nothing more." "Hello, Giulia." "Out for a breather from the Papal fuck-chamber?" "I knew I smelled something putrid." "Is that any way to greet your loving husband?" "Leave, or I will call the guards." "When the army of Naples reaches Rome, those guards will once again be serving my uncle," "Virginio." "You forget your place, whore." "I do not care if you are sucking the cock of Saint Peter himself." "Such brave words from the cuckold." "For now, that old man may be burrowing your well-worn field, but it is still my land." "I was here before he came, and I shall be here long after." "That is the last time that you will ever lay hands upon me." "Do so again and I will cut off your balls and feed them to the dogs." "Lady Adriana!" "I tried to restrain him, but your son, he's drunk." "He says that tonight he will raid His Holiness' bedchamber and drag Giulia from it." "Oh, my Lord." "That should buy us time." "Are you insane?" "The insane have life easy." "They can ignore the Pope." "Stop." "We cannot." "Yes, we can, we should." "We must, we are married." "I cannot disobey the Holy Father." "Because you fear his wrath?" "Because I treasure his love." "You say that you love me." "I do." "Then we must." "Not." "We cannot make love, but we can dance." "I am in the mood to dance." "And I will not be denied." "Enough." "You, liar, out." "But we were simply dancing." "Dancing?" "His hands on your back, his fingers on your backside." "His chest pressed against your breasts." "That is behavior I would expect from the harlot Giulia, not the niece of a pope." "Cousin Adriana, I do not understand." "You pushed me towards this marriage." "Close your mouth." "His Holiness has charged me to keep you chaste, and chaste as the Virgin Mother you shall be, until he says otherwise." "Juan?" "Close the door." "I have come with news." "Behind us, where we can see you." "And we knew you were coming well before you stepped a toe into Rome." "Your Papacy is in grave danger." "Reason enough for me to come..." "Do you think we are unaware?" "That we know not which of our cardinals is the first Judas?" "That we know not how many are gathered together, at this very moment plotting the overthrow of our Papacy." "Let me help you, Father." "We are the Holy Father, Bishop." "And even if our gut instincts did not warn us of the danger, you know what else convinces us that we're in trouble?" "A member of our own family refuses to obey." "Backstabbing cardinals we can abide, but disrespectful nephews we cannot." "I am sorry, I was only trying to..." "To help, yes." "But we do not want your help." "We want your loyalty." "Now be gone." "And go where?" "Back to Spoleto?" "No, your mother's villa." "Do not so much as leave the grounds." "And what shall I do there?" "Wait." "As we learned to wait 37 years for the day of our election." "Can you drink from the same cup?" "You will leave for Spain at once to marry Maria Enriques de Luna." "You will impregnate her." "You will graft the Borgia family onto the House of Spain." "Queen Isabella will have her moral telescope trained on you." "So act as the apple." "Shiny, simple and pure." "Good behavior brings good rewards." "Aye, then to Spain I go." "We need Ferdinand's support to keep Naples at bay and our throne in place." "Oh, get out of the way." "You are no longer announced, Cardinal Sforza?" "You simply barge in?" "When urgent matters are at hand, Your Grace." "If you'll excuse us." "He stays." "It is della Rovere." "How goes the conspiracy?" "Prince Alfonso has sailed to Ostia leading the Neapolitan navy." "Ostia and Porto are now sealed off by della Rovere." "Leaving the Eternal City unable to import any goods." "We will starve, Holiness." "Therefore, I have taken the liberty of summoning the members of the consistory." "If Naples attacks Rome and deposes Pope Alexander, the French are certain to invade Italy." "Then Mantua, Ferrara, Venice, Siena, all of your masters will be overthrown." "And your proposal, Holiness?" "A mutual defense." "A coalition of city-states, a Holy League working together as one." "Against Naples, the Orsini, the Colonna, della Rovere in the name of Jesus Christ, our savior." "So, who is with us?" "Die, infidel!" "Goffredo, not in the house." "Yes, Mama." "Why won't you tell me the truth about my father?" "Whether or not you are Rodrigo's son, he loves you and wants what is best for you." "Stop." "I am worth about as much to His Holiness as these pits are to olive oil." "Rodrigo is a complex man." "He thinks and feels too deeply." "And as a result, am I to be forever denied my real place in this world?" "Any true sense of self?" "Cesare, what is wrong?" "The things I've done." "What have you done, my son?" "No." "No." "Bring me parchment and ink." "His Highness, Alfonso d'Aragona." "And how is Naples, Prince Alfonso?" "In a mood to fight." "I hear your nephew Juan is engaged to marry the niece of King Ferdinand." "We are most pleased." "We are most disappointed." "My father had hoped that my daughter, Sancia, would be betrothed to the young duke." "Ah, well, there are other men." "But few Borgia." "Which is why I have come to offer Sancia as a bride for Cesare." "What think you, young Farnese?" "I worry that King Ferrante's motive is less than familial." "Perhaps he has heard of the League which you have formed between Mantua, Siena, Ferrara, Venice and Milan." "Truth be told, Holiness." "My father is old." "He will die one day soon." "And you want the crown of Naples to sit securely on your own head." "Your thoughts?" "King Charles of France claims Naples as his own despite the fact that your family overthrew his cousins" "28 years ago." "He wants revenge." "Yes." "Now that we are Pope, we must decide who God deems worthy to rule the Neapolitan faithful." "Therefore, we assume, Highness, that your father's offer of marriage is an exchange for our agreement not to invest Charles with the crown." "Sancia brings a handsome dowry, the fertile fields of Squillace." "As well as the burden of illegitimacy." "Does not Cesare carry the same burden?" "Cesare's birth certificate carries the seal of Pope Sixtus." "Cesare is the son of Domenico d'Arignano." "Do you dismiss a papal edict so lightly?" "We warn you, as a living Pope, we are bound by our oath to defend the rulings of our predecessor." "Do not think your princely robes will spare you." "Holiness," "I apologize." "And do you apologize for meeting in Ostia with the church's enemies?" "I will admit to conversations with della Rovere regarding the future of Italy, but..." "But, after reflection, my father, whose love for you knows no border, has decided that he would rather support you." "If you would only give him a sign of friendship." "When have we not been friendly?" "When you named Sforza of Milan as Vice Chancellor." "We will consider your father's request regarding Sancia's marriage." "Until we meet again." "One would never know how desperate you are to win Naples to your side." "We must make Alfonso think he has convinced us." "Make him work for our approval." "That is the only way to break della Rovere's cabal." "But to release Cesare from his vows..." "No, we could never do that." "We worship a messiah whose parentage was dubious." "Whose pregnant mother would have been stoned to death had" "Joseph not taken her as a bride." "Look at him on that cross." "Broken." "Defeated." "Why do we not decorate our churches with the risen Christ?" "Why is his suffering more tangible to us than his resurrection?" "Escaped from your cage, monster?" "I would rather be trapped in my mother's villa with an uncle who is Supreme Pontiff than free to wander with an uncle who is no longer Prefect of Rome." "That is another insult for which you Borgia will be held accountable." "My uncle Fabrizio will one day soon be Prefect again, when Naples..." "Marcantonio, answer me this." "Have you learned to jerk off with only four fingers, or do your uncles hold your prick for you?" "You are bold, asking to see the Pope after disobeying our commands." "Bringing Lucrezia back to Rome without our permission." "You were not yet Pope when those commands were received." "And they saved our daughter's life, Rodrigo." "Do I call you Holiness?" "You cannot need money." "Your groves, vineyards and taverns thrive." "This is not about what I need." "But our children." "At least our younger sons," "Cesare and Goffredo." "Whom you seem quite happy to give the short end of a very long stick." "What we do with Cesare is our business." "He must be a priest and a cardinal." "Then make him one." "We have." "In petto." "No one must know, not even Cesare, until we reveal the appointment." "When the moment suits us." "Oh, you are cruel." "We are a man of the times." "Swear that you will not tell him." "I swear." "Then we are finished." "No." "Goffredo." "You know where we stand." "Oh, what is this?" "You were the one who forced me to marry." "You were the one who turned me out." "Nine months before Goffredo was born." "Nine months, not 10." "We want to believe you." "Oh, you always have." "Oh, you know me better than any man on Earth." "And I you." "I miss you." "Vannozza..." "Hmm, that most of all, the way you say my name." "We have a thought for Goffredo." "And I have one for Cesare." "We imagine you do." "But we warn you, the price will be steep." "You must have no further contact with Lucrezia." "Is this Adriana's doing?" "No matter." "Do you agree?" "Tell Cesare who you are." "Just once, in private." "He would die for you, Rodrigo, but he needs to die your son." "While there is little we can do about Cesare's chosen path in life, we would be remiss to send you back to Naples without a Borgia groom." "Excellent." "Who do you have in mind?" "Goffredo, our youngest nephew." "Your..." "I was not aware..." "We do, we do." "He's our nephew." "Ah, well, Goffredo is a child." "Not yet pubescent." "Do not underestimate the precocity of a Borgia, especially in matters of sex." "He is 11." "And Sancia is what?" "Twelve?" "Fourteen." "Hmm." "He will keep her young in old age." "Prince Alfonso," "I had heard whispers that you were in the Vatican." "As Vice Chancellor, I would have thought that I would be privy to all such diplomatic events." "Oh, well..." "Perhaps the wind blows south for only a short time." "Or perhaps one should be more careful of what one says." "I guess Milan demands all the Borgia for themselves." "I will submit your proposal to King Ferrante." "Be swift." "We wager that when we next see Sforza, he will remind us that King Charles of France also has a niece." "Of marriageable age." "Your Holiness, word from Juan in Spain." "The Marquisate of Denia and the Lordship of Granada are being withheld." "Already they deny him." "And in denying him, they deny us." "Rodrigo or Alexander, it matters not." "It is the Borgia name that cardinals and kings alike try to extinguish." "Not all the cardinals." "The Orsini have requested an audience." "After conspiring in Ostia with della Rovere, why do the Orsini suddenly want to meet?" "They see we are about to secure peace with Naples." "They fear retribution." "Shall I decline?" "To the contrary." "Make our meeting a dinner." "In wine there is truth." "In much wine, opportunity." "One by one we pull the seams from della Rovere's treasons." "We shall show that Genoan fishmonger." "We shall show them all." "And I do not mean the papal we." "I mean the House of Borgia." "So, why do the Orsini wish to meet with the Pope?" "We are here about our disagreement over the papal properties which we are legitimately purchasing from Franceschetto Cibo." "Of course." "Let Rota, as well as the fortresses of Cerveteri," "Monterano and Viano now belong to the Orsini family." "Your Holiness..." "On two slight conditions." "First, you pay us the 40,000 ducats promised to Cybo." "Second, these lands revert to papal control upon the death of Virginio." "Agreed." "Oh, yes." "One more item." "Virginio is to be reinstated as Captain General of the Papal Guard." "Since Juan is currently in Spain doing God's work, we shall appoint you, Virginio, as Prefect of Rome." "That way, only the Colonna are insulted." "Curiosity is a powerful sensation, is it not?" "Let us be honest, you were not invited so we could gossip like giddy sisters." "But because we are each tied, intimately, to the Borgia family." "As such, we have a mutual problem." "Adriana de Mila." "What makes you think Adriana is of concern to me?" "I am above her." "I said, "Let us be honest."" "Your husband has returned to Rome." "His mother's position allows him to slink about the Apostolic Palace." "As goes Adriana, so goes Monoculus." "And your anger at Adriana?" "I have lost my daughter." "My only daughter, taken away from me." "Adriana is responsible." "She treats Lucrezia like a damaged child." "Lucrezia needs to mature, to evolve, to become a strong woman." "Like me." "Like you." "Hmm." "And because I reside in the Apostolic Palace, you want me to..." "Get rid of Adriana." "Whether she is shipped to Spain or drowned in the Tiber," "I care not." "And as I said, as..." "As goes Adriana, so goes Monoculus." "Mmm-hmm." "There." "And now..." "What is that?" "Lye and lemon juice to rinse your hair." "Tomorrow you will lay out in the sun to give your locks a golden hue." "Lay down." "It burns." "This is what all the noblewomen of Paris are doing, Lucrezia." "I don't feel like a noblewoman," "I feel more like a prisoner." "Both of us are barred by papal decree from sleeping with the man we love." "Yet tonight I shall be satisfied." "Do not be cruel." "That is not my intention." "I simply mean your uncle must make pronouncements in public, but those are not necessarily his true feelings." "I see that, you see that." "Adriana does not." "Stop, please stop." "It burns too much." "Lucrezia, others will always give you pain." "You must seize pleasure." "Shut your lying mouth!" "Alessandro?" "In the name of God, no." "Stay there." "If you say another word against my sister..." "I shall not be treated in this manner." "I am an Orsini." "And a Borgia." "Giulia, run." "Go!" "Giulia." "Rodrigo!" "Rodrigo!" "Rodrigo!" "My father agrees to your proposal," "Goffredo will marry Sancia." "But, His Majesty has one demand." "Rodrigo!" "Rodrigo." "I need to see him." "He is in a meeting, my lady." "Tell him I need to see him." "It is a very important meeting." "Tell him this is more important." "Cardinal Carafa" "Carafa has brought..." "I'm sorry, Lady, you must wait." "Wait?" "Let us go, Giulia." "Get Rodrigo the fuck out here!" "Giulia." "I will not be turned away by snotty..." "Giulia, please." "Giulia, stop." "Stop." "Gacet, Naples gives an ultimatum." "Leave me!" "King Ferrante demands that we replace Ascanio Sforza as Vice Chancellor with Giuliano della Rovere." " Giulia." " Leave me." "To this we cannot agree." "Cardinal della Rovere has continuously practiced treason, weakening the church." "Another Pope would have him executed or excommunicated." "Open this God damn door!" "Please, let us go." "Well..." "The past is past." "In the name of the Prince of Peace, we will summon della Rovere to our presence." "We will forgive his machinations." "We will restore him as dean of the Sacred College of Cardinals." "He and Sforza will be equals in our eyes." "No!" "I must go." "Where?" "To my mother's villa." "Lucrezia, you are forbidden to go to your mother's." "Leave the room dark." "Let us see." "Now you care?" "Now that business is done, the deals are made?" "La Bella..." "Let us see." "You would never love me the same again, if at all." "You are right." "Not the same." "Even more." "Thirty-five broadswords." "Prefect, a word." "In private." "Out." "We want the man responsible for the attack on Giulia Farnese." "Those thugs are dead." "I myself thrust the sword through their hearts." "The thugs we care not about." "We want the beast who hired them." "Though we have made progress, I am hesitant to hurl accusations." "We lack sufficient evidence." "Stop stalling." "A name." "Or are you protecting one of your own?" "A certain squinty-eyed cousin?" "Orsino is a simpleton, incapable of such maneuvers." "If I must, Holy Father." "Before the thugs died, they confessed that they served as agents" "for the House of Sforza." "Sforza?" "That is what they said, Holiness." "That makes no sense." "Violence rarely does." "Bring us proof." "Who are we to trust, Ascanio?" "When we look out onto that deep sea of faces at mass today, knowing that some want us dead, of whom can we say," ""We trust that one"?" "You speak of trust, and yet" "I hear by rumor about your various rapprochements." "Naples, the Orsini and della Rovere is to rejoin the consistory." "Damn you!" "You will remember who you address." "As should you, Rodrigo." "You speak boldly, as always, but a Vice Chancellor should be more circumspect." "The Lady Giulia overheard your comment the night of Lucrezia's wedding." "I made a jest." "I apologize." "We have been told that Milan hired the thugs that hurt Giulia." "Not that we believe a word." "What they call intelligence, we call stupidity." "Who is this they, may I ask?" "Never mind." "Because of Lucrezia's marriage to Giovanni," "we are family." "Yes." "As to who would want to hurt you through the Lady Giulia," "I would look to Ostia and your new friend, della Rovere." "Your Eminence." "Your Holiness." "Seaside air agrees with you." "I thrive in the country." "Then we are doubly grateful to have you return to the city." "And just in time to hear us name the newest members of the Sacred College of Cardinals." "I am breathless with anticipation." "We should have packed smelling salts for when Sancia Squillace faints from first sight of you." "I do not want to go, Lucrezia." "Departing is always more difficult than arriving." "Well, well, the pride of Rome." "Soon to be the pride of Naples." "I will miss you all so much." "Goffredo Borgia." "Please follow me." "Be a man, you have no other choice." "Master Goffredo, your escort is ready." "No goodbyes." "Eleven years old." "Is that all we are to Uncle Rodrigo?" "Chattel?" "Like God Almighty, the Pope's actions are inscrutable." "Unlike God, he should not control our lives." "I will do what I please with mine." "I will be with my husband." "Lucrezia, you must think before you speak." "Your uncle will be angry with both of us that you have stolen away and come here." "Francesc Gacet, here on the orders of His Holiness Pope Alexander." "Gacet." "Here." "Here." "Under the table." "Take him." "Take him." "I can't take him." "I am sorry." "Quickly." "Come on, come on." "Come on." "All right." "Quickly." "Quickly." "Take him." "Francesc Gacet, madam." "Yes." "Your Excellency." "Cockroach, here on the outskirts of town?" "Running His Holiness' errands all over Rome must be exhausting." "From the Lady Giulia." "He's gone, my love." "Giulia writes you, Mama?" "Yes, I will explain later." "I am to be named" "Cardinal of Valencia." "John Morton, Archbishop of Canterbury." "Domenico Grimani," "Bishop of Venice." "Ippolito d'Este," "Bishop of Ferrara." "Alessandro Farnese..." "No way." "Listen, it is completely wrong." "Cesare Borgia," "Bishop of Valencia." "Silence!" "Do not forget the opposition which met your own elevation to the Sacred College." "Perhaps, in that spirit, we may find common ground." "Assent?" "Seven." "Dissent?" "Thirteen." "Almost double." "Thank you for the calculation, Cardinal della Rovere." "Remove but two names, and the others who are legitimate princes of the church will assuredly secure our unanimous vote." "If unanimity was our goal, yes." "But as Peter, the rock upon which this church now stands, ours is the power to choose whom we will." "And yours is the duty to bend." "If you are looking for Lucrezia, she is not here." "She has run off." "Oh, my." "Brazen girl." "I hope she is not with her husband." "The guards have already searched there." "But I've come to speak with you, dear Adriana." "Recent events have humbled me." "The way I have treated you is shameful." "I apologize and..." "And wish to make amends." "Your sentiment is surprising." "Allow me to take a small step towards reconciliation." "I know of a secret place in St. Peter's Basilica where I am going to witness Alessandro and Cesare's elevation to the College of Cardinals." "I would like to share that moment with you." "A lovely offer, but I must remain here." "When Lucrezia returns, I intend to punish her." "Wise." "Yet, with a child like Lucrezia, that is what she will expect." "Better, perhaps, to confound her by treating her with kindness." "I know, we will bring her along." "This is a momentous occasion for the entire Borgia family." "Think of how the wench Vannozza will burn with envy knowing you were there with her precious Lucrezia to see her precious Cesare rise to such heights." "I am so cold." "I feel like a boy who has slipped into the winter's river." "Even so, you are perspiring." "The doctors and the priests say there is no cure." "God's breath is at my ear." "Ardicino," "I have always looked to you as a paragon." "Day and night, I try to make the Vatican worthy, to change the tenor of Rome." "But there are those eager to elevate themselves by discrediting me." "Della Rovere?" "Yes." "For me, not to answer these challenges is to be diminished." "So I find myself pondering old solutions." "Bribery, deceit..." "How can I use such methods when my goal is to eradicate these methods?" "Ardicino." "Do not go." "Tell me, how do I change?" "Become the better man when being the lesser man has brought me greatness?" "Your last words, kind friend." "Please, inspire me." "What?" "Tell me, what?" "The words are lost." "As am I." "Alessandro Cardinal Farnese." "Archbishop of Orvieto." "John Cardinal Morton, Archbishop of Canterbury." "Cesare Cardinal Borgia." "Archbishop of Valencia." "How proud you must be, Lucrezia." "Domenico Cardinal Grimani." "Archbishop of Venice." "Brothers and sisters in Christ, we love Cardinal Borgia" "as our spiritual son, and Cesare Borgia" "as my own son." "Because he is blood of my blood, as are his brothers," "Juan, Goffredo and sister Lucrezia." "I claim all of them as legitimate with a father's love." "Lucrezia!" "Sforza, come with me." "And David the King begot Solomon of her who had been the wife of Urias." "I would have thought you'd be less agitated given the day's other events." "I am very happy for my brother, yes." "I can make your brother a cardinal, but you cannot support my claim to paternity." "I can, as long as today's announcement is not your last." "Believe me." "I have done what I can to make certain there are no more little Borgias running about." "Out there, maybe." "But in here?" "No." "Yes." "Yes." "Yes." "Yes, yes, yes, yes."