"Five years after the great siege of Rochester and the rebellion against the King was won." "England lays peaceful, yet on its borders there is always conflict." "Scottish clans, embittered with the loss of their lands and people, raid English castles and villages along its border." "Without the aid of the Crown, English Lords are left to defend their homes using any men they can find, even the weak, the lowly and those who fight only for coin." "The wager is at 10 guineas a side." "Weapons... sword and mace." "It's all there." "Open your eyes, young de Lusignan." "I see what I need to see." "When does your man arrive?" "Tomorrow night." "From Rochester... no less." "Bring him from hell, for all I care." "Kill him." "Ohh!" "Come on!" "Come on!" "A guinea for a kill!" "Kill!" "Kill!" "Kill!" "Kill!" "Kill!" "Kill!" "Kill!" "Kill!" "Kill!" "Kill!" "Kill!" "Ewan!" " Yes, Father?" " Go." "Please!" "Mercy!" "Mercy?" "Like you English give us?" "Where goes the father, goes the son." "Is my cockerel coming back to bed?" " Let's have 'em up, Mrs. Smith." " Right you are, Mr. Smith." "Come on, up you get!" " Half the day's gone!" " Have some." "Up you get!" " Come up!" " Wake up!" "Get them up!" "Come on!" "Where is my son?" "We're disobeying your father." "We should go back." "Then go." "To the walls!" "Keep the girls in the tower!" "And Hubert!" "Don't let him follow me!" "You, unload the baskets!" "Milord, they're heading for the village!" "Come on!" "Quickly, Smith!" "Let's go!" "Come quickly." "Where's my son?" "Don't let him follow us!" "Take care, milord." "Father." "Inside!" "Quickly now!" "Inside!" "Quickly now!" "Master!" "Ewan." "Lay down your weapons, and I will show mercy." "Mercy's for pigs!" "No!" "No!" "No!" "English!" "Show my son!" "Show my son!" "Careful." "Careful." "Careful." "Sorry, darling." "Do what you can." "The bone is in pieces." " Will it see gangrene?" " He's blessed if he doesn't." "English!" "My Son!" "Smith, what are you doing?" "He wants his son?" "Come on!" "English!" "Uhh!" "Hold him fast, Master Hubert." "Go faster." "Quickly." "I think they've stopped." "We should never have come to this God-forsaken place." "As soon as Father is able, we should leave." "Do you ever think of anyone but yourself?" "It's a terrible thing." " Kate, stop it." " Shh." "Shh." "He must rest." " Mother, we have to talk." " Don't listen to her." " As soon as Father is well..." " She wants us to leave!" "Yes, and what would you have us do, stay here and be slaughtered?" "Enough." "Your father wouldn't want his daughters squabbling on his sick bed." " I hear them." " Father." "Have we not fought enough for one day?" "Now I'll be with my son." "Blanche is right, Father." "These people are barbarous." "We have to leave." "They will fight us over this land forever." " And we will fight them." " How can we do that without you?" "We must be swift in what we do now." "Your cousin..." "Guy de Lusignan... he will know men who can help us." "Where can he be found?" "Your mother knows." "A great warrior." "You'll need money." "Leave at first light." "Do not fail me, Son." "Find him." "Cut him loose." "Why did you disobey me?" "Why?" "Yes, Father." "I will avenge you, my son." "Come on, come on." "If God doesn't take me soon, my brothers will." "Father." "You say Guy de Lusignan is your cousin?" "My family was told he was here." "Yes." "He was." "He was at the request of Archbishop Langton himself." "You say he was?" "He came here seeking peace." "But when a young man witnesses what he did, it isn't found so easily." "He was among us no more than a month." "Do you know where he went?" "I hope to something he couldn't find here." "I hear a brother saw him in Kingston a week ago." " Thank you, Father." " God bless you, my son." "Hey, sonny." "Stable for the night?" " How much?" " Uh, four." "Are you sorry for your sins?" "This way!" "Three fights this afternoon." "Three fights." "Three fights this afternoon." "Three fights." "Come on up." "Come on up." "He killed last week." "Will he do it again?" "20-1 says that he does." "I'll take them odds." "He'll do it again." "Harder." "Yeah!" "Come on!" "Three guineas for three kills in a row!" "Come on!" "I know." "I know." "But the next fight will be different." "♪ 'Twas his dream to be in heaven ♪" "♪ So they said ♪" "♪ Yet ♪" "♪ How is a man in heaven ♪" "♪ Without his head?" "♪" "Like it?" "Sir." "I'm looking for Guy de Lusignan." "And what might he want with you?" "He's my cousin." "Oh." "Really?" "That son of a whore has a family?" "I'll thank you not to speak of my family in such a way, sir." "Then you'll find your blood... upstairs." "Whore." "Cousin." "Cousin Guy?" "It's Hubert de Vesci." "So the sprat grew up." "When they come, we bring what we can inside the walls." "What they cannot take, they destroy." "And our men-at-arms and serfs are hearty fellows, but without Father, I fear the worst." "My uncle was a fearsome crusader." "Made himself a tidy little fortune, didn't he, sacking..." "Where was it?" "Malta?" "When I said he was ill, this time when they came, he lost his arm." "Things are as hard as they can be." "In the fight, the chieftain's son was also killed." "So then now it's personal." " Why don't you just leave?" " Father won't." "It's why he sent me to find you." "He said you'd help us." "Well, you came looking for the wrong cousin." "You know other men, like yourself." "I have money." "We could buy three good men, maybe more." "We could buy?" "I'm not worthy of your money?" "But you're family." "It's worth the honor." "Let me tell you something, Cousin." "I have had a belly full of worth and honor." "I've seen men wasting their lives on things that they can't even see." "And the only thing that puts fire in my belly now... is this." "You want me to pay you?" "And him." "Your friend doesn't say much." "He'll tell you what he thinks when he needs to." "Now... do you have yourself two hired men?" "Oh, don't worry." "It won't bite, unless it has to." "Fresh bite." "Fresh bite." "Come and get your fresh bite." "Fresh bite here." "Your friend had a hard night." "Sweet whore, sour beer." "You know, I'm not holding you to this." "No one's forcing you to come." "When I owe a man, I pay him." "How many this week, Mr. Pierrepoint?" "Six men, two women and a dog." "Varlets and flunkeys, every one of 'em." "And let me tell you, the dog was a bitch." "Ever take the head of someone who was fighting back?" "Let me finish up here, and I'll show you." "What has your man done?" "Man?" "This here's Mary, my friend." "Slit the throats of 12 men and cut out the tongues of three." "This one you don't mess with, brother." "How much?" " She ain't for sale." " Everyone has a price." "Not this one." "Her head is gold to me." "We have what we need." "There's nothing for us here." "I'll give you two guineas." "Here." "Four and she's yours." "Show him some mercy." "Let a man trade for a wretched soul." "I miscounted." "It's five." " You said four." " That was for her head." "You want what's below it, that's five guineas down to her toes." "You're in a murderous business, sir." "And what business are you three in wanting my friend here?" " We're hiring men to protect my home." " Hmm." "I see." "Very nice." "Pierrepoint!" "That's the last time I catch you selling prisoners!" "Five guineas." "It's two for the price of one." "I'm coming as well." "I think he's even better when you're fighting back." "We don't want trouble with the law." "I think we've already got that." "And ourselves another two men." "Then it's a deal." "Four men and one woman." "Three men, one woman and a son of a filthy whore." "So now that I'm a bought woman, do I call you master?" "My name's Hubert." "Master Hubert." "Your friend seems quite loyal." "Was he also at Rochester?" "His name is Berenger." "Saved his life in a skirmish once, he's had the strange notion that he owes me ever since." "You didn't ask about Mother." "I trust my aunt is well." "As well as could be expected." "And what of Cousin Blanche?" "She's still the same spoiled princess she always was?" "Worse since she returned from schooling in France without a prince." "She's eager to hear about the rebellion." "How you fought against the king at Rochester." "Let's go." "Hyah!" "They're coming, boys!" "Hurry to position!" "Here they come!" "Get those rocks down here now!" "Come on!" "Move it!" "All right, where are those rocks?" "Whatever you've got, I want 'em here now!" "They didn't waste any time." "However we approach we'll be seen." " Is there a sally port?" " Yes." "At the far side of the castle." "Then that's our way in." " They'll get there before we do." " Well, we came for a fight." "Do your serfs have a keen eye?" " Keen enough." " Then let's go, brother." "Kill them all!" "There are too many of them!" "You men, hold that section!" "Go!" "It's just on the far side!" "Ogre." "Open the door!" "It's Master Hubert!" "Open the sally port!" "Trouble!" "Open the door!" "Open the gate!" "Open the sally port!" "Open the door!" "Get it open!" "It's Master Hubert!" " Hurry!" " Come on." "Come on." "Open the door!" "It's open!" "You're still mine." "Get in!" "Come on!" "Executioner, come on!" "Come on!" "Hurry up!" "Secure the gate!" "Come on!" "Master Hubert!" "We need you on the wall!" "Come on, you men!" "Fight back!" "Fight them back!" "Come on, then!" "Come on!" "Ahh!" "Ahh!" "No, Father!" "I have to be out there." "No, Father, please!" "Push 'em off the walls!" "Push 'em down!" "Come on, lads!" "Push 'em back!" "I'm lovin' it!" "Get back, you scum!" "There, you scum!" "They're on the run!" "The Scots are retreating!" "Retreat!" "Fall back!" "Well done." "Smith." "How's Father?" "Welcome home." "Be gentle with him." " He needs rest." " Yes." " Welcome, dear nephew." " Aunt." "I found Cousin Guy." "You've done well." " You brought others?" " Three." "From the devil himself." "Then our enemies must beware." "Come." "Uncle." "I'm glad you've come." "Though we could have wished for better circumstances." "I'm no stranger to your circumstances anymore." "It will take more than a few mountain men to bring this house down." "It's been in my family for three generations." "And no matter what happens to me, we will not give it up." "He needs to rest." "I didn't like the look of Father." "I've seen men come through worse." "Well, well." "You didn't tell me the spoiled princess had grown into such a beauty." "It's a pity the same could not be said for my cousin." "Oh, and a sharp tongue too, I see." "I'm surprised my cousin can see anything at all." "Please excuse me." "Don't worry." "You're not the only one she sniffs her nose at." " They fared well." " I told you they were a hearty bunch." "Cousin." "Oh, this beauty I remember." "Though last time I saw you, you were playing in a field wearing leggings." "You must tell me of the rebellion." "How you fought the king himself." "Well another time, maybe." "We need as many as we can get back on the walls." "Come on!" "Keep going." "Keep going." "You and your friend." "It's good to see people happy at their work." "Well, we've had a lot of practice." "Some don't have a taste for it." "But as my dear father and his before him used to say..." ""It is a trade, Son." "Be proud when they kneel before you."" "We didn't get around to names." "Charles Montserrat de Pierrepoint." "The Third." "Guy de Lusignan." "You are the pride of your profession, Mr. Pierrepoint." "Pleasure." "We need you on the walls." "Is that all my master needs?" "No, stop." "No." "Hey!" "No!" "Shh." "Shh." "Shh." " Ohh!" " Ohh!" "Ohh!" " Kill the prisoners." " Kill them." "Scum." " We should attack tomorrow." " Tomorrow!" "But now they have hired swords." "Mercenaries, aye." " You'll lose too many." " Yes." " Throw them out to the hounds." " Aye." "Throw them out." "Each one of us... feels your loss." " But we will kill them." " Kill them all!" "How many sisters and brothers are sacrificed... for one dead son?" "How many?" "My wife." "My daughters." "Raped and murdered by the English." "Now my son is with them." " The last of my blood." " Kill them." "How many of you know the same?" "We will fight you, English, the way you fight us." "And their eyes shall see the fire." "On this hand be English blood!" " What say my people?" " Kill them all!" "I must..." "Bring Hubert and Guy." "Yes, ma'am." "Master Hubert!" "Your mother's asking for you." "And your cousin." "Father." "I will not see the morning." "Listen." "There is little time." "This place is not just our home." "It is the shelter of every soul within it." "Built with toil and sweat... in the hope of a better life." "And when God cannot give us that, these stone walls... become our shield." "A sanctuary from danger." "They protect us like the steel of a sword." "My grandfather was of pure Norman blood." "But my son is an Englishman." "Be proud of that." "Now I," "Lord Gilbert de Vesci, bestow my land and title... on you, my son." "Promise me this great castle... will pass to your son." "In the presence of your cousin, swear it." "I will defend this land with my life." "This castle and all its titles will pass on to my son." "It... is... done." "Just you wait." " Father's dying, isn't he?" " Aren't we all?" "I'm sorry about before." "My welcome was..." "Don't apologize for speaking your mind." "What happened to you, Guy?" "Our happy young cousin, what has turned him so bitter?" "Something you got from a whore?" "Frenchman." "It must have stung for a while." "Not as much as the one I gave him." "If you want a beer, it's in the keep." "Hmm." "You think the world is full of gay, French princes." "But I've met a few." "Liars and cutthroats to a man." "If you give your precious virginity to one of them, Cousin, well, then good luck to you." "Since when did my precious virginity... have anything to do with you?" "It doesn't." "The same thing that took me to France brought me here." "England's purse." "Your brother's a very generous young man." "He's paying you." "Well, if this is what fighting has done to you," "I'll tell you what else it's done." "However much you think carrying a sword has opened your eyes, you're wrong." "You're blinder now than you ever were." "Blanche, come quickly." "As we stand, we've got enough food for a month." "And the water can't be poisoned?" "No." "Its source is from the hills." " It's an underground stream." " They can't touch it." "This is where the son was killed." " Who killed him?" " I did." " Pitch?" " It's gone." "And we're low on stones for the missiles." "We can break up that buttress by the ditch." "Just so we know, who's in charge here?" "Until this is over, you take orders from my cousin." "Tell your fellows the same." "Master." "You gave him the family money." "I had to." "Or they wouldn't have come." " You could have brought others." " No, I couldn't." "You didn't have to give him Father's money." "I told you, I had no choice." "Besides, Father isn't here anymore." "And look what you bring us." "Rats from the gutter to save us." " But Blanche, please, I've told you..." " Enough." " Your father lies dead." " He..." "I've raised my children better than this." "He gave our cousin Father's money to come here." "You knew." "It was your brother's decision." "He is the master now." "No." "He will never be my master." "To the battlements!" "What are they doing?" "Come and fight us, you bastards!" "Oh, there, there." "Run, Miss Kate, run!" " They're in the tower!" " No!" "It's what they want." "To pull us from the walls so they can attack." "Keep everyone here." "In the chimney!" "Let her go!" "Please let me go!" "Please." "Please." "Let her go and you'll live!" "English!" "Ogre." "Form the attack." "Form the attack." "Get some men to the gates!" "Come on, come on." "What is it?" "You know you're free to go." " If there's a debt, it's been paid." " Not yet." "That still leaves a boy who paid me to come here." "What's a hired man without his word?" "A man who ain't hired no more." "A long ride through France taught us that." "That's all we are, brother." "Swords for hire." "Willing to shed a cup of blood now and then." "Well, that's me." "What's keeping you here?" "Like you said, what's a hired man who doesn't stick to his word?" "You sure there wouldn't be a lord's daughter keeping it too?" "She looks like a sweet one." "What do you know of that?" "Had a couple of sweet whores." "Nothing else?" "There was one." "I was just a boy." "I walked all the way to Bicknor County to see her." "But she died the winter before I got there." "I'm sorry about your wife." "The best a man could have." "I used to tell her I loved her." ""Of course you do, you great lump," she'd say." "You find a woman like that... you hold onto her for dear life." "What do you make of him?" "Our singing executioner?" "Executioners?" "Shit 'em." "When so much is taken from those left behind... it feels as though we die a piece at a time." "Sometimes it hardens what remains." "Perhaps." "If you should, uh, choose it that way." "There was a spirit in you as a boy." "Born for trouble, your mother would say." "Of the short time you had together, she knew her son well." "Maybe not well enough." "She died when I was seven-years-old." "So they share the sin of what you have become?" "And what have I become?" "Look at yourself, dear nephew." "And tell me a part of you has not died." "Well?" "What is it?" "Is my brother not paying you enough?" "That's why you're here." " I came of my own accord." " Oh, really?" "To save our family, or to take all of our money?" "What do you know of such things?" "Your father is dead." "How dare you talk about my family!" "You're just a hired man." "You should just do as we say." "So this is what you think of me?" "Gone are the sweet words and sweet promises of before." "I was young then... and very foolish." "Then maybe I should just take your money and leave you to those dogs outside." "Well, you can't." "You've had the last of it." "Then you can pay me in something else." "How dare you!" "Your brother may be paying me, but that isn't the reason I came." "What do you see?" "My son's face." "The night he was born." "I see a great fire." "A house of stone turned black with my son's blood." "Is that the plea of mercy I smell?" "Same as the mother and father that spawned you." "Whore and cutthroat." "They groveled for mercy." "Didn't do 'em no good." "Like that poor husband you did." "Whore." "I heard you cut him nicely." "From here to here." "Deserved it." "But his poor wife didn't, did she?" "What's your price?" "Barters." "I ain't for the likes of you, girl." "Where's the executioner?" "Water!" "To the walls now!" " They're going to come for the gate." " Well, let's hope that's all." "Water to the gate!" "Everybody help!" "Use anything you can find!" "Here they come!" "Stand ready!" " You'll do well." " For Father." " Water!" " Get this fire out!" "Water!" "Give me that." "Keep that water coming!" "Come on!" "To the walls!" "We have to retreat to the keep." "Go." "Go!" "To the keep!" "Come on!" "Mercenary." "Knew you would come soon enough." "They're coming through the gate!" "Come on, Guy!" "Smith, come on!" "Go!" "English!" "Where's Mother?" "Go with her." "Go." "Quickly." "Burn it." "Burn it!" "Burn it!" "What are we to do?" "I made a promise." "I will fight for this place until my last breath." "How noble of you." "There's nothing noble in killing." "Not for freedom, not for God, not for money." "Somebody told me that once before." "Except without the money." "The money isn't why you came." "You came because you knew it was right." " What do you know of what is right?" " I know what is blood." "Are we not family?" "Go." "Take your sisters to the upper chamber." " No." " This is no time to argue." "That is why you will go with my sisters." "A master defends his own castle." "Break it up." "Move!" " What are they doing?" " We should have stayed with Hubert." "The thing that you saw between me and Berenger..." "Don't." "I shouldn't have brought you here." "Quickly." " I want to go back to Hubert." " No, Kate." "Stay, stay, stay." "Shh." "Stay." "You and I... and our dear cousin." "Go in there!" "I didn't mean the things I said." "They have Hubert!" "Oh, God!" "Oh, God!" "No." "Shh." "Hang her!" "No!" "No!" "No!" "No!" "No!" "We have to do something!" "Mercenary!" "I am Guy de Lusignan." "Cousin and blood to the de Vesci!" "And now him." "This is my family!" "This is my family and my home!" "Fight me!" "Fight me instead!" "Fight me!" "You had a son who died as you and your men stand there!" "And now let no more of them die in his name!" "You are a hired sword!" "A dog who fights for coin!" "Why are you here?" "Bring me the daughters of the lord, and you're free to go." "This is my family and my home!" "If you have honor for your son... for your own blood, then fight me!" "Let us settle this alone!" "Wait." "A dog finding his way home doesn't make a son." "Nor does blood alone make a father." "No!" "Vyla, kill her!" "The clan returned to the hills and we enjoyed peace for a time." "But for England and Scotland, peace would always be elusive." "Castles would rise and fell just as the families that built them." "Our cousin, Guy, left a fight in the Hundred Years War in France... where armies of mercenaries were born." "For there are always men whose honor can be bought."