"September 1494 The Seven Sorrows" " Turn around, wife." " No." "Now I can see that Charlotte and Valentinois are alike, benign, fair, loving." "A man could live here happily for the rest of his days, with a peaceful heart and a tranquil soul." "A man, surely." "But a Borgia?" "Will you not grow tired of watching me?" "Not 'till Gabriel stands on sea and shore and blows his wondrous horn." "Careful, you're going to fall." "The ancient Greeks had a word for the absolute of happiness: ataraxia." "To be without trouble, without disruption." "You lose, Charlotte." "I take back my boots." "When a man is free from all profound suffering, but also all thrilling joy." "When he is perfectly quiet." "He possesses the secret to bliss." "One must recognize the strength of an attack by sight." "A forceful strike must be countered with a forceful parry." "But sometimes, an attacker may swing weakly, on purpose, to prompt a parry." "That way he can use your expended energy to his advantage." "Like so..." "Agapito has demonstrated a key principle in the art of war." "If you know your enemy and you know yourself, you will win a hundred battles." "If you do not know your enemy, but you know yourself, you will win half as many." "If you do not know your enemy and you do not know yourself... you will die." "Practice striking and defending using different levels of force." "I am amazed at how easily they obey an Italian overlord." "Particularly one who raises their taxes." "I increase their taxes, yet spend the money not on myself, but on improving their lives." "Last week these men were without jobs." "This week, while they earn, they learn to live with purpose." " Fighting for their families and their king." " And for il Valentino." " You two, what are you staring at?" " (What are you staring at)?" "His father says, before you came to this country, you were a god." "And now, who am I?" " No." " Go go." "Those boys just had the fright of their lives." "They spoke true." "You were a god." "But an angry one." "Being a man makes you happier." "And more ordinary." "So, Giulia." "What is the latest gossip from inside the Vatican?" "I've sworn to Rodrigo to keep secret everything that I overhear." "I hear that on Cesare's wedding night, he broke the lance eight times." "I hear that Cesare thought he purchased an aphrodisiac, but received a laxative." "He spent his wedding night not moaning in passion, but groaning in the privy." "And Lucrezia has ordered Goffredo back to Squillace to save his marriage." "And he is accompanied by Prince Alfonso di Calabria." " But the two despise one another." " Yeah." "What prompted Lucrezia to include her husband?" "Lucrezia is uncertain which Alfonso, di Calabria or d'Este, is the father of her..." " Oh." " Child." "Are you ill?" " Silvia?" " The baby." " Isabella, my life has already been so full of surprises." " But this is a special gift." "Your new-mother room." "Between these walls, the finest Florentine artists... will labor at your direction, so that you may give birth in the most exquisite decor." "From here on... your child will be your world." "I already have Giovanni." "And just as I have found my true self, I once again must lose myself." "Men looked up to me, but now, they look down." "To them, I'm a belly." "A disgusting hole they fill with their desires." "I feel you, but once your child is weaned, did not the Pope swear to restore your position as Governor of Spoleto?" " Men lie." "Dear sister." "Women lie as well." "For seven months I have been haunted by the lie I told you." "I said that I was barren." "But like you, I know the smile and sweat of motherhood." "I have a son." " A son?" " His name is Aurelio." "He is fourteen." "Soon to be a man." " Has Papa seen your son?" " Never." "I sent word when Aurelio was born and heard only silence." "We Borgia would shame Medea." " Will you not ask me why I lied?" " No." "No." "For us women secrets serve as armor." "But I am curious to know why you chose this moment to confess." "I want our sweet affections to be unconditional." "Sisters should never withhold the truth from each other." "Justitia est caecus." "His Holiness Alexander, the Sixth of that name... summons the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Segnatura." "Cardinal Farnese will submit the order of the day." "I, Alessandro Farnese, Treasurer of the one, true Church, certify... that the Papal States of Rimini, Pesaro, Forli, Imola, Sermoneta, Urbino..." "Camerino and Faenza have failed to pay the Denarii Sancti Petri." "Cardinal Carafa will pronounce the accusation." "I, Oliviero Carafa, primus inter pares, accuse the governors of... the aforementioned Papal States of treason." "A unanimous vote of guilty is required, ad punctum juris." "Assent?" "Please." "One moment." "If the governors are condemned, the Church will head to war." " I ask for patience." " We have been patient." "Patient beyond the cosmic realm." "But these dukes have abused our virtue." "We must wallop them." "Hard." "Still, I ask for special treatment of Caterina Sforza-Riario." " Because she is the widow of your late cousin?" " I am concerned for the safety of her son Ottaviano." "He is the anointed Duke of Imola and Forli." "Yet Caterina, as Regent... has chosen to ignore their obligation to God." "The boy should not be blamed or made to suffer." "Then Caterina should forfeit control of the province and once more take her place as a woman." "She is no woman." "She is a warrior, a tigress." "Compel her to fight and we will bathe in blood." "Then she must come to Rome with her son and seek exoneration." "She will not leave her palace." "A plague ravages Imola and Forli." "To step outside is to die." " Caterina will come." "She knows no fear." " Neither do we." "So, how do you vote, Vice Chancellor?" "Do you raise your hand in assent?" "Or do you impede our sacred purpose?" "The governors of the Papal States are hereby declared guilty." "Unless they come before our Pontiff and beg forgiveness." "The meeting is adjourned." "Justitia est Caecus." "Riario-Sansoni is correct about one thing: war is inevitable." " Did our letter go to Cesare?" " He will receive your words by this evening." "Dear Charlotte." "I should be the happiest man in the world." "But with the name Borgia, I was cursed." "This past month I have been living once more in sweet delusion and denial." "But the summer idyll ends." "My curse has awakened." "I will know no rest until I..." "I find my destiny." "Charlotte, tell me not to go." "I know you love me, Cesare." "But not enough to keep you content." "And I love you so much that I would never ask you to be someone you are not." "I will sign documents giving you full authority over all of my possessions in France." "You will be..." "You are my equal." "And I promise, I will return and grow old by your side." "And I will pray each day for that bright promise to be fulfilled." "But I know in the deepest of my heart that I will never see you again." " The midwife has arrived, finally." " What are you doing?" " Silvia should be in bed." " She is signing her will." "We have not revised the codicils since the birth of Pier Luigi." " Come, Silvia." "I will make you comfortable." " Oh, I am fine, honestly." "What?" "All women should write their wills while pregnant." "Silvia is only five months along, yet she demonstrates symptoms of labor." "We should watch her, soothe her." "Not make her think of death." "You should go back to your duties as Papal Treasurer." "Your sister and I are here and will be here for Silvia." "When I'm working, you say I should go home to be with my family." "When I am home, you send me away." "I am a bocce ball rolled back and forth, never hitting the pallino." "Most Christian King, his Grace, Cesare Borgia, Duke of Valentinois..." " Count of Diois, Lord of Issoudun." " My dear Duke of Valentinois, et cetera." " To what do we owe this unexpected visit?" " The era of your greatness has arrived." " We march on Milan." " No, no, not yet." "Another 'not yet'?" "I've been informed that this very morning you signed the treaty with Venice." "They will block any German advance." "And you've already granted me full authority to leave France with your army whenever I choose." " I must wait on our astrologer to fix on a proper date." "Of all your excuses, that is the weakest." " I'm guessing that the stars will tell you not to trust me." " I do trust you, Cesare." "But you hesitate because you fear a Borgia bear trap." "The troops are under obedience to me." "Once I conquer Milan..." " I can turn the mercenaries against you." " Your words exactly, Georges." "Prove my counselor's wrong." "I now have under my command three hundred strong and steady men from Valentinois." "I will attack Milan with my own soldiers and, with my soldiers alone, will win this battle in your name." "When your army joins mine, your men will be fresh and far superior in number." "Thus, I will present no danger to you." "You intend to conquer Milan with three hundred peasant boys?" "Three hundred peasant boys, trained by Cesare Borgia." "If I agree to your plan, I am most likely sending you to your death." "I do not wish to lose you, mon ami." "Fear not." "I will be like your emblem." "A porc-epic." "My quills will pierce our enemies." "And I will place the ducal crown of Milan upon your head." "I believe you." "I believe in you." " Go." "Blaze a glorious trail." " And I will accompany you, Cesare." " I have no need..." " Solely as a chaplain." "To offer spiritual solace to your men." "Who better to offer Christ's comfort than you, eh, Giuliano?" "You actually believe you will survive this onslaught?" "I was born at this time." "Not a hundred years ago." "Not a thousand years hence, for a reason." "Let us find out what that reason is." "Lucrezia, something has come over you." "You're like a woman unbound." "Dammi bacia mille!" "I came here to give you not a thousand, but one last kiss, Alfonso." "We will never touch again." " Why?" "Because you carry a child?" " In part..." " Our child." " Banish that thought." " You cannot suddenly love di Calabria." " He is trying to be a better husband." " And he needs me more than you do." " But what of his indiscretions?" "I have forgiven him, as I forgave you." "Nor have I been an innocent." "But the love we share is infinite." "His lusts are unworthy of exculpation." "And so, forgiving him is the truest Christian act." "Being in Spoleto taught me that each time I forgive... the hate in my heart is replaced by something quite extraordinary." "Go back to Ferrara, Alfonso." "Go home to your wife." "Forget me." "And if you can, forgive me." "Ottaviano Riario, Duke of Imola and Forli." "Caterina Sforza-Riario, Regent." "Ottaviano Riario, our cherished godson, we welcome you." "Holiness." "We have serious matters to discuss, Governor." "Your dear mother may take her leave." "I rule on behalf of my son." "Address your grievances to me." "Oh, we are confused." "Ottaviano Riario was invested as Governor of Forli and Imola by decree of Pope Innocent VII." "You were appointed to serve as Regent until he reached the age of reason." "Is that not so, Herr Burchard?" "Ottaviano appears quite reasonable." "And so, we will speak with him." " You have no..." " Holy Father..." "Caterina and Ottaviano have come in the spirit of goodwill." "We are willing to show a benevolent inclination to the rightful heir of our prized dominion." "Plead your case, young man, and answer to the crime of treason." " Holiness." " You dare call us treasonous?" " Woman, be silent." " You be silent!" "Catalan..." "Our patience only goes so far." "Let Ottaviano defend his actions or fear..." "Fear what?" "You're a decadent, impotent old man, who loves no one..." " except the Farnese whore." " And you are not a whore?" "!" "Let us list the mattresses you have soiled, you ungodly spider!" "We will throw you into the Tiber!" "Not now." "Out of respect to your late husband, we will grant you one last day to pay the tithe." "If we have not received the ducats by tomorrow at the hour of compline, you will face a new form of Hell." "Be gone from our sight." "If Borgia wants his coins, he will get his coins, which he can bring to his tomb." "But mother, we cannot kill the Supreme Pontiff of Holy Mother Church..." "My lamb, when I was thirteen, my father was stabbed to death." "Your father was butchered by an angry mob and his body thrown out the window of our palazzo." "You and I watched as my last husband, my... handsome Giacomo, was assassinated." "Do you think I worry about murdering the Pope?" "And a Borgia, at that?" " But, mama..." " Cesare Borgia threatening our cousins in Milano." "Rodrigo Borgia's threatening our rule in Imola and in Forli." "The survival of our family relies solely on you." "I will pretend to be sick with fevers." "You will ride all night to Forlì... with the excuse of fetching my personal physician and most trusted servant, Lorenzo Bassi." "Bassi seeks a remedy for the plague by testing the disease-stricken." "Instruct him to smear the money inside the chest with plague miasma." "Bassi will ride back as fast as he can and hand the ducats over to me." "By vespers, Borgia will be an oozing carcass." "Bassi, good to see you again." "You've got information regarding the Court of Forli?" "A conspiracy to murder." "Caterina commanded me to smear... these coins with plague in order to infect His Holiness." "If the Pope opens this chest and touches a single ducat..." "he will most assuredly never see another sunrise." " Place the chest on my desk." "Guards." "We arrest Caterina Sforza-Riario." " How could Caterina have escaped?" " You forget, she lived in the palace when her husband was Prefect." "She knows all the secret doors." "Or she was aided by a relative." "I swear, I did not conspire to poison you, Holy Father." "Caterina acted without my consent." "I am innocent." "In every direction, we are bedeviled by the Sforza family." "Send a word to Cesare." "As soon as this business in Milan is done... and the Sforza brothers are defeated, he is to return to Rome for a war council." "Your cousin, Caterina, will rue the day she tried to silence the Voice of Christ." "Forli will be the first papal province which my son will subjugate." " Papa, we need a word." "In private." " Gacet, go to the Papal Treasury." "We want a current accounting of the funds available for Cesare's war chest." "Go pray, Vice Chancellor." "Pray for the souls of the soon-to-be extinct Sforzas." "Yes, Lucrezia?" "Do you love me, Papa?" "My darling girl, my affection for you knows no measure and no bounds." " Is that true for all your children?" " Of course." "Then meet with Isabella." "I do not want to know how your path crossed with that woman." "But hear this, she is no longer a Borgia." " She is your daughter as much as I." "She is nothing to me." "Never see her again, never speak her name again." "Despite what others say, I know what truly drives you." "Not power, not riches, not even God." "Family." "You have always wanted us to be a family." "Yet, that is the one thing we have never been." "Feel your flesh." "Feel your blood." " When touching me, you touch her." " No." " Why not?" "What has she done?" " We have urgent matters to attend to." "One by one, I have discovered the secrets of our family." "I will discover this one as well." "We will establish our camp here." "Contact our spies in Milan." "I want updated reports of the size, strength and loyalty of Sforza's troops." "The Sforza will, no doubt, have their spies infesting our troops." "Invite the brothers to my headquarters." "For a friendly conversation." "Either way, they will know you only have a small number of soldiers under your command." "Precisely." "I want Ascanio and Ludovico to get a good look at my peasant boys." "And then shit their pants wondering when and where the real army will strike." "'Sorrowful Mother, pray for us." "Mournful Mother, pray for us." "Sighing Mother, pray for us." "Afflicted Mother, pray for us." "Forsaken Mother...'" "You, praying?" "7 graces are granted to those who honor the Virgin daily, by meditating on her sorrows." "I pray for you and for your precious Giovanni and the child in your womb." " I wish you would pray for my sister." " Laura?" " Isabella." " That girl." " Did you know she had a son?" " Yes." "Mama, how am I always the last of this family to learn its secrets?" " I want Papa and Isabella to reconcile." " You..." "You ask the impossible." "Why?" "Isabella crushed Rodrigo's heart and trampled his soul." "I have crushed my father's heart many times and I am forgiven." " No, no, no." "Not this." " What?" "What can be so horrendous?" "I promised never to tell." " My soul would burn." " Your soul will burn in any case." "Meditate on the Fifth Sorrow of Mary." "These goddam maps have no detail." "It's just lines on a page." " The nebbiolo is dry, very perfumed." " Just like you, Giuliano." "Ludovico Sforza, Duke of Milan, and Ascanio Cardinal Sforza, decline your invitation." "How typically brave." "Like all men who hide behind high walls." "They command you to remove Borgia troops from the vicinity of Milan." "The army of Emperor Maximilian is marching through the Alps to save the Sforza crown." "This is a lie." "And a poor one." "Maximilian has not the courage to fight France... and Venice and me." "The Sforza will wait five score for that German jackass to make a move." " So what is your plan of attack?" " A thrifty one." "I will not let a single drop of my men's blood spill." "To win without fighting is best." "Cesare, the city will never surrender without a battle." "If Milan's leaders will not come when I beckon, then I will go over their heads, to the people." "Summon the Merchants' Guild." "How much money is in the papal treasury that can be put towards Cesare's war chest?" " Alessandro." " Yes, yes..." " Where is your head?" " You were saying?" "I have no idea what you were saying." "Silvia..." "The pregnancy." " She and our baby are in danger." " Then why are you at work?" "Go home." "A wandering mind is useless to us." " My dear men of Milan, you do me great honor..." " Do not waste your spit, Borgia." "The Merchant's Guild has come before you to pledge its eternal allegiance to the Sforza family." "A touching gesture of loyalty." "Our loyalty goes to the rulers who brought peace and prosperity to our city." "Not to warmongers." "I hear that Milan is a thriving city indeed." "Your splendid cathedral, your venerable university, your magnificent gardens..." "And I cannot exclude the eighth wonder of the world, the Castello Sforzesco." "But I flip to the other side of a coin and my heart arrests." "The cost of Sforza lavishness must lie heavily on the shoulders of those who pay the taxes." " On the shoulders of your guild." " Speak clearly, snake." "Very well." "I will speak as snake to snake, warmonger to cheese monger." " Make the first offer..." " I will make my only offer... which is honest, plain and simple." "If you give me the keys to Milan, I will reduce taxation on your guild." " By how much?" " Fifty-percent." "Wait." "Wait." "This is not enough, Catalan." "You will bring war to Italy and war is a costly whore." "War is also a fortune maker." "Each of you will benefit mightily, supplying weapons and pleasures to French troops, as they make their way farther down the coast." " Even so." "We want more." "You want more?" "Let me tell you what will happen if you resist Cesare Borgia." "He will destroy your splendid cathedral, your venerable university." "He will burn your magnificent gardens, murder your sons, rape your daughters, boil the flesh off your bodies and use the bones to build a new cathedral, dedicated to Cesare Borgia, Catalan." "Now choose: death or joy." " You..." "I choose you." " Cesare Borgia will enter the city at the hour of Terce." "You will bring forth the keys as a symbol of surrender." "And to punish your avarice, bribe the Sforza soldiers with your own money." "Cesare Borgia dismisses you." "Duke Cesare of Valentinois, in the name of the citizens of Milan..." "I present the keys to our beloved city." " And the Milanese army?" " Have forgotten the very name of Sforza." "But I have not." "Where can I find the brothers?" "Ludovico and Ascanio await you in the Castello Sforzesco." "Its dungeon, to be precise." "Eminence, a pleasure to meet you again in such delectable circumstances." " Will you not introduce me to your brother, the Duke?" " Go to the devil, Borgia cunt." "Ludovico, be silent." "I warn you, free us at once or die under Emperor Maximilian's blade." "Those are my choices?" "Well, what should we do while we wait for his arrival?" " I did not think to bring cards." " I told you he does not scare." "The rattle of swords is always the first gambit." " And the second gambit is to beg?" " To reason, to convince you not to execute us." "Ah." "Then convince me." "Someday, you may need our brother-in-law Maximilian as an ally, emperor to emperor." "Executing Ludovico and me would lay rather heavily on that relationship." "Since I cannot free you both nor execute you both..." "I will exile one of you to your sister's court." "The other will squat here... chewed upon by rats until he dies of loneliness." " Which of us will remain?" " Well, make your argument... why you or you should live free." "As Duke of Milan and your elder brother, I will speak first." " My Lord..." " Louder, Sforza cunt." "I know a secret that will solidify your choice." "Maximilian has refused to pay fealty to Pope Alexander." "He does not journey to Rome to be crowned as emperor..." " Do not dare." " because Ascanio told him to wait until the Borgia Pope is dead." "Maximilian would then bring his troops to the Eternal City and force the conclave to elect my brother as Supreme Pontiff." " Is this true, Eminence?" "Cesare, I wish to make the choice for you." "I will sacrifice myself." "Sweet Savior, why?" "Your brother has just betrayed you." "Still, he is the head of my family." "I am a priest, a celibate." "My brother must live, so that his children will live... and carry the Sforza dukedom into the pages of history." "I will deliberate your fates this evening over a bottle of dolcetto." "While I contemplate my verdict, I leave the two of you alone." "I want you to spend your last night together in a brotherly embrace." " Alessandro?" "Alessandro, where are you?" " Over here." "How is Silvia?" "Any change?" "Nothing so far." "But the midwife says by morning we will know." " What did Angelo look like in death?" " Oh, Alessandro." "I missed my own brother's final moments." "Now, Silvia is in pain and our baby may die and I am just sitting here, able to do nothing." " None of us can do anything but hope." "What do you suppose our brother's first words were to God upon reaching the Gates of Heaven?" "Knowing Angelo, he wanted to know the size of his bedchamber." "Or 'Lord God, creator of Adam and all of mankind, I am graced to be in your presence." "Now where are the large bosomed angels?" "'" "No, I am sure he said, 'Please, God, blanket my family with Your love.'" "If when we die, we rise to Heaven, is Heaven where we descend from when we are born?" " I think, yes." " Then I wonder what message Angelo delivered to my unborn child before sending the baby to us." "Out, quick!" "'I grieve for you, O Mary most sorrowful, in the martyrdom which your generous heart endured, in standing near Jesus.'" " Lucrezia, what are you doing?" "I am praying for your soul, Isabella." "I know you hold a terrible secret." "Remember your words: 'Secrets are a woman's armor.' Do not ask me to disarm." "Remember your words: 'Sisters should never withhold the truth.'" "I have no needs for expensive gifts." "What I want for my child... is to be born into a united, loving family." "If I tell you, you will despise me." "We Borgia all have reasons to be despised." "And to be loved." "Pray to the Virgin Mother." "'I grieve for you, O Mary, most sorrowful... in the martyrdom which your generous heart endured.'" "'In standing near Jesus in his agony.'" "Did you..." "Isabella, did someone die?" "When I was your age, I ran away and hid in a cellar... to escape the husband Rodrigo had chosen for me." "Yes, one night a candelabra fell..." " And fire broke out." "I escaped and watched the house burn to ashes." "I was too scared to even call for help." "The house belonged to my elder sister, Jeronima, and her husband." "Their bodies were never found." "You..." " You killed your own sister?" " A sin which is unforgivable." "Dry your tears." "You and I are sisters in more ways than you know." "Meet me at the hour of lauds in the Papal Gardens." "Papa will be there." " You have exhausted me." " Well, that is flattering." "You must renew your strength." "You're expected." "Get up." "Get dressed." "You have some on your chin." "What a waste." "I should have consumed it all." "Eat a hearty meal." "I will need your vitality again tonight." "Eminence, Cesare Borgia would like to see you." "Cardinal Della Rovere needs a moment." "He's deep in prayer... praising God for his blessings." "Signore, Signore, risvegliatevi." "(Ladies, ladies, wake up.)" "Last night, contemplating the decision I must make, who will live and who will rot..." "I went from bedchamber to bedchamber, from goose feathers to straw." "Finally, in order to appreciate the discomfort you must both be feeling..." "I slept on the floor." "Ludovico, I had a brother who would do or say anything... to advance himself, to glorify himself, to save himself." "Do not think yourself too clever, Ascanio." "I recognize your sacrifice for what it is." "Another gambit." "The cleverly-phrased, implied threat of your brother's resurgence." "He and your sister bending the Emperor's ear." "Plotting Ludovico's return to power... once Louis is back in France and I am back in Rome." "Or dead." "Wait, who will you free?" "Before Louis arrives, sneak Cardinal Sforza out of town." "Place him in a box, the size and length of a coffin." "Fill the box with excrement." "Let Ascanio know the terror which comes from being buried alive in his own shit... and leave Ludovico here to die." "Please." "Please, let me out." "I am sorry." "I am sorry." "Christ." "Will you ever knock?" " Father, follow me." " Where?" "Why?" " Isabella awaits in the Papal Gardens." " We told you, Isabella is dead to us." "No, Jeronima is dead." "Isabella is alive and her sorrows are great." " She was forbidden to tell you." " She will never be able to forgive herself until you forgive her, as a human being, as a father, as the Surrogate of Christ." "Before, you asked me to touch your skin." "Do you remember how you felt when you touched baby Giovanni for the first time?" "The skin of your firstborn." "How soft and miraculous?" "I remember." "Jeronima was my firstborn." "She made me a father." "How could I ever bear the thought of her skin being torched... and blackened by burning flames?" "How could I ever forgive the horror she endured, until the last moment?" "Papa, I can never know how much Jeronima suffered or you suffered." "But such extremes make forgiveness all the more necessary..." " for Isabella's soul and yours." " I cannot." "I ask you to imagine this:" "If I told you that I killed Juan, would you forgive me or would I be dead?" " How can you even..." " Would I be dead to you, Papa?" "I have lost three children." "I could not continue to breathe without you in my life." "Three children are gone." "A living one can be restored." " Do not hurt my mother." " Let him go." "I told you to stay at home." "Isabella, I am glad that he is here." " What is your name?" " Aurelio." "Aurelio Borgia Matuzzi." "Blood of my blood." " Silvia is well." " And the baby?" "No." "No, I must go to Silvia." "Most Christian King, as promised, I, Cesare Borgia, give you Milan." "In the name of His Holiness..." "I crown you." "You have proven yourself worthy of my trust, and worthy of my love." " You are sad." " Triumph does not taste the way I thought." "It does not fill the stomach." " And what does?" " Therein lies my sadness."