"Previously on Reign..." "You cost me more than you could possibly imagine." "Anything you ask." "You will do and say as I command." "You were supposed to befriend Francis, find out what kind of king he is." "If the time should come when you need to choose between your new friends and your family, your choice will be clear." "Mary asked you to offer yourself as a possible match for me." "She hoped that we might find the happiness she's found with Francis." "What does she take us for?" "A couple of game pieces she can shunt aside to unclutter her board?" "I want a happier life with you." "I still can't bear to be touched... even the sound of a man breathing near me is..." "I wish I knew how to help." "Just give me time." "Oh, it's here." "The first bloom!" "I claim the reward!" "First bloom, isn't that grand?" "The promise of new life and new beginnings." "And a rip-roaring party with new dresses and dancing to enliven this dismal winter." "Come in, I'm almost ready." "He's just here for a routine visit, isn't he?" "According to Antoine's letter, yes." "He wanted to extend the peace treaty between France and Navarre." "Could have done it through diplomats, but he hasn't been here for years, and now that I'm king," "I suppose he wants to pay me a visit." "What's this?" "A map?" "There's an enclave of the Loire Valley." "The hills there have the lushest orchards and vineyards in the realm." "The poet Marot calls it the Eden of France." "Well, it sounds glorious, but..." "I know how hard things have been for you." "For us." "I want us to have a new beginning, a place we can go away from the castle and all the painful memories it holds." "There's an abandoned château." "Here." "A lord who ran out of money." "I thought we could expand it." "It's a beautiful idea, but  what if we go there, and things don't get better?" "Things are already better." "Cousin," "I am delighted we both wish to renew the peace treaty between our two countries." "It is my chief purpose in coming." " Of course." " And my second purpose is to ask for funds." "Navarre has been overrun by Protestant refugees." "French Protestants." "They're perfectly lovely people, but they are a tax on our resources." "Now, we'd prefer that they return home, but apparently they fear persecution from the Crown." "And you're suggesting that these refugees are our fault, and you want us to pay up?" "I knew this would be awkward;" "that's the problem with being forthright." "Well, we will consider your request." "In the meantime, you are our honored guest." "France and Navarre remain the best of friends." "Of course." "Lady Lola." "What are all the decorations for?" "Tomorrow night's Winter Ease." "The first blooms have been sighted in the snow." "We feast, dance, celebrate new beginnings." "But it's still winter." "The blooms will likely have a short life." "But it's the promise that spring will come eventually." "Hmm, and do you have an escort to this feast?" "The queen has commanded that we see one another." "But should you be there with me?" "You're King Antoine's liaison to the French court." "Won't he need you at his side for introductions?" "Oh, my brother always finds a way to introduce himself." "Now, where can we hang these garlands?" "Ah, put them over there." "I think you dropped one." "Oh, well, thank you," " Your Majesty." " Well, it'd be a shame to lose track of something so vibrant and beautiful." "Please excuse me, Your Majesty." "Excuse me." "Not a quarry to pursue." "She's married." "Forgive me, I appear to have lost my hearing." "Since when did you acquire the moral high ground" " when it came to married women?" " I didn't." "But flirting with the king's sister-in-law is probably not the best diplomatic move." "So that's the king's bastard half-brother." "Yes." "What is it?" "I think we may have met before." "We can afford to give him a little money." "Don't even think of it." "Francis, how many times did your father and I warn you about the Bourbons?" "Uh, there is a lot of history between their family and ours, most of it bad." "When I was sickly as a child, they were considered an option for the throne." " But it never came to that." " My father was convinced that they were gathering support to make a move on the Crown." "So he sent the Bourbon brothers and their armies to the front lines during the Italian and Spanish Wars." "To thin out the ranks of their supporters." "Teach them a lesson." "Yes, brutally." "I'm sure they haven't forgotten." "But we welcomed his brother." "Condé's never shown the slightest interest in the Crown." "Antoine, on the other hand, has always been ambitious." "He got his throne by marrying the queen of Navarre." "He's also self-centered." "He's known to be a reckless spender." ""French refugees." Please." "More likely he's burned through his wife's money and she's cut him off." "Refuse him, and send him home!" "No." "I want to see what's really going on in Navarre." "What is it?" "I think this Sebastian is the man responsible for our brother's death." "How can you be so sure?" "You..." "You weren't with us in the Italian Wars." "I told you Marcus was stabbed;" "I didn't tell you how." "There was an, uh... an abandoned villa, the Villa Cortello, high on the cliffs above Figari." "I was to meet Marcus there to get a vantage point, to judge our enemy's numbers and location." "I arrived on the path leading up and passed a young man in a French uniform riding away." "I thought nothing of it until I walked into the grounds of the villa and saw Marcus lying there in the grass, knifed in the back." "He had confirmed that this French soldier had done it?" "Apparently it wasn't enough for Henry to send Bourbon armies to the front line; he had to take out a Bourbon." "And Marcus was the biggest threat." "I searched for that man among the troops for days, but I never saw him again." "Until now." "This is a deadly serious matter, and you need to be sure." "I swear to you, I will not leave this court until I learn the truth." "His... his wife's a, a fetching little thing." "I wonder what she knows." "Why didn't you tell me about my sister?" "You mean Claude?" "Why?" "What have you heard?" "Not Claude." " Clarissa." " What?" "Why didn't you tell me she's still alive?" "Francis, has someone seen her?" "First, I want you to tell me everything you know." "Nostradamus, he said she was alive." "That the prophecy was unfulfilled." "But I didn't know if he just wanted to hurt me." "What if it was true?" "It was true." "Francis." "Francis!" "Francis, no!" "Help." "Somebody help!" "Hurry!" "Catherine." "Francis, he's dying." "I've had a vision." "The prophecy, it will come to pass." "This is a waste of time." "Send this foolish man home." "Mary, explain to your husband that I have had a vision." "Enough about the prophecy; it's exhausting." " You don't believe me?" " Mother, you are not well." "Bash told us that you were speaking to people who weren't there." "And then there is the matter of Claude." "Well, since Bash was so talkative," "I hope that he also happened to mention that it was an unfortunate error." "Mother, I came as soon as I heard." "Is it true?" "Are you terribly ill?" "You sound so hopeful." "I suppose I deserve that." "How long have you had those sores on your mouth and your tongue?" "Y... your hands are afflicted as well?" "Well, it's just a little rash." "It doesn't mean anything." "Sores on the body?" "Seeing things that aren't there?" "And a husband who also suffered madness?" "That can't be a coincidence." "I don't suppose your husband, um, uh, took lovers outside the marital bed?" "Syphilis?" "Oh." "Oh, Henry!" "Oh, that is so like him!" "Hmm?" "A last gift so I'll never forget him or his whores." "Don't be so gloomy, Mother." "I have a rather rambunctious friend who underwent the cures and..." "Oh, wait, she did say they were rather excruciating." "I'll send for her specialist." " Why, thank you." " I think we should all let Mother rest." " Claude." " Francis, wait, wait." "I've heard that these cures, they can kill as well as help." "If anything should happen to me..." "Nothing will happen." "... you must protect my legacy." "I don't want to be remembered as a mad syphilitic queen." "Say that I died of consumption while helping orphans." "Yes, say that they were ill, all the little ones, and I entered the orphanage without a thought for myself." "I have all your favorites." "Venison, guinea hen pie, and beer from Alsace." "Kenna, I can't stay." "Listen, I know I've made... big mistakes, but tomorrow is Winter Ease." "It's the time of year when we're supposed to look past the darkness and hope for new beginnings." "I really want that for our marriage." "I can't just shrug off what you did, but, but there are dark things in my past as well, and my mother's, as I've learned." "Your mother?" "Is that why she left?" "You never explained." "I..." "I can't do this right now, Kenna." "There's been a disturbance in a nearby village." "They say a man clawed his way out of the grave and is terrorizing people." "Dead people rising?" "So many people have died of the plague, of strife in the villages." "Do you think the destructive things we do simply disappear?" "Call it ghosts, call it shadows, call it justice working itself out." "But I need to go and try to keep people from harm." "It's the best thing I can do to make up for the things that I have done that I'm not proud of." "Dead men, ghosts, these are the reasons that you're leaving me alone right now?" "Those pagan uncles of yours have really poisoned your mind with superstition." "Just wait!" "Wait!" "Just let me say that I'm sorry, because I am!" "I know that I am impulsive, and I can be my own worst enemy, but I don't want to be your worst enemy." "I'll be back tomorrow before the feast." "We're married for life." "I know we need to make peace, and we will." "You want me to gather information about the king of Navarre." "And the state of his country." "I want to know whether his request for funds is justified." "Ah." "Well, isn't this the right mission for a man of your talents?" "I thought you prided yourself on your widespread contacts and having your ear to the ground?" "I just want to be sure that I understand." "Is this really about Antoine, or are you trying to get rid of Condé by association?" "I beg your pardon?" "I'm only humbly suggesting that if your true intent is to rid yourself of a rival, then this doesn't need to be a political matter." "This could simply be a matter of  sudden accident." "My God, you just... can't help yourself, can you?" "Goading the king." "You are alive at my mercy, and even in passing, you pour poison into my thoughts" " about my wife." " Please, don't pretend that these are new thoughts." "You've seen Condé buzzing" " around Mary." " Oh, do shut up, Narcisse, and do as you're told." "You exist to serve me now." "Nothing more." "Majesty." "Although I should warn you, though Antoine is king of a tiny nation, his foes don't tend to survive." "Another thing that makes you the man for the job." "Lady Kenna." "Ah, I see you know my name now." "I was hoping you might give me a tour of the castle." "I don't think I'd be the best guide for you, as you have a bit of a reputation, Your Majesty." "Well, Antoine, as I hope we'll be friends." "Lady Kenna, all I was hoping for here is a, uh, pleasant companion to show me the castle." "I know the stories that are told about me, but don't you think that people can be more than their reputations?" "All I want is to talk, get to know you better." "Learn all your... secrets." "You are terrible." "Tell me about your husband, then." "I hear you're seeing the prince of Condé these days." "Though the man is so boring and predictable," "I can hardly believe it's true." "Tell me, is someone making you spend time with him?" "Well, I assume you'll be going to the feast with the prince tomorrow night, so I won't ask you to accompany me instead, but, uh, I have a better idea." "Really?" "Once the feast is over and you've had your quota of, uh, boredom, we could go to the hot springs in the hills." "On a cold winter's night, there is nothing more sensual." "You could wear your thickest stockings for the ride up, and then I could help you peel them off." "I can't believe you're still making these suggestions." "The king discredited you." "You don't even have a house now." "It would be a mistake to think that I will not be back on top." "Wear the flower on your dress at the feast, and when I see it," "I'll know that you're agreed." "Your particular disease runs rampant in the form of black bile, which is a heavy humor and tends to puddle in the lower body." "These birds will peck openings in your feet and suck the bile into themselves along with your blood." "You will get better, and the birds will become ill." "That is fascinating, isn't it, Mother?" "Ow!" "Ooh!" "Doctor, how long do I have to endure this?" "Five minutes?" "Ten?" "Ow!" "The longer, the better." " Aah!" " I'll prepare the next stage and return in one hour." "Take two hours." "Three if need be." "Whatever's best for my mother." "This... ow... this is torturous, but it pains me more that you are enjoying this so." "Oh, it hurts, I'm sure." "Do you know what else hurts?" "Poison!" "My stomach still aches from your efforts to slowly kill me." "Francis, I wanted to thank you for everything you've done for me, and everything you're doing." "The new château isn't just for you." "It's for the both of us." "And I'm sure it will be wonderful, but I'm not just talking about that." "It means a lot to me that you're happy sleeping here on this divan night after night." "Near me, but not so close I feel uneasy." "We'll do things in our own time, my love." "If you want me to sleep here for the rest of the year," "I don't object." "Yes, well, it seems rather silly, when there's a perfectly good goose feather bed right here." "You mean tonight?" "U... unless you've grown fond of that spot." "I only meant for us to sleep." "Of course." "Good night." "I need you to find out everything that you can." "Ask everyone." "Lord Narcisse, lovely to see you skulking about the castle again." "I'm here on your brother's behalf, always ready to serve our king." "But wouldn't it be more fun to serve me?" "In the bedchamber, I mean." "Ah." "And I also want you to tutor me in matters of court intrigue." "I'm flattered by you seeking my expertise, but what, may I ask, prompted this request?" "I avoided more than one engagement of late, but it's only a matter of time till I end up a chess piece in some convenient marriage." "Unless I learn to play some chess myself." "Well, if you would like an older, parental figure to help guide you  I'm happy to guide as closely  as you would like." "Mary?" "I'm sorry." "I couldn't bear it." "The sound of a man's breath next to me." "Let me help you." "There's nothing you can do." "I can tell you that what happened was a nightmare." "The nightmare is over." "I didn't know the man." "The priest found him the other morning, dead from sleeping in the cold." "The gravedigger put him in a pauper's grave." "But he must have rose up during the night." "There's been talk in other villages, too." "Of the dead rising and visiting their families in the night." "Maybe." "But people grieving often see loved ones in dreams and believe they've seen a ghost." "This was no dream." "I saw him, and he came after me." "And I ran... ran till I got home." "The men are searching in the woods but haven't found him, have they?" "Because he's hell's own." "Whatever you saw left footprints." "So I'll find him, hell's own or not." "So this is Winter Ease." "Even the servants look pleased." "Well, we've had harsh weather for so long." "We could all do with a respite." "I haven't seen Mary look this happy in a long time." "Well, and once again you're unescorted." "You know, I'm starting to believe you made this husband of yours up to discourage men like me." "Bash will be here." "His duties as king's deputy keep him busy." "Ah..." "King's deputy." "So that's the post Francis created for him." "Thank God for nepotism." "Otherwise, what would our bastard brothers do?" "Bash is more than qualified for the position." "He's known for his fairness and can back it up with his sword." "Oh, lovely Kenna, I meant no offense." "But there's a difference between the "feats of arms"" "that nobles spar at for amusement and using a sword in earnest." "Bash was with King Henry during the Italian Wars," "I would hardly call that amusement." "The Italian Wars?" "He sounds like an impressive man." "Tell me more." "Please don't hurt me, please." "Who are you?" "A..." "Aristeo Gianopoulos." "You're Greek?" "What are you doing here?" "I came to the village looking for work." "I was just trying to earn my fare back to Crete." "I don't know what happened." "I fell asleep in a churchyard, and woke in a small dark place." "A coffin." "I was terrified." "I kept pounding at the lid." "Once I got out, I tried to talk to people, but..." "They didn't take it well." "You can't blame them." "I'm an unclean thing." "Something dead that shouldn't be here." "This shroud is all I have to keep warm." "You feel cold." "You feel hunger." "That means you're a living man." "No, I was dead." "A great physician named Nostradamus told me that sometimes a person can be unconscious for days and be buried, mistaken for dead." "I'm telling you I was dead, and I did not rise on my own." "I saw a woman, dressed all in white, bending over me." "She took my hand and pulled me from the grave." "She brought me back to life." "These new Provençal dances are intriguing, aren't they?" "Uh, I'm not much of a dancer." "Your pardon." "Excuse me for a moment." "I see you're still hovering near Kenna." "Well?" "Well, such a bewitching little siren." "Yeah, she responds to pressure like a sweet Arabian" "I keep back home..." "just a touch to go left, a touch to slow down." "I take it that means she told you something." "She confirmed that Bash was with Henry during the Italian Wars." "Thousands of men were with Henry during the Italian Wars." " It's not enough." " I want to be convinced as well." "I'll get more information." "Not from Kenna, I hope." "Press her too hard, it'll begin to look like the Bourbons are on some kind of vengeance-seeking mission." "You seem overly concerned with your friends from the Valois court." "Perhaps you spend too much time with them." "And their queen." " I know my duty." " Do you?" "Our brother Marcus was doing his duty at the front line when Henry sent in his assassin." "Have you forgotten how long it took him to die?" "Unmanned, without the use of his legs, in crippling pain." " I know." " It made him bitter." "Unlike your good-tempered friends here." "In his misery, he drove his wife away and drank himself to death." "I know!" "I know." "Never forget whose side you're on." "Who's your blood and who is not." "It's not something they'll forget, either." "Antoine wasn't lying." "There are refugees in Navarre." "They've never been a wealthy country... they need help." "I fail to see what's so urgent you had to call us from the feast." "England has offered that help." "There have been secret conferences between Antoine and one of Elizabeth's most trusted agents." "The rumor is that English troops may be preparing to enter Navarre and be quartered there on our borders." "My God, English troops that close." "They could attack French targets in days, hours." "Are you sure?" "No, that's the problem with clandestine intelligence." "It works by links of informants and hearsay." "One can never be sure anything is true." "We must find out." "If it is true, if we don't stop them at once..." "England could invade any time they choose." "I thought you'd never get here." "I was detained by politics." "Are you sure it wasn't some pretty girl that detained you?" "An accomplished man can handle both." "I just saw Narcisse with Claude." "In there?" "Really?" "Oh, I'm so sorry." "Well, it's nothing to be sorry about." "I'm being courted by a handsome prince, literally." "It's just..." "Narcisse's efforts to pull me in irritate me." "Well, they wouldn't irritate you if you had no interest in him." "You want me to spy on my brother." "I need you to find out if the threat to this country's survival is real." "I know it puts you in a difficult position," " but there is no one else." " No." "I've been an obedient subject." "I've courted Claude and now Lola." "I haven't objected to your management of my personal life." "But I will not spy on my brother." "You don't reciprocate my feelings, very well." "Don't then take advantage of them." "Don't treat me as an intimate when I'm not." "I will advise you, though, strictly as your friend." "I have no idea what Antoine is doing with England." "But if the rumors are true, you should give him the money he's asking for." "Like any other king, he can be bought." "Your Majesty." "Claude is probably just a link back to the royal family for Narcisse." "A road back to power." "And a very beautiful road at that." "Oh, I thought you didn't care." "I don't." "It's just..." "That man is incapable of forming an attachment with anyone who can't do something for him." "And he's unpredictable." "You can't tell what he'll do next or with whom." "I want a reliable man." "Predictable, in fact." "I value predictability." "People don't appreciate it enough." "Would you like to dance?" "I'd love to." "You know what I'm thinking about?" " What?" " Sex." "I should certainly hope so." "And its unfortunate side effect known as pregnancy." "There are methods that we can employ to prevent that." "Yes, but I'm not sure I trust you to be diligent." "In case you have some keen plan to impregnate me and marry into the royal family, please know I won't let that happen." "It was your idea that we become lovers." "And we shall." "There are many ways to pleasure each other and I'm open to all of them, except the one that produces a child." "You are full of orders." "And what if I refuse?" "As your station is as low as it can go and I'm a princess, let's do things my way, shall we?" "Well, given those terms, I..." "I must respectfully decline." "You can't just walk away." "Oh, if I'm not myself, you wouldn't like me anyway, Princess." "Oh, seeing I'm leaving you without a mentor," "I will give you this one lesson free of charge:" "there are those who merely believe they have power, and there are those who actually have it." "We wish to speak with you about your request for funds." "What, now?" "If you're not too busy." "Very well." "You will all remain outside." "We hear that England has been negotiating with you to station troops in Navarre." "Or perhaps it's just a rumor." "You won't be leaving until you tell us the truth." "Well, perhaps not even then, your message is." "Very well." "I've had conversations with English agents." "They've offered quite a sizable amount in exchange for allowing their troops in Navarre." "You come here to talk peace and you were dealing with our greatest enemy behind our backs?" "Well, I didn't ask Elizabeth to approach me, nor do I particularly want to make a deal with her." "But Navarre, a very small nation..." "Strategically positioned at our backs." "Needs to find money from somewhere." "You've been conspiring with our enemy." "Give us one reason why we wouldn't kill you now." "Well, I'll give you two." "If I don't return safely to Navarre, my wife Jeanne will be understandably upset... and all the more eager to accommodate England." "Besides, consider my position." "I came here to make a deal with you rather than Elizabeth." "If she finds out, my head'll be on a chopping block." "You are not an English subject, and you are a king in your own right." "I'm sure you'll be able to talk your way out of it." "Thank you, yes, I'm... known for my charm." "But Elizabeth is still new to her rule and must guard against coups from those who wish to condemn a lone female monarch." "So she's building a network of spies loyal only to her." "She makes everyone nervous." "Including me." "You know so much about her." "Why don't you show what a friend you are to France, and tell us why she wishes to make such an extreme move now." "Your brutal actions against French Protestants have... unnerved her." "England is a Protestant country, and it would seem the king and queen of France wish to crush Protestants." "She's taking preemptive measures." "She thinks we plan to attack her?" "She sees it as the first steps towards positioning you... a Catholic queen, to take her throne." "Of course it would appear that way." "We've practically declared ourselves her enemy." "I hope that France will see its way clear to giving Navarre the money it needs." "It really seems that that would be best for everyone." "As bile is a cold humor, your body must be heated to balance it." "Delightful." "This is a well-known cure for syphilis." "God's mercy with you." "Wait, wait." "Wait!" "Uh, my water!" "I wanted it first!" "Oh." "Thank heavens." "The water is on the table." "Please forgive the intrusion." "I was passing, I heard you calling, and..." "Thank you." "Well, uh..." " unless there's anything else..." " Oh, stop it." "Clearly, you know what this thing is, and you're not surprised I'm inside it." "Yes, I have seen a mercury oven before, and..." "Claude may have, uh, mentioned your illness to anyone within hearing." "May I?" "I don't know who she is or why she brought me back to life." "You were disoriented..." "maybe you imagined a figure, a kind woman helping you." "There he is!" "The demon's still in his shroud!" "Don't run." "It'll only send them into a hunting frenzy." "You can't stop them." "Trust me!" "Kill him!" "Wait!" "Stop!" " Shoot him!" " No!" "Good one, lad." "You got him." "Oh..." "Why are you being so thoughtful?" "I sat beside my brother as he went through a round of the cures." "But on the good side, he did say the dry heat from the oven gave him some relief from the sores all over his body." "I only have sores in my mouth and on my hands, so it's not very helpful." "Catherine... we are both veterans of the game, are we not, so I hope you'll forgive the question, but is it possible that you don't have syphilis?" "That you've been poisoned?" "Don't you think I take precautions?" "I meant no offense." "But it does seem strange that your sores are exactly where you would touch food, picking it up, putting it into your mouth?" " My system of food tasters is impeccable." " Yes, but not all poison is delivered through food." "Is there something that... you touch often, something no one else uses?" "Uh... not your clothing... your laundress cleanses that." "Wait." "I do read Henry's Bible." "I took it from his room after his death..." "I've been reading it for comfort nearly every day." "It belonged to Henry, and Henry went mad." "And now it belongs to you." "This will tell us." "The book is deadly." "Here you go, sir." "Let's, let's come down now." "Knaves!" "I will stuff some poetry into your souls." "Excellent song." "Thank you." "I, uh... have another." "But your bottle is almost empty." "We can't have that." "Why don't you let me help you down, and we'll go reconnoiter the kitchens for some warm mulled wine." "Ah... you're a man of sensibility." "Well, here." "Hold... my bottle." "No." "No." "My sword." "No." "My... bottle." "Ah." "Oh, how I... love... the wine in France." " Many do." " And from here," "I shall go into Corsica... with two beauties of my acquaintance, by the way." "We will lie... in front... of the Villa Cortello on the beach, drinking and making love in the sand." "Well, good luck... the Villa Cortello's miles from the ocean." "I somehow doubt your "beauties" will appreciate climbing up and down a cliff each day." "Let's go inside." "I'm sorry." "I know I said" "I'd try to be back for the feast." "Did you even try?" "Or were you happier being away from me right now?" "I wish you believed how sorry I am." "I'm sorry that I got in so deep with Henry, that I thought of only my own survival." "Sorry because now that I know real love, I've disappointed you." "I believe that you're sorry." "I wish you could look at me like you once did." "I'm still the same person, the same woman you loved." "Tonight I saw a man killed in front of me because people thought he was a monster." "They knew one thing about him, and that was dark enough that in their minds they erased him as a human being." "They didn't wait to see the truth of his heart." "I'm not sure what it is you're saying... or that I really like you using the word "monster"" "when we were just talking about me." "I don't want to make the same mistakes as those people tonight." "I don't want to kill something out of ignorance." "So does that mean you're willing to forgive me?" "I mean that I want to see your heart, Kenna, and not just one part of it, the entire truth of it, no matter how dark." "Because that's what marriage is all about." " It can take years to see what's inside." " Years?" "Bash, my heart really isn't that complicated." "Trust me, your heart is complicated." "It's like one of those drinks at Christmas with too much spice." "Nutmeg and ginger and cinnamon and cloves." "But what can I say?" "I've developed a taste for spice." "I can't imagine doing without it." "I love you, too." "He's the one." "Bash." "He stabbed our brother on Henry's orders." "What are you going to do?" "Justice says he should suffer the way Marcus suffered." "He'll ache for death long before that gift is bestowed." "What can we possibly do or say to convince Elizabeth that I'm not a threat?" "That I'm not seeking to topple her?" "There's nothing." "For the rest of our lives, she will distrust us." "We can't explain my actions to her or anybody, because every explanation leads back to..." "The blackmail, the secret..." " to you killing your father." " I have awoken a sleeping dragon." "We have to give the money to Navarre, of course." "And we can't build the château for our new beginning." "That property could never be defended in the way that we need." "It's never going to end, is it?" "I'm not even going to have the illusion of safety." "I'll be looking over my shoulder for her" " every day of my life." " I know that I can't undo my mistakes, but..." "I believe that we will get past this." "I thought so, too." "But one thing leads to another, keeping it alive, and when I look at you..." "I remember." "It is torment, Francis, and I c..." " can't do this anymore." " But separate lives won't work for us." "When I told you that queens don't have the freedom of a king," "I wasn't trying to control you." "You were just telling me the truth." "What I am saying is that I want you to be free." "You can find love with someone else." "Kings have done it in the past." "I don't want to be free." "We've both been pretending that we can make things the way they were before." "We both know that's impossible." "It's just taken us this long to admit it." "How could you send me to another?" "How?" "Because I love you." "And one of us should be happy."