The Letter for the King (2020) s01e02 Episode Script

[sighs]
Good riddance,
you interfering fool.
Huh. The Black Knight
with the White Face, more like.
- Damn it!
- [Ristridin] What is the meaning of this?
I could ask you the same question.
This inquiry is to be conducted by me.
The man's a knight,
and a knight will decide who killed him.
That is the Queen's decision, not yours.
My Grey Riders will be investigating.
This isn't over.
Father, I swear
Shut up, you turd-witted buffoon.
It wasn't our fault.
It was Tiuri. He broke the vigil.
Is this true?
Um The Black Knight's squire
came to the door.
Tiuri answered it.
He went with him.
- [Sir Fantumar] Where is Tiuri?
- We don't know. He never came back.
[coughing and sputtering]
[gasps]
[grunting]
[panting]
[whinnies]
[snorts]
What's wrong with you?
How many times
are you going to try and kill me?
[nickering]
[snorts]
[snorting]
[snorts]
[shouting]
[whinnies]
- All right!
- [whinnies]
Get him!
[Tiuri] Wait!
[Red Rider] Hyah!
Go! Go!
Slow down! You're going to get us killed.
[Ardanwen whinnies]
You're going too fast. I can't hold on!
Slow down!
[Ardanwen whinnies]
[Tiuri shouts]
[pants]
[horse whinnies]
[Red Rider] We've lost him.
[sighs]
[humming]
[door opens]
- [Tiuri] Father.
- Tiuri?
Hey. Hey. What is it?
- What's happened?
- The Red Riders! [pants]
They came for the Black Knight.
Now, they're coming for me.
What are you talking about?
Why aren't you at the chapel?
I broke the vigil.
The Black Knight's squire
came to the door last night.
He said he needed help,
so I went with him.
It's not possible.
The Black Knight is in Eviellan.
No, he's here.
The Red Riders killed him.
He gave me this, this letter.
He said I had to take it to King Favian.
He said the fate of both kingdoms
was at stake.
[townspeople clamoring]
[Red Rider]
Which way did he go?
[townspeople clamoring]
You have to hide.
[pounding on door]
Don't come out, whatever happens.
[Sir Fantumar] Show yourself!
I know you're up there.
You dare enter my home uninvited?
In search of a fugitive, yes, I do.
- What fugitive?
- [Sir Fantumar] Your son.
He killed the Black Knight.
[Sir Tiuri laughs]
I couldn't kill the Black Knight,
let alone my son.
You will tell me where he is
and what he's done with the letter.
What letter?
He stole a letter from the Black Knight.
[Sir Tiuri] My son
has never stolen anything in his life.
And what concern of yours
is a letter of the Black Knight?
- I'm not here to answer your questions.
- I don't care what you're here for.
And I will not have you drawing me
or my family
into whatever dark games
you and your friends are playing.
You dare accuse me?
Until I know what this letter is,
and who it was from,
and what Viridian's Red Riders
are doing in Dagonaut,
then yes, yes, I do.
You spoke to him.
I knew it!
Where is he? Where's Tiuri?
Leave, Fantumar.
I won't tell you again.
How many times did I tell you?
You can clothe them in the finest silk,
you can teach them the finest manners,
but you'll never wipe away the stench
of the Eviellan scum
that they will always be.
[grunts]
[both grunting]
[Sir Fantumar exclaims]
Take him. Take him!
For as long as I've known you
you've looked down at me.
Well, now
it's my turn.
[Sir Tiuri grunts]
[whimpers]
[groans]
[whimpers]
Burn it.
Burn it to the ground.
[groans]
- [groans quietly]
- [door closes]
[Sir Tiuri groaning]
Father.
You must not get involved in this.
Leave the letter.
Save yourself.
I want you to live, Tiuri.
[groans]
That's all I've ever wanted.
[townspeople clamoring]
[gasps]
[pants]
[grunts]
[grunts]
[door slams shut]
[Sir Fantumar] What do we do?
[Balin] We could just leave Tiuri
to the Red Riders.
He'll be no match for Jaro's men.
They'll find him.
And then what, you fool?
That jumped-up cutthroat
will waste no time
telling Viridian how I lost the letter
and couldn't recover it
on my own territory.
No, we have to get it back ourselves.
But how, my lord?
- [door opening]
- [Arman] Come on.
[Sir Fantumar] Perhaps my idiot son
can be of some use after all.
[sighs]
- [Jaro] Having a bad day?
- [gasps]
[Jaro chuckles]
It's about to get a lot worse.
[Tiuri grunting]
[grunts]
Much obliged.
[Tiuri grunting]
[grunts] I'm afraid that makes this
goodbye.
- Do you wanna shut your eyes?
- [Tiuri grunts]
Better if you shut your eyes.
[chuckles]
[Ardanwen whinnying]
[Ardanwen approaching]
[grunting]
It's gonna be horse steaks for dinner.
- [horses whinnying]
- Whoa, whoa, whoa!
[horses whinnying]
[Red Rider]
Get after them!
[Tiuri] Ardanwen!
Bloody horse!
[Tiuri] You're definitely crazy.
But I'm actually starting to like you.
You want us to find Tiuri?
[Sir Fantumar]
And bring him back to Dagonaut.
Dead or alive.
He doesn't mean that literally.
Although
dead
would be preferable.
This This doesn't seem right.
What do you owe that Eviellan brat?
He betrayed all of you!
What's in it for us?
Bring that murdering fugitive back
to face justice,
and I guarantee
you will receive the knighthoods
that you've been denied.
You You can make that happen?
Why should we believe you?
Look at me.
Do know how many wars I've fought?
Do you know
how many tournaments I've won?
Um
Eh None.
And yet I stand before you the richest,
most powerful knight in the kingdom.
You know why?
Politics.
That's my weapon.
I provoke.
I tease.
I trap.
And you lie too, don't you, father?
He's amazing at lying.
Mother and I can never [grunts]
[Sir Fantumar] The point is
in the end
I always get what I want.
You will too
if you bring me
Tiuri.
[Ardanwen whinnying]
[Tiuri] How is that possible?
[Jaro] Hyah!
Keep going!
He's out here somewhere!
[whispering] They've passed.
Where are you going?
No.
- That's the wrong way.
- [Ardanwen nickers]
Unauwen is this way.
[Ardanwen nickers]
- [Tiuri grunts]
- [Ardanwen whinnies]
I hate this bloody horse.
[wind rushing]
[voices whispering]
Ardanwen, wait!
[Jussipo whistling]
Outrode the villain Tiuri ♪
He wrecked the vigil truly ♪
[Arman] Shut up.
And so we came to hunt him down ♪
For the love of God
His men did love him truly ♪
Jussipo was such a beauty ♪
That's it.
The one they called Jussipo
Was their king ♪
Arman!
That's a nine-crown lute.
I told you to shut up.
So what?
So my father sent us on this quest,
and that means I'm in charge.
No, it doesn't.
Who asked you, toad-snot?
Whoa! Whoa! Stop! Help me!
If that oaf's put
so much as one dent in it,
he's paying for a new one.
Funny enough
Of course, it couldn't
It couldn't matter less,
least of all to me,
but I actually believe
in purely technical terms
Do you ever actually finish a sentence?
Right. Um
- My point being
- Don't worry. It's fine. Panic's over.
Actually
sounds a little better.
Sounds a little better ♪
[Iona] Stop singing, Jussipo.
How are we gonna catch Tiuri
if he can hear us coming
from half a mile away?
We're working here.
Can't take any more of this pig swill.
Fine.
It's your loss, Iona!
[girl] Mistrinaut
sitting between two great nations,
divided by a vast mountain range,
and just one trading route between them,
a route to which our town
is the very gateway
- Father?
- Your speech isn't worth much, snowdrop,
but we might be able to flog this painting
for a few bob.
How can you have so little vision?
For 500 years,
that road through the mountains
filled this town with gold,
and it can do so again.
That road has been lost for generations.
No, I can find it.
Look. Look at these maps.
There's a whole valley
that's not even been chartered yet.
- According to this
- For the last time,
there is no road through the mountains.
And the wedding is still on.
- Verily, madam, your beauty is
- Oh, sit down!
Right, yes.
Look, all I need is a horse big enough
to make the journey
and supplies for a month.
A modest investment.
Lavinia, you are the cream in my milk.
You always have been.
And I love the fact that you have dreams,
but dreams don't pay bills.
Look at that.
That is all that we have left:
a meager trade in wanted men,
bail, and reward money.
Right now,
that trade has never been thinner.
[wanted man grunts]
I mean, the last decent murderer
we had in here was two months ago.
We're broke.
And that is why you're getting married.
We have to restore the trade route.
Otherwise, Mistrinaut is doomed.
See you at the church.
I'm doomed. [sighs]
Ugh. [sighs]
It's not a complicated point I'm making.
What I'm saying is the richest knights,
the most famous knights
aren't necessarily the best knights. Huh?
They're just the knights that work hardest
at getting their stories out.
That's all I'm doing with this song.
I'm not waiting 100 years
for some toothless bard to immortalize me.
Is it him?
Shh!
[imitates bird call]
- [rock lands]
- [bird caws]
- What?
- Whoa!
You really scared the bejesus out of me.
Almost poo'd me britches.
What are you doing here?
What do you think I'm doing here?
No way I'm missing out on this.
Your brother followed us from Dagonaut?
Made it in two days.
You boys left a trail a mile wide.
But, man, you are good. Like real knights.
That dagger throw, Foldo! [whistles]
What was that, like 40 yards?
And, Arman, great crossbow work, big guy.
You almost took me ear off.
And, Iona God's bones!
You are quick. I'm mean wolf-quick.
Every move I made,
you were totally on me.
Why are you still talking?
Why is any sound coming out
of your mouth at all?
I was kind of good on the crossbow
Oh, shut up.
[grunts]
You're in so much trouble.
- What are you doing?
- Putting you on your horse.
- You're going home.
- [brother] No, wait.
- No
- [grunts]
I'm not discussing this.
- [Foldo] Really?
- Really what?
Sending him back
through those woods, alone?
He's just a ten-year-old boy.
I'm almost 11.
Is this a quest we're on
or Madam Twanky's Sunday School?
Anything could happen out there.
Good.
Foldo's got a point, though.
What if I go and die? Mum would kill you.
Be better if he died.
You'd just slow us down.
I'm faster than Jussipo. I beat him
every time we race around the abbey.
You do not.
And I sing better too.
Mother says his voice
sounds like a cat in a bag.
Go, Piak.
Please, please, Jussipo!
I'll make this work. Think about it.
Real knights have squires, right?
To clean their armor,
to carry their weapons,
to water their horses. I can do that.
Please, don't make me go home.
Please! Please! Please! Please!
[sighs in frustration]
Yes.
[humming]
Stop doing that.
Sorry.
Clip-clop.
Try not to kill anyone while I'm inside.
- [flies buzzing]
- [snoring]
[bar patrons speaking indistinctly]
[bar patrons stop speaking]
- [barkeep clears throat]
- Good morning.
I was wondering
whether you served food at all.
[Ardanwen nickers]
You're a big fella, aren't you?
You'd get me over the mountains.
- [snorts]
- [gasps]
[whinnies]
[footsteps approaching]
That your horse outside?
Uh
Well, yes, in a manner of speaking.
[giggles] In a manner of speaking?
Where did you grow up?
The courtly romance?
You're too young to be a knight.
Much too small.
No offense.
So, what?
A Novice?
Novices don't ride horses like that.
[inhales]
I think perhaps I should be going.
[Lavinia] Yet this cloth's expensive.
And that's silk braid.
So you're from money.
Am I right, or am I right?
Thank you for your help,
but I really should be going.
Good luck out there.
You're certainly going to need it.
There are more cutthroats and murderers
in that street than broken cobbles.
I'll bet good money you won't make it
past the first doorway,
let alone to the town gate.
Is there another way out of town?
Now that I think about it, there is.
Wait here.
And don't speak to anyone.
I'll check it's clear
and then come back for you.
- Verily, madam, your beauty is
- Sit down.
Uh, why aren't you dressed?
We have to be at the chapel by matins,
or we'll miss the bloody priest.
Oh, forget the chapel. The wedding's off.
The wedding's what?
Let me handle this.
The wedding is not off,
and we are not having this argument again.
The Eviellan boy who murdered
the Black Knight with the White Shield
is downstairs right now,
and there's a 50 crown bounty on his head.
Wedding's off!
How could you do this?
Grow up, boy.
People like you may not need
to make a living,
but people like us have no choice.
Everyone has a choice.
Says the rich fool riding around
with his thumb up his backside
expecting the world to do him a favor.
[chuckles] Isn't she a sweetheart?
Now
come here, you gorgeous,
Eviellan murderer, you.
So who posted the reward?
Squire named Balin.
But the money is from a Sir Fantumar.
Never heard of him.
But if he's already offering 50,
he's worth a lot more.
You can't send me back there.
Relax, young fella.
I'm not sending you anywhere.
I'm just selling you to someone who will.
See, this Sir Fartalot puts a price
on your head,
but you're probably worth more.
So we shop you
around the local bounty hunters,
see if one of them wants to buy you.
Then we pocket the cash.
They add a markup
and do their own deal with Farty-pants.
I'll get word to Godwin and Hasley.
What exactly is this?
I wouldn't do that if I were you.
Oh, really? [chuckles]
[letter clinking]
Ow!
[chuckles]
You don't put something in one of these
unless it's really valuable.
[giggles]
After all these years,
tomorrow we cross that river
and we're on home soil at last.
Unauwen will welcome you, Prince Viridian.
The letters?
Five have been delivered.
We're waiting word on the sixth.
The scout
the one they call Jabroot
send him to me.
- Going somewhere, snowdrop?
- [exhales]
What's it to you?
We're not having this conversation again,
are we?
What happened to your hand?
Uh, yeah. Have a look at this.
Belongs to our Eviellan guest.
Such a bladed box suggests to me
that someone has gone to great lengths
to secure its contents.
Now, you are the best lock picker I know.
Can you open it?
Don't know. Maybe.
- Leave it with me.
- [chuckles]
Why don't I think
that's gonna happen, hmm?
We'll work on it together, later.
I mean, you're not going anywhere,
remember?
Okay.
Don't worry about the boy.
Your future's brighter with me.
[grunts] Ah!
[sighs] Piece of cake.
[whinnies]
[exclaims]
Proceed.
Well, Jabroot?
Seventeen Shaman, my lord.
And their families.
Terrible price to pay.
But one that had to be paid
to finish this war.
Speak.
The numbers don't tally.
We checked the graves. Two were missing.
Who?
We don't know yet.
One of them might be a Shaman.
Again, my lor
[sizzling]
The journey
has begun, Jabroot.
The prophecy is in motion.
So if there's another Shaman
or a child with Shaman's blood
running through its veins
I must know.
[horses approaching]
[bell tolling]
Red Riders.
[banging on door]
What the hell are you doing?
Get back in here!
Ristridin.
It's you.
What have you done, boy?
Nothing.
If this is you doing nothing,
I dread to think of you doing something.
- Is there news of my mother?
- Your mother is fine.
It's the people your mother runs into
I'm worried about. Come on.
- I'm taking you home.
- No.
Tiuri?
We have to get the Black Night's letter
to King Favian. Except I don't have it.
Right now, the Mayor has it.
We'll get it back from the Mayor
and head to Unauwen
before the Red Riders get it.
You're babbling, boy. The Red Riders
are with Prince Viridian in Eviellan.
No, it was the Red Riders
who killed the Black Knight.
Now they're chasing me.
They want his letter.
This makes no sense.
Does the idea of me killing
the greatest knight in Unauwen make sense?
I scarcely made it through the trials.
You of all people know that.
If what you say is true, it'll come out
when the Queen questions you.
Now, let's go!
Ristridin, please.
There's no time for this.
- Hi
- [clearing throat]
Morning, barkeep.
We're, uh, looking for a boy,
about yea high,
dark hair, shifty features,
riding a stolen horse.
Seen him in here?
Hmm. I'll, uh
make it worth your while.
Four jars of mead, please.
Oh, I'm not allowed to drink mead.
Mother said
I'll have his.
My apologies for the idiots.
Mead all around.
You want stew?
[man retching]
[vomits]
- Uh, maybe we'll pass on the stew.
- Yes on the stew.
Uh, five, please.
Will you lot shut up
and let me handle this?
You'll get us all killed.
Only thing that'll kill us here
is that stew.
Uh Oh!
I'm most terribly sorry.
And here it comes.
God's nails!
Watch your backs, all of you!
[grunting]
[all shouting]
[grunts] [sighs]
- Hyah!
- [snorts]
- Hup! Hyah!
- [snorts]
Do something.
- [whinnies]
- [screams]
[whinnies]
Oh!
[all shouting]
Um, guys?
[man] Now what?
Well, the boy was an appealing cake,
I admit, but, uh
[whispering]
We still have the cherry on top.
Thank me later.
Tiuri? Tiuri!
Cut them off!
[man] Hey!
Hey!
Don't think I don't know
what you're doing here.
The only reason you came back for me
is 'cause you need me to ride my horse.
And you need me
to get yourself out of here.
So that makes us even.
Now she's the one person
you could have killed.
[whinnies]
What's all that?
- My bags.
- Are you joking?
Does it look like I'm joking?
Help me. We have to go.
No one's going anywhere
until I get that letter back
from your father.
[sighs]
- You stole it from him?
- Obviously.
What kind of a family is this?
First, we find my road.
I'm going to Unauwen.
And that letter is coming with me.
When we find it,
you can take it to Unauwen
which is to the west. It'll be faster.
- Give it to me. [grunts]
- [shouts]
[whinnying]
[exclaims] Fine.
I carry the letter. You ride the horse.
[man] You two, check the barn!
[whinnies]
[Lavinia] Let's go!
[whinnies]
We'll lose them in the alleys.
[panting]
Can we just agree
never to come back
to this place ever again?
[Lavinia] Go right! Go right!
- Was that?
- Tiuri?
- [man] Out of the way!
- Whoa!
[Iona] Let's go!
That way.
Go!
[Ristridin] There they are.
[Lavinia] Told you I'd get us out of here.
[man exclaims]
[Tiuri] Have we lost them?
I think so.
What are those?
Red Riders.
Swim, little fishy, swim.
[laughs]
- [Tiuri] We'll never outrun them.
- We don't have to.
If we make it to that cut in the hills,
we can lose them in the ravine.
[Ristridin] The Red Riders.
They are here.
The boy might be telling the truth.
We have to help him.
Twos, right wheel!
Draw swords!
[all shouting]
[yells]
Hyah!
Go. I believe you, Tiuri.
We'll hold them off as long as we can.
[grunts]
What are you waiting for?
Take the letter and go!
- [voices whispering]
- [panting]
[voices whispering]
[exhales]
[breathing heavily]
[Ristridin whimpering]
[Foldo] Ristridin.
Tiuri.
You have
to help
him.
- [Jussipo] This can't be happening.
- [Foldo] They killed the Grey Riders.
- [Piak] What about Tiuri?
- [Arman] What about Tiuri?
[Jussipo]
Ristridin said we should help him.
[Arman] He was dying. He probably
didn't know what he was saying.
But he charged the Red Riders.
- So what?
- [Jussipo] He saved Tiuri's life.
So what?
So why would he do that for a traitor?
- Who asked you?
- Don't shout at my brother.
- You shout at your brother all the time!
- Because he's my brother!
It doesn't matter what Ristridin said
or what he did.
Right now, help him or kill him,
we have to find him first.
Maybe
we should have a conversation about that.
[dramatic music playing]