The Empress (2022) s01e04 Episode Script

1
A NETFLIX SERIES
- [guns firing in distance]
- [bell tolling]
6 YEARS EARLIER
- [indistinct yelling]
- [gunfire continues]
[bell tolling in distance]
[man] Go, go, go!
Go, go, go!
[Sophie] We'll leave Vienna
until the conflict is over.
If we do nothing,
the revolution will destroy us.
Your uncle, the Emperor, is finished.
Your time has come, Franz.
- [indistinct yells]
- [guns firing]
- Father is next in line.
- [Sophie] No.
Your father is a snivelling wretch
like his brother.
[baby coos]
[Sophie] Do not fear.
We'll do it together.
You and I.
[theme music playing]
- [baby crying]
- [guns firing]
[Sophie gasps]
[breathing heavily]
Good morning, Your Majesty.
You were dreaming.
Thank you.
The cabinet is awaiting both His Majesty
and yourself for an urgent debate
to assess the Russian crisis.
Furthermore,
I am pleased to inform Your Highness
that the Empress
has now not bled for 30 days.
There is every reason to hope
she is with child.
Then see to it that hope becomes certainty
and that the girl
was worth all the worry, after all.
The honeymoon phase is over.
[birds chirping]
[Elisabeth inhales]
[Elisabeth groans]
[exhales]
[breathes deeply]
[Franz breathes deeply]
You must stop staring at me
the whole night like a little owl.
It's not even two months
and you're bored of me?
[Elisabeth chuckles] Hmm.
- Yes, actually.
- [both chuckle]
But?
The food's exquisite.
[Franz chuckles]
- And the view
- [both chuckle]
- [knocking on door]
- [door opens]
[Theo clears throat]
Your Majesty,
the gentleman are waiting for you.
[Franz] The ministers.
I'm sorry.
Is this about Russia?
[Franz] Mm-hmm.
[Franz breathes deeply]
My regiment will soon be here.
[footsteps treading]
- Three, two, one.
- [door opens]
[doorman] Your Majesty,
Countess Esterhazy.
- Good morning, Your Majesty.
- [servant] Good morning, Your Majesty.
[Esterhazy] I hope you are well-rested.
- [Amalia] Good morning.
- [Charlotte] Good morning, Your Majesty.
[Amalia] The sun is shining.
We could prune the flowers.
Or continue our embroidery.
- [egg cracks]
- [Elisabeth chuckles]
Countess, you know I adore your raw eggs,
but please, could I have a coffee today?
You last bled a month ago,
and we are full of hope.
We trust, Your Majesty,
that this time, it has indeed worked.
[spoon clatters]
Things will take care of themselves.
Have a little faith, Countess.
If anything were to happen to His Majesty,
God forbid,
and we were left
with no heir to the throne,
we would surely be thrusted
towards succession.
So if you're really asking me, no.
The future of Habsburg
will not "take care of itself."
[Elisabeth chuckles]
Ugh!
Today, I brought you something else.
[Elisabeth] What is that?
It is the placenta of a woman
who just gave birth to her eighth son.
[Charlotte gags]
Ugh, I beg your pardon, Your Majesty.
Forgive me, Countess.
We must ensure that we have an heir
to the throne, mustn't we?
And if I have a girl and not a boy?
[Esterhazy] A girl
cannot rule.
- [door shuts]
- The French have stopped answering.
Since your wedding, Majesty,
all diplomatic communiqués
have been severed.
I do not understand
what has upset Napoleon so much.
[Maximilian slurps]
Did the Tsar receive my letter?
[Sophie] The time for friendly diplomacy
has run out once and for all.
You cannot tolerate
this escalation any more, Your Majesty.
We must reinforce our troops.
On both borders. Now.
[Sophie] I'm afraid
we have no money for that.
- We're building a railway.
- [men chuckle]
We have more than enough
to defend our empire, Mother.
We will not have to defend it
if we all put on a show of our strength.
I will not get involved
in a senseless bloody war.
There is another way.
[man yells in distance]
Surely contact with St. Petersburg
or Paris is feasible still.
You're my highest-ranking diplomat,
not a damn stable boy!
[man continues yelling]
Any other suggestions then?
No?
We will invite the Tsar's son to Vienna.
Alexander? He's not on the throne.
That is not a good idea.
Tsar Nicholas will surely see that
as a provocation.
I'm sure Alexander
does things differently from his father.
With him, I can talk about the future.
That will be all.
[intense music playing]
[door opens]
Why is my brother here?
You know I don't want him around me.
He's idle.
And you know
how dangerous he is when idle,
so give him something to do.
[door shuts]
- [swords clanking]
- [men grunting]
[Franz] I'll take over.
[fencer] Your Majesty.
- [Maximilian grunts]
- [both breathing heavily]
Scared?
Did she throw you out of bed?
Or should I be so lucky?
Why don't you now show me
if your legs are as quick as your tongue?
[grunting]
[breathing heavily]
Is that all?
[dramatic music playing]
[both grunting]
[Maximilian grunts]
[grunts]
[Maximilian groans]
[panting]
Do you want to kill me?
[both panting]
You've changed since the wedding, Maxi.
You told me to stay out of the way,
so I'm staying out.
- Since when do you do as you're told?
- You think I'm here to entertain?
To clown around for you?
- Lick my arse.
- Stop acting as if this is all my fault.
You aren't happy at court
and never were, were you?
You really think you know me?
Then tell me I'm wrong.
It was selfish to bring you back here.
You need your own life.
Commander-in-Chief of the Imperial Fleet.
What say you?
[scoffs]
[chuckles] You think I'm that naive?
Our navy? I know our navy.
Two ports, eight worm-ridden rowboats.
It's a joke, Franz.
Then tell me what you want.
Make me Governor of Bohemia.
Or at least Tyrol.
A chance at leadership.
You're no statesman, Maxi.
And there it is.
An empire stretching
to the Carpathian Mountains,
and you can't share any of it.
You're acting as if I'll steal something.
As you always do.
But do you know
when people steal from others?
When they're given scraps.
[sombre music playing]
Good luck with Russia.
[Maximilian exhales]
[classical music playing]
[Amalia] Did you hear
that Prince Ferdinand of Kinsky
asked Princess Marie of Lichtenstein
for her hand in marriage?
[Charlotte] The Prince of Kinsky?
He was having a fling
with the Princess of Auersperg, I heard.
[Amalia chuckles] Exactly.
[Charlotte] Lucky girl.
Hold the needle
with two fingers, Leontine. Hmm?
It'll be easier.
Charlotte, will you pass me the scissors?
Charlotte?
That is a Schwarzenberg, Charlotte.
One of the best families in the Empire.
You can forget about it.
[Leontine] Ah shit.
- I beg your pardon.
- [scattered clapping]
- You curse better than you sew.
- I wonder which is more important.
- [chuckles]
- [servant] Ladies.
[Charlotte] Thank you.
Is this how you imagined
court life in Vienna would be?
What means, Your Highness?
Living in a big city
is what I always dreamt of.
Don't you wonder how things are out there?
Outside the walls?
Yes, Leontine, you never talk of yourself.
Your home. Your family.
[Charlotte gasps] The Emperor!
[all] Your Majesty.
I have a little time.
Shall we take a walk?
I have a better idea.
[scribbling]
[horse gruffs]
[Elisabeth chuckles]
[horse gruffs]
Don't look at me. That way.
[horse gruffs]
[Elisabeth chuckles]
Take off your shirt.
And your trousers.
[chuckles]
[exhales]
[chuckles]
[gentle music playing]
[chuckles]
Stop grinning.
[horse gruffs]
[chuckles]
Is that how I look?
Mm-hmm.
Yes.
I look at it every day.
[Franz chuckles]
[gentle music continues]
[both breathing heavily]
[Franz exhales]
[both chuckling]
How does it feel?
Why did he try to murder you?
He had nothing to lose.
Kempen managed to apprehend
everyone involved in the attack.
But that's not what matter.
The people are still angry.
So many live in poverty.
Franz.
You can change that.
I'm certain.
[Sophie] I hear you went swimming.
He looks very content, Elisabeth.
And that makes me content.
Thank you.
I know it isn't easy
to share him all the time.
It doesn't feel like that.
He tells me all.
And
I hear there is cause for hope?
Soon you will have a duty of your own.
[classical music playing]
[Maximilian] Did you have a good morning?
I saw and you and the ladies in the park.
Were you hiding in the bushes
to get a clearer view?
How many handkerchiefs have you got now?
One for every woman
whose heart you have broken.
[chuckles]
[Maximilian] So you're doing well?
Unlike you predicted, yes. Outstandingly.
The Tsar's son is heading home
from Hesse and going via Bayern.
Prepare a letter.
Franz?
If we send a message,
he could be here this weekend.
[Sophie] That gives us
no time at all to prepare.
We will invite him another time.
This is a real opportunity, isn't it?
How could we even be ready?
It would be completely undignified.
[Maximilian] Dumplings!
- Then we will simply have to hurry, yes?
- This is ridiculous.
Anything less than perfect
would be a disgrace.
A grand reception is not necessary.
What do you mean, Elisabeth?
It could be intimate.
Intimate?
My father always took people hunting
when there was
something important to discuss.
[Maximilian] Oh, a hunt
is a wonderful idea.
We could visit Father at Auhof then.
[Sophie chuckles]
Out of the question.
If you want to talk in peace,
without the circus,
it might be the right decision.
"Circus"?
Alexander should feel
that we are not trying to impress him.
Yes?
We will do it.
- [bell rings]
- No banquet, no ceremony.
An informal talk.
[Sophie] But the Empress
should not go on the hunt.
[Elisabeth] Why not?
[Sophie] In your delicate condition,
it's too dangerous.
I will go instead.
But I'd like to.
We go alone.
Elisabeth and I, Alexander and Maria.
- [knocking on door]
- [door opens]
[Esterhazy] Is there anything else
I can do, Your Highness?
[Sophie] No.
A hunt. It's ridiculous.
You absolutely must go with them.
Yes, of course, I will go with them.
War is on the brink.
And we've invited him to the chicken farm.
Karl lives at Auhof
to be kept out of affairs of state.
Whatever next?
Are we going to send Luziwuzi to Napoleon?
[chuckles] Your husband will understand
that the stakes are high.
I'll have a new uniform sent to him.
How dare that impudent girl
go over my head?
[Esterhazy] Your Imperial Highness,
some matters are best left
to follow their natural course.
Let her fall flat on her face,
and let the whole world see.
What real harm can she do?
- [uplifting music playing]
- [bell tolling]
I cannot wait to see the Tsar's son.
I've heard he's very handsome.
Good morning, ladies.
[horse gruffs]
You do know he only has an honorary title?
And?
You are an Apafi, he is an accountant.
A man that is a good mathematician
is, uh, good at, um,
counting.
[Charlotte chuckles]
I do not know
what the Empress sees in her.
She is vulgar.
She is amusing.
When something looks like sauerkraut
and reeks of sauerkraut,
it is rarely mousse au chocolat.
- [indistinct chatter]
- [horse gruffs]
[von Bach] Your Majesty?
It is here. The contract from Sina.
We have the loan.
You just need to sign it.
Now nothing stands in the way
of the railway line.
[Sophie] Congratulations.
Let's hope our cannons
don't need replacing.
- [indistinct chatter]
- [dramatic music playing]
[charioteer] Ho! Ho!
[horse whinnies]
My son.
[Franz] Father.
- It is very good to see you.
- You also.
It was Elisabeth's idea.
So let us not get sentimental.
- [dog barking]
- [indistinct chatter]
[Sophie] I'll be in the garden.
I hope you understand
why I couldn't stay behind.
This is too important for us.
Naturally, I understand.
If I am with child,
then a weekend in the woods
will not change anything.
And I swallowed
all the eggs Esterhazy made me eat.
So what could go wrong?
Well, your confidence is impressive.
I bathed in salt
until my skin flaked off like fish scales
and ate so many raw eggs
that I vomited every morning.
It didn't help.
It still took me six years.
It is challenging having a baby.
I know that very well.
My mother had eight.
We are talking about an heir!
It is your only task.
So accomplish it before you seek another.
[contemplative music playing]
[bell tolling in distance]
- [horse gruffs]
- [charioteer clicking tongue] Hyah!
[Maximilian] Good evening, gentlemen.
Milady.
My thanks to you all for coming.
His Imperial Highness is very unhappy
with the course Habsburg is taking
at this time.
[Maximilian] Indeed.
And I have an interesting offer for you.
- [dramatic music continues]
- [horse whinnies]
[horse gruffs]
- [Franz] Imperial Highness.
- Your Majesty.
[Franz in Russian] Welcome to Austria.
[in English] Welcome to Austria.
So this is the woman
all Europe is talking about.
"As beautiful as the rising sun,"
my envoy wrote to me.
No exaggeration.
He was drinking champagne all night.
[chuckles]
Last time, he was just a youth.
Now he is Emperor.
And I'm not.
You'll have to tell me
how to dispose of one's father, won't you?
- [Franz] Where is your wife?
- Yes. Where is she?
- Maria!
- [Maria] Oh.
Are we already here? [groans]
[dog whimpers]
- Your Majesty.
- Maria.
- How nice to see you.
- [Maria chuckles] A great pleasure.
- Puppy needs to relieve herself.
- Hmm. And so she shall.
Tomorrow? At sunrise?
- Perfect.
- [Sophie] I can hardly wait.
[dog continues whimpering]
[barking]
We agree that the Emperor
has lost his mind.
We should've made an alliance
with France long ago.
Napoleon's offer has been withdrawn.
Napoleon is so offended
that we could find ourselves in a war
on two fronts if we do not act.
Russia on one side,
France on the other side.
We should declare war on Russia.
Show strength.
Change Napoleon's mind.
- I'm with you, but the Emperor disagrees.
- What are you saying?
I have assurances from the French court
that Habsburg will not be a target.
And, furthermore,
that Habsburg has their support
if there is war with Russia.
[man] That cannot be.
Napoleon favours the Emperor again?
Where did you learn this?
Perhaps I have not made myself clear.
My brother will not get help from France.
[intense music playing]
But a new emperor will.
But there is a condition
that Russia is not our ally.
What if the Emperor, though,
succeeds in striking a peace agreement
with the Tsar's son?
Leave that to me.
- [Amalia] Good morning, Your Majesty.
- [Elisabeth] Good morning.
[Alexander] Hmm.
I do not like any of them.
- [Sophie] Grand Duchess.
- [Maria] Imperial Highness, good morning.
Your Majesty,
this is a Zaisenberger hunting rifle
with octagonal muzzle.
Freshly sighted and accurate.
It is our best model.
It handles well.
You should've given me this one earlier.
I never show all my cards at once.
So you have more up your sleeve?
Who knows?
I'll take the rifle.
- Good choice.
- [Alexander] Empress.
Good morning.
[Maximilian] The one thing
I really can't abide about hunting
is why one must always start so early.
This is a surprise.
Grand Duke, it is my honour.
I simply couldn't miss the chance
to help my brother
on this important weekend.
Pleasure to see you, Majesty.
[Alexander]
There you are at last, Maschenka.
- Good morning.
- [Sophie] Good morning.
- [Maria] Gorgeous! Ah, the weather!
- [Alexander] All right.
[claps] Shall we go?
[Elisabeth] I'll take this one.
Uh, Maria was hoping that you would take
a walk with her, my dear.
So leave the hunting to the gentleman,
Your Majesty.
We ladies will go on our own outing.
How wonderful!
[Elisabeth] I would like to get acquainted
with the princess on my own.
If that is allowed.
[sombre music playing]
[guns fire in distance]
[Maria] You would rather have gone hunting
with the men, wouldn't you?
No, this is wonderful.
I wondered what your peculiarity would be.
Peculiarity?
The very thing
that sets you apart as Empress.
Does one need such a thing?
Marie Antoinette
had those extravagant dresses,
seven kilograms of fabric!
Catherine the Great reportedly
had more than 20 lovers, they say.
And you know Maria,
the former Queen of France?
She did her own cooking at court
and invented her own pastries.
So what's yours then?
Isn't it obvious?
I love animals.
I have four dozen horses,
dogs and two monkeys.
At my home in Hesse, I even had a donkey.
Oh, and I build hospitals
and things like that.
It gives them something to talk about.
And it gives us significance.
Something for people to remember.
[gun fires]
My hope is to be a good empress
and that people remember that.
And not how I wore my hair.
I'm sure they will.
I must say, your hair really is splendid.
In Russia, we shoot bears.
Did you not say
there would be wild boar here?
- [Franz] Not in season.
- Ah. [chuckles]
Sometimes a man must break the rules
to get what he wants. [chuckles]
[Franz] I read about your plans
to abolish serfdom with great interest.
Trying to flatter me?
[Franz] No.
I think we have much in common.
I think you owe a great deal to Russia.
[Franz] That too.
My father saved your hide
in the revolution.
And we will forever be in your debt.
Not deep enough, it's clear.
My father's heart is broken.
But you're the one
who decides the future, right?
My father is still on the throne.
[Franz] As long as God wills it.
But forgive me for speaking frankly.
People are dreaming
of a new kind of ruler.
One for whom peace
is more important than war.
You really do flatter.
Withdraw your army from our border,
and I promise we'll not attack you.
I like you.
Let's just enjoy the hunt, my friend.
Talk of war and peace can wait for now.
- [gentle music playing]
- [indistinct chatter]
[dog barks]
- [dog barks, whimpers]
- Good, yes, very good.
The future Tsarina is extraordinary.
They say that on Wednesdays,
Alexander falls in love with someone new
and ends it all before the week is over.
She deals with it very well.
[Elisabeth chuckles]
Thank goodness.
I thought you couldn't abide me.
You thought that?
You've avoided me since the wedding.
You know why.
Why are you here today, Your Highness?
Why are you here?
You should be resting.
Ugh. Not you as well.
My family needs you for one task only,
and it's not foreign policy.
Better for one task than for none, hmm?
Ow.
- [both chuckle]
- Sorry.
- You bring out the very worst in me.
- Well, as long as I bring out something.
- [dog barking]
- [indistinct chatter]
If you're in need at all, I'm here.
[all clapping]
What would I need?
- [woman] Very good.
- [man] Very good, indeed.
[Elisabeth scoffs]
It's going very well.
Hunting was a fabulous idea.
[Karl] That was very nice, Countess.
[Charlotte] Thank you.
We've not yet met.
Leontine from Apafi,
Your Imperial Highness.
From Apafi. The Apafis of Siebenbürgen.
I know your parents.
Your father is Count Michael. Your mother
- Agnes.
- [Karl] Agnes. Right.
Your mother's pride and joy.
The apple of her eye.
How is she? She must miss you terribly.
I write all the time.
I seem to recall even as a child
you could already speak French.
[Amalia in French] Of course
you speak French, don't you, Leontine?
[in English] Hence my name.
[in French]
You like literature, as I understand.
What do you think of Monsieur de Balzac?
I love this story.
His writing is so passionate.
[in English] Excuse me, please.
Oh!
Can you not give us a little taste?
Why so shy?
[Amalia in French]
Excuse me, Your Highness.
[Amalia in English]
You really are quite the riddle, Countess.
But do not worry yourself.
I will solve it.
Stay away from me, you whore.
[dramatic music playing]
[exhales]
[Maximilian inhales, grunts]
Forgive me, Your Highness.
I have nothing to hide.
[urinating]
[Maximilian sighs]
[Alexander] The young Empress
really is quite something.
- As I'm sure you've already noticed.
- [Maximilian] Indeed I have.
Passionate. So impulsive.
Can your pretty brother cope with that,
or does she need variety?
[chuckles softly]
Has he promised peace
and eternal friendship?
What's wrong with peace and friendship?
Mmm, be careful. That's all.
Knifing your brother in the back?
Out with it.
If France, Russia, and all the rest
keep this war going for years,
tear each other apart
and bleed to death, who wins?
And who takes a slice of the Ottoman pie
without shedding even a drop of blood?
[horn blowing]
- For 15 years, my father was living
- [horn blows]
[hunter] Prey sighted! To the east!
Then let's head out again.
I'll get myself a stag.
Will you join me this time, Majesty?
I insist.
[dog barking]
It is unusual
for a woman to enjoy hunting.
When I was young,
I always went into the forest alone.
Weren't you afraid?
The darkness, the silence.
No, never. It's enticing.
Are you quite sure you're not Russian?
[birds tweeting]
Are you scared that we're alone?
Like I said, nothing here scares me.
[gentle music playing]
She could ride on it for hours
while she watched me smoke my pipe.
"Do not smoke so much, Father,"
she always said.
Do not speak of her.
It would do you good to talk about her.
- They would've been friends, Elisabeth a
- No.
Our little girl was quite different.
Not a bit like Elisabeth.
- Elisabeth is
- Elisabeth's like you.
[gentle music continues]
Are we lost?
Oh no.
Dusk's soon.
- And I will protect you.
- [guns firing in distance]
[Elisabeth] That will not be necessary.
Forgive me if I offended you.
[branch snaps]
Do you know what your husband
wants from me? Complete faith in him.
But
can I really trust him?
Help me, Empress.
He wants our empire safe.
He does not intend to expand it.
He'd be the first man in the world
not to want that.
[sucks teeth]
But I won't bore you with politics.
- Then why did you ask me?
- Because you know your husband.
He is different.
No.
You and your clever little head,
you are different.
Hmm.
It's likely that the future
of this enormous, cumbersome empire
lies not with him,
nor with the Archduchess.
It's likely Habsburg's future
lies on your shoulders.
[Elisabeth gasps]
Or
you really are what everyone says you are.
A simple country girl.
Even though life at the palace
is not what I'm used to
I knew it.
If you want to win,
you must take the road less travelled by.
My father taught me that.
[gun fires]
- [boar grunts]
- You've made him angry.
- [tense music playing]
- [boar grunts]
[gun loads]
[boar grunting]
[boar grunting]
[boar groans]
[Maximilian clapping]
Whoo-hoo-hoo! Excellent shot!
[Maximilian clapping]
[Karl] To today's finest shot,
Your Majesty, Empress Elizabeth.
- [man] To Elisabeth!
- [all] To Elisabeth!
[indistinct chatter]
[Charlotte] Is a wild boar
really so deadly?
[Karl] A boar that large
can definitely kill a man.
[Charlotte] So the Empress
saved the life of the Tsar's son.
[chatter stops]
We're leaving, Maria. Now. Do you hear me?
We're leaving.
[Maria] Oh. Already?
[sucks teeth, scoffs]
[dog whimpers, barks]
By the time the Tsar's son had reloaded,
you'd have been torn apart.
What choice did you have? Not shoot?
It is men who made these rules, not us.
Is this your way of playing politics?
By giving me a defective gun?
Elisabeth simply followed her instinct.
My instinct tells me
everything here stinks.
What are you hiding
behind that boyish face, hmm?
I've been honest with you, Alexander.
Hmm.
You know what my grandmother always said?
When something seems too good to be true,
it's probably shit.
All I want for us now
is to pledge peace to each other.
Did you think
I'd go against my father's will?
I thought you saw this war differently.
Maybe I don't.
Our bordering territories, Alexander.
- What's happening there is unjust.
- [Alexander chuckles]
Oh please.
What is happening in your realm?
You oppress Hungary, Venetia, Lombardy.
Fine.
I demand you pull your troops out.
Or what?
Will you get your wife with her rifle?
Well, at least she wouldn't miss.
[chuckles]
You're frightened, Majesty.
I will defend my realm, Alexander,
with all that I am.
Then we'll meet again on a battlefield.
So be it.
[door opens, slams shut]
[sombre music playing]
[Sophie] We shall assemble the cabinet.
Tonight.
Do not worry.
[indistinct chatter]
[horse whinnies]
[horse whinnies]
What did Alexander say?
I'm going back now. You can come
in the morning with the others.
- Will he withdraw his troops now?
- It is not your concern.
Are you implying this is all my fault?
No, but you could've showed
some restraint, yes?
Do you know how he treated me?
[thunder rumbles]
Though I imagine it's allowed.
I'm going with my mother.
Goodnight.
[charioteer] Your Majesty.
I hope you understand me now.
You haven't the faintest idea
what you're doing.
[horse gruffs]
[sombre music continues]
[door opens]
- [door shuts]
- [Maximilian clears throat]
That really was a remarkable shot.
Are you sure you won't stay on a while?
No, I'll go.
Would you
come with me?
[Maximilian]
It's not your fault, Elisabeth.
Franz disagrees.
I disgraced him.
You did not.
Believe me, I know how it looks.
You did not bulk.
You did what you thought was right.
Then why does it feel
so very wrong, though?
For the simple reason that our role
in this family is to applaud the others.
To look pretty.
And we go down with the ship,
but are not asked what we think.
- [Elisabeth] So what now?
- [Maximilian inhales]
[chuckles]
[Maximilian chuckles]
[both chuckle]
- This is your solution?
- Oh no!
[Elisabeth chuckles]
Don't be silly.
There's no solution.
Only here and now.
[glasses clink]
[imitates bird call]
What is so urgent?
We only just arrived here, Egon.
[lights match]
[Egon] Why didn't you let us know
about the hunt in the forest?
Far from the palace,
minimal guards, plenty of cover.
It was the opportunity
we have all been waiting for.
No. There was no time,
and we need better preparation.
Do not take me for a fool.
Why are you delaying the cause?
Perhaps there is another way.
The Emperor is a murderer.
He deserves to die.
But what if we were wrong about him?
[scoffs]
What is wrong with you?
[Leontine] They are not all bad, Egon.
I'm telling you.
You are not a countess, Ava.
Have you forgotten?
Where you really come from?
You were born in the gutter,
and that's exactly where you'll end up.
And you act so refined.
In your pretty clothes.
But we both know what you've done.
These people are going to die.
Decide now which side it is
you want to be on.
[dramatic music playing]
- [charioteer] Halt!
- [horse neighs]
- [Maximilian and Elisabeth chuckling]
- [Maximilian] Yes, yes, yes!
You didn't Whoa!
[both chuckling]
Oops. [exhales]
[both continue chuckling]
[horse whinnies]
[Maximilian sighs]
Gentleman. I'll to bed.
Tired.
Oh.
I told you to come tomorrow.
If I made a mistake with Alexander,
I'm sorry.
I mean it.
What is it? Tell me.
[horse gruffs]
So why do you always run to him?
I don't trust him, and you know that.
I won't have it.
- Don't speak to me like I were a child.
- Stop acting like one!
Go to bed, yes?
You should rest.
[horse gruffs]
[gentle music playing]
[dramatic music playing]
[dramatic music continues]
[music fades out]