Original subtitles

- We need her alive! - Take the horse!

Where’s the Empress?!

You traitors!

You don’t want to leave before we’ve really met?

Let me down!

Let her go.

You just ruined the loan agreement with the French.

Take her back to Vienna.

Back to that jail, alone?

It’s much worse than Sisi said!

What did Sisi say?

Ask her yourself.

As you like.

If I tell you... Can I come along?

She said

the court is like a hard-strung corset,

that’ll soon stifle her.

Get in.

Is it true there will be a war soon?

Not if Sisi is successful in Hungary.

I’ve chosen my side.

What about you?

You’re out of your mind.

Franz Joseph will annihilate Hungary if he finds out.

He won’t find out...

Not now, at least.

So...

- choose you side... - You sold our soul. To Bismarck!

You are the one selling our soul

to an Emperor who doesn’t care about our people dying in the streets.

- You’re a disgrace to your wife. - Shut your mouth!

How dare you!

Emanuell!

- There must be another solution! - Stay out of this, you!

Love between brother and sister.

Your master is a damn traitor...

If you please...

What are you waiting for?!

Where are they taking us?

Somewhere your husband won’t find us.

AUSTRIAN MILITARY BASE HUNGARY

Take me to your commander.

And whom may I report?

Countess Esterhazy, Mistress of the Household of Her Majesty, Empress’s of Austria.

Take me to your commander immediately!

Hands off!

Stop it!

You are... Countess Esterhazy.

Empress Elisabeth...

has been kidnapped.

...besides that, our reinforcements would take three weeks.

Majesty...

The Empress was abducted

by Hungarian rebels.

What?

This is from Countess Esterhazy.

This is terrible.

Does the Emperor know yet?

I want you to leave for Hungary immediately.

What about Franz?

You know my son.

What will he do when he finds out?

We want to prevent a war, don’t we?

You must tell him.

One and... hop!

One wrong word and you’ll regret it, clear?

Aunt Ludovica.

Franz.

Please forgive me for not giving you earlier notice.

You’re always welcome.

Where is Sisi?

Your daughter is in Hungary.

Hungary?

She’s traveling on a political agenda, as am I.

Excuse me, may I introduce... Marie.

Countess of Lotte.

I assume my father-in-law is indisposed again?

He is... unwell.

Darling, wait, please!

Helene.

How do you do, Majesty.

This is Maximilian Anton, of Thurn & Taxis. My husband.

I’m delighted to finally meet you in person.

Majesty, it is an honor.

That’s just great.

Sweetheart, how often have I told you they won’t lay any eggs anymore?

Forgive us, Majesty.

Well, go!

Wait for me!

May I ask how long the duke will be indisposed this time?

Impossible to say, but it usually improves in the evening.

After a sip of cognac.

HUNGARY

Hands off!

I hope Your Majesty had a nice trip.

Emanuell,

well done!

You’re making a huge mistake.

You know what’s worst of all?

When I look into your eyes...

I no longer see the man she once loved.

I feel the same way.

The Crown is ready to give

- Hungary 20 million gilders in aid right now. - There’s only one crown for the Hungarians.

The Crown of Holy Stefan...

will never again adorn the head of a monarch.

Hands off of her!

Those words might impress your friend Gyula here, but not me.

No.

I will not rest until Hungary is free.

And with that I mean, truly free.

This woman is equally guilty

that our families have nothing to eat!

And that our children die of hunger!

Look at her!

The face of an angel...

with the soul of a devil!

Don’t forget it.

Take her away.

Come on, get going!

Excuse the mess, dear Franz, but...

Néné and Maximilian Anton, too, have only just arrived.

Their first trip as a married couple.

They’re very happy together, right, Néné?

It wasn’t exactly easy to find an adequate substitute...

for the Emperor of Austria.

And who are you?

Seems the food is to your liking.

I like it too.

So?

To what do we owe the honor?

Shouldn’t we talk about that later over a cognac?

But why not right away?

A Maison Courvoisier should do, I hope?

So...

Is that a Brown Bess?

Now, someone knows what she’s talking about!

But... that’s not just any gun.

This musket...

has done me heroic services.

It’s no exaggeration if I say

this musket is a miracle of a weapon.

Her name’s Maria.

I named her after the Holy Mother.

What happened to your wife?

Andrássy, let’s go!

What are you doing with him?

It was in the Ionian Sea, just before the Gulf of Patras.

We were surrounded by four ships.

All of them had hoisted the black flag.

Black flag, get it?

Genuine storybook pirates, they were.

At least seventy of them.

And everybody

hiding away under deck.

Except me.

I stayed on deck. Alone. Just me and my Maria.

Seventy pirates, from over a hundred meters.

One after the other.

And the sea was rough, mind you, with towering waves!

You don’t believe me?

Just watch this.

Not the cherubs, Max!

That’s not a hundred meters.

What a little know-all...

Fantastic, Dad, amazing! Bravo! What a great shot.

I know why you’re here.

Is that so?

You want me to speak to King Ludwig.

About the railway and your army.

You can forget about it.

Bavaria is an ally of the Crown.

I expect King Ludwig to live up to his duties.

I will not help you lead a war.

You’ll remember yet what side you’re on.

Leave me alone with them.

You stubborn mule.

What happened?

- Emanuell, what--? - You! You happened to him.

Don’t get your hopes up, one fetter stays on.

- Thank you. - Take care of him when he wakes up.

Yes?

You’re not in bed yet?

Neither are you.

That was a year before you were born.

I was 23.

I know, Papa.

- You were still pretty thin. - Touché.

Like a sip?

No, thank you.

I’m sorry about before.

That’s not why I’m here.

But...?

To talk about Franz.

He needs your help.

The hell he does.

Without the Bavarian railroad, Bismarck has a huge advantage over Franz.

What’s it to you?

My sister is the Austrian Empress.

I wish she weren’t.

Bismarck wants to turn Prussia into a European superpower.

If...

If Franz lets him have his will,

then war will be avoided.

You’re the one who said Bismarck had already funded his call to arms.

So he’ll do what it takes to go to war.

You still like Franz, don’t you?

No.

Him turning your mother’s head is all I need.

You would have made a fine empress.

That’s for sure.

Forgive me.

What happened?

Ödön is...

obsessed with the idea of taking revenge.

Not just on the Austrians, but also on dissenting Hungarians.

If the Austrians just left,

the Hungarians would kill each other.

Without someone like you it would be civil war.

Without someone like me?

They trust you.

You give them hope. They believe you really care about Hungary.

Half the men would follow you if they weren’t so scared of Ödön.

- General, sir. - Did you find the Empress?

No, General, sir. I’ve sent out scouts, but to no avail.

I may know how to find her.

Even if some of you...

don’t like to listen to a woman.

Helene?

I just wanted to say goodbye.

Papa left for Munich,

to speak to King Ludwig about your request.

Such a sudden change of mind?

Did you speak with him?

He agreed to put in a good word.

What did you tell him?

I will never reveal that to you.

Thank you.

It’s here.

- I wanted to unleash him, but... - I understand.

Do we have something for the dog?

Hey... you hungry?

Yeah?

You only get it if you’re a good boy...

Follow him! He may lead us to his master!

I think I’ll go right in.

- But not too deep. - I know how to swim.

But I don’t.

Really?

Very funny.

I see you lead a happy marriage.

Yes.

He has a good heart.

I’m glad.

I never apologized to you.

For back then,

when I proposed to Sisi.

I must have hurt you deeply.

Don’t worry.

If anyone can talk to King Ludwig, it’s my husband.

Well, my dears! I’ve brought you something.

You can even wind them up.

Thank you, duke.

It wasn’t easy.

The King was under the spell of his opium pipes again.

- Max! - It’s the truth.

I’m afraid the dog lost the scent.

What now?

- General, sir! - What is it?

The trace leads up into the woods.

You should know...

I would have done...

anything for you.

Aunt Ludovica, thank you for your hospitality.

Have a good trip, Franz.

Anton.

Helene.

Thank you so much for your help.

May God be with you.

There’s probably a hundred of them.

What will you do?

A direct attack is too dangerous.

Get the dog out of here.

I’ll do it.

I need two men in plain clothes who speak Hungarian.

We’ll smuggle them out.

If there’s no sign from us within 30 minutes, raid the fort.

Can we stop here?

Here?

I have to pee.

Before you ruin my official papers again...

But no looking.

Who are you?

We come from Miske Town, with a message for Ödön.

Let them pass.

Don’t scream, Majesty.

Are you wounded?

Take the Empress outside.

My men are waiting in the woods.

Quick.

- Majesty. - What is it?

The girl. She’s gone.

What?

Got a new customer?

- Once a whore, always a whore. - Marie!

Like mother, like daughter.

Now that’s a nice, smug prig.

You’re doing better for yourself, I’ll say.

Marie...

I grew up here and he--

And he-- What he did, he--

You can’t make anything better by destroying it.

It only gets worse, believe me.

He’ll be punished, I can make sure of that.

But I can’t let you do that to yourself.

Go ahead and be rough on her, that’s how she likes...

Wait.

Not yet.

Now!

Come on, keep going.

To the wall.

- I don’t want you to stay behind. - Majesty, please go!