Original subtitles

Previously... - How is Philip? - The Prince is intelligent. And doesn't show interest in state affairs.

Your father is going to return. He left the order...

My father is not here. He never is!

- Are you not happy for my return? - I didn't remember your face.

- Nothing irreparable has happened, father. - Neither will it happen. You may not see that woman again.

You should not have set sail to pay tribute to the Empress. That was your fault.

It is now or never. Charles doesn't expect it. The defeat in Algiers has decimated his forces.

Francis wants to recover Milan. He doesn't renounce his obsessions either.

Francis has encamped one and a half miles away from here. It seems he wants to surprise us.

Prepare my horse.

Everything is lost. Leave, as soon as possible. You cannot be taken prisoner again.

Nobody has lost this war since no one has won it.

Negotiate; the Emperor will cede.

The encomiendas will keep beeing canceled.

- This is ignominy! Infamy! - This is what you have provoked!

I am going to marry. The Inftanta of Portugal. My cousin Maria Manuela.

Just a little more.

- It is a boy. - And the Princess?

You are stronger than you think.

Her name is Barbara Blomberg.

- Where have you brought me? - To the best corner of your empire.

Do you remember my son Maximilian?

Milan will be for Prince Philip.

Everything will be his son's! Even the Duchy of Milan! One humiliation after the other!

What have you done, you fool?

I have to write to Philip. We need money in order to face the rebels.

The Succession

Let the Imperial army encamp on the other side of the river.

With the bridges destroyed, they could never cross it!

Never!

We will see who laughs last at the end of the day.

For the Emperor.

For the Emperor!

Retreat! Retreat!

- Do it quickly. - I will not kill an unarmed enemy.

Especially one as valuable as you.

Take him to the Emperor. And tell him that Mühlberg will see this night the defeat of the Protestants.

The Imperials have taken Frederick prisoner. I should report our treaty before the Prince does.

- I will present myself before my uncle. - Shut up, you fool. You will not do such a thing.

- You are not to blame for anything. - You are my son!

- My fate is bound to yours. - Except the hour of succeeding you!

Look what a crossroad we have arrived to because of not controlling your ambition.

Do you call it ambition, defending my rights?

I will reclaim them before the Emperor but you will obtain nothing with treason!

Now, I have to seal Frederick's mouth.

Only one way comes into my mind.

Are you ready to do so?

I will do the impossible to save us.

I hope you will know how to repay.

I was dawn. The Spaniards crossed the river by a shallow, with swords between their teeth, with arquebuses aloft.

I followed them a bit later, riding on horse next to my brother, persecuting the enemy.

That will be the moment I will immortalize.

You on your horse.

Alone?

Is it not the way you govern the Empire?

Brother.

We will continue tomorrow.

Frederick of Saxony asked for an audience.

Make sure that he gets to the Court safe and sound.

No one should say that I didn't listen to a convict before executing him.

Battered shards of glass! Those seem to be in my leg.

We have triumphed. Now you can rest.

Finally, an empire in peace. United.

And we have achieved it hand in hand.

That is right.

That is why, please, let us think about ensuring the future.

Because that troubles me more than the present.

We are brothers. Despite the tensions, we have lived in concord.

Will our sons be able to do so?

Maybe the years have made me too cautious.

But think of the damages the ambition causes in the youth

- if it is not guided into good bed. - Maximilian...

He dreamed about seeing himself as Duke of Milan.

Did he made a mistake by doing so, perhaps, when he will not even inherit the domains his father governs?

It is not good that a young man with ambitions remains idle.

It is not.

I will think about what you are saying.

A marriage will strengthen the concord between our families.

Maximilian will marry my daughter Mary.

Bloody gout!

Do you want to welcome the Saxon in this state?

It is not good if you present yourself before the enemy like this.

Even if you have defeated him.

I will postpone the audience.

- More time for him to think his sin over. - Let me talk to him.

Don't let the rumour get around that the Emperor is ill.

You are right.

Go and find out what he wants.

Imperial Fort

How much deference the Emperor shows towards me,

- sending his brother to kill me! - Fair sentence for a traitor.

They say the fear loosens the convicts' tongues on the scaffold.

Will I also lose temperance and scream what should not be heard?

I have not brought you here to serve your execution but to talk.

Leave, everyone!

You, too.

I could kill you here and now,

but I will not.

For I have always behaved with honor.

- What do you want from me, then? - Negotiating.

I will intercede with the Emperor so that he gives quarter, in return of your silence.

Nothing else?

Does it seem a little to you?

If I speak, my life will not be the only one lost.

What will the Emperor do if he finds out that his nephew conspires against him and you are hiding it?

Kill me... Kill me.

And then cut the tongues, one by one, that could accuse you.

Do you think, perhaps, that I am the only one who know the story?

I am also man of honor.

See to it that my death-warrant is revoked and I swear

that neither I nor any of my men will reveal your secret.

Don't be sad.

God is punishing me

for how much I have sinned.

But I accept my fate.

Your forgiveness is the only thing I need

so that I could prensent myself in peace before the Almighty.

I have given you that for a long while.

Leave free of guilt.

Son,

come closer.

Now my legacy rests on you.

Swear

that you will go against the Emperor's power.

For France, swear to it.

I swear. Don't worry.

Let France cry for as many days as many years his glorious reign lasted.

The King is dead.

Long live the King!

31 March 1547

Do you want the Emperor to spare the life of the man who lead the revolt?

The execution of Frederick of Saxony would be interpreted as vengeance against the Protestants.

- Clemency... - If you don't punish them

they will rebel against you again!

Why are you showing so much endeavour to save him?

What did he say to you so that you take sides with him?

It is not him I am thinking of, but of ending this war with terrible consequences for the Empire!

- The rebellion is suppressed. - The Prince's death would rekindle it.

I have been magnanimous to those who have surrendered.

If I do so with someone who doesn't respect my authority, what kind of message do I send to my enemies?

That of the reconciliation.

Because there is no loyalty gained by force.

You want an empire in peace and united under one head.

- It is the only one thing that guides my steps! - Listen to my requests, then!

You will achieve your goal only if all Germany believes in you!

Enough!

I heard enough!

Bring Frederick of Saxony to me.

I have tolerated your grudge for years, for the Empire's sake.

But you exhausted my patience.

You defied my authority!

You took up arms against the Empire!

And you will get the punishment you deserve.

However, I will not make you martyr of your cause.

You will lose your electoral rank.

And all and each one of your possessions in the Duchy of Saxony!

Without army or income to arm yourselves, you will not be able to threaten me anymore.

Do you want to take something from me that belongs to my family by rights?

It is the price of your treason!

Be thankful for staying alive.

From now on, my only one desire will be to achieve the peace.

I will place all my endeavour in that.

Go!

Your Majesty,

the King of France is dead.

For His Highness, the Most Christian King, Henry.

My pain is great to learn the death of your father, my brother.

We battled many times one against the other.

But the respect we had for each other was also great.

But let us forget about the faults of the past.

Just like your reign starts today, it is my wish that France begins

a new age of prosperity, encouraged be the concord between us.

May God want it that the power he has given to the new king cure the wounds of France, too.

The King touches you.

God cures you.

Don't fuel the memory too much.

You have the opportunity to govern as you have always dreamed about.

Difficult task when the enemy surrounds France and so our old splendor fades.

It can still resuscitate.

I know about the missive my brother sent to you.

His will to build peace is sincere.

Even if I am no longer queen I will help you to come to an agreement.

Thank you for your support.

You will not find better defender of the interests of France

than someone who is in favour with the Emperor.

And he is in favour with you.

That is why I would not forgive myself if I retained you by my side when your heart wishes to be elsewhere.

My place is by your side.

I have always treated you with a mother's love.

And I will not abandon you when you need my advice the most.

I don't doubt your esteem towards me. But I do doubt your loyalty towards the King of France.

That is why we have to say goodbye.

Sister, how much I have wished for our reunion!

Finally, you are here.

Forgive me.

I have failed you. You and the Empire.

Get up, for God's sake!

If anyone made a mistake, it was me, when I entrusted you to the King of France.

You had to pay very dearly for being my sister.

I had the hope that I could influence Henry.

You have to take care, because he will follow the way marked by his father.

He swore to it on his deathbed.

Your words confirm what I suspected.

Do you believe he will break the peace you signed?

I hope he will be wiser than his father. Even if what has to be will be.

But you have already complied.

Now it is your turn to live in peace.

Stay with me, then. And let us get back the time we lost.

Marry my cousin?

Is this the favour my uncle is disposed to give to me?

Do you not see, perhaps, how fortunate you have been?

Think of the advantages of that marriage. It gets you closer to the Emperor.

Maybe it will be the prelude of other favours.

While they don't have the Imperial seal and your brother's signature...

Death sentences have similar appearance!

Do you think so light of the risk I am taking for you?

If you don't obey me, don't count on my protection anymore.

You will go to Spain.

It is His Majesty's wish that you meet your wife there.

I thank God that I see you up again.

Eleanor's return and your company have been better than any remedy.

If your recovery goes on, you will be able to attend your daughter's wedding.

It will not be possible.

Will you meet her when she comes with her husband?

Maximilian will not come back.

Because I have decided to give him the Regency of Spain.

You nephew will be thankful for the beau geste.

But will your son not be upset if he finds himself removed?

Philip and Maximilian are still very young.

Don't fear. What I have in mind will satisfy everyone.

It will let me have you closer so that I can enjoy your counsel.

So it is true. You have taken the robe of the Society of Jesus.

Free from earthly ties, I finally listened to a call I always felt inside.

You undertake a tough journey.

May God want it that you don't cross men as heartless as those I have found.

I know about your resignation of the Bishopric of Chiapas.

There it is not possible anymore to defend some rights that everyone ignores and despises.

They do so with His Majesty's approval.

Or those tyrants who want to be kings evade his authority.

You have come back looking for answers.

And the Emperor is the only one who can give them to me.

His Majesty has gone for a long time. His obligations in the Empire require his presence.

Don't fear.

I will get you an audience with his son.

May God want it that he listens to your demands.

I hope he does, for everyone's sake.

And in the end, on Saturday of Easter, the Dominican brothers and I performed the last mass

before we left Chiapas,

where the encomenderos denied us even the wheat to feed ourselves.

I will not justify the mistreatment, but I have learned that you called them

people of little respect and heart confirmed in bad.

A wrong behaviour doesn't improve with soft words, Your Majesty.

Neither convince the harsher ones.

Your Majesty, there are no obedience in those lands for the laws of the Crown.

And you are the only one who can enforce it.

It doesn't benefit us in anything if our subjects rebel against us.

The Crown restored the encomiendas looking for peace and equilibrium.

And we expect you, Friar Bartolomé, to look after justice and also

- look after peace. - Peace? What kind of peace?

You should see with your own eyes the abuses and atrocities they commit there.

The Spaniards' cruelty is so huge that, for running from it,

husbands and wives are hanged, and so are their children, with them.

- Forgive his vehemence, Your Majesty. - Your Majesty, that violence must be restrained.

If it is not, it will end up falling on us who preach.

On what do you build to make such a prophecy?

Before I left the Bishop of Nicaragua confessed that he had received threats.

- He fears for his life. - If anything happens to him,

the attackers will respond before the Crown. You can be sure.

And do the Indians not deserve the same protection, who are also your subjects?

His Majesty will know about the things you have told.

- You can be sure. - I will wait.

But my voice will not stop denouncing the abuses to those poor souls.

The Crown fears the encomenderos' power more than God's judgement.

The Emperor promulgated some laws and I will obligate him to observe them.

There is something I should have told you.

A text that confutes your arguments one by one waits for the licence of the Council of the Indies, in order to be printed.

A text? Who is the writer?

A priest. Juan Ginés de Sepúlveda, the King's chronicler.

The King's chronicler... Have you read it?

I know it defends the encomiendas.

And it claims that the war against the Indians is just, since they are barbarians and cannibals.

Does the Emperor have knowledge of this?

I believe the Corwn doesn't wish to restore the New Laws,

and wants to justify the suspension with legal arguments.

That will only do that it redoubles my efforts.

Welcome.

We longed for your arrival, cousin.

It was a long journey to get to know the one who has to be my wife.

Let me present you to her.

Infanta Mary.

I have learned that you are great lover of goldsmith works.

I hope this present takes your fancy.

Thank you.

For my part, I hope it satisfies you being Queen of Bohemia,

since my father has given me the title.

The Emperor gives you his most valuable treasure.

Return this great honour by looking after her as she deserves.

You will not see skies like this in Austria.

But we have mountains from which you can reach the sky with your hand.

Let us enjoy this moment of calm.

This day will be long. So will the celebrations of the next ones.

I would not like my nuptials to be too long. I wish to assume the regency as soon as possible.

There is no hurry.

Let me disagree. The sooner I get to know the affairs of the kingdom,

- the better for the Crown. - Don't worry.

You will not have to make any decisions. The council will take over everything.

And if it is necessary, they will ask for His Majesty's instructions.

Have you not governed, perhaps, being regent?

Of course I have. I suggest you trust Monsignor Granvela.

I will promptly leave for the Low Countries.

I have to get to know those lands before I govern them.

Are you going to take our aunt's place?

That is how my father has disposed. Yes.

So while you prepare yourself to govern, I have nothing to do in Spain!

Everyone gives his service in its time and on its place.

Entertain the thought.

Amen.

I wished my day had ended with you alone.

You were so beautiful...

You will leave soon.

And my days will become empty.

Neither you nor I know when we see each other again.

We will not be so far from each other.

Or do you not keep me in your heart?

You know I do.

But I have never dreamed about the impossible.

- And one day you will marry again. - I want you to accompany me.

You don't know what you are saying.

You will be with me come what may.

No matter what direction my life takes.

I love you.

I love you.

What happened, husband?

Is it that I am not to your taste?

I have been swindled.

What are you saying? Why?

The regency has only one goal.

Taking me away from the place where they decide all.

That is how His Majesty has planned.

You see intrigues where there are not any.

What you should do is that you use this opportunity to gain his trust.

He is your father and you idolize him. I don't expect that...

The devotion and respect I feel for him would never blind me so much.

I would not like to spend my wedding night speaking about my father.

Father, bitter surprise waited for me in Spain.

Your endevour that I gain the Emperor's favour has just brought me another humiliation.

His Majesty mocks at my endeavors.

Is that how you expected to satisfy everyone?

Ferdinand received Maximilian's complaints and I got our brother's who doesn't understand why you ignore his son.

Why do you give him the regency if you don't want him to govern?

I know what I am doing. I assure you.

Do I have to guess your intentions? You ask me advice but you don't share your thoughts with me.

Philip will join me soon. Then we will discuss the matters that trouble you.

- The more you linger the bigger the unrest is. - Enough!

Everything will be cleared and there will be no more doubt.

Be patient and trust me.

When you leave Genoa you will go to Trento.

That will be your last stop before you go to Munich.

We will repeat all this later.

- The journey to Flanders will be long. - My father would like me to become known.

And to measure those who I will have to deal with.

You are going to present yourself to half of Europe.

It would not be good to show your weaknesses.

I should not go with you.

- What will they think when they see me with you? - It matters a little to me.

I will tell you.

There she is, the King's whore.

I will tear out the tongue of the person who says such wickedness.

I love you as much...

as you love me.

But my place is not beside you.

And you know that.

I am just waiting for you to come back into my arms when it is possible.

Always.

I will always have you in my heart. Always.

Surprised by so much honour. I would say we expect the Emperor in person.

It is the first time our nephew visits us.

He has never left Spain before.

Has he been welcomed in Venice and Bologna with triumphal arches like Caesar?

Ferdinand, don't feed your grievances and let us welcome him kindly.

Your doubts will be cleared.

My dear aunts!

Ferdinand.

And my father?

Is he not here to welcome me?

I didn't expect to find you in this state.

My pains are more tenacious than my enemies.

But I will beat them, too.

Did I not defeat the Protestants despite the fact that you denied me the money I asked of you?

And I am not sorry, Father.

You expect me to become a good ruler.

So you will understand that I am not guided by my emotions but by the interest of my kingdoms.

The answer is correct.

I admit it.

I am glad to have you with me.

You have to know that the victory against the princes has not solved our problems.

Have you seen your Uncle Ferdinand?

He is here to discuss our family's future.

Before we come to that, it is necessary that you and I agree.

Nothing is more important than assuring the continuity of the Habsburgs on the head of the Empire.

But times change quickly.

We need new opinions to keep it in our hands.

As you know, I wish to train my son Philip to govern different lands.

That is why I am applying to you.

How can I help you?

By renouncing willingly, because I have decided to make him King of the Romans.

Brother, you are making two mistakes.

The first is that you place such an excessive burden on shoulders so young. And the oth...

- Do you not find me capable, perhaps? - Philip.

The second and more graver one is that you teach your successor that loyalty and sacrifice are worth nothing.

Because the only thing that matters is your will.

It saddens me that you interpret it this way.

No sovereign has ever united under his command domains so vast and diverse.

Their unity will remain guaranteed only if they lie on one head at the time of my death.

Is that why it is necessary to humiliate me, taking the title away from me in my life?

My moment has come. I ask you to clear the way.

Now I see.

Everything has been agreed beforehand. Mary is right.

You have taught your son a bitter lesson.

You and I have to serve the Emperor with identical will.

I just hope you will be by my side, advising me in every moment.

You offend Maximilian, taking him away from me to make him a puppet.

And do you want me to be your son's mentor?

All of us have made sacrifices!

I ask you and Maximilian sanity and patience.

God, who is above all of us, will judge your deeds. You will have to respond before Him.

Ferdinand, wait! Please.

- Did you know anything of this? - No.

Please don't go.

Help me bring Charles to reason.

Have you not heard, perhaps? Everything is decided, agreed and imposed.

His Majesty has not thought of the consequences!

What do you want to say?

Don't make things more complicated. Please.

Pray to God so that he doesn't have to regret.

You have nothing to fear.

You will soon make sure that every stroke has made the picture.

I assure you.

You, who looks after the future so much, imagine that the Lord takes you away today.

God forbid.

Is this the legacy you would like to leave behind?

A family doomed to rupture.

My mission in this world is only one. I cannot think of siblings or...

- It is the first thing you should think of! - I wish I could!

I feel that my strength wanes day after day.

And, since we are all mortals, I have to leave my things done and well done.

No one doubts that, Your Majesty.

But God forbid that, because of your obstinacy, the Habsburgs, we end up in arms against each other.

My very beloved son,

the Emperor has put you to the test, entrusting you with the regency.

Don't think that your presence in Spain is useless.

Because, on the contrary, it offers you the occasion to show your uncle and everyone how much you are worth.

Not a few people have protested for it...

I ask you not to let you be led by desires and passions.

Be patient. Temperance should be your counselor.

Dedicate yourself to the regency, and be far from the enemies of the Empire.

I assure you, your services will be paid.

They said these fruits from the Indies soothe the gout but they are hardly comestible.

There is a matter I left open in Spain.

Tell me.

De las Casas has come back from the Indies, demanding

that the encomiendas and the slavery of the Indians should be eradicated.

And, thanks to his influence in the Council of the Indies, they stopped the publication of Sepúlveda's book.

Do you believe in the things he preaches?

If we apply those laws, the colonists and the Indian authorities will rebel against the Crown.

It has already happened in Peru.

Those words have touched many. Including my conscience.

He, on the contrary, attacks us without any remorse.

In one of his last writings, he questions the legitimacy

- of our rights of conquest. - What?

He has successfully cast doubts on the validity of Pope Alexander's bull.

What does he want? To make the conquest illegal?

He has gone too far!

Silencing him by force would leave the Crown in evidence.

No. That is not the way.

We will leave it in the hands of the wise ones. I will convoke a tribunal of theologians.

Let them hear De las Casas and Sepúlveda and decide who is right.

It will be done.

Your Majesty, you have commanded to call me.

I have.

Keep me informed about everything.

Thank you for having disposed of Philip's travel to the southern provinces.

He will have to meet their nobles if he is going to govern the Low Countries.

Your words keep tormenting me. Not their severity but their rightfulness.

I have thought it over and I believe I was unfair to our brother.

Protecting the unity of the Empire obsesses me.

Maybe that is why I have overshot the mark.

Are you going to negotiate about another solution?

Willingly.

I summoned Maximilian but I am afraid Ferdinand will not pay attention to my petition.

Let me try to convince him.

Are you sure?

I would not like grudges between him and you.

I know how to talk to him.

Let me try it.

I give you my blessing.

And I beg God to listen to you.

No. I will not go and meet His Majesty.

Charles is sorry. Don't persist in continuing the insult.

- And you don't want me to forget it. - But if your own son has accepted

to attend the meeting with the Emperor.

Did he turn to him before to me?

- What does he want? - Your reconciliation. What else could it be?

Brother, we have fought for years against the French, the Turks, against the pope himself.

But sometimes I fear that the disagreements will be the worst enemy of the Habsburgs.

Mary, I have not provoked this.

I know about all your renunciations.

But I ask you one last sacrifice.

Impede our family's rupture.

I already have my argument sketched.

I have checked Saint Thomas's texts and others' about natural right.

I read without rest.

These are the theologians who will form the jury.

As you see, almost all of them like Sepúlveda's thesis.

Then, the verdict has already been decided beforehand.

No... It doesn't have to be that way.

But you question the legitimacy of the conquest.

The Crown defends itself.

I don't know. There is no point to present my cause before such a tribunal.

Don't talk like that.

Don't quail.

Maybe when my lady, the Queen was still alive she would have helped you somehow.

We should not lament because of something that cannot be.

Thank you for saving me from a useless effort.

Thank you for attending my call.

I have to ask your forgiveness.

I was not fair to you when I asked you to renounce in favour of my son.

I want to make amends for my mistake.

You will keep being King of the Romans.

But it is my wish to form your succession.

As we once agreed, when you die Philip will inherit the Empire.

You son will not be deserted.

- His wishes will be satisfied. - I don't see how.

If everything will be your son's: Spain, the Low Countries, the Empire.

Maximilian will succeed Philip.

The two branches of the family will take turns at having the Imperial Crown,

- and nobody will be insulted. - What kind of joke is this?

Philip and I are of the same age. How many years do you think I will live more than he?

God is the only one who know how much time He gives to us.

I accept!

For our family's sake and for the unity of our domains.

Let us sign the agreement, then.

But swear that you will keep it in secret until the opportune moment.

Are you leaving?

Everything is decided! Nothing keeps me here now.

Are you going back to Spain?

No, my lord.

Because I am not needed there either.

As always, you have enforced your will.

But concord cannot be gained by scams.

Do you find me such a fool?

You made me think that I could stop being King of the Romans to impose a less humiliating agreement on me.

And I don't forgive you that.

From now on, follow your path.

I will follow mine.

Are you letting him leave like that?

He will change his mind.

He knows it as well as we do that the family is above all.

The predators protect their offspring better than you protect your son!

I had no choice. Either ceding or breaking the family in two.

- You have worked out my ruin! - I saved you from something much worse!

You have always been the self-sacrificing, the unheeded one.

You will be praised for having yourself subjected, but I will never accept such an unworthy inheritence!

I have got your message. Is there news from the Emperor?

No, but this letter has come from the Indies.

The Bishop of Nicaragua.

He was found dying on the street. Four stabs killed him.

May God welcome him in His arms.

- Can we know who was it? - No.

I will tell you.

Those vile encomenderos who don't hesitate to shed blood, even their brothers' blood, to keep their privileges.

Then call out for that blood, for God's sake!

A tribunal is waiting for you.

Do you still give up on being listened?

Venerated reverend gentlemen and fathers,

Doctor Sepúlveda defends that the Spaniards' wars against the Indians were just,

and that those were obligated to submit themselves to the Spaniards.

But, by this, he defends the perdition and disgrace of infinite people.

In this letter, I am informed of the assassination of the Bishop of Nicaragua, a just man amongst the others.

The motive: he defended the natives of those lands.

Because in the Indies life and honour are not preserved by doing good but by doing bad.

The war against the natives is iniquitous and against the Christian religion.

And today I am going to explain my arguments cost what it may.

The Emperor has been really merciful to me, sparing my life.

Do know that, in the future, the Emperor's son will govern the Empire.

- A foreigner! - Do we have to abide such an imposition?

Will you accept that the Spanish legions pitch in our cities

- and behave like our masters? - Never. Neither papists nor Spaniards.

Let us show the Caesar that we don't accept his tyranny.

- Let us rebel against him again! - Willingly, but with what?

We don't have the forces we used to have.

Let us apply, then, to someone who has a filled treasury and yearns to defeat our enemy.

Together we will succeed! Who is with me?

I am!

The Emperor is alone.

The bigger part of his army went back to their homes.

And the King of the Romans will not fight on his side.

Now or never!

Let us unite against the tyrant.

I swear I will respect your independence of the power of Rome if you make me your ruler.

What are you saying?

I thought you were in your chambers, resting.

You should look after yourself more in your state.

Useless effort, when you cause me so much anxiety with your delay.

Should I not attend to the obligations of my rank?

You are avoiding me because of an offense against you I have not commited.

Why are you so unfair?

Let me be your comfort.

Your pain is my pain.

Swear to it.

Assure me that if I confronted the Emperor you would take sides with me.

Have you done something, perhaps, that deserves his reprobation?

Speak! For God's sake, Maximilian.

Forgive my clumsiness.

My words are just fruit of my devotion for you.

I fear I would lose you because of the open gap between your father and me.

I could not bear that. At all.

What can he offer me when he has nothing?

Check it out. What do you lose if you hear him?

Your Highness, the pain because of your father's death is only comparable to the happiness for seeing you on the throne.

I hope to be worthy of his legacy. He was a great king.

And a great friend of the German Princes.

And it will be so forever, even if he is not here.

Because you and I share the doubtful honor of having been the Emperor's prisoners.

Then help to relieve us of his yoke and we will also share the honor and glory of defeating him.

France will have to get something else, too, if you want us to finance this fight.

Metz and Verdun, where the French flag waved once and now the belong to the Empire,

would be deserved recompense.

Very high price for our victory

but fair for someone who does not only risk money but also men in the fight.

The Most Christian King's standards united with those of the Protestants?

Our armies are decimated. We will not defeat the Imperials alone.

Not even with Maximilian, son of King of the Romans, on our side.

Even if I am intent on finishing with the Emperor I will not risk the power of the Christendom for heretics.

And for defending the German people's freedom?

Be prudent.

The alliance with the infidels brought complications in the past.

I was always against his intrigues.

But how could I reluct now when I can achieve what he longed for so much?

Nothing guarantees you the success. Nothing.

Don't risk your good relations with Rome for a dream.

Settle on the throne! Gain your people's respect!

The problems of the Empire occupy the Emperor. You will have nothing to fear.

Only the judgement of history, Constable.

Because it will never forgive me if I waste such a good occasion

to finish with the biggest enemy of France.

My father began his reign with a victory that garnered him the respect of all Europe.

I have to do the same.

Tell Frederick of Saxonynek that France will go and defend its allies.

Go in peace.

Please forgive me.

These brothers are leaving for Chiapas and came for my blessing.

I have instructed them myself to continue my work on those lands.

Do know that the tribunal has requested that your 3 days of presentain would be summarized for investigation.

So their verdict will delay more than expected.

I don't wait for that anymore. It is enough that I have told what I believe just.

- Are you going back to New Spain, then? - No.

Not yet.

I can do more for fighting against injustice here, near the Court,

than there, to the mercy of the Indian authorities.

May God accompany you in your venture.

I will pray for you.

Freedom?

Mühlberg didn't serve as deterrent. The Protestants are rebelling again.

They call the people to defend themselves against the foreigner.

Against me! Against my son!

The proclamation goes around the entire Empire. Whoever wrote it knows your succession pact.

Only my brother or my nephew could reveal it.

No matter how angry he was with me sometimes, Ferdinand has always been loyal to me.

Your Majesty, in the past, he has already been tempted by the enemy. What makes you sure that he has not succumbed this time?

My heart.

I know it is not the guarantee a ruler needs.

I will put him to the test.

If I still have his loyalty he will fight on my side.

Ride like a soul occupied by the devil. The fate of the Empire depends on that this letter reaches its destination.

Your Majesty, your situation saddens me very much but the broken vessel cannot quench thirst anymore

and only you are responsible for that.

If you appreciate my opinion anyhow, negociate with your enemy.

In that, you will find my help.

But, as I warned you, I will not fight beside you anymore.

I have learned that Maximilian, my nephew, my son-in-law, has joined the rebels.

The loyal one will never find enough motive for treason.

- Who has poison is his blood... - Don't take our brother Ferdinand with his son.

Ferdinand's words are fruit of anger, not treason.

- He is refusing to attend my call. - He avoids confronting his own son.

Proof of it is that he is offering to mediate with the Princes.

And what should I do now? Make my daughter a widow?

- Take away a son from my brother? - Think it over, Charles, think it over.

Think over your actions first!

Or while you try to keep the Empire united you are going to ruin our family.

Your Majesty,

France has invaded Lorraine.

King Henry has quickly followed his father's steps,

- allying with our enemies. - Bastard!

Eleanor was right!

Vain illusion, that of the peace.

They attack us on two sides, obligating us to divide forces.

We need reinforcements or we will be defeated.

Has the Catholic princes not anwaered my letters yet?

The Protestant call against the foreigner has gripped their heart, too.

Everyone has abandoned me.

But if we have to fight alone, we will.

We will!

Prepare everything!

What are you going to do with Maximilian?

If you order his arrest, Ferdinand will not stay neutral.

He will join his forces to those of the Princes in order to defend him.

Are you going to confront your own brother on the battlefield?

For the Regent of Spain: My son,

alone and betrayed by my own people, I am applying to you in these sinister days,

because my only comfort is that I know you are far from the danger.

I am pushed for time, the enemy is on the lurk, and I cannot trust anyone else.

Send reinforcements, for God's sake, or the Empire will be lost.

Gather as many men as able to leave now to help the Emperor!

Make supplies for a long campaign!

Blessed gold from Peru, but it will not be enough. Where will we get the rest?

Ask to chancelleries, monasteries for loans. To those who want to help!

This time Spain will not fail the Emperor.

And its Regent, even less will! I will go and fight beside him myself.

- Don't do it, Your Highness. - He is my father!

He is the Emperor and not your father who is glad to know that his heir is far from danger.

- And should I stay impassible? - Give assistance to him, then!

But don't tie your fate to his in such an uncertain hour.

You are the future.

Put even the soul in pawn in order to arm that army!

The Emperor's life is at stake.

The German Princes are asking again and again that our troops advance quickly.

Do they think, perhaps, that they can give orders to the King of France?

No, but they fear they will be defeated again.

The Emperor is not alone now. A large number of reinforcements are coming from Spain.

The dream of Frederick of Saxony is on the point of becoming his nightmare.

I warned you, Your Highness.

If you don't agree to his demands, you will break your compromise and condemn them to a certain defeat.

I had seen it for a long time how my father was humiliated by the Emperor because of the imprudence and excessive trust.

I will not make the same mistake.

What should I answer, then, to the princes?

We will advance as agreed, but in the rhythm the prudence suggests.

Let time decide if France has to continue the fight... or doesn't have to.

What are the French waiting for to advance?

I rather seems that they want to ensure their positions than commit themselves to our cause.

The Spanish have sent 5000 men to help the Emperor!

If we don't give them the final blow before they arrive, they will smash us.

We cannot finish with the imperial army. But we can finish with the man they fight for.

- Are you suggesting the Emperor's murder? - Only if he doesn't accept our propositions.

Let us catch him before he joins his main forces and the fight will have finished before it could begin.

it is our only one opportunity!

There is still another possibility.

Leave us.

You are walking in a very dangerous path.

I pray I will not have to cry because of your death.

- Join us! - I will always protect you

but I will not lift a hand against my brother.

With you on our side, we will be stronger.

The German Princes, Catholics or Protestants, will support us.

Stand on the front and the crown will be yours!

I don't want the crown! I want my son to live!

The Emperor will not have piety for you.

You obligate me to do madness! The blame will be yours, too.

What are you talking about?

What are you scheming?

Answer!

We will soon join our army in a safe place, my lord.

Come on!

Several riders are coming towards us. Protect the Emperor!

Go back.

You are going to an ambush.

The princes have cut the way to Innsbruck.

Don't pay attention, my lord. He is trying to take you into a trap.

You have to believe me!

They have more men than you do. If you go on, you will go to certain death.

I will send a reconnaissance party.

We will se how right his words are.

There is no time! The party will not come back.

When you realize it, Frederick will be on you.

- Escape through the Alpine passes. - Why should I trust you?

You have left me to my fate.

My destiny and yours don't go hand in hand anymore, but I will not let them kill you. You are my brother, Charles!

I just hope you will be as generous to my son as I have been to you, saving your life.

Please.

Let's go!

Next time... Father, I would like to marry again.

Learn from your predecessor's fault, Your Highness.

Bitter liberation for France if you ruin it in order to achieve that.

In my hands, his domains would not know failure.

I will not add more dishonors to those that I have already suffered.

Here you have his sword.

Your Highness.

When I last saw her she was a baby.

Does it scare you to see her again?

How dare you present yourself in this court?

Is this the future you want for your son?

- You lied to me! - You have payed abundantly for your faults.

- I had other plan, Father. - Your plans are mine.

My father was never unfaithful to his wife and I want to be better than him in everything.

Your Majesty, the King of England is dead.

Your mother. You have to govern Casile in her name until she dies.

It is my will that the King of England enjoys the privileges and rights he deserves by his title.

Do it.

Prepare everything. We are leaving.

Damn it!