Sir, I've come to beg you to confess all and swear allegiance to the king, that he might show you mercy.
Will he show mercy to my country?
Mercy is to die quickly, perhaps even live in a tower. In time, who knows what could happen.
If I swear to him, then all that I am is dead already.
You will die. It will be awful.
Every man dies, not every man really lives.
Drink this. It will dull your pain.
No. It will numb my wits, and I must have them all. For if I'm senseless or if I wail, then Longshanks will have broken me.
I have come to beg for the life of William Wallace.
PE Prince Edward
You're quite taken with him, aren't you.
I respect him. At worst he was a worthy enemy. Show mercy, O great king, and win the respect of your own people. Even now you are incapable of mercy. And you. To you that word is as unfamiliar as love.
PE Prince Edward
Before he lost his powers of speech he told me his one comfort was he would live to know Wallace was dead.
[whispered in Longshank's ear]
You see, death comes to us all. But before it comes to you, know this. Your plot dies with you. A child who is not of your line grows in my belly. Your son will not sit long on the throne, I swear it.
Scotland. My land. The French will grovel to anyone with strength, but how will they believe our strength when we cannot rule the whole of our own island?! [Isabelle walks in] Where is my son?
Pardon, my lord. He asked me to come in his stead.
I sent for him, and he sends you?
If he wants his queen to rule when I am gone, then by all means, stay and learn how. Please. Nobles. Nobles are the key to the door of Scotland. Grant our nobles lands in the north, give their nobles estates here in England, and make them too greedy to oppose us.
Advisor But sire, our nobles will be reluctant to uproot. New lands mean new taxes and they are already taxed for the war in France.
Are they? Are they? [glaring at Isabelle] The trouble with Scotland... is that it's full of Scots! [Longshanks' advisors laugh] Perhaps the time has come to reinstitute an old custom. Grant them prima noctes. First night, when any common girl inhabiting their lands is married, our nobles shall have sexual rights to her on the night of her wedding. If we can't get them out, we'll breed them out. That should fetch just the kind of lords we want to Scotland, taxes or no taxes, eh?
Advisor A most excellent idea, sire.
When the king returns, he will bury them in those new clothes. Scotland is in chaos. Your husband is secretly sending an army north.
Last night, I slept with a member of the War Council.
He shouldn't be telling secrets in bed!
Englishmen don't know what a tongue is for.
[scoffs]
This Scottish rebel, Wallace. He fights to avenge a woman?
I nearly forgot. A magistrate wished to capture him and found he had a secret lover. So, he cut the girl's throat to tempt Wallace to fight, and fight he did. Knowing his passion for his lost love, they next plotted to take him by desecrating the graves of his father and brother and setting an ambush at the grave of his love. He fought his way through the trap and carried her body to a secret place. Now that's love, no?
You know, eventually Longshanks will send his whole Northern Army against us.
Heavy cavalry, armored horse; shake the very ground.
They'll ride right over us.
Uncle Argyle used to talk about it; how no army had ever stood up to a charge of heavy horse.
Run, hide, the highland way.
[looking at the trees]
We'll make spears. Hundreds of them! Long spears, twice as long as a man.
Some men are longer than others.
Your mother been telling you stories about me again, eh?
Cheltham Mornay, Lochlan, Craig. Here are the king's terms. Lead this army off field and he will give you each estates in Yorkshire, including hereditary title, from which you will pay- from which you will pay him an annual duty-
Mornay Cheltham, this is William Wallace.
Cheltham From which you will pay the king an annual duty-
I said I have an offer for you.
You disrespect a banner of truce?
From his king? Absolutely. Here are Scotland's terms. Lower your flags, and march straight back to England, stopping at every home you pass by to beg forgiveness for a hundred years of theft, rape, and murder. Do that and your men shall live. Do it not, and every one of you will die today.
Cheltham [laughs]
You are outmatched. You have no heavy cavalry. In two centuries no army has won without—
I'm not finished! Before we let you leave, your commander must cross that field, present himself before this army, put his head between his legs, and kiss his own arse.
Mornay [Cheltham rides off]
I'd say that was rather less cordial than he was used to.
You be ready and do exactly as I say. On my signal, ride round behind our position and flank them.
Mornay We must not divide our forces!
Do it. And let the English see you do it.
Mornay They'll think we're running away?
Aye. Take out their archers. I'll meet you in the middle.
L Longshanks
What news of the north?
E Edward
Nothing new, Your Majesty. We've sent riders to speed any word.
L Longshanks
I heard the word in France, where I was fighting to expand your future kingdom. The word, my son, is that our entire northern army is annihilated, and you have done nothing.
E Edward
I-I have ordered conscriptions. They're assembled and ready to depart.
M Messenger
[A messenger enters with a guard]
Excuse me, sire, but there's a very urgent message from York.
L Longshanks
[the guard hands Edward the message and places a large basket on the table]
Leave us.
G Guard
Thank you, sire. [leaves]
E Edward
[reads the message]
Wallace has sacked York.
E Edward
Wallace has sacked York!
P Philip
[Longshanks snatches the message from Edward, who lifts the cover off the basket and recoils in shock. Longshanks reaches into the basket and pulls out the Governor of York's severed head from inside]
Sire... thy own nephew. What beast could do such a thing?
L Longshanks
If he can sack York... he can invade lower England.
P Philip
We would stop him!
L Longshanks
Who is this person who speaks to me as though I needed his advice?
E Edward
I have declared Philip my high counselor.
L Longshanks
Is he qualified?
P Philip
I am skilled in the arts of war, and military tactics, sire.
L Longshanks
Are you? Then tell me, what advice would you have to offer of the present... situation?!
L Longshanks
[he grabs Philip and throws him out the window to his death. Edward draws a dagger and lunges at Longshanks, who sidesteps and strikes him across the face, knocking him to the floor. He kicks Edward in the chest and picks up the dagger, as Edward lies on the floor whimpering in pain.] [pondering on what to do about Wallace]
I shall offer a truce... and buy him off. But who will go to him? Not I. If I fell under the sword of that murderer, it might be my head in a basket. And not my gentle son. The mere sight of him would only encourage an enemy to take over the whole country. So whom do I send? Whom do I send?
I am the Princess of Wales. I come as the king's servant, and with his authority.
To discuss the king's proposals. Will you speak with a woman? [William follows her into the tent] I understand you have been given the rank of knight.
I have been given nothing. God makes men what they are.
Did God make you the sacker of peaceful cities, the executioner of the king's nephew, my husband's own cousin?
York was the staging point for every invasion of my country. And that royal cousin hanged innocent Scots, even women and children, from the city walls. [Isabelle looks at Hamilton in disbelif] Well, Longshanks did far worse the last time he took a Scottish city.
[in Latin]
He is a bloody murdering savage. And he's telling lies.
[in Latin]
I never lie. But I am a savage. [in French] Or in French if you prefer? [in English] You ask your king, to his face, ask him. You see if his eyes can convince you of the truth.
Leave us. Now. [Hamilton leaves the tent] Let us talk plainly. You invade England, but you can not complete the conquest so far from your shelter and supply. The king desires peace.
Longshanks desires peace?
He declares it to me, I swear it. He proposes that you withdraw your attack. In return he grants you title, estates, and this chest of gold which I am to pay to you personally.
A lordship and titles. Gold. That I should become Judas?
Peace is made in such ways.
Slaves are made in such ways! The last time Longshanks spoke of peace I was a boy. And many Scottish nobles, who would not be slaves, were lured by him under a flag of truce to a barn, where he had them hanged. I was very young, but I remember Longshanks' notion of "peace".
I understand you have suffered. I know... about your woman.
She was my wife. We married in secret because I would not share her with an English lord. They killed her to get to me. I have never spoken of it. I don't know why I tell you now, except... I see her strength in you. One day, you'll be a queen. And you must open your eyes. You tell your king that William Wallace will not be ruled... and nor will any Scot while I live.
