Danielle de Barbarac quotes from Ever After (1998)

Danielle de Barbarac

Honestly, I think he and Marguerite deserve each other.

Danielle de Barbarac

I would rather die a thousand deaths than to see my mother's dress on that spoiled, selfish cow!

Danielle de Barbarac

My father was an expert swordsman, monsieur. He taught me well. Now hand me that key or I swear on his grave I will slit you from navel to nose.

Danielle de Barbarac

No, the part where you said my name!

Danielle de Barbarac

Why do you have to be so wonderful?

Danielle de Barbarac

Breathe. Just breathe.

Gustave, I told you, not today!

Young Gustave

You look like a girl!

That is what I am, half-wit!

Young Gustave

Yeah, but today you look it!

Boy or girl, I can still whip you!

Danielle

Forgive me, Your Highness, I did not see you.

Henry

Your aim would suggest otherwise.

Danielle

And for that, I know I must die.

Henry

Then speak of this to no one, and I shall be lenient.

Danielle

We have other horses, Your Highness. Younger, if that is your wish.

Henry

I wish for nothing more than to be free of my guilded cage.

Henry

Have we met before?

Danielle

I-I do not believe so, Your Highness.

Henry

I could have sworn I knew every courtier in the provience.

Danielle

Well... I am visiting a cousin.

Henry

Who?

Danielle

My cousin.

Henry

Yes, you said that. Which one?

Danielle

Th-the only one I have, sire.

Henry

Are you coy on purpose or do you honestly refuse to tell me your name?

Danielle

No. [quickly heads towards the gate] And yes.

Henry

Well, then, pray tell me your cousin's name so that I might call upon her to learn who you are. For anyone can quote Thomas More is well worth the effort.

Danielle

The Prince has read Utopia?

Henry

I found it sentimental and dull. Honestly, the plight of the everyday rustic bores me.

Danielle

I... take it you do not converse with many peasants.

Henry

He, certainly not, no. Naturally.

Danielle

Forgive me, Your Highness, but there is nothing "natural" about it. A country's character is defined by its "everyday rustics", as you call them. They are the legs you stand on and that position demands respect, not...

Henry

Am I to understand that you find me... arrogant?

Danielle

Well, you gave one man back his life, but did you ever glance at the others?

Henry

Please, I beg you, a name. Any name.

Danielle

I... I fear the only name to leave you with... is Countess Nicole de Lancret.

Henry

There now... that wasn't so hard.

Henry

Where are your attendants?

Danielle

I... decided to give them the day off.

Henry

A day off? From what, life?

Danielle

Don't you ever tire of having people wait on you all the time?

Henry

Well, yes, but... they're servants, it's what they do.

Danielle

Well, I wish I could dismiss mine as easily as you do yours. [she rises] I must be going.

Henry

You're angry with me!

Danielle

No.

Henry

Admit it!

Danielle

Well, yes, if you want to know.

Henry

Why?

Danielle

Because you are trying to bait me with your snobbery.

Henry

I fear, mademoiselle, that you are a walking contradiction, and I find that rather fascinating.

Danielle

Me?

Henry

Yes, you. You spout the ideals of a Utopian society and yet you live the life of a courtier!

Danielle

And you own all the land there is and yet you take no pride in working it! Is that not also a contradiction?

Henry

Hmm, first I am arrogant, and now I have no pride; however do I manage that?

Danielle

You have everything, and still the world holds no joy; and yet you insist on making fun of those who would see it for its possibilities.

Danielle

It makes me want to cry.

Henry

Pick one.

Danielle

I could no sooner choose a favorite star in the heavens.

Henry

What is it that touches you so?

Danielle

I suppose it is because when I was young, my father would stay up late and read to me. He was addicted to the written word and I would fall asleep listening to the sound of his voice.

Henry

What sort of books?

Danielle

Science, philosophy... I suppose they remind me of him. He died when I was eight. Utopia was the last book he brought home.

Henry

Which explains why you quote it.

Danielle

I would rather hear his voice again than any sound in the world.

Danielle

Is something wrong?

Henry

In all my years of study, not one tutor ever demonstrated the passion you have shown me in the last two days. You have more conviction in one memory than I have... in my entire being.

Danielle

Your Highness, if there is anything I have said or done...

Henry

Please... don't. It's not you.

Rodmilla

Are you ill?

Danielle

No! Yes...

Rodmilla

Where were you?

Danielle

I got lost.

Rodmilla

I don't believe you. You're hiding something from me, I can feel it. I demand to know what it is.

Danielle

Why don't you tell me so I can go back to sleep?

What about our breakfast?

Danielle

You have two hands, make it yourself.

Why you lazy little leech!

Rodmilla

Jacqueline, go and boil some water.

Me? Boil water?... Oh, I knew it! I just knew it!

Rodmilla

Of all the insidious jokes, turning your mother into a Countess. Why it's almost as absurd as a prince who spends his days with a peasant who sleeps with pigs.

Danielle

What bothers you more, stepmother? That I am common? Or that I am competition?

Rodmilla

Where is the dress, Danielle?!

Danielle

I don't know what you're talking about.

The gown, the slippers, they were in my room this morning, and now they're gone. You hid them I know it!

Rodmilla

Where did you put the gown, Danielle?

Danielle

Where are the candlesticks, and the tapestries, and the silver?! Perhaps the dress is with them!

Rodmilla

You will produce that gown!

Danielle

I would rather die a thousand deaths than to see my mother's dress on that spoiled, selfish cow!

Henry

Hello.

Danielle

Hello. [pause] What are you doing here?

Henry

I uh... I came to... rescue you.

Danielle

Rescue me? A commoner? [starts to walk away]

Henry

Actually, I came to beg your forgiveness. I offered you the world and at the first test of honor, I betrayed your trust. Please, Danielle...

Danielle

Say it again.

Henry

I'm sorry.

Danielle

No. [smiles] The part where you said my name.

Henry

Danielle.

Queen Marie

Baroness de Ghent, you are forthwith stripped of your title, and you and your horrible daughter are to be shipped to the Americas on the first available boat... Unless by some miracle, someone here will speak for you.

Rodmilla

There seem to be quite a few people out of town...

Danielle

I will speak for her.

Danielle

She is, after all, my stepmother.

Rodmilla

Your Highness.

Henry

Marguerite, I don't believe you've met... my wife.

Danielle

I want you to know that I will forget you after this moment, and never think of you again. But you, I am quite certain, will think about me every single day for the rest of your life.

Rodmilla

And how long will that be?

Danielle

All I ask, Your Majesties... is that you show her the same courtesy that she has bestowed upon me.

Danielle

You, sir, are supposed to be charming.

Henry

And we, princess, are supposed to live happily ever after.

Danielle

Says who?

Henry

You know, I don't know.

Grand Dame

My great-great grandmother's portrait hung in the University up until the Revolution. By then, the truth about their romance had been reduced to a simple fairy tale. And, while Cinderella and her prince did live happily ever after, the point, gentlemen, is that they lived.

Danielle

I demand you return my things at once. And since you have deprived me of my escort, I demand a horse as well.

My lady, you can have anything you can carry.

Danielle

May I have your word on that?

On my honor as a Gypsy, anything you can carry.

Come back! I'll give you a horse!

Henry

I have no desire to be king.

Danielle

Oh but think of all the wonderful things you could do, for your country, for the world.

Henry

But to be so defined by your position. To only be seen as what you are, you have no idea how insufferable that is!

Danielle

You might be surprised!

Henry

Really?

Danielle

A Gypsy, for example, is rarely painted as anything else. They are defined by their status as you are, yet it is not who they are. [Pause] You have been born to privilege, and with that come specific obligations. [Henry smiles from fascination at her words] [smiles at him] I am sorry. My mouth has run away with me again.

Henry

No, me lady. It is your mouth, that has me hypnotized.
[He slowly advances towards her and they share a kiss]

Henry

You saved my life you know, back there, in the woods.

Danielle

A girl does what she can, sire.

Henry

Henry.

Danielle

Henry.

Danielle

A bird may love a fish, Signor, but where would they live?

Leonardo

Then I shall have to make you wings.