FFrench Captain
Your Royal Highness, may I introduce you to Cardinal Guiliano Della Rovere? (Charles continues eating) Cardinal Della Rovere, His Royal Highness King Charles of France.
(bows) Your Royal Highness.
And I of you, Your Highness. Your military renown has traveled far and wide-
(irritated) Enough of the pleasantries! You are the one who would give us the Crown of Naples. (gestures for Della Rovere to sit opposite him, Della Rovere does so)
The Kingdom of France has long had claims on the investiture of the Kingdom of Naples. I would-
I said, enough pleasantries, did I not? Just tell me, Cardinal (leans forward) How you would place the Crown of Naples on this ugly head of mine. (Della Rovere looks startled) And it is exceedingly ugly, is it not?
Your Highness bears all the vigor of the French race in his person.
(smirks, to his Generals) He's afraid to say it. Is my head not ugly, General?
FGFrench General
(grins) I can hardly bear to gaze at it. (the Generals laugh)
So, admit it, Cardinal- I have all the graces of a carnival dwarf.
Those words would never pass my lips, Your Highness.
Well, then we may get nowhere. I appreciate only plain speech. (eats, pause) Tell us, then, what you want of us- plainly.
... My countrymen are accustomed to the show of war, not the reality. They could never muster the courage to sustain your French fury.
... You want me to march to Rome, depose that Borgia, give you the Papal Crown... in the hope that you will place the Crown of Naples on this ugly head. (indicates himself)
(firmly) I want to restore the universal Church to her former dignity.
Couldn't this Borgia do the same?
(bewildered) Restore the Church?
Charles VIII': Place the Crown of Naples on this ugly noggin?
Head. (his Generals chuckle)
(curlty) Either way, you must get to Rome, Your Highness.
FGFrench General
Tell me, Cardinal- what is the Italian word for "cannon"?
We have no such word, General.
FGFrench General
For... gunpowder? Recoil, battery, cannonball, ordinance?
FGFrench General
(grins) You will need a new language, then. Your Italy will soon be deafened by the sound of cannon. (Della Rovere looks uneasy)
FSFrench Scout
(returning from the gates of the city of Lucca) They would open their gates to you, my Liege, but they would first discuss terms.
(curtly)... Let us show them terms. (gestures to his artillery)
GGunners
FIRE! (the French cannon batteries open fire, doing devastating damage to Lucca's walls and gates and terrifying the civilians; the French soldiers cheer)
(to the scout) Those are my terms. (the scout and Della Rovere both look horrified) Captains!
FGFrench General
FORWARD! (the French cavalry charges into Lucca, followed by the infantry)
FGFrench General
We are in danger of losing the initiative, Your Highness! (King Charles motions for him to shut up) Your Highness, I strongly urge you to-
You will wait! (pause) I will not harm her.
(to Lucrezia) Lucrezia! My God-
They hold us hostage, Brother.
Julia Farnese and I. We were riding to Rome-
Would you survive this day, dear Juan?
We have a battle to fight.
Believe me, you have lost it already-
(sharply) I have heard one roar of cannon! A hundred more, and your whole army will be dead and bleeding, and you have yet to see their pikes!
(stubbornly) I will not accept defeat-
Then do not call it that! Call it common sense! Say the French King asked for terms. You offered...
His safe passage to Naples, in exchange for... his bloodless entry into Rome.
Lucrezia, he will pillage the place! Depose our father!
Leave that to me. (she returns to Charles) It was my brother, Your Highness!
The Gonfalionere of the Papal Armies. He thought you meant to sack Rome, like the Goths and Vandal hordes! I told him you're a gentleman- you had no such idea. (Charles glances away ashamedly) You had no such idea, had you?
Your goal is Naples. (Della Rovere looks quickly at the King)
(smiles) So... my brother, the Duke of Gandia, the Gonfaloniere of the Papal Armies, bids you welcome to Rome.
FGFrench General
(to Caterina and Giovanni Sforza) And, if the King decides to ride north, your armies would ride with his?
Yes- in return for a certain consideration.
FGFrench General
And, this... consideration? (he attempts to drink, but Caterina takes the glass from him)
His cannon. (the French commanders chuckle)
FGFrench General
(smirks) You would have him leave his cannon to the Sforza armies?!
Not every piece. But, enough to defend our castle at Forli- to replicate the great fortresses of France.
(looks up after a moment)...Giovanni Sforza.
GSGiovanni Sforza
(gestures to Caterina) And my cousin, Caterina Sforza, Your Majesty.
You have many cousins, I am told. (takes a cup of wine) Are they all impotent, like you? (the French laugh)
GSGiovanni Sforza
That is a vile Borgia slander- perpetrated by the Pope himself.
(grins) Which is why you are here, of course- you would have a taste of vengeance. The Italian appetite for vengeance astounds even us, Lord Sforza-
(steps forward) the Italian appetite for vengeance may be boundless, Majesty, but happily for you, the Spanish appetite for war is not. (Charles stares at her, intrigued)
(fully armored) You make a manly figure on your horse, Cardinal- but the French cannon will soon break down your walls, and you will be impotent in the face of them. (Giovanni Sforza smirks)
(calmly) My walls may yet prove stronger than you think, my Lady.
FSFrench soldiers
Part for the King! The King! Make way! (Charles, fully armored but still sick, rides out to join them)
(coldly) We have Italian friends, Cardinal Borgia, but our business... is all French.
To gain entry to the city of Rome. The easy way... or, the hard. You have decorate the walls of Rome with flags and pennants- to welcome us, I presume?
(smirks) Your Highness is indeed welcome... to march on, past Rome.
(furious) I warn you, Cardinal: I shall RAZE your city! Take terrible revenge on YOU, YOUR FAMILY AND THE PAPACY ITSELF!
My cannon will gain me entry! Twelve hours, I have been assured, to batter down those walls!
... Perhaps my cannon will make their statement, first.
CANNONS, FORWARD! (the "cannons" are rolled into the attack position)
(to herself) How did they manage to?...
FGFrench General
(looking equally worried) Our battle line is still forming, my Liege.
I must compliment Your Highness on his ingenuity. Chained cannonballs can take apart a regiment, like... a knife through butter. (Charles looks away) Are you not well, Your Highness?
We have the Neapolitan fever.
(nods) Perhaps battle should wait, then- until his full health returns. Or, perhaps he should trace his gracious path home- to fair France. (turns and rides back inside the gates)
FGFrench General
Do I give the signal, my Liege?
Do I look like a fool, General?!
FGFrench General
No, my Liege. (pause)
The Borgias · 70 quotes
