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Rejected By The Son, I Chose His Dad EnglishSub engsub fullmovie❌🔺 Twisted Fate
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00:00:00My name is Eleanor Castellan. My father trades me to buy peace between territories, and today, I am to wed
00:00:08a man who does not love me.
00:00:10Audric Montaigne, son of the Lord of Montaigne, I walk the sacred path alone. There is no groom at the
00:00:16altar.
00:00:17My only friend Fiona Westray, pale as death, grabs my arm.
00:00:21Eleanor, you need to know, Audric has fled. An hour ago, he rode out the gate with that singer from
00:00:27the North Tower Tavern.
00:00:30He runs away, humiliating me before all the knights and vassals.
00:00:35Cecily Montaigne, Audric's grandmother, stands up.
00:00:41Eleanor, this is not the place for words. Audric!
00:00:44Audric has run off with a whore. He breaks the covenant. He insults the blood of both our lineages.
00:00:52We will retrieve him. He will do his duty.
00:00:55I don't want him. I will not take a coward to my bed.
00:00:59The covenant requires a union between Castellan and Montaigne. Do not think you can walk away from this.
00:01:06I'm not walking away. The covenant states a Castellan daughter must marry a Montaigne son. It does not specify which
00:01:11one.
00:01:12Since Audric is unfit, I demand a replacement.
00:01:15All unmarried men of the Montaigne bloodline, stand up!
00:01:18Two stiff young men stand up.
00:01:21One is Marcus, Audric's best friend.
00:01:24If I marry him, I will sleep beside a man who hates me.
00:01:28The other is Corbin. He won't even meet my eyes.
00:01:30A trembling coward. A brute or a coward. That's my choice.
00:01:34If I pick either, I am doomed. But I am done being passed around like Hargo.
00:01:37No, I reject these two.
00:01:39Eleanor, do not test my patience. You are in no position to be picky.
00:01:44I am the bride. And I am choosing the only man in this church who can restore the honor your
00:01:49family lost today.
00:01:51I raise my hand. My finger passes over everyone and points to the man sitting alone in the front row.
00:01:57He is Audric's father, the Lord of Montaigne, the most powerful man in this land.
00:02:01Reinhard Montaigne turns his head, his eyes locking onto mine.
00:02:05I choose him. I choose the Lord of Montaigne.
00:02:09The church falls dead silent. My hand trembles, but I do not lower it.
00:02:13You cannot be serious. Eleanor, he is the Lord of Montaigne. He is not an option.
00:02:19Why? You said any unmarried Montaigne man. Is he married?
00:02:23No, but...
00:02:23Then he is an option.
00:02:25I will not marry a boy who trembles at my glance, nor a man who will beat me.
00:02:31I need a husband who can uphold the weight of this covenant.
00:02:34I need the Lord of this land.
00:02:36I heard Reinhard's heart is dead.
00:02:40After his first wife died, he never touched another woman.
00:02:43This will be a cold transaction.
00:02:45I will be safe. He won't touch me.
00:02:48More importantly, if I marry him,
00:02:52I become the matriarch of this family.
00:02:54When Audra crawls back to Montaigne,
00:02:59he will find a stepmother who outranks him.
00:03:04Eleanor, be careful what you wish for.
00:03:07I am not wishing.
00:03:08I am demanding what is owed.
00:03:12Or is the word of the Montaigne broken twice in one day?
00:03:18Cecily stiffens.
00:03:19She looks at me, then turns to her son.
00:03:23Reinhard!
00:03:24Reinhard stands up.
00:03:26He is taller than Audric, broader in the shoulders.
00:03:29He stops in front of me.
00:03:30Up close, he is dangerous.
00:03:32You invoke the covenant.
00:03:34I do.
00:03:36You understand what you are asking?
00:03:39You are asking to belong to me.
00:03:42I am asking for a husband who keeps his word.
00:03:46We do keep our word.
00:03:49Are you certain, Eleanor?
00:03:51I am.
00:03:53Then let us not keep the Lord waiting.
00:03:55He extends his arm and leads me toward the altar.
00:03:58I have won.
00:03:59I have saved myself and gotten my revenge.
00:04:02But what I don't know is,
00:04:04I have jumped out of one trouble and into the other.
00:04:13You will sleep here.
00:04:15And you?
00:04:17I will be in the scriptarium.
00:04:19He is leaving.
00:04:20Once he walked out,
00:04:22the whole castle will know by morning.
00:04:24The Lord won't touch his bride.
00:04:29No, you cannot leave tonight.
00:04:34Are you ordering me?
00:04:35I am protecting your dignity.
00:04:37Your son already ran from the altar.
00:04:39If you leave on our wedding night,
00:04:41Montaigne vows become a joke.
00:04:42You chose a Lord, not a lover.
00:04:47I do not need a lover.
00:04:49I need status and respect.
00:04:51Sleep in the chair if you want.
00:04:52But you must stay in this room.
00:04:54He stares at me.
00:04:56The mockery slowly fades from his face.
00:04:58You know exactly what you want.
00:05:01Otherwise, I would not have stood at that altar today.
00:05:06Sleep.
00:05:07Do not make me regret this.
00:05:09I have won the first round.
00:05:11But I also know I have locked myself in the same room with a beast.
00:05:18The next morning, I wake to find him fully dressed.
00:05:22Watching me from the foot of the bed.
00:05:26Why choose me?
00:05:30If I married anyone else, I would be the joke Audric abandoned.
00:05:35By marrying you, I became the lady of this castle.
00:05:38You wanted power.
00:05:39I wanted to survive.
00:05:41Power is the only shield.
00:05:45And what else?
00:05:46Audric humiliated me.
00:05:48And he humiliated Montaigne.
00:05:50As his stepmother, I will teach him respect.
00:05:53You want to go to war with my son?
00:05:57Yes.
00:05:58He leans down, bracing both hands on the bed.
00:06:01Trapping me in his shadow.
00:06:02Then he is your problem now.
00:06:04As his mother.
00:06:06Teach him his place.
00:06:08Break him if you have to.
00:06:09In that moment, I know I have won my gamble.
00:06:12The lord has placed the blade in my hand.
00:06:14What I don't expect, is that before Audric is dragged back,
00:06:18I have to deal with the servants of his castle, eager to put me in my place.
00:06:21Your spiced wine, my lady.
00:06:24And the silk chemise you requested.
00:06:26We could not find it in the laundry.
00:06:28It seems to have been misplaced.
00:06:30I lift the cup.
00:06:31Stone cold.
00:06:32The steam has long since vanished.
00:06:35After the door closes, the young maid Cora hisses in anger.
00:06:38They are laughing at you.
00:06:41That wine has been sitting there for an hour.
00:06:43I saw the chemise in the linen closet this morning.
00:06:45They hid it.
00:06:47I know, Cora.
00:06:48Then why didn't you say anything?
00:06:50You are the lady of this house.
00:06:51If I scream over a chemise, I become the hysterical girl they want me to be?
00:06:56We wait.
00:06:57Wait for them to make a mistake that cannot be hidden.
00:07:00Only real actions can be punished.
00:07:02The morning sun struggles to pierce the heavy velvet drapes.
00:07:06Rynod left the castle before dawn.
00:07:08This is my chance to establish my authority in this house.
00:07:12Take them down.
00:07:13Are you sure, my lady?
00:07:14The lord prefers the dark.
00:07:15No one has altered this room since he took the throne.
00:07:17I am his wife.
00:07:18Strip the bed as well.
00:07:19Use fine linen.
00:07:20Dye it pale blue, not gray.
00:07:22The drapes fall.
00:07:23Sunlight floods in.
00:07:24The room instantly feels larger.
00:07:26But the light also illuminates the sneers on the faces of the two older maids by the wardrobe.
00:07:30They think the noise of the renovation masks their whispers.
00:07:33Look at her, acting like a real queen.
00:07:35She forgets she was the collateral the heir threw away.
00:07:37Let her play.
00:07:38The lord hasn't let a woman choose so much as a spoon in this castle for 15 years.
00:07:41He'll throw her and her silk curtains out onto the street before nightfall.
00:07:46Repeat that.
00:07:47The fake smile on the maid's face vanishes.
00:07:50Ma'am, I was just saying the silk is very delicate.
00:07:53No.
00:07:54You were predicting my eviction.
00:07:55You called me collateral.
00:07:57We meant no disrespect, Mrs. Montaigne.
00:07:59Just idle talk.
00:08:00Idle talk is for the market.
00:08:01In this castle, words have consequences.
00:08:04Please, ma'am.
00:08:04We didn't mean-
00:08:05You meant every word.
00:08:07And now, we wait for him.
00:08:08Since you are so certain of his reaction, you should have no fear in repeating your predictions to his face.
00:08:13I point to the center of the room where the sunlight cools.
00:08:17Kneel.
00:08:18They sink to the floor, trembling.
00:08:20You think my husband would throw me onto the street.
00:08:23Is that right?
00:08:24Ma'am, please.
00:08:25Is that right?
00:08:27Yes.
00:08:29Good.
00:08:30Cora, you are loyal.
00:08:32Loyalty should be rewarded with authority.
00:08:34Slap them.
00:08:35Ten times each.
00:08:36Let them feel the consequence of disrespecting the Montaigne name.
00:08:39Cora steps forward.
00:08:40The first slap is light.
00:08:41Harder.
00:08:42The second slap is brutal.
00:08:44Then the third.
00:08:44The fourth.
00:08:45Suddenly, the heavy doors swing open.
00:08:48Rynette stands in the doorway.
00:08:49My lord!
00:08:50Save us!
00:08:51She's mad!
00:08:52She's hurting us!
00:08:53We were just doing our job, sir!
00:08:56Please!
00:08:57He says nothing.
00:08:58His face dark.
00:08:59He walks toward me, step by step.
00:09:01Renard steps past me and stops in front of the kneeling women.
00:09:05She gave you an order for ten slaps.
00:09:07How many has it been?
00:09:10Ten.
00:09:10Ten.
00:09:10Ten, my lord.
00:09:11Then give them ten more.
00:09:12From me.
00:09:14The maid's wails are cut short as he raises a hand.
00:09:17And when you are finished, take them to the laundry house down by the river.
00:09:21They will work there until they forget their own names.
00:09:23Rynette's trusted man, Eamon, moves in to drag the sobbing women away.
00:09:28The lord walks toward me.
00:09:30I think you would mind this, at least till you knew the full story.
00:09:32No, I don't need to know.
00:09:33I gave you authority over my son's re-education.
00:09:36Do you think I would grant you power over my own blood but not over a maid?
00:09:38He looks at the spot where the maid's knelt, then lifts his gaze.
00:09:42I apologize, this ugliness.
00:09:44It is not something a wife should have to deal with on her second day.
00:09:46My heart skips a beat.
00:09:48He is apologizing?
00:09:49I understand the terms of our arrangement, Renard.
00:09:51I don't mind.
00:09:53You don't mind?
00:09:56Your protection and your name are enough.
00:09:58You have nothing to apologize for.
00:10:07Your understanding is appreciated, Elinor.
00:10:12You focus on running my castle, little queen.
00:10:15Leave the ugliness to me.
00:10:16He walks out of the room.
00:10:18I have done it.
00:10:18I have secured my position.
00:10:20We have a deal, a partnership devoid of love.
00:10:22It is exactly what I wanted.
00:10:24But why does the place he touched still burn?
00:10:26Since that day, no one in this castle has dared to provoke me.
00:10:30Then Cora comes running to me in a panic.
00:10:32My lady, he's back.
00:10:34I don't need to ask who, because I've been waiting for this day for a long time.
00:10:39Audric, the boy who left me at the altar.
00:10:41He has no idea that the woman he abandoned is no longer his fiancée, but his stepmother.
00:10:45Eamon brought them a quarter of an hour ago.
00:10:47They are in my lord's scriptorium.
00:10:48I stand up.
00:10:49A cold smile touches my lips.
00:10:51I step inside the scriptorium.
00:10:54In the center kneel two figures.
00:10:56Audric and the girl.
00:10:58Bound back to back.
00:10:59His gaze locks onto mine with venomous disdain.
00:11:03Eleanor.
00:11:03I should have known you'd be lurking around.
00:11:05Did you come to beg?
00:11:06Or did my father drag you here to watch?
00:11:10I don't know what illusions you've created for yourself, but this, us, it's never happening.
00:11:16I love Catrin.
00:11:18You need to accept that.
00:11:20I'll have my father grant you an annulment.
00:11:23An annulment?
00:11:25That would be difficult, Audric.
00:11:27Considering I haven't married you.
00:11:30What are you talking about?
00:11:32The covenant?
00:11:33The covenant required a union between a costellan and a montaigne.
00:11:38It did not specify which man.
00:11:41I gestured to Eamon standing by the door.
00:11:44He immediately bowed his head to me.
00:11:47My lady.
00:11:48Audric's eyes dart between me and Eamon.
00:11:51The color drains from his face, leaving him ashen.
00:11:55No.
00:11:56No, you didn't.
00:11:58I found a man who doesn't run.
00:12:04Audric, is that any way to speak to your mother?
00:12:08You married him?
00:12:09You married my father?
00:12:11I tell Audric a fact, but he doesn't seem willing to believe it.
00:12:14You're insane!
00:12:15You think my father, the lord of this land, would touch the woman I cast aside?
00:12:20Watch your tongue, or I will have it cut out.
00:12:24You fucking bitch!
00:12:25You couldn't have me, so you went for my father?
00:12:28You'd rather be my mother than admit you were thrown away like trash?
00:12:31I stand tall, letting his rage wash over me.
00:12:33You think this is a game?
00:12:37You think marrying my father makes you anything other than a whore climbing the ladder?
00:12:42You are nothing, Eleanor.
00:12:45Nothing.
00:12:46Eamon, in Montaigne, what is the punishment for disrespecting the lord's wife?
00:12:51Loss of a finger for a first offense, my lady.
00:12:53You see, son?
00:12:55It's the law.
00:12:57You wouldn't dare.
00:12:58I am the heir.
00:13:00I am the future of this land.
00:13:02You touch me, and the knights will revolt.
00:13:05You think being the heir makes you untouchable?
00:13:08You forget, Audric.
00:13:10You are adopted.
00:13:11Loyalty is everything, and you chose to betray it for this?
00:13:15My gaze flicks to Katrin.
00:13:16The girl is trembling so violently.
00:13:19Please.
00:13:20We just want to leave.
00:13:21We won't bother you.
00:13:23Please, let us go.
00:13:26Silence.
00:13:27Don't talk to her like that!
00:13:29She's worth ten of you, you venomous bitch!
00:13:31My father will never let you hurt me!
00:13:33He needs me!
00:13:34Does he?
00:13:35The voice doesn't come from me.
00:13:37Reinid steps out of the shadows behind the desk.
00:13:39I straighten immediately, walk to Renard's side, placing a hand on his arm.
00:13:44Renard!
00:13:45Your son, he refuses to show his mother the proper respect.
00:13:49He calls me names.
00:13:50He questions your judgment.
00:13:52Father, she...
00:13:53She trapped you!
00:13:54She's manipulating you!
00:13:56I came back for...
00:13:57You were dragged back.
00:13:59Like a dog that ran off its leash.
00:14:01I love her.
00:14:02You have to understand.
00:14:04You can't let this woman...
00:14:05This woman is my wife.
00:14:07And you are a disgrace to the Montier name.
00:14:11He looks at me.
00:14:12He lacks discipline.
00:14:14He has forgotten the weight of the name he carries.
00:14:17Eleanor, as his mother, teach him his place.
00:14:21Audric's face twists, his fear morphing into a desperate, reckless fury.
00:14:26How can you stand there and let her speak to me like that?
00:14:29Father, she is nothing but my discarded trash!
00:14:32And you, you welcomed her and put a crown on her head?
00:14:35Where is the dignity?
00:14:38Because she understands honor, Audric.
00:14:42And you, quite clearly.
00:14:45Do not.
00:14:45You have broken the covenant and insulted my wife.
00:14:48In this family, we bleed for such errors.
00:14:52Eleanor, do whatever you want with him.
00:14:55A shiver of triumph races down my spine.
00:14:58The Lord has just handed the whip to me.
00:15:01Don't worry, darling.
00:15:03I'm going to be a very hands-on parent.
00:15:07Eamon, 20 lashes, then throw him in the crypt.
00:15:11He stays there for a month.
00:15:12The crypt?
00:15:13It's full of rats!
00:15:15You can't-
00:15:15While he rots in the dark, he will recite every blood feed.
00:15:18This land has suffered for the last hundred years.
00:15:21If he misses a single name, start over.
00:15:25Father, no!
00:15:26Stop this woman!
00:15:27I'm your son!
00:15:28You are a disappointment.
00:15:30Consider this mercy.
00:15:31Eamon drags Audric toward the door.
00:15:33He twists his head back to look at his father.
00:15:35There is a deep hatred in his eyes.
00:15:37I turn to the girl huddled on the floor.
00:15:40Katrin, she looks small and pathetic.
00:15:42Please.
00:15:43I didn't know.
00:15:45I just love him.
00:15:46We just want to be together.
00:15:48You think this is some kind of love story?
00:15:50I cast a questioning look at Renard.
00:15:53Renard, what should be done with this...
00:15:56thing?
00:15:58She is yours to judge, my lady.
00:16:02I crouch down, forcing Katrin to look me in the eyes.
00:16:06I...
00:16:06I could be a good wife.
00:16:09Or...
00:16:09I don't mind not being the wife.
00:16:12I can be his...
00:16:14His...
00:16:15His mistress?
00:16:16You won't be his wife.
00:16:17You won't even be his whore.
00:16:20An outsider who brings shame to the Montaigne name has no place in this world.
00:16:25Her face crumbles.
00:16:26The laundry house downstream by the river is always in need of girls.
00:16:30It's honest work.
00:16:31You will work there until you pay back.
00:16:34Every last coin of the damage you've caused to this family's honor.
00:16:38No!
00:16:39You can't do that!
00:16:40I'm a performer!
00:16:42My hands...
00:16:43Your hands are now property of the Montaigne.
00:16:46Get her out of my sight.
00:16:47Move!
00:16:48The guard gags her with hand and drags her limp body toward the exit.
00:16:53I stand, smoothing the silk of my dress.
00:16:57Renard pushes off the desk and walks towards me.
00:17:03Ruthless.
00:17:04I learned from the best.
00:17:06The heavy oak doors are inches from shutting when a scream tears through the wood.
00:17:10You let this venomous bitch poison you against your own blood!
00:17:13She's twisting your mind, father!
00:17:16Bring him back.
00:17:18The doors swing open immediately.
00:17:21E-Men and the other guard drag a thrashed Audric and a sobbing cartron back onto the tapestry.
00:17:28A venomous bitch?
00:17:30You stand in my castle, having disgraced my name, and you dare to slander my wife?
00:17:36It's the truth!
00:17:38If she were truly a venomous bitch, she would have finished your little lover off long ago.
00:17:45Twenty lashes was too merciful.
00:17:47Make it twenty-five.
00:17:48And ensure the executioner uses the whip.
00:17:52With the iron hooks.
00:17:53You still don't understand, do you, Audric?
00:17:56You think you can play with this girl without any consequences?
00:18:00You think if you beg enough, she becomes part of the Montaigne family?
00:18:04I crouch down again, bringing my face level with his.
00:18:08Let me teach you a lesson.
00:18:10A girl you propose to with your family's blessing, with a ring on her finger and a covenant on the
00:18:15table,
00:18:16that woman becomes your wife.
00:18:19She carries your honor.
00:18:20But a girl who elopes with you in the middle of the night?
00:18:23A girl who forced you to humiliate your family?
00:18:26She is a mistress.
00:18:28A whore.
00:18:29It is the rules, son.
00:18:31She is not a mistress.
00:18:34She is the only woman I want.
00:18:39It doesn't matter what you want.
00:18:42When your punishment is over, I will find you a proper wife.
00:18:46And this girl can remain in the shadows where she belongs.
00:18:51No!
00:18:54I won't do it.
00:18:55I won't marry anyone else.
00:18:57Audric crawls on his knees to Renard.
00:19:00I swear it on my life, father.
00:19:01I will take no wife.
00:19:03Let me keep her.
00:19:04Not as a wife.
00:19:05Fine.
00:19:05As a lover.
00:19:06But I will have no other.
00:19:08Just her.
00:19:09The room goes silent.
00:19:10Because it is a vow of self-destruction.
00:19:12An heir who refuses to marry for Alliance is useless to this family.
00:19:16You would forsake your duty.
00:19:18For her?
00:19:21Yes.
00:19:22Very well.
00:19:22If that is your choice.
00:19:24One month in the crypt.
00:19:27Recite the blood feuds.
00:19:28If you survive, she can move into the guest cottage as your mistress.
00:19:33Audric slumps in relief, sobbing thank you.
00:19:36Katrin weeps into his shoulder.
00:19:38They don't see it.
00:19:39But I do.
00:19:41Reinhard hasn't agreed.
00:19:43Because he is persuaded.
00:19:44He has agreed because Audric has just proven he is unfit to lead.
00:19:48Get them out of here.
00:19:54And Eamon, prepare the crypt.
00:19:57The doors close on Audric's weeping gratitude.
00:20:00Reinhard looks at me.
00:20:02I only hope he won't regret this one day.
00:20:05He made his choice.
00:20:06Now we must make ours.
00:20:09Reinhard nods.
00:20:11From this moment on, Audric is no longer held actual power as heir.
00:20:16He is a cast-off.
00:20:18The Montaigne castle crypt is a place where sunlight never touches.
00:20:21Dozens of thick white candles flicker in the wall niches.
00:20:24In the center of the room kneeling before the obsidian sarcophagus of the First Lord of Montaigne is Audric.
00:20:29He looks small.
00:20:30I stand to Reinhard's right.
00:20:32My hands clasped demurely in front of me.
00:20:35This is going to be a brutal, bloody scene.
00:20:38And I have the best seat in the house.
00:20:43Grandmother, please.
00:20:45A Montier man answers for his actions.
00:20:47Do what you must, Reinhard.
00:20:49Cecily shows her support.
00:20:51But someone isn't going to let this play out without a word.
00:20:55Surely, there is another way.
00:20:57He is just a boy in love.
00:20:59To humiliate the heir like this, is it necessary?
00:21:02The woman speaking is Florence, Audric's aunt.
00:21:05The man beside her is her husband Adrian, a high knight of Montaigne.
00:21:09They have been eyeing Reinhard's position.
00:21:12The honor of Montaigne is not a small matter, Florence.
00:21:16Lord, Florence speaks from a place of care.
00:21:19But consider the optics.
00:21:21A public punishment of the heir this severe,
00:21:23our rivals in the surrounding lands may see it as a sign of instability.
00:21:28Perhaps a private reprimand would suffice.
00:21:30A family that cannot discipline its own blood is the true sign of weakness.
00:21:35Disorder breed disrespect.
00:21:37And disrespect breeds rebellion.
00:21:38He will learn.
00:21:40Under Reinhard's authority, both of them shut their mouths.
00:21:43Audric Montaigne for the crime of breaking the covenant.
00:21:47For bringing shame upon our name.
00:21:49And for the disrespect shown to my wife, your stepmother.
00:21:52You are sentenced.
00:21:5525 lashes.
00:21:57Administrated by the enforcer.
00:21:59Following this, you will be confined to the crypt for one month.
00:22:03You will see no sunlight.
00:22:05You will speak to no one.
00:22:07You will recite the history of every blood feud our family has experienced for 300 years.
00:22:13Until you understand the weight of the blood you so carelessly risked.
00:22:2025, father please silence.
00:22:22The enforcer steps forward, the leather of the rip creaking.
00:22:25Audric crumbles.
00:22:26He thought his father's love would save him.
00:22:28But in this crypt, there is no love.
00:22:30There is only the lord's will.
00:22:31Watch.
00:22:33And remember.
00:22:34I don't look away.
00:22:35I watch as the enforcer raises his arm.
00:22:38The first crack of the whip echoes through the confined space of the crypt like a thunderclap.
00:22:43Audric screams.
00:22:44The whip swings faster.
00:22:46And everyone covers their eyes.
00:22:48But I don't flinch.
00:22:49By the tenth lash, his screams turn into ragged sobs.
00:22:54By the twentieth, he is silent.
00:22:5725 finished.
00:22:58Take him to the crypt.
00:23:00He stays there for a month.
00:23:01Only bread and water.
00:23:03Before the guards can even move, someone speaks up.
00:23:07Lord Renard, the boy is in bad shape.
00:23:11The crypt is damp.
00:23:12Infection will set in quickly.
00:23:14Perhaps we should move him to his quarters.
00:23:16The physician can attend to him better there.
00:23:18A prisoner of this castle stays in the crypt.
00:23:21He lost the privilege of his own room the moment he chose dishonor.
00:23:25He dies.
00:23:26He dies learning a lesson.
00:23:28Adrian retreats into the shadows.
00:23:30Florence presses a handkerchief to her lips as if snifling a sob.
00:23:34But as the guards drag Audric past her, her hand lowers slightly.
00:23:38For a split second, I see it.
00:23:40A twitch of a smile she can't quite surprise.
00:23:43With Audric falling from grace, the line of succession is open.
00:23:46Her son Marcus is now the strongest candidate.
00:23:49She isn't mourning the tragedy.
00:23:51She is celebrating the opportunity.
00:23:54Leave us.
00:23:58The room empties quickly.
00:24:01The heavy iron doors groan shut.
00:24:04Renard turns to me.
00:24:07Was it too much for you?
00:24:09No.
00:24:10Will you go to him?
00:24:12He...
00:24:13He looked like he might not wake up.
00:24:15He's in the hands of the physician now.
00:24:18My presence won't heal him.
00:24:20Aren't you afraid?
00:24:21That he might not survive the night?
00:24:23You seem more concerned than his own father.
00:24:26Be careful with your concern.
00:24:29I know you hate him.
00:24:31I saw your face when the whip struck.
00:24:33You enjoyed it.
00:24:34My breath hitches.
00:24:36In fact, he knows everything I am thinking.
00:24:40Do not go near that crypt.
00:24:42And do not think for a second that I will look the other way.
00:24:46If you decide to finish what I started.
00:24:50Come.
00:24:51My mother is waiting.
00:24:52A fire cruckles in the hearth.
00:24:54Cecily sits in an armchair near the fire.
00:24:56Not like a grandmother waiting for news, but like a judge waiting to deliver a verdict.
00:25:00Is it done?
00:25:01It is.
00:25:02He is in the crypt.
00:25:0325 lashes, Rynad.
00:25:06The servants are already whispering.
00:25:09You nearly flamed the boy alive.
00:25:12Was it necessary to break him so thoroughly?
00:25:14He is still your heir.
00:25:16A broken heir.
00:25:17A broken heir is better than a disloyal one.
00:25:19He needed to learn that disrespecting my wife carries a price higher than he can ever pay.
00:25:24He needed to feel a fear of her that would last a lifetime.
00:25:27My heart skips a beat.
00:25:29I thought the punishment was about enforcing his authority, but he is building a fortress around me.
00:25:33You are more like your father than you admit.
00:25:36She turns to me and takes a slow sip of her wine.
00:25:39You think your marriage to my son was an accident.
00:25:42A result of Audrick's foolishness and a hasty cleanup of his mess.
00:25:46But you are wrong.
00:25:48This union, it was the original plan.
00:25:53I don't understand.
00:25:55Eleanor.
00:25:56Twelve years ago, his father, Lord Luciano, went to see your grandfather, Lord Castellan.
00:26:01He wanted to unite our families.
00:26:03He didn't ask for a match for Aldrick.
00:26:06He asked for a match for Rynad.
00:26:08I look at Renard.
00:26:09Genuine surprise cracks his stoic mask.
00:26:12He doesn't know either.
00:26:15Why didn't it happen?
00:26:16Because your grandfather was a cautious man, Eleanor.
00:26:19He refused.
00:26:20He said the age gap was too significant, but that was a polite lie.
00:26:25The truth?
00:26:26He was terrified of you, Rynad.
00:26:28He feared that if he gave his granddaughter to you, Montaigne would swallow the Castellan legacy whole.
00:26:34He wanted a weaker man for you.
00:26:36Someone he could control.
00:26:38That is why he agreed to betroth you to Audrick instead.
00:26:42Silence descends on the room.
00:26:44I stare at my husband.
00:26:46The man I chose to marry the monster I once feared.
00:26:49The specter my grandfather tried to keep at bay.
00:26:52It seems that what belongs to me finds its way back eventually.
00:26:56The air between us has changed.
00:26:58We are no longer just allies bound by a covenant.
00:27:00We are a correction of history.
00:27:02An inevitability.
00:27:04Eleanor.
00:27:04She stands and removes the ring from her right hand.
00:27:07A massive blood-red ruby surrounded by diamonds.
00:27:10The Montaigne matriarch's ring.
00:27:12She walks to my side.
00:27:14Give me your hand.
00:27:16I glance at Rynard.
00:27:18He is staring at me.
00:27:21You are the matriarch of this family now.
00:27:24Wear it.
00:27:25I extend my hand.
00:27:27She slides the ring onto my finger.
00:27:30Cold.
00:27:31Heavy.
00:27:32Terrifyingly heavy.
00:27:33May you have the strength to bear its weight.
00:27:36Before I can even recover from the cold weight of the ring, she turns the conversation.
00:27:40Now that we have established the past, we must secure the future.
00:27:45We need to discuss Audrit and the question of the bloodline.
00:27:50Cecily is not one to dwell on sentimentality.
00:27:53Her gaze is fixed on the future.
00:27:54Audric has disgraced us, but we cannot change his blood.
00:27:57He is still the heir.
00:27:59Once his confinement is over, we must secure a new match.
00:28:02Immediately.
00:28:03We need a girl raised in traditions.
00:28:05Someone who understands that a wife's duty is to bear sons and look the other way at her husband's disloyalty.
00:28:12I sit perfectly still.
00:28:14Minutes ago, I learned I was meant for the Lord.
00:28:17Now I am listening to them plot to pick another poor girl.
00:28:24And the girl he ran off with?
00:28:26The whore.
00:28:27Let him keep her as a mistress if he must.
00:28:29I look at Rynard.
00:28:31I expect him to agree.
00:28:32It is the logical move.
00:28:34Audric cannot stand on his own.
00:28:36He still needs to be propped up by a strong marriage alliance.
00:28:40No.
00:28:46Excuse me?
00:28:47There will be no marriage.
00:28:49I will not bind another innocent family to his mess.
00:28:51I will not sacrifice another good girl to his foolishness,
00:28:55only to have him humiliate her as he did Elinor.
00:28:58You speak of mercy?
00:29:00Since when does the Lord of Montaigne care about the feelings of young girls?
00:29:06He claims he loves this, Katrin.
00:29:08He claims he cannot live without her.
00:29:10Very well.
00:29:11I grant him his wish.
00:29:13He can have her.
00:29:14He can be faithful to her.
00:29:16He will not marry anyone else.
00:29:18This is about power, Rynard.
00:29:21Without a wife, without heirs, Audric is weak.
00:29:26The other lords will attack us.
00:29:29Let them.
00:29:29You are letting Audric win?
00:29:31You are rewarding his rebellion?
00:29:33He made his choice.
00:29:35Let him live with it.
00:29:36Cecily slams her cane against the floor, but she falls silent.
00:29:40She recognizes the tone of the Lord's command.
00:29:43It is final.
00:29:44He isn't showing Audric mercy.
00:29:46He is severing his future.
00:29:47I return to my quarters and sit at the vanity.
00:29:50I know I have a long way to go here.
00:29:53Every step must be cautious.
00:29:55A senior maid named Guinevere is smoothing the sheets.
00:29:58She has served Florence for twenty years.
00:30:03Guinevere.
00:30:05Yes, Lady Elinor?
00:30:07I hand her a sealed envelope.
00:30:09Letter delivery.
00:30:11A mundane task, but also a test.
00:30:14At once, my lady.
00:30:16As the door closes, Cora practically vibrates with tension.
00:30:20Why her?
00:30:22She was Florence's eyes and ears.
00:30:24You cannot trust her.
00:30:26I could have done it.
00:30:28Come here, Cora.
00:30:30A queen who only trusts one pair of eyes is a blind queen.
00:30:34If I only use you, the others will never fear me, and they will never serve me.
00:30:41I just...
00:30:42I don't want you to be vulnerable.
00:30:45Not after today.
00:30:46I am not vulnerable because I have you.
00:30:50I need to know if Guinevere will bite the hand that feeds her.
00:30:55Or if she is smart enough to recognize the shift in power.
00:31:00It's not just the maids I worry about.
00:31:03Odrick, when he gets out, he will be like a wounded animal.
00:31:07He hates you.
00:31:09He will seek revenge for what the Lord did to him.
00:31:12Let him try.
00:31:14According to our laws, I am his stepmother now.
00:31:17If he disrespects me, he disrespects the Lord.
00:31:21And it is a stepmother's duty to oversee her stepson's re-education.
00:31:26Hours later, the castle is silent.
00:31:28I dismiss Korra and climb into the vast, empty bed, expecting another night alone.
00:31:35Exhaustion pulls me under quickly.
00:31:38A sudden shift in the mattress jolts me awake.
00:31:41Rynad is there.
00:31:42He lies on the other side of the bed.
00:31:44His obsidian eyes are tracing the line of my shoulder where the strap of my silk nightgown has slipped down.
00:31:49When our eyes meet, he doesn't look away.
00:31:52We have an arrangement, Renard.
00:31:55But staring is not part of it.
00:31:57If you want to look, just look.
00:31:59I am your wife.
00:32:00I am willing to do my duty.
00:32:03I think offering myself is a safe bet.
00:32:05I am wrong.
00:32:07He moves suddenly.
00:32:08He leans over me, bracing his weight on one arm, caging me against the mattress.
00:32:13His lips brush my ear, sending a shiver down my spine.
00:32:17Are you saying you wish to perform your duties as my wife?
00:32:22I only meant for the family.
00:32:25To secure the legacy.
00:32:29Sleep, Eleanor.
00:32:30Before you offer things you cannot afford to give.
00:32:33He turns his back to me.
00:32:34I lie in the dark, my face burning.
00:32:37Hours later, I can't sleep.
00:32:39I turn toward him.
00:32:40My gaze falling on the jagged scar running from his elbow to his wrist.
00:32:44As if driven by some unseen force.
00:32:47I hold my breath.
00:32:48Slowly reach out.
00:32:50My fingers trace the ridge of the scar.
00:32:53In a flash, his hand shoots out and clamps around my wrist.
00:32:57I...
00:32:57I thought you were asleep.
00:32:59I never sleep when there is a threat in my bed.
00:33:07Or a temptation.
00:33:08The next morning, the embarrassment hasn't faded.
00:33:11I walk into the great hall, expecting to eat alone.
00:33:15As usual.
00:33:17But as the doors open, I freeze.
00:33:20Renard sits at the head of the long table.
00:33:23He extends his hand towards me.
00:33:25Sit.
00:33:28I take the seat to his right.
00:33:30I take the seat to his right.
00:33:31Determined to salvage whatever dignity remains.
00:33:35Did you enjoy the view last night, Lord of Montaigne?
00:33:39You tell me, my wife.
00:33:41Who was the one who couldn't keep her hands to her cell?
00:33:44How did my scar feel?
00:33:46I was merely inspecting you.
00:33:48Ensuring my husband is intact.
00:33:50I suggest next time, you ask before you touch.
00:33:54I might not be so restrained as yesterday.
00:34:01He leaves me alone with my burning cheeks.
00:34:04Thirty minutes later, I pace the length of my quarters.
00:34:07The anger from breakfast churning inside me like bile.
00:34:12I need a target.
00:34:13I need to feel powerful again.
00:34:16My lady, the physician has just left the crypt.
00:34:19It's Odrick.
00:34:20The whipping took a toll.
00:34:21He's burning up with fever.
00:34:24The guards say he hasn't moved from the cot since yesterday.
00:34:26A slow, cold smile spreads across my lips.
00:34:30Is that so?
00:34:31My stepson is ill.
00:34:33As his stepmother.
00:34:35How can I rest until I've seen to his comfort?
00:34:40Walking down into the crypt.
00:34:43Feels like stepping into a grave.
00:34:46In the furthest alcombe,
00:34:48Odrick lies on a narrow cot,
00:34:49stripped to the waist.
00:34:51His back a road map of angry welts.
00:34:54He is shivering.
00:34:56He looks nothing like the arrogant heir.
00:35:03You.
00:35:04Come to gloat?
00:35:06I came to check on my stepson.
00:35:08You look terrible, Odrick.
00:35:11Does it hurt?
00:35:13Get out, you witch.
00:35:16Is that how you speak to your stepmother?
00:35:21We are a perfect tragedy, you and I.
00:35:24You made me the lady of this family.
00:35:27And I made you a prisoner.
00:35:29It seems fair, don't you think?
00:35:36You think you've won?
00:35:38You're nothing.
00:35:40Just a piece of meat.
00:35:41My father bought to warm his bed.
00:35:45And yet, I am the one standing.
00:35:47And you are the one rotting in the dark.
00:35:52You venomous bitch.
00:35:54You're nothing but a rat from a crumbling land.
00:35:57You should have died with your mother.
00:36:01At least she knew how to rot quietly.
00:36:04He has struck my heart.
00:36:06The wound of my mother's death has never fully healed.
00:36:10When I am at a loss, the Lord appears.
00:36:13And stands behind me.
00:36:16His eyes are voids.
00:36:18Devoid of mercy.
00:36:19Fixed entirely on his son.
00:36:21Don't you dare.
00:36:24Father, she provoked me.
00:36:26She came here to...
00:36:27Silence.
00:36:29You insult my wife.
00:36:32You insult the dead.
00:36:34Is this the honor of a montagne?
00:36:38Renard grabs my arm and drags me out.
00:36:41The iron door clangs shut behind us.
00:36:44In the corridor, he stops and turns to me.
00:36:48His dark eyes scrutinizing.
00:36:51Did his words hurt you?
00:36:54He is just a child lashing out.
00:36:56Do not lie to me.
00:36:58You went there to rub salt into his wound.
00:37:03You enjoyed it.
00:37:11He deserved it.
00:37:13Perhaps.
00:37:14You can enjoy that.
00:37:17But know that a cornered wolf will still bite.
00:37:21And I won't always be there to save your ass.
00:37:23The warning in Renard's eyes is so deep.
00:37:26Like a dark, turbulent sea.
00:37:28But I don't look away.
00:37:29I need to know where the line is drawn.
00:37:32The line of his loyalty in this lineage.
00:37:34Perhaps I was too harsh.
00:37:36He is your blood, Renard.
00:37:38To see him in such a state.
00:37:40Maybe we should send a physician.
00:37:43He is a disgrace to the Monta name.
00:37:45My concern is that he is unworthy of yours.
00:37:49If he is unwilling to learn, then as his father, perhaps you should...
00:37:54He has proven he is beyond education.
00:37:57He is your problem now.
00:37:59As I said...
00:38:01He walks ahead with long strides.
00:38:03And I follow.
00:38:04A small smile touches my lips.
00:38:06Afternoon sunlight filters through the cream curtains.
00:38:09I sit at my vanity.
00:38:10Cora brushing my hair.
00:38:12The rhythmic strokes are soothing.
00:38:13But my mind keeps racing.
00:38:15Cora, tell me about Audrick.
00:38:17Before all this.
00:38:21What do you wish to know, my lady?
00:38:23I want to know what the others think about him.
00:38:26The wives of the High Knights.
00:38:29And Florence.
00:38:31What do they think of the heir?
00:38:32They adore him, my lady.
00:38:35In public, Mr. Audrick Montaigne is different.
00:38:38He's charming.
00:38:40Respectful.
00:38:40He kisses the hands of the elders.
00:38:43And speaks of honor as if it were his religion.
00:38:45Two faces, then.
00:38:46One.
00:38:48Precisely.
00:38:49He has a way of making people believe he's special.
00:38:53It is why no one believes the rumors about his cruelty.
00:38:56Until they experience it themselves.
00:38:59A facade.
00:39:00Audrick isn't just a brute.
00:39:02He is a schemer.
00:39:03That makes him dangerous.
00:39:05It means my war with him won't just be physical.
00:39:08It will be a battle for the narrative.
00:39:13A knock at the door interrupts my thoughts.
00:39:15An older maid named Ida enters with a tea tray.
00:39:19She sets it down with stiff efficiency.
00:39:21Casting a disapproving glance at Korra.
00:39:24You are digging your own grave, girl.
00:39:30Failing over her like that?
00:39:31Do you think she will last?
00:39:33She is an outsider.
00:39:36Open your eyes, Ida.
00:39:37Did you not see who held the whip?
00:39:40The Lord flamed his own son for her.
00:39:44Her word is the Lord's will.
00:39:49She is just a new toy.
00:39:51Look at what's on her hand.
00:39:54She wears Cecily's ruby.
00:39:56Do you know what that means?
00:39:57I turn slowly, lifting the teacup to my lips.
00:40:01Ida stares at the blood-red stone on my finger, the color draining from her face.
00:40:06The household ledger will be hers before the month is out.
00:40:10Florence is the past.
00:40:12She is the future.
00:40:14Is the tea to your liking, Mrs. Montaigne?
00:40:17It is perfect, Ida.
00:40:19See that it stays that way.
00:40:21She nods frantically and backs out of the room.
00:40:24The war isn't just happening in the dungeon, but in the whole family.
00:40:28And I intend to hold the pen.
00:40:32The ledger lies open before me.
00:40:34Thousands of gold coins are being siphoned off monthly under castle defense, upgrace,
00:40:39and external procurement.
00:40:40The payments go to sham trading houses owned by Adrian Montaigne's associates.
00:40:44This isn't just petty thief by a greedy housewife.
00:40:47This is the thief from the treasury.
00:40:50They are building a war chest right under Renard's nose.
00:40:54If I expose this, I won't just embarrass Florence.
00:41:00I would be declaring war on a powerful faction within the family.
00:41:05But they think I am just a naive girl.
00:41:08What they don't know is, by handing me the family, they have handed me the weapon to destroy them.
00:41:14I arrive at the rose garden on the south side of the castle, and encounter Florence,
00:41:20who is admiring the flowers.
00:41:24The white roses are particularly lovely this year, don't you think?
00:41:28They are.
00:41:29Though I've always preferred the red.
00:41:33They hide the blood better.
00:41:36Florence's smile doesn't waver.
00:41:38She steps closer.
00:41:40I heard you requested the ledgers.
00:41:42All of them.
00:41:43The accounts are terribly complex.
00:41:45Adrian always says it takes a real head for numbers, not just a pretty face, to make them balance.
00:41:51Reinard said the household answers to me now.
00:41:53That includes its accounts.
00:41:55Florence, or does the word of the Lord mean less in this wing of the estate?
00:41:59Florence stiffens.
00:42:02Invoking Renard's authority is a shield she can't pierce.
00:42:07On the contrary, I find the ledgers fascinating.
00:42:12It's amazing what one can learn about a family's priorities by following the gold.
00:42:22Her eyes drop to my hand, to Cecily's blood-red ruby ring.
00:42:27A flicker of genuine alarm flashes in her eyes.
00:42:32Well, I'm glad you find it so engaging.
00:42:37If you have any questions, my dear.
00:42:41You know my door is always open.
00:42:43I'm sure it is.
00:42:48But I find the numbers speak for themselves.
00:42:51Quite clearly.
00:42:53She turns and walks away.
00:42:56Her posture rigid.
00:42:58She came to test me, hoping to find cracks.
00:43:02Instead, she got herself breaking down.
00:43:05Back in my room, the doors click shut, shutting out the prying eyes of the Montaigne castle.
00:43:11Cora is pacing by the window.
00:43:12When she sees me, she rushes forward.
00:43:17Madam, a woman who claims to be your friend has come to see you.
00:43:22At the chamber at the Silver Stag Inn, my only friend, Fiona, sits across from me.
00:43:28Her eyes red and swollen.
00:43:30I can't believe he did this to you.
00:43:33Audric.
00:43:34That bastard.
00:43:36Leaving you at the altar like that.
00:43:38It's done, Fiona.
00:43:40How can you be so calm?
00:43:42You're married to him.
00:43:44To Ryned Montaigne.
00:43:45My uncle Lucas says he was manged in the clan wars years ago.
00:43:48That he's a cruel monster.
00:43:50He is not a monster.
00:43:52And he certainly isn't mangled.
00:43:56You don't have to lie to me.
00:43:59I know you're just trying to be brave.
00:44:02A strange defensive anger flares in my chest.
00:44:05I pull my hand back.
00:44:06I am not lying.
00:44:08And I am not terrified.
00:44:10Then why did you agree?
00:44:12You could have run or come to me.
00:44:15Why shackle yourself to a nightmare just because Audric humiliated you?
00:44:24Because the best revenge against a prince isn't to run away.
00:44:28It's to become his mother.
00:44:31Fiona recoils.
00:44:32She looks at me not with pity now, but with fear.
00:44:34Become his mother?
00:44:36Eleanor, do you hear yourself?
00:44:38You sound like one of them.
00:44:40Like a Montaigne.
00:44:42I'm just someone who struggles to survive.
00:44:45Audric is the heir in this land.
00:44:50He has guards, gold, and his father's blind tolerance.
00:44:56If I had married a common knight, I would have been nothing more than a nuisance.
00:45:01Audric could swat away.
00:45:04But as the lord's wife, I am untouchable.
00:45:08It's not worth it.
00:45:10Not if it means living with a monster.
00:45:12My uncle Lucas told me that Renard hasn't been with a woman in years.
00:45:17Not since the war that killed his first wife.
00:45:19They say he was damaged.
00:45:21That he's incapable of...
00:45:23He is not a monster.
00:45:25But he is certainly not an ascetic.
00:45:29Does he...
00:45:30Does he hurt you?
00:45:33No.
00:45:35Aside from being a lecher, he's...
00:45:39Tolerable.
00:45:41A lecher?
00:45:43But Uncle Lucas said...
00:45:46Your Uncle Lucas sees the lord in the council chamber, not the bedchamber.
00:45:50If he is so uninterested in women,
00:45:53why is Montaigne Castle filled with maids
00:45:56who look so beautiful?
00:46:00A man who isn't interested wouldn't surround himself with temptation.
00:46:06I lower my voice, leaning closer.
00:46:10And he watches me.
00:46:12At night.
00:46:15I suspect the rumors about his injury are partially true.
00:46:19He surrounds himself with beauty he can't touch.
00:46:23So he satisfies himself by looking.
00:46:27He's a voyeur.
00:46:28A frustrated, lecherous old man.
00:46:31Trapped in a broken body.
00:46:33Oh god, that's...
00:46:34Repulsive.
00:46:36It is what it is.
00:46:40Better a watcher than a hitter.
00:46:42I walk toward the door.
00:46:44Checking my reflection in the mirror.
00:46:46The woman staring back is beautiful.
00:46:49Composed.
00:46:50And utterly hollow.
00:46:51I have convinced Fiona.
00:46:53And perhaps even myself.
00:46:55What I don't know,
00:46:57is that the walls of the silver stag in are thin.
00:46:59And karma is always there.
00:47:04I open the door and look up.
00:47:07Renard is standing in the doorway of the room next door.
00:47:10Behind him is a man.
00:47:12Lucas, Fiona's uncle.
00:47:13Also Rynad's advisor.
00:47:15Lucas holds a roll of parchment and looks embarrassed.
00:47:19Oh god.
00:47:21Eleanor.
00:47:22It's him.
00:47:23Fiona hides behind me.
00:47:24Clutching my arm.
00:47:25She is terrified.
00:47:26Lucas looks regretful.
00:47:28And murmurs something.
00:47:30I almost catch the words.
00:47:32The walls are too thin.
00:47:34Sorry my lord.
00:47:35So this isn't aimed at me.
00:47:37They came to the inn for another reason.
00:47:39But the walls are too thin.
00:47:41And by some twist of fate,
00:47:42they overheard me cursing him in full.
00:47:45Renard doesn't look at me.
00:47:46He just stands there.
00:47:47Expressionless.
00:47:49Not saying a word.
00:47:50My own words crawl back up my throat like snakes.
00:47:53A leicher.
00:47:54A frustrated, broken old man.
00:47:57A voyeur.
00:47:59He heard everything.
00:48:02Renard's eyes are locked on me.
00:48:04As if waiting to reckon.
00:48:08Lucas steps forward and clamps his hand around Fiona's arm.
00:48:12Fiona, we have a family matter to discuss.
00:48:14Now come with me.
00:48:16Uncle Lucas, I...
00:48:18No.
00:48:19He drags Fiona away.
00:48:21I am alone in the hallway with Renard.
00:48:23Shall we?
00:48:24It isn't a question, but a command.
00:48:27I nod.
00:48:28My legs like lead, falling into step beside him.
00:48:31He doesn't touch me.
00:48:33He doesn't offer his arm.
00:48:34He just walks.
00:48:36And I follow.
00:48:37The carriage door clicks shut.
00:48:39The silence turns heavy.
00:48:41Suffocating.
00:48:42The driver pulls away.
00:48:43So, a lecher.
00:48:45Is that what I am to you, my lady?
00:48:47My head snaps up.
00:48:49He isn't looking at me.
00:48:51He is staring out the scenery passing by the window.
00:48:55The humiliation hits like a physical blow.
00:48:58My cheeks burn.
00:48:59He heard everything.
00:49:01The speculation about his impotence.
00:49:03The pity.
00:49:04The mockery.
00:49:06Explain yourself.
00:49:09And choose your next words.
00:49:11Very carefully.
00:49:13I am protecting our agreement.
00:49:16Fiona, she is worried.
00:49:18She thinks men like you are monsters.
00:49:20She was terrified for my safety.
00:49:22I need to convince her that our marriage is purely transactional.
00:49:26That there is no danger of...
00:49:28Intimacy.
00:49:30So you paint me as impotent to make her feel better?
00:49:38Eleanor.
00:49:38Do not mistake your own fear for strategy.
00:49:41The carriage stops at the castle gate.
00:49:44I hide in my room, and collapse onto the vanity stool, kicking off my leather boots.
00:49:50Cora begins unpinning my hair.
00:49:53Her hands shaking slightly.
00:49:58Madam.
00:49:59Recent rumors in the castle suggest that the Lord cannot perform his marital duties.
00:50:05Is it true?
00:50:08I don't know where Cora heard about this, but whether it's true or not, I must cover Renard's shame.
00:50:14I don't know, Cora.
00:50:15I'm not gossiping.
00:50:17Audric Montaigne.
00:50:19He is the heir.
00:50:21Everyone knows he hates you.
00:50:23If something happens to the Lord, and you have no son of your own,
00:50:27Audric will not let you live.
00:50:29Cora is reckless, but she isn't wrong.
00:50:32As long as Audric Montaigne is the undisputed heir, my life hangs by a thread.
00:50:37I need security.
00:50:39There are ways.
00:50:40In Sicily, there are orphanages funded by the Montaigne's.
00:50:44A boy.
00:50:46A smart boy with the right look.
00:50:48If you were to bring one here, raise him.
00:50:51Make the Lord love him.
00:50:54Stop!
00:50:55Do you have any idea what you are suggesting?
00:50:59If Renard heard you plotting to replace his bloodline,
00:51:04he would have us both skinned alive.
00:51:06I only want you to be safe.
00:51:10Without an heir, you are vulnerable.
00:51:14The knock on my bedroom door sounds like a gavel striking a judge's bench.
00:51:19My conversation with Cora about the secret heir halts instantly.
00:51:24It is Renard who sent someone to call me.
00:51:26Renard sits behind the desk.
00:51:29Close the door.
00:51:30I obey.
00:51:32I walk forward and stand before the desk,
00:51:34waiting for him to bring up the rumors about his virility.
00:51:38He stops writing, reaches under his desk,
00:51:41and places a dark, rusted iron box onto the surface.
00:51:45Open it.
00:51:46I lift the lid.
00:51:48Inside are stacks of debt bonds,
00:51:50thick rolls of gold coins,
00:51:52and a heavy ring of antique keys.
00:51:53But at the bottom, there are also leather-bound ledgers.
00:51:56The keys to the castle vault.
00:52:00The deeds to the warehouses on the docks.
00:52:03The ledgers of the estate.
00:52:05Why are you showing me this?
00:52:07Because you are my wife.
00:52:10And because you seem to think
00:52:13your position here is precarious.
00:52:16He stands and walks around the desk,
00:52:18leaning against the edge,
00:52:19so he is just inches from me.
00:52:22The air becomes suffocating.
00:52:24This is power, Eleanor.
00:52:26Real power.
00:52:28Renard covers my hand with his.
00:52:31A lady should not have to worry about money,
00:52:33nor should she have to beg for authority.
00:52:37You proved you could handle this family.
00:52:39Now, you handle the whole territory.
00:52:42Do not disappoint me.
00:52:45I pull the heavy box against my chest
00:52:48and turn to leave.
00:52:53Back in the room,
00:52:55I set the box on the table and lift the lid.
00:52:58Korra gasps,
00:53:00staring at the rolls of gold coins,
00:53:02the debt bonds,
00:53:03and the leather-bound ledgers.
00:53:06Madre de Dio.
00:53:07The Lord?
00:53:09He gave you these?
00:53:10It is a sign of great trust.
00:53:13He treats you as a true equal.
00:53:17It's a transaction, Korra.
00:53:19He cannot give me affection,
00:53:21nor a real marriage.
00:53:23So he gives me this instead.
00:53:28Compensation.
00:53:29Whatever the reason,
00:53:31you are safe now.
00:53:32We must order new dresses.
00:53:34Silks,
00:53:35velvets,
00:53:36things that fit properly,
00:53:38not like these rags.
00:53:40The dowry Beatrice sent over
00:53:42was an insult.
00:53:43Cheap fabrics,
00:53:44cuts that were out of fashion
00:53:46five years ago.
00:53:47I freeze.
00:53:49The mention of my stepmother
00:53:51usually brings nauseous.
00:53:53But this time,
00:53:54it brings something else.
00:53:56Mr. Hobart,
00:53:58my mother's old family notary,
00:54:00on my 18th birthday,
00:54:01he slipped me a sealed pagement,
00:54:04a sealed copy of my mother's original will,
00:54:06the one Beatrice claimed
00:54:07had been lost in the turmoil.
00:54:09Korra,
00:54:10forget the dresses.
00:54:12I don't need a seamstress,
00:54:13I need a messenger.
00:54:15My lady?
00:54:17I walk to the window,
00:54:19looking out over Montaigne.
00:54:21Somewhere in the city,
00:54:23Beatrice and my father
00:54:24are likely celebrating,
00:54:26the sale of their unwanted daughter.
00:54:30I need to contact Mr. Hobart,
00:54:33and then prepare my things for tomorrow morning.
00:54:37Are we going to the market fair?
00:54:42I reach into the iron strongbox and pull out a thick stack of gold coins.
00:54:49No.
00:54:50We are going home.
00:54:53I have a debt to collect.
00:54:55Beatrice stole my mother's jewelry,
00:54:57her gold,
00:54:57her legacy.
00:54:58She thought she was safe,
00:54:59because I was powerless.
00:55:01But I am no longer Eleanor Castellan.
00:55:03I am Eleanor Montaigne.
00:55:05Morning light filters through the curtains.
00:55:08I sit at the desk.
00:55:10To my left,
00:55:11the dowry list Beatrice sent.
00:55:13To my right,
00:55:15the copy of my mother's will.
00:55:19The three taverns on State Street?
00:55:24Gone.
00:55:26Replaced with a 20% portion of a textile workshop
00:55:29that has been shuttered for 20 years.
00:55:32And the jewelry?
00:55:35Not a single piece listed.
00:55:39She erased my mother's existence
00:55:41to fund her own lifestyle.
00:55:43The carriage stops in front of the main keeper of Castellan.
00:55:47Castellan.
00:55:48The guards open the door.
00:55:50I step onto the stone path.
00:55:55This castle looks smaller than I remember.
00:55:58In the great hall,
00:56:00my father Jeffrey stands by the fireplace.
00:56:02A glass of ale already in his hand,
00:56:04despite the early hour.
00:56:06Beatrice sits on a bench,
00:56:07flanked by my stepsister, Emelyn.
00:56:11Eleanor!
00:56:12We didn't expect you.
00:56:18Is everything all right?
00:56:20Has something happened in Montaigne?
00:56:23Everything is perfect, Beatrice.
00:56:29I simply came to correct an error.
00:56:33An error?
00:56:34What error?
00:56:35You should show more respect, girl.
00:56:37You are still a Castellan.
00:56:41Am I?
00:56:43I am a Montaigne now, father.
00:56:44I came because I reviewed the dowry documents you sent over.
00:56:49And I found them lacking.
00:56:51Lacking?
00:56:52Times are hard, Eleanor.
00:56:54The war took a toll on everyone.
00:56:56You should be grateful for what we could scrape together.
00:57:01Grateful?
00:57:02For a few gold coins and a plot of mud in a swamp?
00:57:06It was all there was!
00:57:08Your mother's ventures failed years ago!
00:57:12We supported you out of our own pockets!
00:57:15My husband provides for me, Beatrice.
00:57:17I order a guard to reach my satchel and pull out the sealed copy of the will.
00:57:22I let it drop onto the long table.
00:57:24The parchment splays open to reveal the list of assets Beatrice thought she had buried forever.
00:57:30You seem to be forgetful, Beatrice.
00:57:32So I brought a reminder.
00:57:34I suggest you start reading.
00:57:38Beatrice stares at the document as if it were a venomous snake.
00:57:41Coiled on the rug.
00:57:42She doesn't reach for it.
00:57:44When she looks up, the mask is back.
00:57:47Haughty.
00:57:47Dismissive.
00:57:48Utterly fake.
00:57:52Where did you get this?
00:57:54Fake document, Eleanor?
00:57:57Did your new husband teach you to forge documents to extort your own family?
00:58:02It is a sealed copy of the original will my mother signed three days before she died.
00:58:07Every asset listed there was meant for me.
00:58:11For my dowry.
00:58:15Lies!
00:58:16My mother would never steal from you!
00:58:19You're just jealous because you were sold off to a monster.
00:58:27You promised to keep it safe.
00:58:30But you misappropriated it all without permission.
00:58:39Jeffrey, are you not going to stop her from speaking to me this way?
00:58:45That is enough, Eleanor.
00:58:48Beatrice raised you as her own.
00:58:50She took you in when your mother passed.
00:58:54Is this how you repay her?
00:59:00She raised me on scraps while she wore my mother's jewels.
00:59:05And you, father, watched it happen.
00:59:08It's about greed.
00:59:10At my provocation, Jeffrey raises his hand.
00:59:12The Montaigne guards by the door shift and he freezes, lowering his fist slowly.
00:59:19You are insolent.
00:59:23You think because you married a Montaigne you can come here and dictate terms?
00:59:27You are still a Castellan by blood.
00:59:30By vows and loyalty, I am a Montaigne.
00:59:34And the Montaigne's do not tolerate theft.
00:59:38Geoffrey snatches the parchment from the table and scans the pages frantically to look for flaws.
00:59:47Suddenly, a triumphant sneer twists his lips.
00:59:50You are not as clever as you think, girl.
00:59:53Look at this parchment.
00:59:54The ink is fresh.
00:59:55It still smells of the scribe's ink pot.
00:59:57This isn't a 17-year-old will.
01:00:00It's a forgery.
01:00:01A fake drawn up yesterday to humiliate us.
01:00:05I knew it.
01:00:06It's a forgery.
01:00:08Did Reinert put you up to this?
01:00:10Did he tell you to fabricate a list of assets to squeeze money out of us?
01:00:14Get out of my castle, Eleanor.
01:00:16Take your fake documents and your guards with you.
01:00:19You want to talk about proof, father?
01:00:22Emelyn steps forward, her face flushed with rage, clutching her mother's hand.
01:00:28Eleanor.
01:00:30My mother has done nothing but pray for you since you left.
01:00:33And now you come back, waving fake papers to extort the woman who fed you?
01:00:40You want to destroy us because you're miserable.
01:00:45A lie is still a lie, Emelyn.
01:00:48No matter how beautifully you dress it in tears.
01:00:51As she moves, the sunlight catches the pendant at her throat.
01:00:56A predatory smile curves my lips.
01:01:00That is a stunning piece you're wearing, Amalung.
01:01:02My mother gave it to me for my 18th birthday.
01:01:05It's a symbol of our taste.
01:01:07Something you wouldn't understand.
01:01:10Oh, I understand it perfectly.
01:01:13A gold chain set with a rare Cillian pink diamond.
01:01:18Beatrice freezes.
01:01:20Her nails dig into her daughter's sleeve.
01:01:23Item number 17 on my mother's will.
01:01:25The very list my father just claimed was a forgery.
01:01:30Mother?
01:01:32What is she talking about?
01:01:34Coincidence.
01:01:35There are thousands of pink diamonds in the world.
01:01:38You think you find the evidence now?
01:01:41That list is still a fake.
01:01:43Written yesterday by your husband's lackeys.
01:01:47Is it?
01:01:48Father, my mother's will was established under Cicilian custom.
01:01:51When my grandfather married his daughter to you, he did not trust you.
01:01:55This is a copy.
01:01:56The original sealed document is kept by my mother's family advisor in Palamo.
01:02:02You expect me to believe a document held by some old Cicilian across the sea?
01:02:07They'd say anything for a price.
01:02:10That proves nothing in this land.
01:02:14I thought you might say that.
01:02:17You might not respect Cicilian law, father.
01:02:21But do you respect your own father?
01:02:23Leave the dead out of this.
01:02:25I can't.
01:02:26Because he signed this.
01:02:28A letter from your father.
01:02:29The late Lord Castellan, my grandfather.
01:02:32In it, he confirms he personally verified the dowry inventory to ensure the union was equitable.
01:02:38At the bottom of the page, the wax seal of the Castellan family crest is clear.
01:02:42Beside it, the signature of the witness, his closest ally at the time, Lord Castello.
01:02:48Geoffrey's face goes pale.
01:02:50The name Castello is iron law in this land.
01:02:52To call a document he witnessed a fake, is a death sentence.
01:02:56An insult to the authority of the lords themselves.
01:03:00The ink isn't fresh, father.
01:03:02But the shame certainly is.
01:03:05Let me see that.
01:03:06If these documents are indeed authentic, Eleanor, then as the head of this house it is my duty to verify
01:03:11them.
01:03:12Hand them over.
01:03:13I will ensure justice is done.
01:03:17Hand them to you, so you can destroy them?
01:03:19I think not.
01:03:22You have so much now, Eleanor.
01:03:24You married a lord.
01:03:25Why do you regret your sister a simple necklace?
01:03:28You are insolent.
01:03:30You come into my house, disrespect your mother...
01:03:33Stepmother.
01:03:33...and wave papers around like a petulant child.
01:03:38We are family, Eleanor.
01:03:40These matters are handled internally, not with threats.
01:03:46Internal matters require trust, father.
01:03:48You have none of mine.
01:03:50You have three days.
01:03:52Three days?
01:03:53Three days to return everything.
01:03:55The diamonds, the bonds, the property deeds.
01:03:59Every last item on my mother's list.
01:04:01If not, if not, my husband, Lord Montaigne, will come to collect it himself.
01:04:10And I assure you he will take more than what is owed.
01:04:15You wouldn't.
01:04:17You would bring an outsider down on your own blood?
01:04:20You bring shame to our family's name!
01:04:24Honor is earned, father.
01:04:25A lord who robs his own blood has no honor to demand.
01:04:30It was necessary!
01:04:31The business is bleeding!
01:04:33I needed gold to keep heads above water.
01:04:35You are a lord's wife now, Eleanor.
01:04:37You have a fortune at your disposal.
01:04:40Consider your mother's dowry a contribution.
01:04:42A tax for the family that raised you.
01:04:45Let it go.
01:04:46The audacity steals my breath.
01:04:49He wants me to subsidize his incompetence with my mother's legacy?
01:04:54A truly moving performance, father.
01:04:57But a woman's dowry?
01:04:58Her mother's legacy is her own.
01:05:00It is not the castle's coffers.
01:05:02You are not a lord protecting his family.
01:05:05You are a thief who robbed his own daughter.
01:05:09Eleanor!
01:05:10Three days, Jeffrey.
01:05:11I turn and walk out of the great hall, the heavy oak doors closing behind me.
01:05:17I feel heavy hearted during the ride back to Montaigne.
01:05:20I used Renard's name as a weapon.
01:05:22A shield.
01:05:23A sword.
01:05:24But I also issued a threat on behalf of the most dangerous man.
01:05:27Without his permission.
01:05:28I need to tell him.
01:05:29I need to control the narrative.
01:05:30Before Jeffrey tries to spin a lie.
01:05:32I told them they had three days.
01:05:34I told them that if they didn't return.
01:05:37Every last coin.
01:05:38You would come for them.
01:05:40I used your name, Renard.
01:05:43Without your permission.
01:05:47And did they understand?
01:05:49They will.
01:05:50But it isn't just the money.
01:05:53Beatrice gave my mother's jewelry to her daughter.
01:05:56Emmeline was wearing it.
01:05:58Like a toy.
01:05:59Theft is business.
01:06:01But wearing a dead woman's jewels in front of her daughter?
01:06:04That is an insult.
01:06:07A knock comes at the door.
01:06:10A page enters and murmurs something to Renard.
01:06:14Bring him in.
01:06:17The page leaves.
01:06:19Then returns with a travel-worn messenger.
01:06:21The messenger kneels on one knee.
01:06:23My lord.
01:06:24Lord Jeffrey of Castellan sent me with a message.
01:06:27He says his daughter, Elinord, came to his castle with forged documents to extort him.
01:06:33And he begs you to see justice.
01:06:38Go back and tell your master that I have no interest in his family squabbles.
01:06:42Three days.
01:06:44Three days.
01:06:45Return everything.
01:06:46Return everything.
01:06:46Plus a twenty percent fine.
01:06:49Twenty percent?
01:06:51But...
01:06:51Or I will burn his castle to the ground.
01:06:54With him in it.
01:06:57Do not test me.
01:07:27The messenger pales, bows and exits hastily.
01:07:28A solid wall of his chest.
01:07:30His arms come around me, pulling me into his warm embrace.
01:07:33Thank you for defending me.
01:07:35I want to bring us closer.
01:07:37I think of the rumors.
01:07:39The woman who left him after he was wounded.
01:07:41The woman who left you after you were wounded?
01:07:43She was a fool.
01:07:44She didn't deserve a man who would protect his family at any cost.
01:07:48The air in the room turns fridgy.
01:07:50Renard turns toward me.
01:07:52His eyes not grateful but mocking.
01:07:55Who told you she left me?
01:07:58You listen to too many whispers, my lady.
01:08:00Let's talk about another story.
01:08:03The one where your husband is a crippled lecher.
01:08:06Who can only...
01:08:08Look.
01:08:09Did you believe it?
01:08:11Is that why you walk down the aisle without tears?
01:08:17Because you thought you were marrying a Geldon.
01:08:21Yes.
01:08:23Go on.
01:08:25I thought it meant I would be safe.
01:08:27I thought if you couldn't be intimate with me,
01:08:30then I wouldn't have to be a wife in the way I feared.
01:08:34Anyway, I just wanted a shield.
01:08:38Renard doesn't get angry.
01:08:40He laughs.
01:08:42A shield?
01:08:44You are colder than you look, Eleanor.
01:08:48Good.
01:08:49You will need that indifference.
01:08:51Three days later, there is a carriage from Castellan.
01:08:54Eamon steps inside, holding a thick leather satchel.
01:08:57He upends the satchel onto the table.
01:09:02An iron strongbox key, property deeds, pouches of gold coins, bonds, and the fine.
01:09:09Paid in full.
01:09:12Plus...
01:09:12An extra envelope.
01:09:14With a letter of apology from Jeffrey Castellan.
01:09:18Burn the letter.
01:09:22Take the assets to the castle vault.
01:09:25Have the steward verify the deeds by morning.
01:09:28Morning light filters through the curtains.
01:09:30I sit at my vanity, waiting.
01:09:36Corra slips into the room.
01:09:39She closes the door and approaches me.
01:09:42It happened exactly as you said.
01:09:45Tell me.
01:09:46Your father cornered Lady Castellan in the scriptarium.
01:09:49He demanded her private coffers.
01:09:51Her dowry.
01:09:52She refused at first, screaming that it was for her children.
01:09:57Lord Castellan told her that a wife's dowry belongs to her husband.
01:10:01And using it to pay debts is only right.
01:10:04He said if she didn't sign, she could pack her bags and leave without a penny.
01:10:08And without her children.
01:10:09She signed.
01:10:11She was weeping on the floor when the courier left with the gold writ.
01:10:15But Castellan just stepped over her to pour himself a drink.
01:10:20Afternoon, the iron box Renard gave me sits on the desk, next to the recovered ledgers of my mother's estate.
01:10:27Renard enters.
01:10:30You summoned me, my lady?
01:10:32I didn't summon you.
01:10:34I asked for a moment of your time.
01:10:37I have my mother's inheritance now.
01:10:39It is more than enough.
01:10:41I do not need your charity, Renard.
01:10:43I want to return this.
01:10:46Charity.
01:10:47You think this is charity?
01:10:50It is a loan I no longer require.
01:10:53I can stand on my own two feet.
01:10:55You are a montane.
01:10:57You do not stand alone.
01:11:01My money is your money.
01:11:03My power is your power.
01:11:05This is not a gift.
01:11:07It is your arsenal.
01:11:09Learn to use it.
01:11:13If I keep this, and the inheritance, it's too much.
01:11:19Won't this affect your territory's affairs?
01:11:23Renard rounds the desk in two strides.
01:11:26His hand cups my jaw, his thumb brushing over my lower lip.
01:11:47He leans down, pressing a brief searing kiss to the corner of my mouth, then pulls away.
01:11:53I look at the box.
01:11:54A fortune that could buy half the territory.
01:11:58Then at my reflection.
01:11:59The girl who arrived here with nothing is gone.
01:12:02I stand before the full-length mirror, barely recognizing the woman staring back.
01:12:07The drab gray's woolens Beatrice forced upon me are gone.
01:12:11In their place is a storm of begorial red silk.
01:12:16The door opens.
01:12:18Renard stands in the doorway.
01:12:20His gaze sweeps from the hem-a-dress up to my face.
01:12:24I spent two hundred gold coins this morning.
01:12:27On the dress.
01:12:28The jewelry.
01:12:29The shoes.
01:12:30It is an obscene sumount of money.
01:12:33Good.
01:12:34Good?
01:12:35It's a fortune, Renard.
01:12:37A lady's appearance is an extension of the Lord's power, Eleanor.
01:12:41Therefore, when they look at you, they should see my wealth.
01:12:45My influence.
01:12:47Spend whatever is necessary.
01:12:52Drain the entire territory dry if you have to.
01:12:55I take his hand and walk to the hall.
01:13:00Beautiful.
01:13:01Come here.
01:13:03Let me look at you.
01:13:05Thank you, my lady.
01:13:07You are a true Montaigne matriarch.
01:13:09Your mother would be proud.
01:13:12She pulls a heavy gold bracelet from her shroud pocket.
01:13:15The Montaigne crest.
01:13:17A lion devouring a serpent.
01:13:19This was given to me by my mother-in-law when I buried my first enemy.
01:13:24Now, it is yours.
01:13:28Wear it.
01:13:29Let them know that I stand with you.
01:13:32Florence sits in the corner, her face pale.
01:13:35The girl who was sold by her father for peace, is dead.
01:13:38The woman who lives, is the lady of Montaigne.
01:13:42Audric is still rotting in the crypt.
01:13:44Florence's ledgers are still in my drawer.
01:13:47And the secret of Rina is a first wife perhaps darker than I imagined.
01:13:51The war is not over.
01:13:53But at least today I wear the matriarch's crown.
01:13:56Gone.
01:13:56Gone.
01:13:57Gone.
01:13:57Gone.
01:13:57Gone.
01:13:58Done.
01:13:58Gone.
01:13:58You
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