King & Conqueror (2025) s01e08 Episode Script

Switch horses, come on!
- Any news from the south?
- No, Your Majesty.
Duke William, has he landed?
- Have the Normans invaded?
- We've not got word, sir.
- He could still be in Normandy.
- He's on his way, I know it. Come on!
- My Lord, wait!
- HORSE NEIGHS
HORSE NEIGHS
- DOOR THUDS.
- Has William landed?
- This morning. We just received word.
- Then there's still time.
I ordered Earl Morcar to march
his troops south to meet us here.
If we can attack William
before he digs in,
- we can drive him into the sea.
- And the rest of your army? - In York.
We had to leave anyone
who couldn't ride.
We need horses and we need men.
Your Majesty, I'm glad to see you home.
Where's?
Where's Tostig?
Is he here?
Is he with you?
Tell me.
Tell me!
Tostig
..died a hero's death,
my Lady.
Where are the children?
They're waiting to see you.
ECHOING: Tostig!
Tostig!
- TOSTIG'S VOICE ECHOES.
- Harold!
FREYA CRIES
Freya.
Hello, Freya.
- Sh, sh, sh.
- Harold, I have to talk to you.
Not with the children.
Margaret, are you there?
You watch the children, please.
Of course.
I'm leaving England.
I'm taking the children with me.
I know what it is that you think
you have to do, Harold,
and I know that I can't stop you,
but I will not be apart of this.
If you lose,
William will kill Magnus for sure,
if not all three children,
just for being your blood.
Then why do you think that I'll lose?
- I just defeated King Hardrada himself.
- WHISPERS: And look at you.
Look at what it's done to you.
I can't be here to see this, Harold,
I can't.
I love you,
but you and I do not live
in the same world as each other,
not any more. We can't fool ourselves.
Who do you think will take you, hmm?
Not a soul will transport you
abroad without my warrant.
Do you really think I would be
saying this if I hadn't found a way?
I can stop you. You know that,
don't you? I can stop you.
Yes, I know that.
I know you think you can do anything,
but you can't change my mind.
There's word from our spies, my Lord.
Harold Godwinson has returned to London.
- So Harold has defeated King Hardrada?
- We will fight Harold.
- Did he return with an army?
- Unclear.
But the speed with which he moved,
there's no way he's returned
- with infantry.
- Then we'll press advantage.
Draw him to us, move to higher
ground with everything we've got.
Quickly, while he's vulnerable.
And as we travel,
order the men to live off the land.
- Live off the people?
- Tell them to plunder and burn every village.
Nothing's to be spared. We move
north like the wrath of God.
Yes, my Lord.
This will not make us popular.
I know Harold,
his temper won't stand for this.
As soon as he hears of it, he won't
be able to fight me fast enough.
- Has Baron Richard kept his word?
- He has, my Lady,
and he has been extremely cooperative
in providing the list of names.
Have we really reverted
to such superstition?
They believe the sky is a sign.
The Church always believes
that God is displeased.
No doubt my father is milking it
for all it's worth.
Do you think he suspects Baron
Richard has told of us his plan?
Let's hope not.
You gave your father his dying wish.
- Look what you've done with it.
- I didn't provoke this invasion.
But you're thirsting for it.
Look at you!
Look at that fire burning away in you!
- You think that I wanted this crown?
- Yes, I think you wanted it!
You could have protected him.
You could have.
You should never have sent Tostig
away. He needed you.
But you chose that crown.
To protect us! To protect this family!
And what use, if you couldn't
protect him?
He was your blood!
Protect this family? What family?
My children are dead!
You and William have condemned us
to a world of blood.
The very world your father spent
his entire life trying to heal.
Where's the victory if the whole
world burns to achieve it?
What do you win?
What does Tostig win?
If you fail after all this,
it will have been for nothing.
They will have all died for nothing.
What are you doing
going through my things?
- Harold, do not stop me, this is not about us.
- You don't understand.
Yes, I do understand.
You said you took
that crown to become King
and protect your children.
That is what I am doing.
What if my mother is right
about the crown?
About Tostig?
Tell me what happened to him.
Tell me.
Tostig died.
He he died, and I
..I didn't intend to.
He saved my life,
but I killed him, Edith.
HE CRIES
I killed him!
KNOCK ON DOOR
- Your Majesty
- The King is not to be disturbed.
Your Majesty,
there are reports from Wessex.
Norman soldiers are there
in the thousands.
They are pillaging and destroying
everything in their path,
whole communities along the coast.
On the orders of the Duke?
There's no other explanation.
SOLDIERS YELL
Harold, stop! You have to wait
for Morcar and his army,
you can't do this without him!
- Get off me!
- Harold, you cannot face him! You don't have the numbers.
I don't need numbers
when I have surprise.
Hardrada made that mistake,
and now William's making
the exact same one.
Mother, speak to him, please.
It's a good location, my Lord.
We have the high ground facing
north and east.
- Send out the cavalry to patrol.
- My Lord, we have the horizon.
- There's no chance of surprise attacks.
- Patrols, night and day.
My Lord.
Here, take this.
If you're not going to sleep,
you can at least eat.
- Why are you here, Odo?
- Because I was pushed into a boat.
- What do you think?
- When I was stuck on that beach, you left Normandy.
You could have run the length of Europe,
but you came back with the papal banner.
- Why?
- Because you needed me to.
You, the grand Duke, needed me,
the useless half-brother. It's not
a weakness to need people, you know?
- It doesn't change who you are.
- I know who I am. - Do you?
I hope that crown does bring you
peace, William
..or all of this was for nothing.
Is that the full list?
Everyone who received
your father's letter, my Lady.
- Have any replied to him?
- Not yet.
I don't think you're done with that.
Not until you've added
your own name to the bottom of it.
- You don't think William will return?
- Do you?
No, of course you don't.
Why else would you get him to
make your son regent in his absence?
- You need his power once he's dead.
- You talk like it's a done thing.
Of course, he might come back,
he might become King.
But I, like you, deal in realities.
And the most likely reality
is that William will not return,
which leaves your grasp on power
tenuous at best.
I control Normandy.
Do you?
The nobles who stayed behind
did so for one reason alone.
They also don't believe
William will live.
The sky is on fire, Matilda.
God's screaming a message
to all of Normandy.
He's displeased.
He wants change.
And this is the solution?
France, Flanders and Normandy,
all under one rule?
It's the wisest choice.
Sign your power over to me.
Give me the reins. Let me lead.
Sit by my side.
As what?
As my daughter.
The smartest woman in Europe.
Just not as smart as you?
You've always been wiser than me.
Don't miss your chance.
My next offer may not be so generous.
I don't want your son to end up
like his father.
We'll make the supplies last.
He has been sighted, my Lord.
Harold Godwinson
is on the road from London.
He could be here as early as tomorrow.
Find my brother to deliver a message.
Let's make sure Harold's blood stays up.
- Yes, my Lord.
- They'll need to leave immediately.
Morcar should be riding south
to support Harold,
but instead he's made camp outside
the town walls and refuses to move.
Margaret intends to speak to him.
Edith? She needs your help.
Harold needs it.
Harold has made it clear that
he requires no further help from me.
Margaret is a child.
She will never convince her brother.
Gunhild, I have no time.
I have to leave.
Harold needs these troops.
Edith, he'll die.
Without Morcar, Harold will die.
Morcar is coming here.
Can you wait for him?
A trap?
He's picked a bad place for one.
So?
King William is the rightful ruler
of England.
And as such, he graciously offers you,
Harold, the royal pretender,
a chance to yield in the face
of your utter destruction.
If you do not, you will die
and history will remember
the name of Harold
with nothing but ignominy and shame.
I know what you're doing.
You tell William I wear this crown
because King Edward named me
as the rightful heir
on his deathbed.
Yeah, and I know a good story
when I hear one.
Look, I'm the only man
who's seen both armies.
You can't beat him.
You have less than half the men he has.
William's offering you a chance.
Only fool would not take it.
William's offering me nothing.
He knows that I'll refuse this,
and when I do,
his conscience will be clear.
If you think he has a conscience,
then you really don't know him at all.
Of course he has a conscience.
I'm looking at it.
The offer has been put.
I can do no more.
Trying to talk you into a mistake.
It's William who's made the mistake.
He's camped to the south-west.
Are you sure?
Those horses were rested and watered
this morning.
My guess, he's taken the ridge
just beyond Catsfield.
He thinks he has the higher ground.
We may have lost the element
of surprise,
but this is our land.
Turn the men east.
- Senlac Hill?
- Exactly.
Margaret.
Brother.
And you have your ladies with you.
Why have you made camp?
- The King needs you to
- I am speaking with the Queen.
You will wait until
you are invited to speak.
You made an agreement with Harold.
Yes.
Before he chose to destroy his army
against a Viking madman.
A Viking madman you ran away from,
if I am to understand events correctly.
I did no such thing.
You want William of Normandy
as your King?
Is that your idea of the future?
Please, don't tell me you're here
to plead Harold's virtues.
I'm here to keep you alive.
Isn't that what you want?
What I want?
What I want is respect for Mercia.
For my people not to be barked at
like dogs by you southlanders.
That's what I want.
Isn't that right, Margaret?
Your Majesty.
- What?
- You will address me as Your Majesty.
You will address us all as Your Majesty!
How dare you?!
No! How dare you?!
You come here with an army
just to play childish games.
Nothing you want will ever happen
if William becomes King.
If you think he is the sort of man
who strikes deals with his enemies,
then you are sorely mistaken.
Support Harold, or you will be
lucky to make it back to Mercia
at the same time as your head.
You want respect, Morcar?
Prove yourself.
Harold has stopped and made camp
three miles to the north-east.
He didn't take your brother's bait.
He's choosing not to fight.
He's waiting for something.
Reinforcements?
We need to take the fight to him
while we have the greater numbers.
Make sure your archers know their range.
Yes, my Lord.
Tell them to aim for the crown.
Their army is on the way.
If William attacks us head on,
the slope will rob him of speed.
If he tries to flank us,
we can move to block.
Let him beat his forces to death
against our shield wall
while we wait for Morcar.
Fresh Mercian swords will give us
all the advantage we need.
If he gets here.
He will get here.
Right will prevail for Wessex.
For England, sir.
For England.
CHILDREN LAUGH
TAPPING
What are you doing?
Magnus!
Enough!
Margaret, come in here.
Take the King's children
and see that they rest.
Yes, Lady Gytha.
- MARGARET WHISPERS.
- Come on.
CHILDREN CHATTER QUIETLY
You used to address me like that.
No.
Never you.
I think you could have helped me more.
Could I?
If I'd taken your side,
would that have helped you?
The person you have become,
who's navigated all this with Harold?
If I hadn't believed it was in you,
I would never have let him marry you.
But your children
need your strength now.
Don't wait too long,
or no boat will take you.
When the battle starts
..there is no getting away.
As soon as we make a move,
there'll be a wall of Saxon shields
on that hillside.
We'll use infantry and archers.
Grind him till he breaks.
We must strike them
before they get their reinforcement.
Kneel before God!
Any word from Morcar?
Nothing.
Send out scouts.
I need to know when he's close.
Like all of you, I was born here,
on this soil.
On this land.
Our land!
THEY CHEER
This is our land.
Today we are no different.
Wessex, Northumbria,
I see you all!
We are born
..we die.
But what happens in between,
that is what makes history.
And history is our burden now.
Born at this time,
alive on this day.
Everything you see,
in every direction, it is all yours.
THEY CHEER
This land was given to Normandy
by God himself.
We do not stand here today as invaders,
but as liberators,
because I am the true King of England.
CHEERING
We have the opportunity
to buy the future for our children,
our wives, our sisters, our brothers!
Today is all that matters now.
This day!
Everything we have ever done,
all that we have ever sacrificed,
leads to this day,
this chance to set things right!
CHEERING
We will win!
- THEY SHOUT.
- Yes!
- We have to win!
- Yes!
Do not hesitate. Do not think of mercy!
We are righteous!
This is our haven, our fortress.
Our empire to be!
CHEERING
Today we take victory!
CHEERING
Just like we did against the Vikings!
CHEERING
Just like we did against
King Hardrada himself!
CHEERING
England is ours.
CHEERING
The crown is ours!
CHEERING
And victory will be ours!
CHEERING
Let us drive those barbarian
invaders into the sea!
- HE SHOUTS.
- Long live King Harold!
ALL: Long live King Harold!
CHEERING
Duke William!
CHEERING
- Duke William!
- Duke William! - Duke William!
Victory! Victory! Victory!
Shield wall!
Shield wall! Shield wall!
Shields!
Archers!
HORNS BLOW
On your mark!
Draw!
Loose!
Close the gap!
Draw!
Loose!
Close the gap!
Close the gap!
Infantry!
HORN BLOWS
ARMIES YELL
Steady!
Hold the line!
- Hold the line!
- Hold the line! - Hold the line!
Shields up!
- Shields up!
- Shields up! - Shields up!
HE YELLS
Hold the line!
HOLD THE LINE!
HORN BLOWS
HORN BLOWS
Draw!
Loose!
William's not used to fighting
without his horses.
This is all he's got. He thinks
he's going to break us with it.
Then he's never met a Saxon shield wall.
His numbers will keep falling.
With Morcar's reinforcements,
we're going to annihilate them.
We just have to hold.
Infantry!
Brace the wall!
Hold the wall.
Hold the line!
SOLDIERS YELL
Why are you still here?
Our ports have closed.
No ship will leave now without
the King's warrant.
You've done all you could, Edith.
You brought him his army.
What if he fails?
We've done all we could.
Morcar is on his way.
DISTANTLY AUDIBLE SHOUTING AND CLASHING
SOLDIERS YELL AND SCREAM
Hold the wall!
Hold the line!
To the left!
We need more soldiers at the wall.
Our numbers are wearing thin.
BATTLE TUMULT FADES
HE GRUNTS
SOMBRE CHORAL MUSIC PLAYS
It is done, my lady.
Your father has been summoned.
FOOTSTEPS APPROACH
Matilda?
You asked to see me?
This explains in exact detail
everything you will receive
in payment for France's
protection of Normandy.
Very smart.
There's nothing on here.
And that is what you will receive.
Nothing.
- There are others.
- No.
The Barons and the people
of Normandy believe in William
and they believe in me.
We stand united.
Do you?
And we reject your attempt
to deceive us.
This little plan changes nothing.
The future of Normandy is ours.
Normandy will be mine.
I want you to remember
that from this moment on, you have
your life only because I allowed it.
Rest assured, my next offer
will not be so generous.
DEPARTING FOOTSTEPS
DISTANT BATTLE CHAOS
My lord.
The men await your orders.
Sire, if we do not help
King Harold right now
We wait.
- My lord?
- I said we wait.
Morcar's here.
How far?
He's stopped.
Stopped?
His whole army, stopped dead.
He's just watching.
That fucking coward!
He's waiting to see who wins.
The shield wall is holding.
We're losing too many men.
This is impossible, my lord.
We have to do something.
How much longer, William?
William, we need to do something.
The only way this ends
is if one of us dies.
Harold or me.
We have to break William's nerve
once and for all.
We pull our wall higher up the hill.
We make him climb even higher.
I'll see to it.
You understand the plan?
Keep your eyes on me, Odo.
You'll know what to do.
- Come on!
- HORSE NEIGHS
Protect the Duke! We ride!
It's William.
Strike the Duke!
Ready the spears!
HE YELLS
Where is he?!
The Duke's dead!
Duke William's dead!
Retreat! The Duke's dead!
The Duke is dead! The Duke has fallen!
Where is William?
Where is the Duke?
Retreat! Retreat!
The Duke's dead!
They are retreating! Let's get them!
Wait! Hold!
- They are running away!
- Hold the line!
Hold the line!
They are running away! Let's get them!
No! Hold the line!
Finish them!
Wait! HOLD!
No! The wall is breaking!
Hold the wall! Hold the wall!
Duke William's alive! The Duke's alive!
The Duke lives!
HORN BLOWS
- ATTACK! Follow your Duke!
- The Duke is alive!
He is riding left!
Look left!
Hold the line!
HOLD THE LINE!
ATTACK!
Follow your Duke!
Duke William's alive!
Turn around and fight!
Turn around and fight!
My King, the wall is broken!
My helmet!
My shield!
William!
WILLIAM!
Harold!
That crown. You're going to have
to give it up now.
I can't.
So be it.
So be it.
Argh!
Argh!
Argh!
Argh!
Argh!
The Duke! Protect the Duke!
Argh!
HE GASPS
The King is dead! King Harold is dead!
- King Harold is dead.
- King Harold is dead.
It was the hand of God
who slayed King Harold.
See his arrow.
Hurled down from God's heavenly fire!
Long live King William!
The true King of England!
Long live the King!
CROWD: Long live the King!
Long live the King!
CROWD: Long live the King!
Long live the King!
CROWD CHANT: Long live the King!
CROWD CHEERS
He told me to give you this if
..if he did not return.
William may have victory,
but people will remain loyal
to Harold
..for a time.
FOOTSTEPS APPROACH
It is a victory, My Lady.
Is he alive?
Yes.
Go and tell the people that our Duke
is the new King of England.
Take her inside.
Is that your husband?
We need the people to hear
that the body was identified
by someone intimate with him.
Edith, look at him! Is it your husband?
It's him.
Louder.
QUIETLY: Yes, it's him.
King Harold is dead.
And do you see that it was
God's arrow that killed him?
What have you become, William?
He has become your King.
Answer the question!
And will the King show mercy
because my children will be
hunted like bastards now?
And what's to become of them?
Do you see that it was God's arrow
that killed your husband?
Take your children far from England.
Do not come back.
Then, yes, King Harold was killed
with God's arrow.
You've heard the truth, spoken clear.
Tell the people.
No-one will doubt this.
You're their King.
Long live King William!
Long live the King!
CROWD: Long live the King!
Long live the King!
CROWD: Long live the King!
Long live the King!
CROWD: Long live the King!
Long live the King!
CROWD: Long live the King!
Long live the King!
CROWD: Long live the King!
Long live the King!
CROWD: Long live the King!