02x05 - Folge 5

[bunniefuu]

[Previously on...]
Count Andrássy, would you please
accompany me to Vienna?

My husband and you, we must find
a way to pacify our two countries forever.

Bismarck will take his chances on a w*r.

I do not want you to go to w*r
with Prussia and the rebels.

Andrássy and you were imprisoned together?

Yes.
- For how long?

Two days.

And before that you were at his country estate.

At your order.

She kissed him.

I spied on them when they secretly
met in the courtyard last night.

The girl must disappear.

Was my mother a wh*re?

But no. Who says that?
- Did she die because of that?

She was my best friend.
- You're lying!

Where were you last night?

I will not play along to this game.

If you leave now, it will look like
you have something to hide.

I do have something to hide.

Do you love him?

I do not know.

Franz, what are you intending to do? Franz!

Disappear from here.

What have you done?

I will not forge an alliance with this man.

I risked my life to bring Hungary back to our side.

And you threw it all away
because of...of jealousy.

Thousands of soldiers will die.

Maybe you will lose this w*r.
Franz, I am asking you...

I will declare w*r on Bismarck today.

Franz, I am on your side.
- I curse the day I sent you to him.

[Freely told as inspired by historical events]

I am looking for the man
who this horse belongs to.

There.

Count Andrássy-

Highness.

What are you doing here?

I...

I just want to...

I just want to tell you...

as long as I am empress...

your people will always have an ally in Vienna.

I truly do not know what to do anymore.

Ödön Körtek and many other Hungarians will
follow Bismarck into w*r against your husband.

You did what you could.

And I thank you for that.

And I thank you that my last memory of
Vienna will not be a blade at my throat.

Good luck.

I will come back.

To seeing you soon, Marie.

Turn around!

Should I take him?

Difficult times are dawning [on us], Sisi.

For you too.

You are now leading this court.

This country.

Are you able to do that?

Marie.

It's your fault, Franz is going to w*r.

How did you get that idea?

A very powerful man wants
to wage w*r against Franz.

That is why...
- You're lying! You chased him away!

Marie.

Stay where you are!

I am not lying to you.

Then tell me what happened to my mother.
Why is she dead?

Your mum got involved with rebels.

With murderers who wanted to k*ll Franz and me.

The scare on Franz's neck?

That was one of them.

Franz nearly died in my arms.

I am so sorry, Marie.

I sentenced her to death.
I did it.

I wish...

I wish I never did that.

I am so sorry, Marie.

I believe...

I believe she was great distress.

That is why she did it.

And she wanted to protect you.

From this distress.
Do you understand that?

I am sorry.

She asked me to take care of you.

Because she wanted you to have
a better life one day than she did.

I want that too.

Marie.

Marie, I...

I'm so done with your lies!
I want to go to Franz!

Marie?

Marie!

Marie!

Marie!

Highness.

Have you seen Marie?

No.

You are hurt!
- Everything is alright.

Guards?

Yes, Your Majesty?

Find the girl.

Very well.

Yes, Countess.

Marie!

Marie!

Marie!
- Where are you?

Where are you hiding?

Marie! Where are you?
- Marie!

Go search that side.
One room after another.

[Bystřice Valley near Königgrätz (Hradec Králové)]

We will encircle them.

We will expect them here
and drive them towards us.

We should not fight with the forest in the back.
That would be disastrous if we need to retreat.

A soldier who knows there will be no retreat
will fight until his last breath.

I say we fight here.

Stop!

I must talk to Ödön.

I don't know...

if you're suicidal or brave.

We must talk.

Talk? For what?

Austria and Prussia have mobilized.

A great w*r is to come.

Yes.

And as you can see,
we're standing on the right side.

Bismarck will push for supremacy in Europe with force.
And the same force will hit us.

Do you think I didn't calculate for that?

Franz Joseph isn't one jot better than Bismarck.

But I do have treaty with Bismarck.

But Franz Joseph is no longer
the only voice in Vienna.

There is an empress there
who wants to go diplomatic ways.

Way of humanity and respect.

Humanity and respect?

Yes, I know...

you have left that path a long time ago.

I saw it with my own eyes
when you raided my country estate.

Our country is in danger of a civil w*r!

In which brothers will fight sisters.

Our only chance is a common parliament.

The Empress of Austria may be
our best option at freedom and home rule.

And even if these paths may be long and difficult...

they don't cost human lives.

Look at how much agreement you get with that.

I want to take my chances.

So, let us vote!

There'll be no vote here!

There will be!

There will be a vote.

How can I help you?

Your Majesty, honestly we do not really know
who we can turn to with our concern.

You are standing in front of
The Empress of Austria.

Very well.

The Prussians raided a cribosity near Ústí.
We lost provisions for three regiments.

Then we must send new provisions.

Our storages are empty, Your Majesty.

Either the Viennese go hungry
or the soldiers at the front line.

Ration the food in Vienna
to the bare necessities.

This also applies to the Hofburg.

Send as much as possible to the front line.

Yes, Your Majesty.

Is there something else I can do for you?

Speak.

So far it is only a rumor, Your Majesty,
but we presume cholera...

How many cases are there so far?

We do not know.

But there are rumors that
the Prussians are facing the same problem.

As previously said
it is so far only a rumor, Highness.

Report to me as soon as
you know more about it.

Fire!

The Hungarians!

The Hungarians!

Whose side are they on?

Are the children asleep?

Yes.

Is there anything new on Marie?

No. She cannot be found in
the entire Hofburg. She is gone.

But she is very clever.
She will be able to fend for herself.

There are news from the front line.

Encircled.

The Prussians nearly annihilated our army.

If not the Hungarians intervened at the last second.

Count Andrássy.

Franz has retreated to Königgrätz to regroup the army.

For a decisive battle.

The people are scared.

The people shall know Franz was able to free himself from the deadly encirclement at Bystřice with
heroic bravery and the help of our Hungarian friends.

All papers shall print this.

Good.

Thank you.

Maybe you should know something else.

Count Andrássy was hurt.

They will probably bring him
to the military hospital in Vienna.

Why are you telling me this?

I wanted to see with my own eyes
what these news would do to you.

The Empress announces!
The Empress announces!

Franz Joseph and his Hungarian allies freed
themselves with cleverness and heroic bravery
from the encirclement at Bystřice.

The Empress announces!
The Empress announces!

[Looking for girl]

Franz Joseph and his Hungarian allies freed
themselves with cleverness and heroic bravery
from the encirclement at Bystřice.

Do we have enough space?
- It'll do.

Are you driving to the front line?

What do you think?
- Take me with you.

How old are you?

Fifteen.

Now leave!

Hey, give me back the spoon!

Either return the spoon to me or take me with you!

Little one, this isn't a joke. Understood?

Then return the spoon to me!

Better take care
I don't report you to the police.

What is wrong with these men?

You shouldn't be here, Your Majesty.

Answer me.

It's probably cholera, Your Majesty.

Highness.

[Close to the frontline
near Königgrätz (Hradec Králové)]

Your Majesty, you should maybe rest for a bit now.

Why rest?

It would do you good.

It's nice here, isn't it?
Is it nice here? Yeah!

In a few days, we'll face 200,000 Prussians here and
you've got nothing better to do than to wh*re around?

What am I supposed to do?
Squat in my tend and tremble with fear like you?

Take your sword.

What's the point, hm?

Are you scared?

Yes, I'm scared.
Also for you.

I said take your sword.

Maybe you should celebrate a bit more.

The cholera is stealing the people's humors, Your Majesty.

They need water.

A lot of water.

Then, with God's mercy,
they have a chance to survive.

But that might also be the problem.

God's mercy?

No, Your Majesty.

The water.

I know a doctor in London.
Doctor Snow.

This man claims cholera spreads through dirty water.

Please, Your Majesty.

Doctor Snow had contaminated
water pumps shut down.

And allegedly defeated cholera with that.

Then we must clean the water.

If will have an order put out.
The people shall cook their water before they drink it.

Yes.

Thank you.

Wait, I still got something.

You called for me, Highness?

Have a coach hitched up.

What? At this time?

Forgive me, Highness.

With what destination?

The military hospital.

You want to go to him.

Do you wish me to escort you?

No.

Yes, Highness.

You have visitors.

Mum? Néné?

We wanted to be with you
in these difficult hours.

They say the decisive battle
against the Prussians will be soon.

I know my sister.

Even in the darkest hours,
she will find something to complain about.

I am very proud of you.

Thank you, mum.

Settle in first.

I will have your rooms prepared.

What is it?

Aunt Sophie already reported to us how well
you are holding the reins during this difficult time.

Sisi,...

I always envied you.

For all of this.

But now I see what a high price you are paying.

I chose this life myself.

And is this your life?

It is the life of an empress.

So it is also mine.

When Franz was in Possenhofen,
I tried to take him from you.

At least for one night.

But he did not want to go behind your back.

Franz loves you like on the first day.

I understood that now.

And I do not even begrudge you for that, Sisi.

Highness?

The coach is ready.

I am going to bed now.

But the coach...

Maybe a schnaps?

Get up!

Come on, soldier.
Snap to attention.

I expect readiness for battle.

No more alcohol from now on!

For no one!

Let the a*tillery take up position.

But Lord General...

The Emperor wants it this way.

We still stay.

Yes, sir.

You wanted to speak with me.

Thank you for coming, mum.

You know Bismarck personally, don't you?

He has even been to Possenhofen before.
But back then you were very small.

And he was a young corps student.

He already thought of himself as invulnerable
and morally superior despite him borrowing money
for the gambling casino from your father and...

...never having the intention of paying it back.

I know the story from papa.

You are afraid of him.

I am too.

He will enforce his vision of
a German major power for all he is worth.

I want you to accompany me to Bismarck.

For God's sake, you want to go to him?

To play the last card
Austria still holds.

Is it a good card?

It is a ruse.

Does Franz know about this?

You do not have to come along
if you do not want to.

Sisi, your trust honors me.

Of course, I will accompany you.

Thank you, mum.

Mum?

I have another question.

Have you ever...

Has there ever been another man in your life?

You mean...

Once.

Who was it?

Did you ever regret it?
- No.

Can I help you somehow?

I know nothing at all anymore, mum.

Sometimes you only understand years later
what the things that happened to us were good for.

[Prussian base near Königgrätz]

Forward! Forward!
Stop immediately and check it.

Why don't we move the troops to the Western flank?

The Empress of Austria.

I expect a precise remark on this strategy.

Maybe we shouldn't have this conversation right now.

How dare you...

Otto.

Ludovika.

Long time.

So, The Emperor sends his wife and his mother-in-law?

My husband does not know we are here.

Look at that.

Napoleon helped Austria to finance this w*r.

He will certainly not stand back and watch
how you annihilate my husband.

And I already thought Napoleon was my friend.

In our position there are no friends, Count von Bismarck.

Only political interests.

If France enters this w*r,

and it will sooner or later
and then against you,

then there will be a bloodshed on a scale
Europe has never seen before.

Let us find a solution.

Away from the b*ttlefield.

Disappear!

Otto.

This w*r is not just fought
on the b*ttlefield anymore.

Where else?

In the military hospitals.

We know how much cholera afflicts your army.

And soon it will not be just about your soldiers.

Soon also the women and children at home will die.

By the thousands.

You are no different.
- False.

Vienna has found a way
to keep the epidemic at bay.

I hope somewhere deep inside of you
there is still a spark of humanity.

Everything you need to know is written in here.

What do you want for this?

Do the right thing.

You tried.

Thank you, mum

The w*r is not lost yet.

We will take a detour via the military hospital.

Why?

I hope all of this will make sense one day.

It will, my dear.

Where is Count Andrássy?

He returned to the front line, Your Majesty.

Did he...

Did he leave something? A letter maybe?

I'm sorry, Your Majesty.

Please leave me alone for a moment.

Over here! Over here!

Franz, we must retreat!

We stay!

Run! Run!

Franz!

Retreat!