02x04 - The Witchfinder

[bunniefuu]

The morning God Flame has finally risen

to give us a bit of warmth, Princess.

[DOOR OPENS]

[BELLS JINGLING]

[HARMONY] Good morning, Your Majesty.

[QUEEN KANE]
It is a beautiful day, Maghra.

The entire city will rejoice with you.

It is a shame Father
couldn't be here with us

to celebrate your wedding day.

[SIGHS]

Lilac, lavender and honey.

- [MAGHRA SIGHS]
- You'll make the most appealing bride.

Leave that.

Princess, you must be completely
unadorned for the marriage ceremony.

- No. I will not remove this cuff.
- It's the law of the land.

Handmaiden, what is your name?

Harmony, Your Majesty.

Harmony? That is a beautiful name.

Give me your hand, Harmony.

[BELLS JINGLING]

Harmony,

are you in the habit
of telling princesses

what they may and may not do?

Perhaps you would tell
your queen as well?

[GASPS] No, Your Majesty, never.

Then hush and leave her.

Hmm. The princess is fully slathered.
You may go, Harmony.

Yes, Your Majesty.

[SIGHS]

[DOOR CLOSES]

The Pennsan people,
and that means all of them,

even insignificant servants,
must believe this is a true union.

Don't worry. I will play my part.

You're not in this alone.

Yes, I am. You are not
the one being unfaithful.

[SIGHS]

This marriage will serve us all.

When your children are found
and brought here to you,

it'll be this arrangement
that'll keep them safe.

[TUNING FORK ECHOES]

Some people would be insulted
by their sister tuning them out.

Sibeth, you can never be silenced.

God knows I've tried.

Here.

Remember when you were little,
and I'd wash your hair?

Don't stop.

Please.

Can you please just... just stay back?

I promise you, no one is going
to k*ll me on this path.

Yeah, well, not with
me here, they're not.

Haniwa. Haniwa, wait for me.

[GRUNTS, SIGHS]

Listen, there's no harm in having a...

a dedicated warrior by your side.

I know I'm grateful
for you and your arrows.

I can hear you thinking.

[SCOFFS]

Yesterday, I was mourning my mother.

Today, she is a living princess,

and I am thinking back
on every moment of my childhood,

wondering what was
true and what still is.

We will know soon, my love.

Not soon enough.

[PARIS GROANS]

[SIGHS, EXCLAIMS]

You know, uh, I'm not a thr*at to you.

You mistake my contempt for fear.

Tell me, Witchfinder General,
how many lives have you taken?

Enough to damn my soul many times over.

And yet, you will k*ll the queen
whom you have served.

There is not enough damnation for you.

No. I suspect not.

[PANTING]

Mmm.

- Are you all right?
- Yeah, I'm fine.

- We should've stayed another night.
- Nah, it's nothing.

If your head fell off, you would
pick it up and carry it to Pennsa.

No, I would make you carry it.

- [CHUCKLES]
- [CHUCKLES] Ouch.

[BANGING]

These brave soldiers d*ed

trying to stop the m*rder*r, Baba Voss,
from escaping Trivantes.

They d*ed heroes,
and they will be avenged.

[SOBBING]

A valiant soldier
of the republic remembered forever.

A sacred son of Trivantes,
now one with us.

[WOMAN CRYING]

[WOMAN] Rendayo. My son.

Madame Orrie.

Rendayo was a patriot and a hero.

[SNIFFLING]

I immensely admired him
as if he were my own son.

Those responsible for his death
will suffer. You have my word.

[WOMAN CRIES]

[SNIFFLES]

[CRYING]

You have news for me?

Yes, General Voss.
A Witchfinder looking for asylum.

A Witchfinder.

If true, this will be the first time

one of Tamacti Jun's soldiers
has broken ranks.

What is he trading?

He insists he will speak only to you.

Ah.

And he will likely regret that.

Bring him to me.

- [GUARD] Come on.
- [GRUNTING, GROANING]

I am Commander General Edo Voss,

and I understand you
wish to speak to me.

Yes, sir.

You are the first of the queen's
Witchfinders that I've met

that wasn't already impaled
on the end of my sword.

I have information you will want, sir.

And why would I trust a soldier
who betrays his own kingdom?

My kingdom is no longer
the kingdom I swore to defend.

And how's that?

I am sworn to protect the Payan kingdom

from the evils of witchcraft
and therefore...

I am familiar with Witchfinders, boy.

Including those who might have sight
or seek to facilitate its return.

[EDO VOSS] And now,
your queen decrees that the sighted

are, in fact, not witches.

[STAMMERS] Yes, sir.

In fact, she also claims

to be carrying a sighted
child in her own womb.

Yes, sir.

Boy, did you really desert your
own army and face certain death

to come here and tell me something
my spies reported days ago?

- Hobble him and sell him to the Slavers.
- [DAX] No, no.

- [GUARD] Come on.
- Sir.

- Commander Voss, there are others.
- [EDO VOSS] Stop!

Others?

Hers won't be the first sighted child
within the Payan royal family.

There are two, already grown.

And these children already grown...

is one of them a girl called Haniwa?

[DAX] Yes.

[EDO VOSS] Mmm.

So, this is Pennsa?

Yes.

Is it always this quiet?

[SIGHS] No. Never.

Something's wrong.

There's soldiers ahead.

Stay here and say nothing.

- Uh, should we be worried?
- Not we, you.

- [HORSE NICKERS]
- [TOAD SIGHS]

- This is gonna be tricky.
- Why? Isn't my mother here?

- She's here.
- So, what's the problem?

The thing of it is... [SIGHS]

... she's apparently
getting married today.

Baba, my love...

forgive me.

[KOFUN] Mom?

Mom!

Kofun?

- Mom. Mom! Mom! [CHUCKLES]
- [GASPS]

Whew. [GASPS] You're alive.

My baby.

Oh, I've searched for you every
day since we were separated.

I never stopped.

Mmm. Mom they said that
you're getting married today.

That can't be true, can it? [INHALES]

I will explain everything.

Where's your father? And Haniwa?

He went into Trivantes to get her back.

Trivantes?

- [KNOCKING]
- [HARMONY] Princess Maghra, it's time.

Wait. Why... Why Trivantes?

What happened with Jerlamarel?

How can you be getting married today?

[HARMONY] Lord Harlan is waiting,
and the queen is growing impatient.

- I'm coming.
- Who is Lord Harlan?

I will explain everything later.
I have to go, Kofun.

- I just need you to trust me.
- Mama?

[WHISPERS] Mama, you can't do this.

I... I can't stop this.

Your father would understand.

No, I don't think he would
understand why his dead wife

is marrying someone else.

- Kofun...
- Stop saying my name

and do something to fix this!

I... I don't know what is happening,

- Mama, but you can't go through with it.
- Be quiet!

I am still the mother you knew,
and you are still my son.

But things have changed.

Now, I'm doing this for you
and for all of us.

So you stay here.
You stay here in my room,

and you speak to no one,

and then we will talk
when all of this is over. I promise.

- I promise.
- [GRUNTS] D-Don't do this.

- Don't do this.
- I have to.

I have so many questions.

[BABA VOSS RETCHES, SNIFFS, GROANS]

[COUGHING]

- [COUGHS]
- All right, that's enough.

- Ah, I just need a moment. [SIGHS]
- Paris?

- [BABA VOSS GRUNTS]
- [PANTING]

[BABA VOSS GRUNTS, SIGHS]

- [GRUNTS] Woman.
- Oh!

I feel the fever through your clothing.

- It's not gonna k*ll me.
- You need a healer.

We'll find one in Pennsa.

Baba. You'll be dead
by the time we get there.

We are in the Lakelands now,
not far from the Valier.

They will offer us shelter and a healer.

Papa?

- [SIGHS]
- Please.

Okay, my love.

[TAMACTI JUN] I cannot accompany
you to Valier territory.

Well, that is where we are going.

Understand, the hidden tribes
were not hidden to me.

The Valier suffered greatly at my hands.

You stay quiet and camp nearby.
We'll find you on the way out.

[SIGHS, SNIFFLES]

Or not.

[SPITS]

[BABA VOSS GROANS]

[QUEEN KANE, CROWD VOCALIZING]

Our God, beyond your flame above...

let your will be done
on this special day

in this holiest of unions.

Give guidance, clear paths,

condemn those who trespass against us

to writhe within your fire and smoke.

For Thine is the darkness,
the power and the glory.

Forever and ever.

Princess Maghra and Lord Harlan...

you enter this union
adorned in scented splendor.

[CLICKS TONGUE]

[CLICKS TONGUE]

You've pledged
your commitment to each other

with the joining of bodies
and souls before God.

So, by the divine ordination
bestowed upon me,

you may seal your union.

[CHEERING]

[BELLS JINGLING]

- [WOMAN MURMURS]
- Thank you, you too.

- [MAN SHOUTS]
- [GASPS]

[SIGHS]

Princess Maghra.

Any wife of Harlan's
is a sister of mine.

Maghra, you remember my brother.

- [HARLAN] Thank you.
- Kerrigan. I changed your diapers.

Well. Lucky for all of us,
I have people for that now.

[CHUCKLES, SNIFFS, GRUNTS]

[CHUCKLES]

- Thank you.
- [MAGHRA CHUCKLES] Oh.

- [HARLAN] Thank you so much.
- Oh.

- I'm sorry. Sorry.
- [KERRIGAN] Mmm.

All right. Go, go. Get off. Go.

- [CHARLOTTE] Are we close?
- [PARIS] Yes.

Because I don't think the big
one can make it much further,

and I don't think
we'll be able to carry him.

[SHUSHES]

- Who's there?
- [METAL SCRAPING]

Make yourself known.

[MAN] Who enters Valier territory
without announcing themselves?

Brother! We bring no thr*at. I am Paris.

We are the last of the Alkenny.

No. I am last of the Alkenny.

- Chet-chet.
- Chet-chet-chet.

Bow! [CHUCKLING, EXCLAIMING]

Lion.

- [PARIS] Ah, Bow Lion. [CHUCKLES]
- [CHUCKLES]

[SNIFFS] Oh, Paris.

[QUEEN KANE] Kofun?

- Is it you?
- [SWORD CLATTERS]

It's okay. You're safe.

I'm your Aunt Sibeth.

I was overjoyed when I heard
you were finally here.

We've been waiting
such a long time for you.

[BELLS JINGLING]

Will you embrace me?

[GASPING]

[GASPS]

You're taller than your parents.

Would you like something?
Anything to drink? I'll send for it.

No. Thank you.

How tragic we're only meeting
now for the first time.

You hunted us my whole life.

If only Maghra had
announced herself long ago,

I would've protected her, protected you.

She knew that.

We were hunting Jerlamarel
and his children.

I didn't know they were Maghra's.

I'd been led to believe
Jerlamarel had k*lled my sister.

I believed him to be the devil.

You know that's not true.
Why'd my mother stay hidden?

Whatever mistakes she made,

I'm sure she made them
to keep you and your sister safe,

which is what I'm trying
to do right now.

Well, even with your decree,

people in Paya still believe
a witch is to be b*rned.

I've been known to change a few minds.

It might take a bit of time,

but the Payans will learn, as I have,

to embrace those with sight as blessed.

How difficult for you,

journeying to this place, arriving
on your mother's wedding day.

The world must seem upside down.

But know this,

no one shall stand against you,
not while you're in my kingdom.

Do you believe me?

I don't know.

I want to.

Fair enough.

Many good things start with... desire.

[INHALES]

- [CHUCKLES]
- [BREATHES HEAVILY]

I've arranged a room for you.
We'll talk again soon?

[EDO VOSS] Queen Kane's w*r
council is mobilizing her armies.

And we've learned from
the Payan defector

that not only has
Princess Maghra returned,

but she comes with two grown
children, Haniwa and Kofun.

Both sighted.

The Payan fanatics will
burn them at the stake.

[EDO VOSS] They will do
as their queen commands.

With two sighted children
in the royal family now of age,

they are an even greater thr*at.

[THE m*llitary]
We don't know their intentions.

We know they took the trouble

to break their Witchfinder General
out of captivity.

That is intention enough.
We must strike now.

It would be su1c1de
for the Payans to att*ck us.

The queen may be crazy,
but she's not a fool.

Still, these are troubling developments.

I can muster our forces
in a matter of d...

No, steady, Edo.

The Ganites are still
raining sh*t on us out west.

And you yourself stood here
and heard the council's attitude

about an eastern campaign.

- You will never sell it.
- No. You will do that.

[THE m*llitary]
You overestimate my influence.

I am but one third of the Triangle.

But still,

I will convince the council to request

a diplomatic summit with the Payans.

- Trivantians do not sue for peace!
- We do what we need to do.

And you will do as ordered.
Do you understand?

Yes, sir.

If for nothing else,

it will give us time to bring
a battalion or two east,

if it comes to that.

Understood.

I will let you know
what the council decides.

[BOW LION] Breathe slow and
deep, Baba, and drink this.

[TAPPING CUP]

- It will give you strength.
- [SIGHS]

[GROANS] When did you become a healer?

I'm not yet, but I've been learning
from the healers here.

Those roots should absorb the infections
so that the fever can pass.

You've lost so much, all because of us.

Still, you take us in.

[BOW LION] We are one tribe, remember?

Yeah, I remember.

[BREATHING HEAVILY]

[BELLS JINGLING]

[MAGHRA] Kofun?

[HARLAN] No. Not Kofun.

[MAGHRA] What are you doing in here?

Maghra, it's our wedding night.
Where else am I gonna be?

[BELLS JINGLING]

This is not a marriage.
This is an alliance.

Right, but... but it can be both.

Put on your pants, Harlan.
I need your help.

- Now.
- Fine.

[HARLAN GRUNTS]

[TAPPING]

They made me sneak you
some pheasant and ale.

Don't worry. I didn't poison it,
if that's what you're thinking.

I had no such thought.

And I had no such poison.

[PLATE CLATTERS]

[LIQUID SLOSHES]

[ANDAL] Our Alkenny
brothers and sisters,

last time you came to us,
we turned you away.

You healed our Bow Lion.

It is more than we could've hoped for.

It is you who bring us a message
of hope upon your return.

We feared that you would
lead Witchfinders to us,

because when they had come prior,

they said the sighted hid
amongst the Alkenny.

- [SWORDS CLASHING]
- [WOMEN SCREAMING]

They slaughtered men, women, children.

Their blades didn't discriminate,

all because the Witchfinders believed
we had knowledge of witches.

[SCREAMS ECHOING]

Those of us who lived were
spared only to spread the fear.

But we will rebuild.
We're already making babies.

We will make ourselves whole

to honor the memory of
the many that were lost.

[SCREAMS ECHOING]

Stop!

[ANDAL] And now word comes

that the queen will no longer
send her Witchfinders,

as she no longer searches for witches.

The queen may yet change her mind,

but tonight, we celebrate your escape

from Trivantes and savor our freedom...

[SIGNALING] Tamacti Jun is here.

... however short-lived, from
the queen and her Witchfinders.

[TAPPING]

[ANDAL] These are uncertain times,

but we face them with hope

for a future more peaceful
than our past.

[GRUNTS]

- Have you lost your mind?
- [GRUNTS]

The Valier deserve retribution.
I owe 'em that much.

[BABA VOSS] No, you owe me, Witchfinder.

You think I don't wanna
rip your throat out

every time I hear your voice?

You slaughtered my people too.

But you do not get to die.

Your punishment is you will live
with what you have done.

Death must be earned too, Witchfinder,
every bit as much as life.

[BREATHES HEAVILY]

That's his favorite spot.

And... his favorite chair.

- Kerrigan. Come on.
- [GROANS]

Wake the f*ck up. Come on.

[SNIFFS] Princess. [SIGHS]

I can still smell the blossoms on you.

You two should be home,
rolling around in sticky sheets.

I need your help.

- Brother, not up to the task?
- We need you to cross the border.

What's the cargo?

Her daughter, Haniwa.

She's being held by the Trivantian army.

- Oh.
- Yeah.

Yeah, f*ck off.

Please.

[KERRIGAN] Princess,
generally in my trade,

the object is to avoid the m*llitary,
not go searching for them.

Kerrigan.

[BREATHES HEAVILY]

If she really is in a m*llitary brig,
I won't be able to get her out.

Come on. Prison guards can be
bought, same as anybody else.

[KERRIGAN] Maybe.

But it would take a lot of copper.

For you or for them?

- I am offended, Princess.
- No, he's not.

No, I suppose I'm not.
Still, it would take some doing.

When you find her, how will you
get her safely out of Trivantes?

[KERRIGAN] Ah, getting out
of the city's the easy part.

I have been smuggling Ganite thornflower

from Trivantes to Pennsa for years.

I know every hole and tunnel
into and out of that place.

- [INHALES, GROANS]
- So you'll do it?

[INHALES] Uh, consider
it, um, a wedding gift.

[YAWNS]

I'll leave when the God Flame warms.

- [KERRIGAN YAWNS]
- You'll leave now.

[KISSES] Come on. Up you get.

[PARIS] No. Now is not the time.

Paris? How could you bring him here?

How could you even share
the air that he breathes?

We need him. He has a new purpose.

No. He dies by my hand tonight.

[BREATHES SHAKILY] He k*lled my mother.

Yes. Time will come he pays for that.

I can't believe this is you.

You're a traitor.

He is our only hope
of getting to Maghra.

The Witchfinders massacred the Valier.

They will have something
to say about this.

Please. You cannot
tell them. You cannot.

- I trusted you. I trusted you.
- Bow Lion. Bow Lion.

You know me.

You know my heart.

- Girl.
- [CRIES]

[BOW LION SNIFFLES]
Be gone before God Flame rises.

I won't keep your secret
any longer than that.

Kofun?

[SNAPPING]

[SIGHS] Thank God Flame.

[SIGHS]

- I told you to stay in my room.
- I know.

- I'm here.
- [MAGHRA BREATHES DEEPLY]

I'm sorry.

I know this must all feel very
strange and upsetting to you,

and I promise you
I will explain everything,

but you cannot disobey
me like that again.

It is not safe here.

- My sister is someone who...
- Sibeth.

Don't worry. We've met.

She came to see me after your wedding.

Kofun.

- You cannot trust her.
- [KOFUN] Why not?

She's not the one
who lied to me my entire life.

[SIGHS]

It is not that simple.

[SNAPS]

You betrayed your husband tonight.

You betrayed all of us
and not for the first time.

You could've identified yourself

to the Witchfinders when we were babies.

You could've saved the Alkenny.

We wouldn't have had to
spend our entire lives running.

My sister would never have accepted

any sighted children
that weren't her own.

She would've k*lled all of us.

I was trying to protect you
the best way I knew how.

- By lying to us.
- Of course by lying to you.

The truth would've gotten you
b*rned at the stake.

No.

You resented us. You resented
our sight. You always have.

That's why you were so angry when
you realized we'd learned to read.

Wasn't it?

You wouldn't speak to us.
We'd become unrecognizable you said.

Do you recognize yourself, Mama?

Because I don't.

You and Haniwa belong to a world

that I couldn't begin to understand.

I was terrified that one day
it would take you away from me.

Looks like it did.

What are you doing about Haniwa and Dad?

Lord Harlan has already
sent someone to find them.

[SCOFFS]

[LAUGHS]

Right, I'm sure your new husband

is very determined to find your old one.

[TAMACTI JUN SNIFFS, EXHALES]

You asked me if I remember
how many I had k*lled.

That's like me asking you
how many breaths you took today.

When the queen left me
bleeding to death...

I fell into a state.

Not dead... but no longer
among the living.

And it was there...

suddenly...

I had vision.

[SNIFFS] Do you know what I saw?

I saw faces.

I saw the faces...

of every man, woman and child
that I had m*rder*d and tortured.

I heard their screams.

I could feel their pain.

But in all of those faces...

I could not find that of my wife
nor of my children.

I was not there when Queen Kane
drowned them in their beds.

Instead...

I was butchering all those faces.

For years and years,
you have fought for darkness.

Now you must fight for light.

You should not have stopped the girl.

[GRUNTS]

All right. No more stopping.
We walk until we reach Pennsa.

Do not fear.

You will have plenty
of opportunities to die.

[SNIFFS]

We all will.

[HANIWA] I always thought that

the fact that I could
see and you couldn't

was something that separated us.

Thought there was
so much space between us.

But every time I feel
like I'm beyond help,

in the House of Enlightenment,
in Trivantes,

somehow you always find me.

You're my baby girl. Kofun
is my boy, Maghra my wife.

As long as I'm alive,
nothing will separate us. Yes.

I know I don't make it easy.

No, you don't.

From this place,
it's two days to Pennsa.

What do you think it
will be like, Pennsa?

Crowded.

[CHUCKLES] What do
you think she'll be like?

- Uh, she'll be like Maghra.
- Right.

Do we even know who that is?