Provided by explosiveskull https://twitter.com/kaboomskull
Once upon a time, a beautiful young girl
grew up hidden away in a convent
by the edge of the sea.
Marie-Josephe!
Her very existence was a secret,
for she was the king's daughter.
Marie-Josephe!
From a very early age,
she was drawn to the water.
Much to the dismay of the convent's strict nuns
who did their best to shelter her from the world.
How often have you been warned not to swim in the sea?
Very often.
And my previous punishments...
revoking your riding privileges,
burning your beloved cello, none were enough to deter you?
It is Satan's voice which calls you
to the unholy sea.
No.
Abbess, it is a simple joy of nature.
- Silence. - It is.
Silence, I said.
Meanwhile, at the palace of Versailles,
Marie-Josephe's father King Louis XIV,
King of France, had recently returned
victorious from an expensive war
that had dragged on for years.
Our troops have been fighting
with exceptional skill and courage.
It has been the greatest honor for me
to stand beside each...
France still had enemies.
And that night, the man also known as the Sun King,
learned that even he would not live forever.
Now...
Where was I?
Few inches to the right...
would have found your heart.
If France loses you...
it will be catastrophic.
- Not to mention lonely for me. - Hmm.
There is a possible solution.
I've been investigating certain properties
of an organ in a legendary sea creature.
A fish?
That's your solution?
If the question is the king's mortality...
this creature could hold the key.
And with that the Sun King
commissioned a risky expedition
to find the underwater lost city of Atlantis
and its fabled mermaids.
Believing they held the key of life everlasting.
For this dangerous mission, a courageous captain
was sent to search the far reaches of the seas.
I think I saw it.
Due North.
Are you sure?
Only if you believe in the unbelievable.
Ready the barrels!
Lower the nets.
Drop them both now.
- Fire! - Fire!
- Heave! - Pull!
Heave!
Up!
It's gonna kill us all!
No!
We only need the female.
Let the male go.
So, Captain Yves De La Croix
sent word of the amazing capture back to Versailles
on the wings of the royal carrier pigeons.
Fantastic news, Your Majesty.
De la Croix's ship sails for home...
in possession of the miraculous cargo.
The coming eclipse is perfect timing.
The books are clear about these matters
and specify that the creature must be sacrificed
right as the moon passes in front of the sun.
In order to transfer its gift of eternal life.
Perhaps we should withhold our glee, Dr. Labarthe,
until we have proof that your books are not just fiction.
Relax, Father.
Surely, the doctor wouldn't be risking his reputation
on this outlandish claim
unless he was feeling very confident.
Port Le Harve, dead ahead, captain!
The King's closest minister
had serious doubts about the doctor's plan
for the mermaid.
And as fate would have it
he had just requested
that the King's daughter attend the world celebration
of the coming solar eclipse.
Father, a response from the Convent de St. Helene.
Give me the girl's files.
It seems the Abbess can't wait to grant us our request.
And on the next day,
Father La Chaise went to retrieve
the King's long lost daughter.
Thus, starting Marie-Josephe's great adventure.
She has become incurably defiant.
Immune to all discipline.
Your reports over the years
have told of a prodigious musical talent.
A soul poised in devotion to God.
Throughout her childhood, yes. But she's become...
Dear Abbess...
I need to know whether her talents
might be welcomed in court.
You are leaving us, Marie-Josephe.
Where am I going?
To a lavish and glimmering hell...
where you will no doubt thrive.
Do you serve the King?
No, I work for the King.
I serve God.
Are you taking me to meet the King or God?
I always heard the tales of Versailles.
I never imagined it would be quite so...
Magnificent?
The stuff of dreams.
Magali, please.
Marie-Josephe d'Alembert.
This is Magali.
Bonjour.
Please show her to her room.
No. We're not in the Chateau.
This way, Mademoiselle.
Sire, it is the hour.
Boring!
I can write better music than that.
Maybe you should compose your own music, majesty.
Maybe I should be my own priest.
Find me a composer who's fresh, exciting.
- No hurry. - No hurry... meaning?
- Immediately. - Ah.
Shall we start our day?
Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned.
I shared my bed last night with Madame Scarron.
Devereaux.
- Hm? - That was Madame Devereaux.
I don't think so. Devereaux is an intellectual.
She's also a brunette.
Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned.
I shared my bed last night with Madame Devereaux.
You shall be forgiven.
To have earned private quarters so quickly
is a magnificent feat.
I doubt I've earned anything.
Humility will get you nowhere at Court, Mademoiselle.
Color and bravado are the order of the day.
Look at those girls. I don't fit in here.
It's my job to see that you will.
All ladies' chambers face East...
so that each awakens with a ray of the King on her cheek.
It's the last piece she wrote
at the convent, Your Majesty.
I am not the one to judge
whether or not her skills are good enough.
She is not without talent.
And remember, she has no formal training.
I'm speaking of talent.
The stuff one is made of.
I will meet her tomorrow.
And remember, no one must know she's my daughter.
So how long were you at the convent?
Since birth.
I never knew my parents.
Were you taken from them...
like I was from mine?
No.
I was left there.
How poetic.
Trauma at the start of life
often inspires greatness.
Sometimes I think the trauma was greater
for the Abbess than it was for me.
Your Majesty's, first honor this morning
is bestowed on Monsieur Jean-Michel Lintillac,
son of the lace and export baron, Pierre Lintillac.
I feel a sense of awe standing here
in the light of the Sun King.
A light cast for all France.
For all France!
I come to show my gratitude.
Our nation's gratitude
for your recent military triumph.
It is God's triumph.
And... our brave soldiers.
In honor of your upcoming birthday, Majesty,
let me offer this gift.
My father's dearest possession.
Forged from rare Chinese diamonds.
How I dislike birthdays.
They remind me of mortality.
It will also remind you of your
soul's immortality, Your Majesty.
I am not worried about my soul. Well, not just yet.
So, tell me, how is your dear father?
He's ready to pass from this world to the next.
I see.
Perhaps there is more to do with the boy.
Meaning?
This war has depleted the treasury.
Well, why don't we just turn the boy upside-down
and see what falls from his pockets?
He stands to inherit a fortune.
You're being secretive and enigmatic.
Inappropriate behavior for anyone but me.
Do you believe in coincidence?
Or fate?
Why is everyone staring?
Appearance is everything.
- Appearance? - Yes, Mademoiselle.
They'd rather gossip about you
than reflect on the emptiness of their own lives.
Being kicked out of a convent
is hardly the making of a fairy tale.
Perhaps.
But the fact that the King
had you brought here makes you an object of intrigue.
Second only to some secret surprise
he has planned for the coming solar eclipse.
The King owns the eclipse too, does he?
I guess when one rules over the moon and the sun
he's entitled to schedule their rendezvous.
Do you have a favorite fountain?
Yes. The fountain of Flora.
It's right over there.
Isn't she beautiful?
Mademoiselle, be careful.
Mademoiselle!
The King!
Ah.
Allow me, mademoiselle.
- Ah. - Are you okay?
Marie-Josephe.
Present yourself before the King, if you please.
Might we remove that shock from your face
and offer a smile?
Do you have a genuine smile...
hidden somewhere?
No regrets, Mademoiselle.
That statue is of a woman
who has caused many to lose their balance.
Although...
mostly men.
No need to bother, Mademoiselle.
I have another one.
Move into quarters befitting my new composer.
Have we died and gone to Heaven?
I think so.
We are now in the chateau
among the truly privileged.
And I've been appointed your lady-in-waiting.
It's all so magnificent.
Oh.
If you could choose only one,
which would it be?
They're all so beautiful.
But...
I choose my cello.
My freedom.
- Steady. - Hold it.
The King built all this
to bring water to Versailles from the ocean via the Seine.
Those are a system of valves
that regulate the various fountains.
There is the path to the underground river,
brings all the water here.
"After the male was returned to the sea,
the female fell into a dark and lethargic trance."
A seaman's drunken commentary.
There were two of them?
Yes, Majesty.
But the male is useless for our purpose.
Only the female possesses the infinite light source.
What you propose, doctor, is sacrilegious.
What I'm proposing is revolutionary.
Stop the bickering. Stop it.
I want to see the creature as soon as possible.
Yes, Majesty.
If this is real, we need it.
Which means we need him.
Why are you so anxious to make him your enemy?
Self-respect, perhaps?
My immortality secures the future of France.
The only thing God gives you as immortal
is your soul and you only have one of those to lose.
There must be something you will eat.
Captain.
Bring up the creature.
That's easier said than done, sire.
She remains on the bottom, weakened
and traumatized from her journey.
You speak as if it were human.
I cannot speak to such things, Father.
I only meant she behaves like a human.
She's rebellious, she won't eat.
It's as if she's lost the will to live.
Interesting.
You think it chooses to die?
Nonsense.
The creature's condition is unacceptable.
It must be brought to health at once.
Well, you're the doctor.
I'm a sailor.
Perhaps you should remember that
before you speak with such insolence.
Captain Yves, you understand the creature
is the centerpiece of the celebration?
- Yes, Sire. - Good.
Then see to its full and robust recovery
in time for the eclipse.
And in return you shall receive a Royal pardon.
Majesty.
However,
you fail me...
then a dark cell will seem like a paradise.
I promise.
Urgh!
What are you doing?
- No one is allowed in here. - What is that...
I ask the questions, not you.
- Now answer me. - It called me here.
Who called you?
The creature, in the water.
- She called you? - Yes.
With her music.
Can't you hear it?
I hear noise like a...
dolphin or a whale, but certainly not music.
I want to use her song in my music.
So that the King, and the whole world can hear in it what I do.
I'm not sure
which one of you is the more peculiar.
Please don't go.
She has green eyes. Hair almost like us.
And she called me from my chamber.
A beautiful hairy fish called you from your chamber.
No! No, not a fish.
I think she is a mermaid like in the books.
Her music inspired this.
Don't fret, monsieurs.
A woman's soul is as musical as a man's.
With perhaps...
touch more... vibrato.
Sire, it is the hour.
A touch of melancholy.
Like nothing I've ever heard before.
It seems both of this world and another.
Invite our young composer to the ball.
Forgive me, father, for I have sinned...
Yes?
I can't remember the exact
details of what happened last night.
I understand. You're forgiven.
I've become used to pretend to put on make up
for an imaginary grand ball.
Shh! Mademoiselle, you spoil things.
Don't speak.
Now...
prepare to dazzle.
Magali!
- What's wrong? - Well.
I look like a clown!
Nonsense. That's how all the ladies will be painted.
Well then maybe I'd rather look like a man.
That's also how the men will look.
Majesty...
may I present a somewhat
different version of Mademoiselle d'Alembert.
I like this unique look of yours.
Perhaps others will follow.
Oh, I doubt it.
You are something they can never be.
An individual.
In all things, I suspect...
including your music.
I need your help.
Excuse me, Mademoiselle.
I need a brilliant suite for the Celebration of the Eclipse.
Something regal, something spiritual.
Something befitting Apollo.
And the Sun King.
Ah, Monsieur Lintillac.
Perhaps you can offer to dance with this young mademoiselle.
I would be honored.
The two newest members of the court,
one a dashing son of France's wealthiest merchant...
And an orphan,
recently freed from a convent defined by
humility and chastity.
Then I must humbly ask whether such a virtuous young lady
would even know how to dance.
I'm afraid, Majesty,
I wouldn't know where to begin.
Well then, mademoiselle,
allow me to take the lead.
A minuet.
Three-quarter time.
And...
down, up...
up, down.
Now kick.
That's it, beautiful.
Away... yes, to lead and spin.
Beautiful. And kick.
And kick.
And up and turn...
Good. And hold.
That's it. Back.
And down... down.
Away...
to lead.
And ready.
Up, turn...
That's it.
I am so sorry.
You did fine, my dear.
She's very beautiful.
What she is, is an opportunity.
Just one I don't fully understand yet.
Everyone, come and enjoy the fireworks.
It was so amazing.
The King is the most graceful dancer.
You would have loved the fireworks.
It was so spectacular.
Something about you scares her.
Perhaps it's because you're feeding her dead fish.
She told you that?
Of course. Who else?
Who else indeed?
This place is so beautiful.
I love the water.
You don't seem to be afraid of it.
You don't seem to be afraid of anything.
Definitely not water.
I grew up by the sea.
It was the only place I could go
to escape the prison of my convent.
I feel the same way about Versailles.
Out there, beyond that gate,
is the sailor's favorite sight.
The shore line disappearing in the distance.
Not knowing what's coming next other than grand adventure.
Sounds wonderful.
Have you ever been to sea?
Only in my dreams.
The Abbess considered even swimming a crime.
A crime? Against who?
Against God.
The life force has been confirmed.
As I predicted,
it emanates from the heart.
Once the water has been drained,
the creature will be killed and the organelle removed...
placing the life force into our hands.
It's a lovely dress.
Interesting. With your eyes.
Never seen anything like it.
It's wonderful to be here with someone again.
A completely different experience.
I understand you have company here from time to time.
A rumor.
Odd... in a court so devoid of gossip.
Doesn't make it false.
The statue in the fountain where you fell in.
That was the last woman who was here with me in the garden.
- Who is she? - I used to draw her.
I'm not very good.
Her name was Louise de la Valliere.
Do I remind you of her?
No one reminds me of her...
until you.
I'm afraid I've abused my authority.
I questioned some of the nuns at your convent.
The ones you liked.
Not that there's such a thing as privacy.
Oh, I shouldn't think so.
They tell me that you like to ride.
And you are fascinated by spiders, which is strange
because they terrified you as a young girl
after one bit you on the leg.
You can't possibly know that.
I'm a king, you know.
And kings have a way of knowing absolutely everything.
You have made a pledge of two million livre.
It's a hefty sum, sir, even for a duchy.
No cost is too great to honor my father's life.
I see no reason to place the duchy
into the ground with your father.
The title Duc de Lintillac...
shall remain alive...
as yours.
I am touched beyond words, Majesty.
You didn't tell me the fish men were so...
so...
- Handsome? - Exactly.
The creature seems to have recovered, Your Majesty.
It will be in perfect health for the ceremony.
Good servants of France...
in the memory of the export baron, Pierre Lintillac,
who has found safe passage to the kingdom of heaven,
I present to you his son, the future Duc de Lintillac...
whose title shall be bestowed by me
in my supreme celebration of the solar eclipse.
For all France!
One barracuda is gruesome enough,
ten will curdle your toes.
We hit a pod of 300 big ones.
Meaner than a slamboon of drunken musketeers.
They were ramming the hull... Bang!
Forcing us onto the rocks,
and just as they were about to tear through the planks...
Oh, how frightening.
Now you'll be telling us you tore them apart
with your bare teeth.
We turned sail and beat them with the wind.
The easy way out.
Well, I think it's the clever way out.
A man who fails to kill his prey
is either a weakling or a coward.
And a man who sees only two choices is a fool.
You are a worthless commoner.
And you merely behave like one.
That's enough.
Calm.
Your Majesty.
Forgive me, Majesty. It was all my fault.
Serve the sixth course. Play on.
Oh.
Marie-Josephe!
You should not be swimming in there.
Her tail is sharp enough to cut through stone.
Luckily, I'm not made of stone.
No, I suppose you're not.
Why do you hate him so much?
I used to sail lace to China for his father.
On our last voyage, the Chinese refused to pay for half,
so, our soon-to-be Duc
accused me of stealing it and had me arrested.
Shame, isn't it,
when lies obscure the truth.
It seems to be the way things work around here.
Not with you.
You say what you think.
As do you.
Yes. And it gets me in trouble.
Yah!
So, you can ride.
Perhaps better than you.
Yah!
The arm is badly broken.
I'm afraid we're going to have to amputate.
No.
The bone will not heal itself, mademoiselle.
This is the prescribed procedure.
Father, please,
don't let him take my arm.
God will protect me.
Put her arm back in a sling, doctor,
and review her condition in the morning.
You are out of your element here, father.
If we don't act, infection will result in the loss of life.
Act how?
Majesty.
He wants to take my arm.
Surely, we can review this situation in the morning
before taking such drastic action.
- I'm not sure... - Hold your silence.
May I?
Life is filled with suffering, my child.
And you have suffered with such grace.
Just rest.
Take care then.
God is with her.
Even better than science.
Monsieur Yves.
She's not well.
The mermaid.
She wants to help.
She told you?
Who else?
The fish also speaks to you?
Well, a manner of speaking... yes.
If anything happens...
I'll never forgive myself.
Imagine how I would feel.
Could she possibly have healed so quickly?
Apparently, she is capable of anything.
She produced a golden light, Majesty.
And I could breathe underwater.
Incontrovertible proof, Majesty.
Proof?
I assume, mademoiselle, you have heard
of the extraordinary powers of the creature?
I grant that something has occurred here
but what is not yet clear. You are speaking of fables.
Everything's a fable until proven true.
And now the creature has chosen you
as the first to experience her healing powers.
Don't call her a creature.
She has a soul, just the same as you.
Nonsense. She is a creature.
And her purpose is to serve the court.
Is that why she's here? Are you ill and in need of a cure?
- I must be excused... - Sit, father.
No one's ill, child.
Your new friend is here to herald a brand new day
for old servants of France.
You are the most wonderful and generous monarch.
By using the mermaid's power
to heal the common people of France...
you have earned your place in eternity.
Well as long as it's earned.
And once she has completed this wonderful task...
will you then set her free?
Her life shall be what God intends.
The mermaid was brought here for the king, not for France,
just as I was and just as you were.
I have more faith in him than you do.
Perhaps. But you are too naive.
And you are too cynical.
With all due respect, mademoiselle,
what do you know of the world that you've not seen
from the window of a convent?
Please do not assume that...
because I haven't lived as broadly as you
that I have not lived as deeply.
Besides, one day I will see the world.
I believe you will.
I meant no offense.
I thought you were going to show me
a different side of Versailles.
I am. Look.
What are people saying about the mystery
of the king's common girl?
Well, common girl, maybe.
Rumor has it, she has ties to the king.
What kind of ties?
That's still a mystery.
Hey!
Mademoiselle.
That's the fisherman's house, where Benoit and I live.
It's so sweet.
Sweet?
Sweet is not a word used for fishermen.
Dashing, courageous, fearless.
Not sweet.
You have a lighthouse.
Afraid so. It's only a few more steps.
The sky is so beautiful.
Yes, but... but out there, beyond the horizon
where the river meets the sea, that's where...
Every sailor gets his last look at France.
I can see you now, at the helm of your ship,
sailing into the sunset.
That's my dream.
To sail away from all this.
And what's your dream?
I want the mermaid to return to her home.
She is certainly not of this world.
Nor am I.
I want to go with her.
To go with her?
Not really, but
I could swim in her light
and I'd outrun the fastest ship.
One day, I will have you on the bow of my ship.
We'll race the mermaid and see who's fastest.
Come. There's... there's more to see.
- This is amazing. What is it? - Hmm.
It's called the Temple of Love...
built in honor of a woman unnamed.
The rumor is that...
Thank you for receiving me, Majesty.
There is something I must ask for humbly, respectfully...
But first, permit me to ask something of you.
Something for France.
Anything, Majesty. Even my life.
Oh! It's something a little less drastic.
I want you to accept the hand of my daughter,
Marie-Josephe in marriage.
I'm overwhelmed.
This would be an honor.
Good.
Well...
since you obviously weren't listening at the door
you must be completely in the dark.
Utterly.
- What do you think? - Does she love Lintillac?
Does it actually matter to you?
Am I so...
endlessly and infinitely self-centered?
It's worse.
Your power is so complete,
you're never allowed to care about anyone.
And it's rather terrible.
- What are you doing here? - She called me.
I never knew I could feel like this.
Oh, mademoiselle, stars in your eyes become you.
Father, something amazing has happened.
- I was just coming to tell you. - Later, little one.
The king has asked to see you.
You will step forward slowly...
and quietly.
Do you recall our conversation in the garden?
About the woman of the fountain?
Yes, of course. The only woman...
You remind me so much of her.
At times I think you are her.
You are...
the very spirit of your mother.
My mother?
She had a mind and spirit all her own.
She was an individual.
She was not made for court life...
any more than you are.
She left for the convent before I knew she was with child.
She died, giving birth.
- You're my father. - Yes.
Marie, I am a terrible man.
A very selfish man.
I've cared more for France than about you or even her.
Why are you telling me this?
Because there are sacrifices you must make...
for France.
Sacrifices?
Our country's treasury is empty.
Enemies surround us.
Lies, treachery.
We need money, child.
The young Duke Lintillac...
his money... when you marry him...
No. No.
I won't marry that man. I won't.
You don't have to agree, child.
You have to obey.
Of course.
Majesty.
For all France.
I prayed every night as a little girl
for a mother and father...
and now I wish my prayers had never been answered.
You must stop hoping for a perfect world...
when we live in this one.
You understand things, don't you?
I have experienced something,
that mermaid has touched the very fabric of my being.
Only God can grant us immortality
unless you believe that He's bestowed that power on you.
I believe He's bestowed on me
the power to discover.
I'm speaking of the soul.
I love the king.
By murdering an intelligent being in his name,
you are committing him to eternal damnation!
Go back to your monastery, priest.
Worry about your own soul...
and stay out of my way.
I am no more afraid than you are.
Heave!
No!
Everything is in order, Majesty.
The creature is in peak condition for the procedure.
- Good. Talk me through. - Yes.
Majesty.
I can no longer keep silent.
How unlike you.
Sit, father.
I know your feelings.
You are contemplating,
the greatest mortal sin.
This is not about sin, it's about science.
Science is not absolute, Majesty.
He who searches the hearts of men
will know the mind of the spirit.
Thank you for the nice line of scripture,
but unless you've talked to God,
I don't believe you know His will.
Perhaps not, but I do know that
immortality is the province of God alone.
Then who placed the mermaid in the sea for us to capture?
Who called upon me to carry out His vision of a supreme France?
Do not confuse divine right and divine guidance.
Then, let Him decide matters.
Command me, Oh Heavenly Father.
Strike me down here and now
if I am about to commit a mortal sin.
Now, father,
if my communion with the creature
gives me eternal life,
it will be God's will.
Carry on.
Benoit.
They are going to kill her.
I need to warn Marie-Josephe.
Tomorrow a new age will dawn for all but us.
You need to make a diversion.
I do.
I do?
I do.
Sir...
Halt! Come back here.
Doctor, I was hoping...
Save your breath, De La Croix.
You were in enough trouble,
but sneaking around the room of the King's daughter...
Now, that's a capital offense.
Lock him up for the night.
Come on. Keep going.
Aah!
There will be no music this morning.
Leave your instruments.
It is the hour, sire.
Aah!
You cannot kill the mermaid.
I won't let you.
You won't let me?
Didn't the Abbess teach you any manners?
Here is my offer...
You return her to the sea
and I will consent to this marriage.
You can't haggle with your King like some shopkeeper.
I can scarcely believe I was so blind
as to not to see this moment coming.
You swim with her. You commune with her. She is your pet.
No! She is all but human.
She feels her life just as we feel ours.
Maybe so.
But you are the one who has proven the doctor right.
You think I want this for my own immortality?
France needs a leader who can protect her.
This is ridiculous. This is murder!
- Silence! - Silence to you, Father!
Your wedding is today.
Be ready.
Musketeers.
Who's getting married today?
Mademoiselle d'Alembert is to marry Monsieur Lintillac.
Marie-Josephe...?
Mademoiselle, you must calm down
and prepare for the wedding.
Magali, please go call Pere La Chaise
to come hear my confession.
You will do exactly as you've been ordered.
Or you shall forfeit your life.
Drain the water.
Killing the mermaid will damn his soul rather than save it.
You're the only one who can stop him.
- I can't. - Yes, you can.
No, I'm sorry. I... I've tried.
The King has ruled for so long,
he believes he has been given permission
by the Almighty.
Then free me from this chamber
so I may bid the mermaid farewell.
The King has forbidden further contact.
Which is why I'm asking you.
No, I'm begging you, Father.
Please help me.
Forget what's proper,
and do what's right.
My reasons may be different from yours...
but the mermaid must escape the King.
No one will believe you're going to a wedding...
dressed like that.
My dearest Magali...
you have been a true friend.
I will miss you greatly.
I am frightened for you.
Weren't you the one who taught me
that a little trauma can inspire greatness?
I was just kidding.
I'm taking the girl to confession.
I have orders to hold her here until the wedding.
And you dare...
challenge... me?
This is a kiss I always thought I'd give to my father.
God has graced you with wings.
I only hope you know how to fly.
- Secure the rope. - Aye.
Hoist the net.
What? We haven't got all day.
Benoit.
You can't possibly be doing this.
We do what he says.
Whether we end up in the Bastille
or married for money, we do as we are told.
I would never let him sentence me.
Why would you?
I swam with her last night.
She conveyed to me that you were her captor.
Did you know you took her from her child?
- No. - But you knew of her mate?
Yes. And we set him free.
Then you owe her the right to return
to whatever family she has left.
And have my men face the gallows?
I'm not asking them.
I'm asking you.
What makes your desire to sail the sea more important
than her right to live there?
The King justifies everything?
You mean your father.
I mean the King.
Are you no better than him?
You said,
the King can't sentence me.
Did you mean...
I could never marry a man I do not love.
Everybody out. Take the men.
Head for the ships and set sail
at once for the cliff of Le Havre.
What about you two?
Well, God willing, we will see you there.
Let's go, men.
You heard the Captain. Let's move.
We are going to need to cross the bridge.
You'll ruin your dress.
So I will.
You will follow the directions I gave...
- Doctor? - Yes?
It's the girl. She's escaped.
Her only chance is to go through the underground river.
At least it's swimming to her freedom.
The water level is too low for her to jump the retaining wall.
Can't you drain the water from the chateau into the pool?
If we drain the canal and the fountains
all at once, it might work but...
But what?
The pipes might not hold.
But if they do?
There's a tributary before Le Havre
which will give her safe harbor to the sea.
Can you communicate that to her?
She understands everything.
We should get moving.
We need to reverse the water pressure.
Stop them!
The creature! It must not escape!
No!
We need it alive.
Yves!
You need to jump the wall.
Labarthe!
Yves!
Yves.
You've interfered enough.
Take Yves and go!
Now!
See you there. God willing.
Hyah!
The caverns below the Grotto of Thetis have collapsed.
And what of the girl?
She was seen riding off
the grounds, Your Majesty.
This way to Le Havre.
Order out the ships, so there's no escape.
Mama. A mermaid!
Jean, you ought to have seen a fish.
Mermaids don't exist. Come on.
Marie-Josephe.
Stop.
Stay, stay, stay.
I'll jump.
You can't mean that.
You're angry. I understand.
- But life is so precious. - No.
You think you understand.
You don't.
Then tell me.
The only opportunity
I've ever wanted
was to belong to someone.
I came here...
fell in love.
I met a mermaid
who has become
the greatest friend.
And I found you...
Father.
You don't care about me.
Don't say that.
You don't care about anyone, but yourself.
Give me the chance to prove you wrong.
How could that ever be?
Musketeers...
Mark your target.
It's simple.
You take the mermaid, she gives you life.
You let her live...
she saves mine.
What's your choice?
Come get me.
No!
I have a clean shot, Majesty.
We're running out of time.
Stand down.
Are you alright?
Yes. Are you?
She saved me.
Us.
You've always been a great King.
Now you've become a great man.
Signal the ships to retreat.
You were right.
It's something terrible...
to care for someone.
Bless me, father, for I have sinned...
In the name of the Father,
and of the son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
You are forgiven.
Only love is immortal, Your Majesty.
So, Captain Yves and Marie-Josephe
started their life together in search of Atlantis
and their dear friend, the magical mermaid.
We're close. I can feel it.
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