The Borgias Season 4 (If I were to co-write it)

by deni269

A screenplay based on Neil Jordan's screenplay 'The Borgias Apocalypse'. Alphonso has passed and Lucrezia and Cesare now find themselves bound in an even bigger mess. Cesare plans a campaign to Naples which sends his little brother home to Rome for safety. How can Sancia help Lucrezia with her new dilemma? *contains SPOILERS for Neil Jordan's 'The Borgias: Apocalypse'*

5. Chapter 5

CHAPTER 5 - SANCTUARY

EXT. ROMAN MARKET. DAY

Lucrezia, Rodrigo a nurse and Micheletto are browsing the markets. A dirty looking woman steps out of the surrounding crowd and starts calling out.

MARIA

Borgia Whore!

Lucrezia and her party turn.

MARIA

Lucrezia. The borgia whore. She fornicates with her own brother and together they kill her husband. That is not the child of her husband.

She points a finger at the infant in the nurses arms.

MARIA (CONT.)

It is the spawn of the devil himself. The child of Cesare -

Micheletto has approached the woman and now holds her by the jaw his dagger is drawn.

Lucrezia takes Rodrigo from the nurse and brings him to her chest.

LUCREZIA

No Micheletto. Not here. Take her away.

INT. CELL. EVENING

Maria sits on the ground by a pole. She is chained with her arms above her head. She is filthy and bloody as if she has been beaten. A guard unlocks the cell and Micheletto and Cesare enter. Cesare turns to the guard.

CESARE

Leave us.

The guard nods and takes his leave.

CESARE

Tell me what you know.

MARIA

I know everything. I was in the service of your mother and sister. I washed their sheets and their garments. I know that your sister bled weeks before her husband's death, and I know her husband did not visit her chambers in between that time. I also know that you visited her rooms regularly and in private, and she visited your rooms. I know on the night Alfonso died Lucrezia was moaning in her bedroom.

Cesare looks to Micheletto and back at Maria.

MARIA (CONT.)

And they weren't the moans of a distraught wife who had just lost her husband.

CESARE

That is quite a tale to tell. Were you not paid for your discretion while in my mother's household?

MARIA

You fool. Your mother relieved me weeks ago. She sent me back to my starving family. Now we all starve. I have nothing to live for; you may as well kill me now and keep me silent.

CESARE

There are other ways to keep you silent.

Cesare nods to Micheletto and Micheletto approaches with a knife. We hear her screams as he goes to work. Cesare leaves the cell.

As he exits he walks past Catherina in her cell. He smirks at her. The screams of Maria can still be heard.

CESARE

Just the tongue this time.

Catherina watches him leave. Terror is in her eyes.

INT. PAPAL QUARTERS. EVENING

Alexander is standing in his night clothes. Cesare enters and Alexander beckons him in further.

ALEXANDER

We heard there was a disturbance in the market today.

CESARE

It has been dealt with.

ALEXANDER

A woman was making some interesting accusations.

CESARE

She will not make any more.

Alexander sits at his desk.

ALEXANDER

This has got us thinking.

CESARE

About?

ALEXANDER

About your sister. About her reputation. About what people say about her now, and what they will say about her in the future.

Cesare is listening.

ALEXANDER (CONT.)

The child Rodrigo, he will have respectable name. A respectable record of his birth. The child Giovanni - It has become common knowledge that he was the son of a stable boy. This would not look good on the permanent record of our daughter.

CESARE

What do you propose we do about that?

ALEXANDER

I have already done something.

He presents a papal bull to Cesare.

ALEXANDER

This bull states that Giovanni is the son of oneself and of an unknown mother.

Cesare examines the paper and shakes his head.

CESARE

No.

ALEXANDER

No?

CESARE

This would not look good on your record either father. Another child?

ALEXANDER

I already have so many –

He chuckles

CESARE

Change it. Say that I am Giovanni's father and the mother unknown. It would not make a difference to how I am seen.

Alexander examines the bull again deep in thought.

ALEXANDER

Very well. I will issue another bull

CESARE

Good. Now I must prepare the French king arrives any day now

ALEXANDER

Yes. We know.

Alexander groans

Cesare turns to leave.

ALEXANDER

Cesare?

Cesare turns back

ALEXANDER

There is no truth to what she said? There has been nothing – unholy – happen between you and Lucrezia?

Cesare looks him dead in the eyes.

CESARE

I love my sister only as god intends me to.

Alexander smiles and nods. Cesare turns and leaves. Alexander looks doubtful

As Cesare exits Joffre enters. Cesare looks at Joffre angrily and Joffre avoids Cesare's gaze. he approaches his father.

JOFFRE

Father.

ALEXANDER

Holy father.

He is irritated by Joffre's insolence.

JOFFRE

Holy father. I have something you need to see.

Joffre produces the letter to Sancia.

Alexander opens it and reads it.

ALEXANDER

What is this you show us?

JOFFRE

It is a letter to Sancia.

ALEXANDER

and it is important because?

Joffre points to the letter

JOFFRE

She is up to something Father.

ALEXANDER

A few words scribbled on a note could hardly prove that -

JOFFRE

but we could still use it - as evidence

Alexander looks over the note again and rubs his chin thoughtfully

EXT. BORGIA GARDEN. DAY

Lucrezia walks with Sancia. Sancia is holding Rodrigo. Giovanni is playing

LUCREZIA

I must leave this place Sister?

SANCIA

The palace?

LUCREZIA

No. Rome. The air is - suffocating.

SANCIA

There is a distinct scent to it.

LUCREZIA

It is not only the air. It is my family. My brother, my father. They suffocate me. They are already planning to marry me off.

SANCIA

Such is the fate of a sister and daughter.

LUCREZIA

I need time away. Time to rest and recover. Time to think. Time to grieve my husband.

SANCIA

I empathise with you.

LUCREZIA

I know sweet sister. That's why I ask you. Do you know of a place I could go. Somewhere with the children. Where I could rest.

SANCIA

I can think of a place. I would come with you. I too find the air suffocating.

LUCREZIA

Well we must leave at once before we have no breath left.

SANCIA

Of course. We will need an escort.

LUCREZIA.

Yes someone who knows discretion. I can think of just the person.

EXT. BORGIA PALACE. DAWN

Lucrezia and Sancia stand by a waiting carriage. They are dressed in hooded cloaks they each hold a child. Micheletto approaches. He bows to Lucrezia

MICHELETTO

My lady

LUCREZIA

Don Micheletto

MICHELETTO

Will you tell me where we are headed?

SANCIA

My Villa, South of here.

MICHELETTO

Very well.

He climbs atop the carriage and takes the reigns. Sancia, Lucrezia and the children get in. The carriage rolls down the streets. A single horse is tied to the carriage that follows along.

EXT. SANCIA'S VILLA. NIGHT

Micheletto helps Sancia, Lucrezia and the children out of the carriage. He bows to Lucrezia

MICHELETTO

I must take my leave my lady, I must return to Rome. I have something to deal with.

LUCREZIA

Thankyou Don Micheletto, you have done me a great kindness

MICHELETTO

I am forever at your service my lady.

Micheletto bows again he then mounts his horse and turns to leave.

LUCREZIA

Micheletto?

Micheletto turns in his saddle.

LUCREZIA

Remember, you tell no-one.

MICHELETTO

No-one

LUCREZIA

Not even my brother

MICHELETTO

not even your brother.

Micheletto leaves. Lucrezia watches and then immediately starts to prepare a horse. Sancia moves to the doorway where the housekeeper is waiting she watches the women suspiciously.

SANCIA

Here take the children inside. Fix Giovanni something to eat.

The housekeeper reluctantly takes the baby and Giovanni inside. Sancia turns back to Lucrezia

SANCIA

What are you doing?

LUCREZIA

Forgive me Sancia, I needed to get my children away from Rome, but I will need to be away from my children to recover completely. I know I can trust you to care for them while I am gone.

SANCIA

Yes of course but where are you going?

LUCREZIA

Somewhere safe. To be with God

(French king at the Gates of Rome/St Peters)

(French king, Cesare, and Alexander in Vatican Palace)

(Alexander and Cesare in the vestibule)

(Cesare and Della Rovere at St. Peters)

*(First scene of Pia and Lucrezia in nunnery)

(Micheletto, Cesare, Rufio and Catherina in Castel St. Angelo)

(Micheletto and Cesare in Cesare's quarters)

(Pia and Lucrezia in their cell)

(Cesare, Micheletto and Peasant in the countryside of MT Vesuvius)

Through to

(Cesare, Micheletto, King Louis and his generals in King's tent)

*(Pia and Lucrezia in the cell)

(Micheletto, the wild bunch and Cesare in the countryside of MT Vesuvius)

Through to –

(The wild bunch and Micheletto on the streets of Naples * except instead of the aunt being a nun she is a housekeeper that works at Sancia's Villa)

(Cesare and Micheletto in the Naples bedroom)

(Micheletto and party of soldiers on roadway)

Micheletto enters a window, he drops to the floor and quietly walks through the Villa avoiding any servants. He carefully opens a door and looks in. then another. He looks in another and enters

INT. SANCIA'S BEDROOM. NIGHT

Micheletto enters. He places his hand over Sancia's mouth and she wakes startled. He puts his finger to his lips and lets her go.

MICHELETTO

You have an Orsini woman here?

Sancia nods

SANCIA

The housekeeper

MICHELETTO

Where?

SANCIA

She would be in the kitchen. She bakes the bread.

Micheletto creeps out and Sancia sits in bed shocked.

INT. KITCHEN. NIGHT

The housekeeper is kneading the dough we see Micheletto enter behind her and grab her he holds his dagger to her throat

(dialogue continues as in the scene with Micheletto and Sister Benvenuta in the cell *except instead of matens she says 'in the dining room, when they break their fast.'

(Shadowy figures at the nunnery)

Through to

(nuns in chapel with Orsini * except it is in the dining room and there is no talking or singing. Just massacre)