House of the Governor of Cuba, 1519
How many ships does he have?
Eleven, and about 500 men. He also has all the Indians
and the Negro slaves of his lands.
How is he going to feed them?
- I am in. - I raise my bet.
He has bought a colossal amount of food.
There is no pig or cow in Cuba that is not in his cellars.
He has even sent a ship to Jamaica to get more supplies.
And when I ask him, he assures me every time
that it is an exploratory mission.
Fortunately, you are my ears and eyes.
I knew it from the beginning.
He has a plan.
That Cortes was born and he will die a cheater.
Point.
You have to watch him and be close to him
in case you have to arrest him.
Cristobal...
I am a soldier of the King...
not a guardian of Captains.
I will not do a thing...
unless he breaks the law.
Then it is sure you will have to capture him.
Hernan always has an ace up his sleeve.
Point.
Tenace!
And you, you will need to learn how to cheat,
if you want to infiltrate Cortes' troops.
Sync and corrections: minouhse www.addic7ed.com
How wonderful...
to be here with you.
What is going to happen? Are we going to be safe?
- You should not have come. - Do not say that again.
It is done.
This is not a good place for you.
It would be safer to stay with your father, rather than here.
My father wanted me to marry an old and filthy master.
That is why I ran away from him.
He would do anything to get me away from you.
Cannot you understand that he hates you?
He thinks...
He thinks you infected me your longing for adventures.
Is that not true?
I have always felt like this. Since I was a child.
An adventurer and a warrior.
Willing to do anything.
We will leave this place.
We will have an hacienda.
And a new life. I promise.
But all in good time.
I do not know what has happened to you...
but now you are a man of Cortes.
You will not leave him, will you?
Are you sure that he deserves your loyalty?
What is that about?
He told us Tenochtitlan was full of gold and that Indians respected him.
He promised us a paradise.
But look at us, we are besieged and starving to death.
It is not the Captain's fault.
Alvarado is responsible for this situation.
Veracruz, one year earlier
Alvarado, Sandoval and Olid...
come with me.
Choose the men you think you are going to need.
- Where are we going, Captain? - I want to go into the jungle.
I want to see Tenochtitlan. We are wasting our time here.
What about me?
I mean... I would like to join you, Captain.
Impossible. I need you here.
Bernal and Rangel could be in charge. Men are calm,
we have enough supplies, there will not be any problem.
Alonso! You are my right-hand man.
I need you to cover the rearguard. Understood?
What about Marina?
Marina is coming with me, just like Jeronimo de Aguilar,
I cannot communicate with the Indians without them.
As you say, Captain.
- Did you say something? - Me?
Gentlemen...
Enough.
Alvarado!
Stop!
Be on your guard...
Stop right here! Stop!
- Do not take one step further, Indian. - Stop right there.
Do not move.
It is fine.
They seem harmless.
Put your weapons down. Down!
Go tell the Captain.
Captain!
Calm down!
We, friends! We, friends!
- Marina, Jeronimo! - They are unarmed, Captain.
We bring a message from our lord Xicomecoatl.
Speak.
Our great lord Xicomecoatl has sent us to tell you
he will welcome you with great joy.
We will bring you to him.
Our great lord Xicomecoatl has sent us to tell you
he will welcome you with great joy.
We will bring you to him.
Captain, their lord Xicomecoatl said he will welcome you with pleasure.
Our town of Cempoala is still far away. Please, eat.
He said his city is still far away. And they brought us food.
The lord of Cempoala wants to meet you.
He offers you this food to recover strength, because the road is long.
They will guide us, Captain.
Are they Mexica?
No, we are not Mexica! Mexica are our enemies.
We are Totonacs.
No, we are not...
You do not have to translate. I understood that perfectly.
We are going with them.
This is a real city.
And this is a real palace.
It is in the same level than Merida.
Only your lord can enter.
Marina...
The Captain, you and me.
Only you, Marina and me... No one else can come in.
- What? - Refuse, Captain.
It could be a trap. Do not get inside.
Only your lord.
What does he say?
My lord must not go alone.
Please, let one of his Captains go with him. That is our request.
Him.
Olid, come with us.
You stay here.
They are a tribute to be sacrificed.
They are going to be sacrificed. They will tear their hearts out, Captain.
What is he doing?
Smoke wards off the bad spirits, Captain.
Also, the good spirits, I am afraid.
The Mexica oppress us. Before, there was joy in our hearts,
our people had peace and tranquility. But the Mexica came,
and they brought us misfortune.
Now we are waiting for their tax collectors.
They will be here soon to collect their tribute.
Everything you saw is for them
The Mexica have them oppressed. Before, they were happy,
their people were peace and quiet, but the Mexica came,
and they brought them misfortune. They cannot do anything.
They are their taxpayers.
You can fight against them, defend yourselves, put an end to this.
You do not know their lord Moctezuma.
He said we do not know their lord Moctezuma, nor the Mexica.
Tenochtitlan is a great fortress.
It was made over the water and you only reach it through bridges.
This is the realm of Moctezuma.
He is a tyrant and a dictator.
He is an ally of Texcoco and Tlacopan.
The other tribes are subjected to them.
The Huejotzinga and Xochimilca.
Only Tlaxcala refuses to pay.
Tlaxcala.
Tlaxcala, Captain.
They are Moctezuma's mortal enemies.
Tlaxcalteca and Mexica hate each other to death.
Do you realize that, Olid?
The Mexica are surrounded by enemies.
Captain...
If we decide to go to Tenochtitlan...
would you join us?
Tell him.
If we decide to wage war on Tenochtitlan, would you join us?
We are not warriors.
If you want warrior men, you must go to Tlaxcala.
They are not warriors, Captain.
If we want warriors, we must go to Tlaxcala.
What if we...
What if the people of "Taxcala"...
- Tlaxcala, Captain... - Tlaxcala...
their warriors, joined us?
What if the Tlaxcalteca joined us?
If I could get an alliance with all the enemies of Moctezuma...
to attack Tenochtitlan...
Would you join us, then?
You and us...
and Tlaxcala.
Forming an alliance with the Indians to fight?
Gentlemen, we came here on an exploratory mission, not war.
We must go back to inform Velazquez.
Has anyone seen him around here?
Do you not feel it?
The hatred against the Mexica surpasses these walls.
If other peoples hate them like this,
I can convince them to join us.
With their help...
we can go fearlessly to Tenochtitlan.
- I am in, Captain. - The more we are,
- the more gold we will get. - We are not plunderers.
There is more at stake than gold.
We can get these lands to our King.
Olid, I know many of our men are loyal to the governor of Cuba.
Your support will be essential.
I repeat, you do not have permission to advance inland.
If we follow you, you will turn us all into traitors.
I just need the permission of my sword.
But I obey the Law!
Fine, fine, I understand.
Olid abides by the Law and he needs to follow orders.
But we can be the Law here.
Sir...
I could arrest you on behalf of the governor, just for what you said.
I tell you this for your own good.
Follow your orders.
I invested my estate on this trip, so I would not have to look back!
I am not going to ask for permission or to be held to account.
You are a good man.
You are loyal and I respect that.
Believe me. There is a legal way to do this.
Trust me. I studied Law.
In the best taverns of Salamanca!
Bloody toff, where is my sword?
- Captain! - Captain, the chief tells us
to leave at dawn.
Moctezuma's collectors will be here tomorrow.
If they come... we will have to welcome them.
No, no!
To the ground!
They are the strangers beings we have heard of.
Do no resist.
Tie them!
What is this?
What have you done?
The Mexica are going to punish us!
This is what my lord will do to all Mexica.
His heart is not afraid of them.
Will you join us?
The die is cast.
Tenochtitlan, one year later
Captain, this palace was not made to resist a siege.
They are already starving us.
There is still a place with food...
and cannon gunpowder.
The brig we built to explore the lake.
It is out there.
- It is a suicide... - I know!
But staying here and do nothing...
would be worse...
Captain, I cannot let Juana starve to death.
And I cannot defend her without that powder.
Order me to do it.
You can organize a small party and leave while we distract those bastards.
All right then.
Olid, you will go.
But take Xicotencatl and some of his warriors with you.
Good.
Here. Take this.
Do not take yours.
This can kill.
Good.
It kills.
No.
You are not coming. I will not allow it.
I will.
Juana, you do not know how terrible this is.
Do you know what it was to get here?
Traveling in Narvaez's ship with all those men, cold and hungry.
- I am not going to be afraid now. - You should.
- We are all afraid. - I handle the sword as good as you.
Nothing you say will change my mind.
- I will go with you or with them. - Juana.
Cristobal!
I came here to be with you.
Soldier!
Give me that.
- Do not get away from me. - Never!
This brings me luck.
Olid!
Stop!
Oh, my God!
- What is going on? - The Mexica have sunk our brigs.
They will not let us go.
We must go back to the palace.
Go back! Go!
Row!
Watch out!
Return to the camp, one year earlier
Do you feel it, gentlemen?
The coast is near.
Imagine the face of Portocarrero
when he sees us coming with those Indians and their feathers.
Portocarrero is only interested in the feather of that Indian.
Are you not pleased?
Do not worry.
I intend to send the King a report of everything that happens here.
And one-fifth of all the wealth we have gathered.
Gold is the best ambassador.
Captain, are you sure of what you are doing?
Sometimes action must be faster than thoughts.
Horse.
I wish I had one.
My feet are hurting me.
Me too.
It hurts.
Soldier.
Sol-dier.
Will he send gold to Spain? The one-fifth of nothing is nothing.
Cortes will keep most of it.
Then we must follow the orders.
- It is why we are here, is it not? - Yes.
What are we going to tell the governor about the gold?
Velazquez is not here.
He does not know if it is 50 pieces of gold or 500.
Why does he have to know what we have requisitioned?
Do you not agree with me?
Let us follow the orders...
finish Cortes...
and take what belongs to us.
Soldier, help me to get her up.
Come.
Move!
It is the Captain!
They are back!
Diego!
Bring water to the horses!
Olid!
- How did it go? - Fine.
Water!
Yes. Thank you.
Who are all these people, sir?
They are Totonacs.
Thanks to the Captain, they are now our allies
We left Cuba wishing to know these lands.
Now that we have seen their beauty and wealth...
many of you have come to me to ask that...
instead of going back to Cuba...
we let us stay here and populate these lands.
I have listened to you all.
I have to confess I had doubts. I was confused.
I doubted whether it was lawful to find a city in here.
But Captain Alvarado told me it could be possible.
According to the Castilian laws, collected in...
"The Seven-Part Code of the King", and when I say King I mean Alfonso X...
the wise Alfonso X, who said...
"The people..."
- "The people can create..." - "The people...
"The people is the council of every men in a community."
Exactly, Captain! And since we are a community,
we can form a council and create our own laws.
I stay here. I am done with Cuba.
- In Castile there is only misery. - I stay, Captain.
I will not stay in a land where men devour each other.
Be quiet!
You have no idea what are you talking about!
Listen to me! Silence!
So that you may proceed freely...
I quit to all my positions. From this moment on, I am one of you...
- It is impossible! - And I will respect what you decide.
Captain, Captain!
Listen Alvarado!
Listen to him, please!
I will give you the names of the candidates to be mayor.
First, I volunteer myself.
What?
Captain...
Has the voting ended?
It will not be long.
Fine.
So it is true that you have studied Law.
You say that because of the assembly?
Nice trick.
It is not a trick.
It is just a shortcut.
A legal argument. Law is that too, right?
Who do you serve?
What kind of question is that?
It is simple.
Who do you serve?
The King, of course.
Of course, yes.
Do you doubt my intentions?
I hear what some men say...
I can imagine what they say...
- That I am going to keep the gold. - Yes.
What do they know?
Gold is just gold to them.
For me, it is a way to accomplish something more important.
What is that?
The King's support.
Right now, the King supports governor Velazquez, Captain.
He is his representative here, and you must obey him.
And yet, I have decided not to.
You know Velazquez.
He is dazzled by gold.
He is a blind man leading blind men.
You heard me before and I am telling you.
I want to found here a new Spain for our King.
Where we can all live together in peace.
God has given us this opportunity and I will not waste it.
You still do not believe me.
Let us do this. I swear that tomorrow I will send the King
all the gold we have gathered.
Not a one-fifth, but all the gold.
We will send him everything.
It is decided.
There will be no turning back.
I have made my choice.
Now, you are going to make yours, Olid.
Our new mayor...
is Captain Portocarrero.
- Yes! - Great!
- Good decision. - Congratulations.
As your mayor, I propose...
that our Captain, Hernan Cortes...
regain all his positions...
as Chief Justice and Captain-General.
Does anyone object?
Look what a sham.
Captain...
- Yes! - Hurray!
- Yes! - Long live Hernan Cortes!
- Hooray! - Well done, Captain!
Gentlemen...
friends...
we landed on these shores on Good Friday...
and we found that God had brought us to a plentiful land.
For this reason, I propose that from this day on...
this land is called the Villa Rica of the Vera Cruz.
So be it!
Now get on with it!
We need to build this city and a fortress.
Let us do it! Give me a shovel!
We have to catch the traitor.
Tomorrow, before dawn breaks.
There is no other way.
The die is cast.
- He is not here! - Impossible!
- I have been watching him all night. - Let us go, before someone finds us!
Where do you go?
Did you lose something?
Were you looking for me?
Drop your sword.
So this is your doing.
Drop your sword.
- Traitor! - Come on!
Come on!
Move!
Cristobal...
You did the right thing.
You will not regret this.
Tenochtitlan, one year later
Cristobal!
Juana!
On the cross I sew you. Virgin Mary's hand meets mine.
Flesh with flesh, bone with bone...
- Olid! What happened? - Captain!
Captain, I need men... Fifteen men... No! Twenty men to join me.
Calm down. What happened?
The Mexica sank our brigs.
They attacked us in the chinampas.
Our men have died and Juana has been taken prisoner.
There is no time to waste!
It is a suicide mission. Even if you could make it on time...
who knows if you can save her.
She is probably dead already.
No!
No, she is not.
She is not. I have to go get her.
- I have to go get her. - Come on, look at you!
You cannot even walk.
We were on a desperate mission this morning.
We have risked our lives, and this is how you thank me?
You are a good Captain, Cristobal.
If you were on my shoes, you would do the same.
And what would you do if she was the one in danger?
You do not answer...
You do not know what to say.
I bet on you.
You convinced me you were a man of honor.
Now I see you are not.
You are just like all the adventurers who come to these lands...
A greedy man, willing to sacrifice anyone...
in order to get yourself rich or conquer a palm of land!
- I am saving your life. - To die in one of your battles?
No, thanks.
- Where are you going? - I would rather die saving her.
Veracruz, one year earlier
This is the report of everything what has happened here. I wrote it myself.
And this is the founding act of the city.
The King has to get this.
He has to read it.
I would like to stay here.
Accomplish your mission and come back.
You know what to do with the ships.
Hernan, are you sure?
Drill them. Send them to the bottom. It is an order.
Come on. Good luck.
What are we missing?
You!
- Gonzalo, your sword. - Olid, do not go.
- Your sword. - Olid, it is useless.
Give me your sword!
It is madness!
Get out of my way!
No!
Did you order Portocarrero to sink our ships?
There is no turning back.
Sync and corrections: minouhse www.addic7ed.com