Reignfall

Episode 5- "The Tides of War and Peace"

The scene opens with a flashback. During the Cromwellian conquests of Ireland. We see Edward Barton in a battlefield charging with guns towards the Royalist soldiers. A cannon shell falls and explodes beside him. Edward is woken up from his dream to the sound of Azaan again. He goes to take a bath, checking on his battle scars. He writes in his diary, before going to the court. He finds the court empty. He asks a guard who says everyone is in the wrestling ground, the Khan is practicing her wrestling skills. Edward visits the wrestling ground, where he sees Zuleika wrestling. He picks up and slams a soldier in the ground, and jokes to other soldiers that she thought her father trained his men better. He turns towards Edward and greets him in perfect English, and asks if he wants to try. Edward refuses, saying how he broke his joint during a battle as a cannonball fell near him so he can't do much heavy physical exercise. He however comments on the queen's stature, saying how a woman this talk and muscular would be considered a giant back in London. Zuleika says she would definitely visit London once in her life. Back at court Zuleika arrives, dressed as beautifully as ever, and attends a meeting with the ministers. She listens to issues surrounding the kingdom, including dissent among religious conservatives for the housing of Jews, ambassadors from the Ottoman Empire pressing to increase the tribute, grain production being better than ever, and several other updates, both good and bad. She asks Mirza to call the Ottoman ambassador. The ambassador arrives. Zuleika asks him about the tribute. The ambassador explains how the Ottomans are preparing for a siege on Vienna, the Habsburg capital of Austria, so they need not only money, but also forces. In return, the Ottomans would boost the supply of arms. The ambassador's eye falls on Edward. He asks what an Englishman is doing here. Zuleika jokes that he's a djinn who fell from the sky. Zuleika asks Mirza to escort the ambassador safely out of the palace. Mirza whispers to his ear that she is an asshole. Edward says that his arrival is causing trouble. Zuleika scoffs and says that this should not be an issue, anyone can visit anywhere in this world. He offers Edward to join him at dinner at night. At the dinner table, we see Zuleika, Edward, Anya and Mirza. Edward commends the food, Zuleika says that she personally picked the menu. She says that it's what her ancestors feasted upon after winning a war. Edward says that Zuleika is the most beautiful woman he has seen. Zuleika jokes that he should tell that to his wife if he has any. Edward says he indeed has. Zuleika asks Edward about his family. He explains how he has a wife and had two kids, a son and a daughter, but sadly his daughter died of pneumonia. Zuleika expresses his condolences and asks if he feels homesick, if so, he can return to London. She doesn't want to separate a sad man from his family. Edward says that he had served longer in war than his stay here. Edward asks Zuleika that she looks different from the other people of Turan, Zuleika asks how different. Edward says she reminds him a bit about the people from Japan as described by William Adams in his letters. Zuleika says that maybe it's because her mother was not from here, she was a Kazakh. They get off the dinner table. Zuleika wishes Edward a good night. But, Anya finds that he forgot his diary on the table. She secretly gives it to Zuleika. At night, Zuleika reads it, and learns that Edward participated in a mass slaughter of Irish Catholics during the invasion of Ireland, but he repents his act now. Zuleika closes the diary and says to Anya that she needs to have a personal conversation with Edward the next day. We cut to Mirza cleaning his sword, as his wife hugs him from behind. Mirza says how the humiliation of the Ottoman ambassador gives Mirza a greater chance to start a civil war. He writes a letter, ties it to a pigeon and lets it fly.