The Widow's Window

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"Annette: It's not about good kings or bad kings. No one can reign innocently. This is the cost. This is the way we let change in.
Alucard: Through the widow's window"

— Annette and Alucard during the execution of King Louis XVI

The Widow's Window is the third episode of the second season, and the 11th episode overall, of the Netflix original series, Castlevania: Nocturne.

Synopsis[]

As Maria's magic intensifies, Mizrak urges the Abbot to repent and reverse his loyalties. Alucard's party arrives in Paris at the height of revolution.

Plot[]

In 1425 CE, at Sekhmet's tomb, Drolta stands beside her fellow vampire priestesses who give prayer as a potential Sekhmet vessel enters the place. After consoling a tearful priestess, Drolta says a prayer while holding up a chalice of Sekhmet's blood toward an open window that beams a ray of sunlight through. Said window marks the vessel's forehead with the cult's emblem and, after drinking her blood, starts to transform while cringing in pain as the priestesses there watch attentively. Ultimately, the vessel spontaneously combusts.

In the present day, the Night Creatures gather the corpses of the National Guard as Olrox tells the despondent Mizrak he cannot save them. Mizrak boldly claimed he only picks fights he knows he can win, but Olrox disparages him as a fool. Denying Olrox's claim, Mizrak suggests that Olrox leave him be and walks toward the sunlight as Olrox sadly watches.

At Tera's home, Maria lays on a bed and plays with an object that Tera made her as Tera watches her from the doorframe. Maria talks about the times she used to play with it and what her imagination made her think about it. Tera comments how lucky they are for reuniting, and seeing that the sun is setting, she closes the windows to the room.

The two then walk the streets of Machecoul, where Maria notes how quiet it is and the smell of iron in the air and flesh, while Maria also comments blood. They then witness two carts pulling the corpses of the National Guard soldiers, and Maria considers if vampires could have killed them, but Tera says not in sunlight. Maria notices that the carts are heading toward the Abbey, and Tera comments how the next day, that Erzsebet will have a new army of Night Creatures by the next morning, which Maria blames "him".

Inside the Abbey, Abbot Emmanuel, first transforms the Captain of the National Guard into a night creature as Drolta appears and compliments the Infernal Machine. She claims that she was reborn three times because of this, and the newly transformed Captain exits the machine as a night creature.

Standing in a dark, barren forest, filled with an ominous air, Annette is confronted by the souls of her ancestors who call out to her. There was also a demon that lunged at her, but Annette snapped out of her trance before it could do anything. She aimed her weapon into the air as Richter and Alucard rowed the boat they were on. Richter assures Annette she just had a dream, but she questions the presence of the corpses hung on the trees nearby. Alucard mentions that it was Erzsebet's doing, but Richter notes they're far from Machecoul, and Alucard reveals she has allies everywhere. Even though Annette and Richter wanted to rescue the surviving people from the nearby village, Alucard admonished it. He stated Erzsebet would take full advantage of the time they'd waste in doing such an endeavor by overtaking the country.

However, due to Richter's insistence, they save a few people from a pack of vampires and deal with a couple who tried to hang up the corpse of a dead woman. Once the vampires on Annette and Richter's side are dealt with, Alucard rejoins them and states that he believes he has killed all of the vampires on his side. Out of guilt, Richter reveals that he may have exposed their destination to Erzsebet's side, which Alucard notes was him showing off. Although Richter apologizes and notes his mistake, Alucard doesn't forgive or condone him, and Annette suggests they progress. Alucard scoffs and heads back to the boat, and Richter thanks Annette for seemingly taking his side.

Inside the Abbey cellar, Edouard talks to the former Captain of the National Guard, noting her former position title. She confirms it and claims now she's a "glorious" new thing. When asked what she once was, Edouard tells her about his previous life as an opera singer. Despite its perks, Edouard admits the dark faults of his former life and asks if the Captain can relate. The Captain does and had wanted to purge the world of its monsters but laments their current predicament.

Meanwhile, Juste heads to the camp where he thought Maria was, only to find it empty.

Elsewhere, at a circular row of stone pillars, Maria practices her magic by summoning a Scorpion Familiar and notes how its appearance reflects her emotional state of anger. Tera observes this from behind her and asks if she summons them from elsewhere or if she changes them somehow. Self-consciously, Maria wonders if her summoned creatures are a product just like her father's as Maria blames herself for triggering Tera's transformation by returning to the Abbey. Tera hugs Maria and dismisses that it wasn't Maria's fault, that it was her job to keep her safe, and that she'd do it a thousand times over. Maria tries to get up and walk away, but Tera stops her and reminds her that the place they were at was where she originally taught her to summon creatures from other worlds and harness her magic. Tera then asks if Maria remembers what she once told her, but she gives no response, so Tera says that Magic is as subtle as a blade with two sides. Maria then cites that it can be used for survival and slaughter and believes she's learned everything there is to survival.

At the Vendée courtyard, Erzsebet learns from Drolta that Alucard is on his way to Paris. While Erzsebet relishes the chance to become a vessel of Sekhmet, the spy who informed them of this information catches their attention by coughing. Realizing that the spy wants a reward, Drolta does so by branding him a member of their cult, which he fearfully tries to object to. Olrox then appears and Drolta asks where he was, and he responds by stating he was admiring Drolta's work of slaughtering the entire National Guard. He then directs his attention to the spy, who winced in pain, and Drolta claims that he was rewarded by being initiated into their cult and realizes that he hasn't been initiated yet. Although Olrox kneels to her assuring his fealty toward Erzsebet, she wants him to prove it with a mark on his forehead genuinely and has Drolta brand him.

Kneeling before a grave, Emmanuel is confronted by Mizrak, who states that all of their men are dead. Emmanuel demands to know why he was there, and Mizrak tries to reason with Emmanuel to change his ways. However, Emmanuel amusingly chuckles saying it's too late for him to untransform the night creatures and barter his soul back. He knows that if he betrays Erzsebet, she'd kill him, and Mizrak cites that the man he knew didn't fear death. Although Emmanuel argues, Mizrak wouldn't question him if he, too, saw what he did and experienced. Mizrak then states that Emmanuel once told him of his plans to use the night creatures to kill Erzsebet, but Emmanuel notes his realization of how futile such an endeavor would be. Mizrak scorns the fact that Emmanuel has changed his ways, but Emmanuel notes how fortunate they'd live to see when Erzsebet takes over the world by transforming the world into darkness. Turning around, Emmanuel sees that Mizrak was gone.

Walking through the streets of Machecoul, Juste is shunned by the locals, as Maria practices her magic with her mother. Maria reminisces about the first time she opened a portal way into the otherworld and how scared she was. Tera mentions how she sensed that fear multiple times and notes how it was holding her back. Sensing the presence of creatures from the otherworld, Maria opens up a large dark portal and becomes terrified. Right as she tries to stick her hand inside of it, Tera stops her, and after a brief moment, a Wolf, which, after following her mother's instructions, successfully tames it by overcoming her fear of it. Maria then reflects on how she has to think like the creature she's in control of. Once the wolf returns to the portal way, Tera smiles at Maria, only for their moment to be disturbed by Juste, who attacks Tera with his Long Sword. Maria was perplexed by who Juste was, and Tera, while dodging Juste's attacks, demanded to know why he was there, and he responded he was trying to protect Maria from her. Although Maria tries to reason with Juste, Tera protects her with a wall of Ice as Juste continues attacking her. Once Juste was under Tera's mercy, she tries to bite, him, but she regains her composure and apologizes for her action. Hearing noises from a distance, the trio sees the newly transformed National Guard, now Night Creatures, walking through the fields as the dawn breaks. Maria blames her father for creating the army and needs to be stopped. When Juste points out Drolta in the sky leading the pack, both Maria and Tera were shocked at what they saw. As Tera is shocked by Drolta's revival, she then notices that Maria is gone and sees her riding a bird toward the city. Tera tries to stop Maria, but the sunlight burns her hand, and she asks that Juste go in her place to stop Maria from killing her father.

At the Vendée courtyard, Erzsebet admires her new night creature army as Drolta lands by her and comments on it. She then leaves promising to return by sundown, taking a few night creatures with her.

In Paris, Alucard, Annette, and Richter walk through the city and Annette rhetorically asks if Paris is always like that noting the tension in the air. The group then head to the city's execution ground, where a large crowd gathered for the execution of Louis XVI who is called Louis the Last. Richter notes his approval of executing vampires but not of mortal humans, which perplexes Annette. He goes onto state that even Maria didn't think that Louis was a bad man and the two have a heart-to-heart talk. During it, Alucard chimes in with his own comment revealing he's not a royalist, but a realist, citing for living so long you don't care about the patterns of rebellion. As Alucard spoke, Annette noticed a red portal way as the demon from her trance appeared from it. After Louis the Last was executed and the crowd cheered, Louis' spirit as well as others walked toward it and Annette was drawn to it too.

Cast[]

Quotes[]

- Edouard: "You were a captain in the Revolutionary Army."

- The Captain: "Yes. And now I'm... I am a new glorious things. What were you?"

- Edouard: "From when I was a boy, all I dreamed of was the opera. When I sang, people loved me. They whistled and cheered and threw coins at my feet. I wore Parisian silks. I drink champagne. But the world is dark and cruel and filled with monsters. And that was too much to bear. You thought so too, Captain. It's why you joined the Revolutionary Army."

- The Captain: "Yes. To purge the world of monsters... But here we are."

- Drolta: "Alucard is on his way to Paris. I'll leave soon, Your Magnificence. And give the vermin a shock. Soon, Sekhmet will be whole again."

- Erzsebet: "And I will be whole." "Oh, look he's hoping for a reward."

- Drolta: "It would be my pleasure. Kneel." (The cultists restraint the short vampire as he panicked) "Hail, Keeper of Light, Mother of the Dead." (Drolta brand the short vampire as he screams in pain. Erzsebet chuckles. Olrox appear). "Olrox. Once again, I find myself wondering where you've been."

- Olrox: "Admiring the brutality with which you slaughtered the Revolutionary Army." (He looked the branded short vampire) "What did he do?"

- Drolta: "He was making a heartfelt display of loyalty. And it occurs to me, Olrox, that you have done no such thing."

- Olrox: (He bow down to Erzsebet) "As you well know, I both admire and worship you, goddess."

- Drolta: "We sacrificed all we had to serve Erzsebet. What have you ever sacrificed , Olrox? What would you die for?"

- Erzsebet: "Or who?"

- Olrox: "Only you."

- Erzsebet: "If you love me, Olrox... you can wear it on your face."

- Mizrak: "All our men are dead. And yet, here we stand."

- Abbot Emmanuel: "What are you doing here, Mizrak?"

- Mizrak: "I'm here to say that it's not too late, Emmanuel. To remind you that even at the final hour, the thief repented and was forgiven."

- Abbot Emmanuel: "How would I repent? Unmake the night creatures? Barter back my soul? She'll kill me if I disobey her"

- Mizrak: "The man I knew was never afraid to die."

- Abbot Emmanuel: "You wouldn't question me if you'd glimpsed what I have of the other side. If you heard it sometimes in the twilight. Quiet laughter. Hell. Waiting. Whispering your name."

- Mizrak: "You told me it would be worth because you planned to use the night creatures to kill Erzsebet. Why don't you do that now?"

- Abbot Emmanuel: (laughs) "Because now I've seen that she could crush them with an open palm."

- Mizrak: "So you fought to wrestle the world from the hands of the revolutionaries only to surrender it to her."

- Abbot Emmanuel: "I thought I could use Hell's weapons to fight for Heaven. When Erzsebet finally swallows the sun and floods this world with darkness, we'll find that they were the luckiest of us. The ones who didn't live to see it."

-(Maria, Juste, and Tera see night creatures afar heading to the Vendée)

-Juste: "What are they?"

-Maria: "The National Guard. It makes me sick looking at them, knowing that he did this. Turned them all into night creatures. He needs to be stopped."

-Juste: "That's a night creature too?" (Seeing Drolta flying)

-Tera: "Drolta." (gasps) "How's that possible? Where's Maria?" (Tera see Maria use her bird familiar to head to Machecoul) "No!" (She reach her hand out only for the sun to burn her) "She's going to the abbey. Juste, go after her. I can't get there fast enough to save her."

-Juste: "Save her from what?"

-Tera: "From what she's about to do. She's going to kill her father."

-Annette: "It's not about good kings or bad kings. No one can reign innocently. This is the cost. This is the way we let change in."

- Alucard: "Through the widow's window."

-Richter: "Don’t tell me you’re a Royalist too."

-Alucard: "I'm a realist. But I'm also very old. I'm not saying that when you lived for centuries, you stop caring, but enough rebellions and upheavals, and you notice the patterns. They start with hope and end with bloodshed. Or they start with bloodshed and end with bloodshed."

The Widow's Window

Contents

Synopsis[]

Plot[]

Cast[]

Quotes[]

Gallery[]

Screenshots[]

Concept art[]