CHARACTERS IN THE SCENE:
KING MEDI: Ruler of the Kingdom of Medi, currently being investigated over whether they have been causing harm to the kingdom of Albion.
ATTENDANT 3: A servant to the King of Medi.
WILSON: The independent investigator, sent from allied kingdom of France, to find out if Medi had been causing harm to Albion.
King Medi’s Palace
Enter Medi and Attendant 3
Medi: Of all the impertinence in the world, this has far and away got to be the worst, and from Albion’s domain as well. How could Bors dismiss all of the times we spent together as a child? Was my act not good enough for him to believe that I was always on his side? He never seemed notice of my activities afore all of this. True, there had been a few scrapes on the radar of his people, but he had always shrugged it off; and now, he takes into account their word against mine. It is idiotic.
Attendant 3: But his people be correct, sire.
Medi: So? What does that have to do with anything? He needs to trust me.
Attendant 3: But you are lying to his face, sire.
Medi: Listen, attendant, it is not that I am to be caught in my actions. That is not my anger. It is that the old bat should actually take action. He is of far too tender an age to even try.
Attendant 3: But, sire–
Medi: But? There are far too many of these in this palace.
Attendant 3: Sire, Albion is not attacking as of yet, he has merely sent a man to check on everything.
Medi: Which is why we must keep up this pretence and not let this independent see the truth at the top. What be his name again?
Attendant 3: Wilson sire, Wilson of Calais.
Medi: Bah! Such an Albion name.
Attendant 3: But he is not of Albion, sire, he is of France.
Medi: True, and lucky for me France is a very close ally. This man will want to stay in my favour too. Yes, it should be easy to trick him into believing that I am innocent. Well, will it not?
Attendant 3: Yes, sire, you are very wise, my King.
Medi: I am rather, am I not?
Attendant 3: Indeed, sire.
Medi: Much the same as my lad. Come! Where be the boy now? Where be the Prince?
Attendant 3: I believe he is at work in his quarters, sire. He does his studies and then goes to target practice after noon.
Medi: Good. My boy will make a fine King, if he sticks to his Fathers rules. He shall be a good Knight as well. Why if Albion and Medi where to go to war my Prince would smite them all where they stood. He has his Father’s strength.
Attendant 3: Yes, sire, indeed sire.
Medi: Well what do you think boy? Speak up.
Attendant 3: Excuse me, sire, think of what, sire?
Medi: My Prince of course. What do you think of my Prince?
Attendant 3: He is—wise. He is—Kind. He is many things, sire, much the same as you are many things, sire.
Medi: I am, am I not? No, my Prince will soon be rid of these dreams that he had as a child and he shall rule over Medi easily.
Attendant 3: Sire, what of the Princess? You wished me to send a note, did you not?
Medi: Yes. I have already had it writ. I wish you to send it to the address on the front.
Attendant 3: You are still thinking of going through with your plan?
Medi: Of course. Armenia is weak and pitiless. No good shall ever come of her, so I will see that some good will come of her use. She is as much a thorn in my side as my ancient Venus was before her. Only red blood trickles through her veins, there is certainly none of another colour. She will be best away from my sight, and away from damaging the mind of my Prince with the fickle opinions off her lips.
Attendant 3: Yes, sire. ‘Twill be sent off immediately.
Medi: Good. Aha, so whilst I am waiting, what news is there of the position of the fickle Virginia within Albion’s walls?
Attendant 3: We have yet to find anything, sire.
Medi: What! Nothing? Come, you fool, she is a woman; must not be too hard for her to speak to one of our disguised patriots.
Attendant 3: Nay, sire. She did not speak any tales.
Medi: You are sure? Who was the attendant that was dispatched?
Attendant 3: Myers, sire.
Medi: He has failed! You know what this means?
Attendant 3: Stocks, sire? Or cell?
Medi: I think, as there have been so many failures, it would be best to spread the message by doing both. He will receive one night and day in cell, then the stocks he shall be for the remainder of the daylight after.
Attendant 3: I will see to it. Sire, do you not consider that perhaps the Princess is far too strong to fall for our actions? It is possible.
Medi: It is not possible. I have seen the girl; she is pretty and dainty as a wailer. She is easy to break if you are not a stupid fool. Women are easier to break, especially when shown a man that they may love.
Attendant 3: That is true, sire, just perhaps she has not been handed any man she wishes to confide in.
Medi: Bah! The servants are merely not trying hard enough. They need to break her down, that is all. I may not have seen the girl close up, but surely she is not a soulless corpse? It should be easy, and then once you break her, the secrets shall come flooding out.
Attendant 3: Yes, sire. Do you wish me to send another servant out?
Medi: Yes—Wait! No. Wilson is our important target at the minute. We must focus on our own home.
Attendant 3: Yes, sire. Of course, sire.
Medi: Well, be off and to your jobs, idiot.
Attendant 3: Yes, sire. [Exit Attendant 3]
Medi: This is all getting far too close handed. I knowest not what to do sometimes, but that does not mean I shall’t not try. That old fool Bors’. His Albion means nothing when it is I that truly rules over the waves lying upon the sea. I be far too strong and wise for these fools; these silly, superfluous fools.
[Enter Attendant 3]
I thought I told you to away to your jobs! Get on with it, you silly boy.
Attendant 3: Yes, sire, it is just that I must introduce your meeting first sire.
Medi: Meeting? Well, what meeting?
Attendant 3: Monsieur Wilson, sire.
Medi: The Independent be here? It begins now; send him in.
Attendant 3: Yes, sire.
[Enter Wilson]
Medi: Welcome, friend, into my humble little chateau upon all measures. I hope it is to your comfort in every way possible.
Wilson: It is fine.
Medi: Good, good. Well, boy, be on your way. Leave Monsieur Wilson and me to speak with the lips of our age. We shall wash away our curved brows with tales of frivolity and joy; that is what is best. Go, boy!
Attendant 3: Yes, sire.
Medi: And do not forget the comments that were uttered upon you afore you go.
Attendant 3: I could never forget, sire.
[Exit Attendant 3]
Wilson: You are like this to all of your servants?
Medi: I am. Servants are of lower class; they live to serve the likes of you and I. Their breath comes from the mouth of Alfred himself, for you see they live to lick the boots of those above them.
Wilson: You are keen on letting them know their place.
Medi: All people must know their place. I know of mine, you know of yours, and my good friend Bors’ knows of his. It is those that don’t that truly vex the heart of every wise man or fool alike.
Wilson: Indeed.
Medi: Well, I assume everything is very much to your and Albion’s liking? You shall’t find no secrets or dreary tales leaking from the mouths of anyone in my Palace.
Wilson: You have trained them well, yes?
Medi: Ha! Good show, I see you be a man of many a funny bone. It is always good to get a chuckle out of one’s throat.
Wilson: You like to laugh, yet I notice not any fools’ in the building whence I came.
Medi: I have no need to pay one fool when I am filled with many fools.
Wilson: What you mean by this?
Medi: Why, the servants of course, they are much more of a fool than any other person who I may pay. You can find humour when you try, and I find plenty of humour from those who wish to serve me. Everybody in the land wishes to serve me; I am a popular ruler.
Wilson: I am sure that is true.
Medi: What of you? You come alone?
Wilson: Non. I bring with me two servants of Albion who lead me in the right directions. They shall be staying with me here to help in the proceedings, if that is okay with his highness.
Medi: Shall not bother me; more fools are welcome eagerly. Ha! What fun we should have.
Wilson: Yes. Though my servants are for my own purposes, not for that of anyone else, you understand.
Medi: I see. A pity; a great shame indeed, but I am sure you will have the greatest of joy using them in what you have planned. You have boys?
Wilson: One, yes.
Medi: Ah! So you have with you a girl. An old hag or a young scarlet?
Wilson: I am obliged to say neither, my King.
Medi: Well, I cannot chastise you for anything you wish to do with your own servants. There are many bastard kin out of walls belonging to the servants of their masters. Many fools make light work for wrinkled soldiers who fought upon grounds.
Wilson: Indeed, sire.
Medi: You are not speculating beyond few words?
Wilson: I am much afraid that I only came to the throne for introductions in short measure before leaving to carry on my duty.
Medi: You are indeed desperate for the wrongs to be righted. Then go, I shall see that you are given what information you require from my people. Go and seek out my innocence, Calais.
Wilson: I will seek what I find, m’lord, and no more will I profess.
[Exit Wilson]
Medi: Darned fool. We must make sure that no bad word is uttered in front of our arrival, or that of his servants either in case of tales being spread from Albion tongues. Attendants shall scatter to ashes if matters were to go differently from what has been planned. I will see to it that the only champion upon the games shall be my Kingliness in all of its immortal splendour. France shall fall, as will Albion; thy pedestal will not hold for much longer—Fools.
[Exeunt]
And we reach the end of Act 1. This is the scene where you see the shift between Medi when talking to his own people, and Medi when trying to keep up appearances in front of other people (we also saw this in Scene 1 when he was talking to Bors vs Armenia). Medi, as a sort-of-villain of the piece (or is he? … He is) is fun to write and fun to play– and you’ll see a lot of repetition of the word ‘fool’ when he speaks, as he both looks down and fools and somehow doesn’t see the irony in how foolish he actually is. This isn’t one of my favourite scenes but it’s a necessary scene to propel us into Act 2. Thank you for reading and I hope you’re having a great day.
The Literary Onion 