CHARACTERS IN THIS SCENE:
PRINCE- Prince of Medi.
BORS- King of Albion. Lia’s father.
LIA- Princess of Albion, Bors’ daughter.
KENT- Son of the Duke of Kent, based in Albion. Suitor to Princess Lia.
SOMMERS- Fool and friend to the King of Albion.
Bors’ Castle Kitchen
Enter Prince
Prince: Lia? Lovely Lia? Ars’t you still here or have you run? No, of course you have’st not run. How could you do such thing? You are blind, and noble. You would not leave. I know’st you would not leave. Your sword needs you. Oh what am I to do? I should not have run. She is only mine sister; I love her as I loved my mother. But, I have lost mine mother, and now mine father and sister are lost to me too. What am I to do? Oh, Lia, I must seek a dreamer to bring back my own.
[Enter Kent]
Kent: There is no use screaming, Medi. Princess is away and sleeping away the madness you hath stirred in her young mind.
Prince: I hath inspired no madness. Who be you?
Kent: I am Kent, the son, not the father.
Prince: I was not aware of another.
Kent: It is a common mistake made.
Prince: I shall’t not make the mistake, promise, dear Kent, but I must see Lia. I must see her immediately.
Kent: You shall not wake her, so says Kent.
Prince: She is’t the only light in the darkness that has stirred in my heart.
Kent: She is no such thing. She is girl, only girl, and she has own heart to worry of. A heart you hath already foolishly wrecked.
Prince: She would not say so, if you t’were to ask her.
Kent: She is sick. Her words are vile and lost to the kind person she may once have been. Medi is always doing such ill deeds. Medi is a vile place, inspiring vile minds.
Prince: As of now, you will find Medi is as lost as Lia. Evil acts hath fallen from within its own walls.
Kent: And how is’t that I am meant to see any difference? Medi has inspired evil in my walls. Thy and thy kind should ne’er step foot in Albion, if I were to rule.
Prince: But you do not rule.
Kent: I was to, but now, I do not wish of it. Not if t’were to hurt Princess.
Prince: You were to marry my Lia?
Kent: I were to form nuptials with Albion Princess but you shall not tell Lia of this. T’would only make her madness worse.
Prince: And you? You would protect her?
Kent: I would.
Prince: Who do you protect?
Kent: Lia.
Prince: Not Princess?
Kent: Princess hath many guards to protect her, Lia hast no-one. I shall’t protect the one person that I can offer something too. And on her word, I shall’t protect thy too, as much as it pains me to do so.
Prince: You would protect me and mine kingdom?
Kent: I will do what is necessary.
[Enter Bors and Sommers]
Bors: Kent, we go to the front to meet old friend. You—come.
Sommers: Why, royal fool, you hath returned? What, do you still seek my occupation?
Prince: I wish that I could. Your majesty, I am afraid your plans will not come to fruition.
Bors: Medi is already charging my kingdom? No, my friend should not hurt me like this, surely. Lia wished me to give him chance.
Prince: He cannot charge your kingdom, nor be offered chance. I tried, to no avail, to make him see sense—and his denial came with the cost of his own life. He was struck down, oh wise king, from behind. I am sorry to say mine own attendant was the cause of this terrible deed.
Kent: Medi is dead? No, this cannot be, not after all hard work that I have done to repay him his crimes. Death is not punishment enough.
Sommers: Ah, so that is the role you play in the story, is’t? I must confess I am most disappointed.
Bors: Kent! Calm yourself. I do not care what your past dictates. Prince, haves’t you come to make peace? Is’t it all over? As much as I loved my old friend, I feel no pain at his departure from the tale. No doubt the loss will come to me under satin sheets in due time, but for now, we celebrate peace ‘tween Medi and Albion once more.
Prince: Your celebrations are premature. I need my Lia to clear my mind, for my story becomes even more distressing the longer it goes on.
Kent: ‘Tis not possible.
Sommers: ‘Tis most certainly possible. A story must carry on twisting down darker paths so that light can be at its most magnificent.
Prince: ‘Tis definitely a darker path, for mine own sister has’t returned. She had been disguised as servant Arthur all ‘long.
Kent: Who is’t servant Arthur?
Sommers: A boy with Medi’s fire-cheeks and fire-eyes. You are lucky you did not meet, as I am sure you would not like each other.
Bors: This is a good discovery, is it not? I ne’er knew Princess as well as I would have liked, but she seemed to be of noble nature.
Prince: I fear that years of enforced nobility and servitude hath weakened her dreams sorely. She hath become lost to her former lovingness.
Bors: Do not be silly. She is’t Medi’s daughter, as Lia is my own. I will merely have discussion with her that I was to have with father.
Kent: Is’t she doppelganger of Medi’s hateful self?
Bors: She has’t never looked like her father, and she has’t never acted with the harshness he has hidden from me. I know for sure I can talk her out of madness. She is my Lia replicated in Medi’s walls.
Prince: I am not sure that there is much to be done with her. She has’t taken away my dreams and I must reclaim them afore I can do any act.
Sommers: Nunny, if I may appeal to your wise egg, I would endeavour to agree with Prince. I hath always kept watch over Princess of Medi on visits and she has’t always been a fascinating character to follow. She is both confused and intelligent. She is worldly and hidden in nightmares. She is calculating and vicious, whilst also being hypocrite and human. These make for some worrying qualities in reality, though perfect for the stories that will be told afterwards.
Bors: Sommers, have you no faith in your king?
Sommers: I have all faith in dog, but it was cat I had no faith in on other side—thy Princess is not of either. She is not dog, cat, cog or dat—she is merely that. I cannot define her as easily as I can others and I find this hides the fate of all around her, including my Nunny.
Bors: You must not worry, my fool. She is just girl, as confused as my own. I must at least try, for kingdom’s sake, to beseech to her noble heart, must I not? Say you believe in that much of your king?
Sommers: I do. [aside] But I do not believe in the acts of another, is problem.
Kent: I will go tell Lia and protect her, as you wish, my king.
Bors: Lia is asleep, is she not?
Kent: Indeed, on last I saw her.
Bors: My poor girl. My child who have done no wrong. Thy father has ruined thee.
Kent: That is not so, my King. She fell at the hands of Medi. I know of that pain.
Bors: Who is’t that fell to my friend?
Kent: Kent, father not son.
Sommers: But as father fell so did son, it seems. It is always the way.
Bors: He seemed fine when I spoke to him not too ‘long ‘go.
Kent: He merely hides his damage. He is proud man. If I could have repaid Medi for his pain, I would.
Bors: Then you shall’t come with me to speak to Medi’s girl. We hath both been hurt, and she should see that. Your young, handsome face may come to be helpful as well.
Sommers: If all goes wrong you can offer to trade his face for your protection, my king.
Bors: Sommers, no jokes, if you please. Are you to come too?
Sommers: Do you wish it?
Bors: I do.
Sommers: Then I shall come and write story.
Kent: But what of Princess? If we take guards, in case of war, and attendants, in case of need, who shall’t look after and protect her?
Bors: I do not know if she can be protected.
Prince: I will look after her.
Bors: That is noble, but your family has’t caused me too much pain in this day.
Sommers: He seeks dreams, my King. Lia seeks them also. Perhaps they can come to mutual understanding. The power of dreams is’t very strong.
Bors: You believe I should let him protect my daughter, Fool?
Sommers: Despite her darkness, I believe she will protect him, your highness. And in return he will’t try his hardest to return favour.
Bors: Kent, would you assent to this?
Kent: With a sorry heart, I shall.
Bors: Then Prince you shall stay here. You shall’t not disturb her, and you shall do nothing ‘gainst her. Any more evils today and it will fall entirely on your head.
Prince: Sire, I heed to thy warning. I wish you great luck and am sorry that I am too weak to join you. Be wary of my sister. I love her with all of my heart, and I hope you will find her as dutiful as she was in my youth.
Sommers: You are still a youth.
Bors: Kent, the guards are gathered. They shall follow behind, in case of emergencies.
Sommers: Attendants are ready also.
Bors: Then we shall go. We shall see strength of Medi’s girl and see if it cannot be swayed.
[Exit Bors]
Kent: Disturb Princess and you shall pay, Medi. I swore to protect you for her, but that rule will change if she were not obstacle anymore.
Prince: I will not hurt her, promise, Kent.
[Exit Kent]
Sommers: Be wary of the slumber, Prince. It is not always true.
[Exeunt]
The Literary Onion 