Chapter Five: Unwelcome Respite
Open
to a clear night sky bright with stars and a large, full moon.
Show
below, where the pale light illuminates the forest. The trees are bare and have the remains of
snow on them.
Show
a small mouse running, darting from point to point in the woods. From a high branch and owl watches its
progress.
Show
a hill with a clearing on it. A small
fire is burning at the base of the hill, hidden from the moon light. Mary is sitting atop the hill, staring up at
the stars. She is wearing her new outfit
and her legs are curled elegantly beneath her.
She is leaning on her right arm.
Zelos
approaches her from behind. His right
eye is still glowing.
Mary
doesn’t look back.
Mary: “Shouldn’t you be sleeping?”
Zelos: “Shouldn’t you? I thought Elsea had first watch.”
Mary: “There is little point in
that. Thirteen years spent in darkness
with nary a sight to see and the darkness of sleep seems somehow
unappealing. I much prefer to keep my eyes
open and take in all the world has to offer, thanks.”
Zelos
sits beside Mary.
Zelos: “I guess I understand that,
but you should still get some sleep.
It’s no good to stay up all night, every night.”
Mary
smiles
Mary:: “I’ve the same advice for
you. Why aren’t you sleeping, then?”
Zelos: “Nerves, mostly. So much has happened, so quickly…Sleeping
doesn’t feel right. I mean, my entire
nation is falling apart…”
Mary: “And what can you do about
that?”
Zelos: “That’s the problem: there’s
nothing I can do but sit here or move on.
It feels wrong running away to Silvara.
I hate it, but Glenn’s right. It
has to be done.”
Zelos
looks back up the hill.
Show
Elsea and Zara sleeping. They are
sharing a sleeping bag, and Zara is cuddled up to Elsea.
Zelos: “It seems those two have no
such issues.”
Glenn, off screen: “You should be up
there, too.”
Glenn
approaches the group with a stolid expression.
He
stops beside them with his arms crossed.
Zelos: “I could say the same to
you.”
Glenn: “Can’t sleep. Same as you.
Too tense.”
Mary: “Why, if this continues then
we shall have a late morning indeed.”
Zelos: “I guess I should be off,
then.”
Zelos
stands and dusts off his pants.
Zelos: “Good night, Glenn. Good night, Mary.”
Mary: “Sleep well.”
Glenn
nods.
Zelos
leaves.
Glenn: “He’s not a child anymore.”
Mary: “I don’t recall claiming he
was.”
Glenn: “He’s changed a lot since
those days.”
Mary: “Yes, and?”
Glenn: “I’m just trying to figure
out why you’re still with us. With your
strength you could have killed us all by now.”
Mary: “I told you already, I have no
interest in harming you.”
Glenn: “No, you said your target is
Fiona, the nation that Zelos considers himself a prince of.”
Mary: “Nor did I swear revenge
against your kingdom, sir knight. My
targets, as you say, are those who wronged me.
None less. None more.”
Glenn: “And who exactly would that
be?”
Mary: “It’s late. You should sleep. Don’t worry overmuch about the watch. I am quite capable.”
Glenn
stares at her for a long moment.
He
then sighs and walks away.
Mary
continues to stare calmly up at the stars.
-The Four Thrones-
Cut
to Mary in a sitting room. She is
holding a small baby in her arms and cooing down at it. The baby is wrapped in a bundle of
cloths. The light indicates that it is
midday and perhaps summer outside.
An
adolescent Metis wanders into the room.
A childhood Eros follows on his heels.
Metis is carrying a large, complicated book. Eros looks upset.
Child Eros: “Why won’t you play with
me?”
Teenage Metis: “Because I am reading. Besides, shouldn’t you be outside for sword
training?”
Child Eros: “It’s too hot.”
Teen
Metis scoffs and rolls his eyes.
He
slams his book shut.
Teenage Metis: “You’re a Ferrenn
man. Act the part at least!”
Child Eros: “It’s hot! I don’t want to do stupid sword training! So,
I won’t!”
Mary: “Hush you two. You’ll wake the baby.”
Child Eros: “Baby?”
Teen Metis: “You had another? I hadn’t even noticed your pregnancy.”
Mary
laughs quietly.
Mary: “No, no, this isn’t my child.”
She
plays with the baby’s fingers.
Mary: “If rumors are to be believed,
this baby may share your name.”
Child
Eros approaches with wonder in his eyes.
Child Eros: “Mommy had the baby?”
Mary: “Not so much had, as we found
it this morning in the fields.”
Teen Metis: “You don’t simply find
babies.”
Child Eros: “Maybe the stork missed
the castle.”
Teen Metis: “The stork isn’t
real. Stupid.”
Child Eros: “Is too! I’ve seen
them!”
Teen Metis: “You’ve seen the bird,
but those don’t deliver babies.”
Child Eros: “Then what do they do?”
Teen
Metis pauses and shrugs.
Teenage Metis: “Bird things.”
He
turns to Mary.
Teenage Metis: “Now, what was it you
said about him adopting the family name?”
Mary: “Isn’t it wonderful? You two are about to have a little brother.”
Child
Eros wanders over wide-eyed.
Child Eros: “A little brother? Wow!”
Mary: “Would you like to see him?”
Child Eros: “Yeah!”
Mary
kneels to Eros’ level and holds the baby out.
Child
Eros stares in awe at the baby.
He
holds his hand out, and the baby takes his finger and chews on it a bit.
Child
Eros giggles.
Child Eros: “He’s tickling my
finger.”
Mary
smiles.
Child Eros: “So, this is my
brother?”
Mary: “Yes, it seems that he is.”
Teen
Metis stares bitterly at the scene.
-The Four Thrones-
Cut
to Metis standing at his desk. The
curtains are drawn back. The light
outside is pale. Grey clouds have rolled
in low in the sky.
He
has parchment rolled open. It is a
design schematic for a ship.
He
rolls up the schematics and puts them in a carrying tube.
He
slings the tube over his shoulders and leaves the room.
The
castle halls are empty. Metis meets no
one along the way.
He
stops at his brother’s room and knocks on the door. From inside of the room there is rhythmic
thumping.
Metis: “Eros, are you terribly
busy?”
Eros
grunts.
Eros: “A bit.”
Metis: “I’m afraid this is
urgent. Could you please pull yourself
away?”
Eros: “I-I’m…Ah…”
Metis: “Please, Eros, I must
insist.”
Eros: “Fine!”
There
is heavy footed chaos. A woman yelps.
Eros: “I’m sorry, I…Just…Just wait
right there. Wait…”
There
is more chaos.
Eros
opens the door slightly. His upper body
is naked. The rest is obscured by
shadows.
He
smiles awkwardly.
Eros: “You called?”
Metis: “In mourning, are we?”
Eros: “So, you’ve come to interrupt
me with your chiding then?”
Metis: “No, I’ve come to tell you
that I’m taking leave of the castle and will be away for some time, which would
put you singularly in charge in my absence.”
Eros: “You mean to say…I’ll be
king.”
Metis: “In a sense. I trust you are capable.”
Eros: “Yes, of course! I won’t
disappoint.”
Metis: “I have faith in you. Now, I shall take my leave, but I leave you
with this advice: be strong. The public
must not know how you suffer. Also, if
you could, take care not to impregnate that woman. The last thing we need now is a royal
bastard.”
Metis
leaves with Eros standing at the door.
Eros
stares for a moment.
Eros
grits his teeth.
Eros
slams the door and growls.
Consort1: “Who was that?”
Eros: “I-It was no one.
-The
Four Thrones-
Cut
to Zelos, Glenn, Zara, Elsea, and Mary walking through the woods. Glenn are Zelos are leading the party. Zara and Elsea stay around the center. Mary leads up the rear. It is midday, and the sun is shining high
above. Despite this, you can still see
the party’s breath. Small piles of snow
are melting on the ground.
Zara
curls her cloak tight to her body and shivers.
Zara: “And, of course, we’re stuck
travelling by foot in winter.”
Mary: “Winter? Why, this is hardly a what I would call a
winter. In my days we had proper Fionan
winters, what with winds so cold they froze your feet in place as they lifted
your skirt!”
Zara
rolls her eyes.
Zelos
stops and peers into the distance.
Zelos: “What’s that?”
Zara: “The sky, genius.”
Elsea: “With all due respect,
princess, I don’t think he was referring to the sky.”
Show
the horizon, which has a violent splash of red.
Mary’s
expression hardens a bit, so does Glenn’s.
Zara
steps forward and hoods her eyes with her hands.
Zara: “Actually, that is a rather
good question. What in the world is
that?”
Zelos: “The sky, genius.”
Zara: “Enough out of you!”
Glenn: “That’s the ruins of
Emeraldine.”
Zelos: “Why is it glowing like
that? It looks like…magic.”
Glenn: “It is magic. The city was razed by a mage of unimaginable
power.”
Zara
laughs mockingly.
Zara: “You mean to say a lone mage
destroyed an entire city? And in one
night? I find that highly doubtful.”
Mary
steps forward and leans into Zara’s personal space.
Mary: “Then reconsider, because it
is quite true.”
Zelos: “Why do I get the feeling
that Fiona was somehow involved in this?”
Glenn
looks back at the party:
Glenn: “That’s enough. Let’s go.”
Glenn
leaves.
Zelos: “What’s wrong with him?”
Mary: “That is his to know and share
only if he so chooses.”
Mary rushes by.
Zelos watches the two leave.
Zara joins him.
Zara: “Those two are acting strangely.”
Elsea: “Respectfully, I happen to
agree with her. Whatever is bothering
Sir Glenn is his, and he should only share when he is ready.”
Zelos
shrugs:
Zara: “Seems a bit unhealthy to
bottle it all up.”
Zara: “Not all of us are willing to
shout our feelings from the rooftop, you know.
We have discretion.”
Zelos: “And some of us are just cold
and heartless. Three guesses which one
you are.”
Zelos
walks off.
Zara
glowers at him.
Elsea: “I don’t think you’re cold or
heartless, m’lady.”
Zara: “Well, thank you for that!”
-The
Four Thrones-
Cut
to the collapsed log where the party had gathered the day before. It is surrounded by spindly trees. Snow is falling softly, and a wind blows,
rattling the branches. A clump of cloth
is caught on a single branch.
Zoom
out to show Kratos approach and snatch the cloth.
He
looks the cloth over and then kneels.
Show
shallow foot prints sunken into the earth.
Follow them and reveal a clear path through the leaves.
Kratos
follows the path deeper into the forest.
-The Four Thrones-
Cut
to the courtyard of the Black Castle.
Show Childhood Zara standing in the doorway of the castle. Two women are behind her, obscured by
shadows. Childhood Zara is looking
apprehensively out at the courtyard. She is holding her best dress
protectively.
In
the courtyard Childhood Zelos, dressed in his best suit, is playing with a
well-crafted wooden sword. He is
swinging at the air and shouting excitedly, as if in combat.
Show
the woman behind Childhood Zara urge her forward.
Close
in on Childhood Zelos, who Childhood Zara approaches.
Child Zelos: “Ha! Take that, evil dragon king! Hyah!”
Child
Zara stares at him quizzically.
Child Zara: “What are you doing?”
Child Zelos: “I’m fighting the evil
dragon king and saving the world. Duh!”
Child
Zara looks around.
Child Zara: “…What dragon?”
Child Zelos: “No, not a dragon, the
dragon king. He’s right here.”
Child Zara: “I don’t see him.”
Child Zeos: “That’s ‘cause you’re a
girl.”
Child
Zelos sniffs and rubs his nose.
Child
Zelos: “Who
are you, anyway?”
Child Zara: “My name is Zara. I am the princess of Silver Throne, of the
kingdom of Silvara.”
Child
Zara curtsies for him.
Child Zelos: “Oh. What are you doing here?”
Child
Zara shrugs.
Child
Zara: “I
don’t know. My mom made me dress up and
come here. I didn’t want to.”
Child Zelos: “Oh. My dad did the same thing. You want to play?”
Child Zara: “I can’t. You said I can’t see the dragon king because
I’m a girl.”
Child Zelos: “That’s okay, ‘cause
there’s a girl dragon king that you can fight.”
Child Zara: “You don’t want to fight
her?”
Child Zelos: “I can’t. She’s a girl.”
Child Zara: “But if she’s a girl
then wouldn’t she be a dragon queen?”
Child Zelos: “No.”
Child Zara: “That doesn’t seem
right.”
Child Zelos: “Pfft, whatever, what
do you know? Gosh, girls are so dumb!”
Child
Zara looks irritable.
She
looks sideways, making sure no one is watching.
Then
she swats Child Zelos on the head.
-The Four Thrones-
Cut
to the forest where Zara is sleeping beside Elsea. They are snuggled up, and Zara smiles in her
sleep.
Zoom
out to show the entire party. Zelos is
sleeping this night, but Glenn and Mary are sitting at the edge of the
camp. They are both staring at the
bleeding red horizon.
Mary: “You needn’t bother yourself
with the watch. I can adequately keep
track of the forest and all its various manner of beastie.”
Glenn: “I’m not watching the
forest.”
Mary: “My, aren’t we sharp
tonight? Been taking lessons from that
blade of yours, I see.”
Glenn
frowns.
Mary: “I have a question for you.”
Glenn: “Yes?”
Mary: “The princess, was she covered
in blood when you found her?’
Glenn: “…Yes.”
Mary: “Do you think that, in truth,
she did have hand in the king’s murder?”
Glenn: “I’ve…considered it.”
Mary: “And of course the prince
won’t hear it.”
Glenn: “He doesn’t agree with me,
no.”
Mary: “I am inclined to agree with
him on that point. The princess
certainly has a bite, but she hardly seems the type to go about killing kings.”
Glenn: “I don’t know her well enough
to know what type she is.”
Mary: “From how you speak you seem
to think the prince doesn’t know her well enough, either.”
Glenn: “I didn’t say that.”
Mary: “Mayhap I paraphrased.”
Glenn: “Zelos is who he is.”
Mary: “Well put. For whatever it may help, I think you’re
right as well. The blood she bore was
certainly royal.”
Glenn: “But?”
Mary: “No but. I am wholly convinced. The king’s blood is certainly on her hands.”
Glenn: “But…”
Mary: “I would not weigh it upon her
soul.”
Glenn: “How do you mean?”
Mary: “The way she moves, the way
she speaks…She has certainly experienced death, but from those very same things
I can honestly say she did so without conviction, and one cannot kill without
conviction.”
Glenn: “Then how did she do it?”
Mary: “Another gave her conviction.”
Glenn: “What do you mean?”
Mary: “I mean to say that some can
be persuasive. Persuasive enough to
convince the body to do what the mind would not.”
Glenn: “Magic.”
Mary: “You know her better than I.”
Glenn: “Marginally so.”
Mary: “Mayhap, but let me put this
another way: have you ever known the prince’s intuition to be wrong?”
Glenn: “He saved you.”
Mary: “My point exactly.”
Glenn: “Okay, let’s say you’re
right, that someone was controlling her.
Who would make her do such a thing?”
Mary: “Who would stand to gain from
both the disappearance of the princess and the prince?”
Glenn: “…Are you suggesting it was…”
Mary: “Not all three of them, of
course, but certainly one. A very
specific one. Now then, you’ve much to
consider. Go rest, and I’ll keep
watch. You’ll be of better use in closer
proximity should I chose to cross you in the middle of the night anyhow.”
Glenn
sighs and stands.
Glenn: “I still don’t trust you.”
Mary: “So you’ve said, but the
prince does, and that is enough for me.”
Glenn
stalks off.
Mary
continues to stare up at the moon, a contented smile on her face.
Episode
End.
