The Unnamed Saga: The Four Thrones, Chapter Five: "Unwelcome Respite"

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.