NationStates Jolt Archive

The Servant and The Princess

ACT I, Scene: 1: The Great Palace

Outside in the gardens, enter King ACTEON II, and his daughter ERIKA

King Acteon II: My sweet daughter, thou seems trouble. Pray thee speak what clouds thy mind.

Erika: Father, my mind is clear and free of burden. Thou must be mistaken in such assumptions.

King Acteon II: A father knows his daughter. I held your whole infant body in my now aged hands. I held your hand as thou learned to walk these very grounds. Now, I walk aside thee with pride. Do not take this fool as a fool.

Erika: Is there no dissuading you? What can I say to redirect your worries?

King Acteon II: Tell me what troubles thy mind. Then, I will return to my duties and leave thee in peace in the gardens.

Erika: If thou persists...Father, Delia is to marry on the morrow with Constantine and I pray that their marriage bears happy fruitions...

King Acteon II: Rest my sweet Erika, I can tell what troubles thee now. Worry not, thou art most beautiful and of gentle spirit. The men of Byzantium scale the very walls of the Great Palace to seek thy hand in marriage yet you turn them back and almost into the sea! Surely there is a man out there that can give thou what thou deserves most as a Princess of Byzantium. He wil be brave with good roots and title!

Erika: What of love? I care not for title and lands. These are items which concern not me and my attention nor affection. These men who assail me with promises of the Heavens and Earth, care nothing more than to own my body and position. If Thy should bend like a branch in the wind to their desires, what will become of me? I know the heart of these men. Suitors they claim to be, I see only hungry dogs.

King Acteon II: I hear yee with most attention and care, my daughter. Pray I do every night for all my children. Delia has found a great man and thous shall as well. All I ask in my life is that my children find happiness before Heaven arrives for me.

Enter DAMON, Royal Advisor

Damon: My King! Your wisdom is needed in the council chamber

King Acteon II: Very well.

Approaches Erika and places a hand on her shoulder,

My dear daughter, I pray thee find happiness. Let your mind free of these troubles. I will speak with thee when my business is concluded.

Exit King ACTEON II and DAMON

ERIKA moves to the balcony overlooking the palace

Erika: Youth tis a curse. It clouds the judgement of both men and women. With youth as blinders, we see only what tis directly in our path. Without consideration of what may be to our sides or any other direction. A folly!

Exit ERIKA

Act I, Scene II: The Wedding

Enter KING ACTEON II, ERIKA, DELIA, CONSTANTINE and company

King Acteon II: By God! This day is almost as beautiful as my daughters. If the sun doth shine almost a quarter as yours, then I am afraid that I will be struck blind but remain content with the knowledge that the sun still fell short of its' jealous intentions to outshine my daughters.

Constantine: My Lord, thou art most generous in your comparison, especially with my wife. Truly, there is nothing more beautiful in this world or the next, that could compare to them both

Delia: Husband, your flattery could persuade even Satan himself to relinquish his villanious hold on the souls of the damned and allow them to slip to the gates of Heaven.

Erika: Much happiness to you both,

Turns to Constantine

I pray thou shall keep my dear sister close to your heart for eternity.

Constantine: She is the blood that sustains mine heart

King Acteon II: Truly!

Erika: Such words bring comfort and joy to my very own heart. Hopefully someday I will find a man who can swear such affections.

Delia: My sister, look about the courtyard. There are scores of men who would proclaim that and more!

Erika: Aye, but will their actions that follow live up to such grand promclamations? A question I ask often, frightfully often I'm afraid.

King Acteon II: Cease such words, my daughter. Let peaceful silence rest upon thy tounge and close thy lips. I encourage you to henceforth pledge yourself to finding this love which hath escaped thou thus far. Promise me, your father and King that from this day onward, you will become proactive instead of standing idle, snipping at those who have found what thou hath not!

Delia: Father! Barrate her not with these things. Tis a day of great happiness and joy. Cool our tempers and condensend no more?

Erika: Nay, he is correct. I apologize to you and Constantine for dampering the festivities with my unacceptable behavior. I shall take my leave and allow all to remain in a mood not befitting myself at this moment.

Exit ERIKA, Enter ATTICUS and MACEDON

Atticus: My King, may I extend my congratulations to such a happy and blissful couple that I see before mine eyes.

King Acteon II: My champions! Tis a pleasure to have you attend the festivities. Any news from Antioch? Does Prince Manuel send any message that I must know of?

Atticus: The Sacarens pressure him from the East. By God's grace we hold fast in the face of the Muslim incursions which prod our ribs.

Macedon: Aye, Prince Manuel sends his best wishes and laments his abscence from this joyous event. He prays thous understands his current position.

King Acteon II: Troublesome news indeed. Of course I understand his abscence. Sadly, a war brews, I can forsee such events. I meet with an ambassador from Damascus on the morrow. I pray our conversation will end any possible hostilities before they breakout.

Atticus: We are sorry for bringing such news to thee on this day. But is most urgent to relay. Now, let us celebrate, raise thy chalices! A toast is in order!

Act I, Scene III: The Balcony

Enter ERIKA, leaning against the balcony and observing a bird

Erika: Ah, to be a bird...Free of the worries of humanity and all that tails behind it like a hungry dog. You are free to soar high above my troubles and carry forth to happier places that offer you what thou seeks most. I watch thee and listen to thou sweet melodies. Such melodies, this natural music which only nature herself could produce. These are the best melodies to thine ears.

Enter ATTICUS from the backround

Atticus: Sweeter than thy tounge?

ERIKA turns to ATTICUS, startled

Erika: Aye, and both are far sweeter than the interruptions of a man who cannot respect the privacy of someone who wises to remain alone and listen to nature's melodies.

Atticus: I apologize for disturbing thy musical pleasure. It seems the bird has taken flight to such a place thy speak of. I noticed earlier that you walk alone, why is this?

Erika: Hold thy curiousity, champion!

Atticus: Peace, my lady. I meant no offense. Twas not my wish to upset thee so. Perhaps I could recover that bird which brought you peace.

Erika: You? An impossible feat. I require no such acts from the likes of thee. I know what thoughts pass through your mind.

Atticus: You are a sorcceress? What else can thy perform? Forseeing the future perhaps? Tell me this, what doth thou forsee?

Erika: I forsee a great warrior...a man of bravery and fortitude...Alas! Neither of these attributes can save him from the follies of Icarus. A sad sight indeed, a pitty I'm afraid...

ERIKA shoves ATTICUS against the railing

Atticus: I pray thee incorrect. Flight is not a gift I have nor desire.

Erika: What doth thou desire? He who is so vexed by something unknown.

Atticus: Nothing important, just looking to stretch my legs. Such exercise has brought me here in the presence of a sorcceress who forsees a less than admirable death in my future. Pray thee tell when this horrible event may occur, so that I may tie away loose ends.

Erika: What ends need tied? Hath thou not triumphed in battle enough? Doth thou desire to conquer the world as Alexander once achieved?

Atticus: Nay, a sweet melody to ease my ears is what I seek. Something to bring cheer to my heart when the hour of my fiinale approaches. Sadly, my own bumbling antics have deprived me of this joy.

Erika: A pitty...Wait! I can see it now...divine fait hath intervened and your judgement shall be henceforth forstalled. The planets in the Heaven favor you this day, champion.

Atticus: Lucky is my life! Please, may I kiss thy hand to show gratitude?

Erika: Nay, champion. I desire to hear that sweet song as well. Recover the bird so that I may listen to it. That is how thou can appease the cosmos!

Atticus: Then I shall journey forth and recover what I lost and what thy desire, my lady.

Exit ATTICUS

Act I, Scene IV: The Party

Enter ATTICUS, MACEDON, and LOUKAS

Macedon: My friend, what vexs thee so? Hath thou seen an angel or some other unearthly being?

Atticus: An angel, aye

Loukas: A heavenly body doth move towards thee. It's pull is stronger than that of the tide. This...moon, shines for you?

Atticus: Nay, it is abscent in the night and I am left a wandering through without any hope. Ha! A heavenly body indeed with a spirit to match! Mark, my comrades, I shall ascend skyward!

All laugh

Macedon: What is the name of this heavenly body that doth vex thee so? Speak quickly.

Atticus: Keep close this information, comrades. This lady is none other than our just king's daughter.

Loukas: Such a fine thing!

Macedon: Aye, but be warned dear Atticus. Though she may shine like the moon in the night, she is equally cold to men. A dreadful folly, to be so blessed yet curse all those around. Be careful and guard thy self.

Loukas: Worry not about me, Macedon. I have mine sword. And with it I shall vanquish this villany and conquer that heavenly body!

Macedon: Still thy tounge! Can thou not see that our friend has truly fallen for this star?

Atticus: I fall not for anything in this world. The Heavens fall for me.

Loukas: Truly? Such a bold and blashphemous statement! How the church would take offense to your boasts. I doubt you can live up to such a thing. Young Erika is too cold a woman to be seduced by such a man as yourself. She enjoys the finer aspects of life whilst thou prefer the clout of battle. I, on the other hand, can love hotly a woman and contest combat equally.

Atticus: We shall see, comrade