Scene Six

[Lights come on to ABIGAIL’S room. She is sitting down reading a book or newspaper. A knife is laid by some bread on a table.]

PRINCE AURTHER III

[From offstage.]

Come on, she is probably in her room. It’s this way.

[PRINCE AURTHER III, OLIVIA, and MOTHER enter.]

ABIGAIL

            What’s going on Arty?

            [Looking at OLIVIA.]

            Oh crap.

PRINCE AURTHER III

            I found her, the girl you told me about. I invited her here.

ABIGAIL

            [Looking at MOTHER.]

OLIVIA

            [Embarrassed.] Uhh… that’s Mother.

ABIGAIL

            You brought your-

[MOTHER rushes forward and hugs ABIGAIL.]

MOTHER

            [Wiping away tears.] You look just like her.

OLIVIA

            It’s a lot to explain.

MOTHER

            [Releasing ABIGAIL and trying to regain composure.] I had to make sure Olivia didn’t

chicken out.

PRINCE AURTHER III

            How about we go keep watch? [Motions for MOTHER to follow him.]

[Mother and PRINCE AURTHER III exit.]

OLIVIA

            I probably should have listened harder that day in the forest.

ABIGAIL

            I’m at fault too, I should have out right told you. I was scared.

OLIVIA

            For good reason, this is pretty much suicide.

ABIGAIL

            I was scared for you. They wouldn’t have done anything to me.

[OLIVIA nervously laughs then hesitates for a second before extending a hand.]

[ABIGAIL takes OLIVIA’S hand and pulls her closer.]

ABIGAIL

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            Are you sure this is okay? Me being a girl.

OLIVIA

            I did say you could be anything, even a troll.

[They lean in to kiss, but right before their lips touch PRINCE AURTHER II enters with a shackled MOTHER. They are followed closely by KING AURTHER I holding PRINCE AURTHER III by the arm. ABIGAIL and OLIVIA push away from each other.]

KING AURTHER I

            [Looking at MOTHER.]

            I knew I recognized you from somewhere, Arabella kept a small painting of you hidden

in her wardrobe. The servants found it while cleaning it out.

PRINCE AURTHER II

            [Looking at ABIGAIL.]

            Do you want to tell me why this woman and my son were standing outside your door?

And why they tried to block me from coming into your room?

PRINCE AURTHER III

            [Trying to jerk his arm away.]

            Father, its not what you think.

PRINCE AURTHER II

            Oh, I don’t think anything.

            [Grabbing ABIGAIL by the face.]

            That’s why I’m waiting for you to tell me. Did you think I wouldn’t see what was going

on when I came in?

KING AURTHER I

            Do you know the price for homosexuality? [He makes a slicing motion across his throat.]

Unless of course, it’s for the express pleasure of the king.

PRINCE AURTHER II

            I could have your head for this. [Motioning to OLIVIA.] I could have her head for this.

Nothing is stopping me.

PRINCE AURTHER III

            [Fighting harder.]

            Father, please-

MOTHER

            What are you talking about? You don’t have superiority over your sister?

[Everyone on the stage stops and slowly turns their head to MOTHER. PRINCE AURTHER II let’s go of ABIGAIL.]

PRINCE AURTHER II

            What did you just say?

            [Starts to laugh.]

            It sounds like you just said Abigail, my dear first-born daughter, is actually my sister.

MOTHER

            [Looking from PRINCE AURTHER II to KING AURTHER I.]

            Oh, did you not tell him? What a shame he has to find out like this.

PRINCE AURTHER II

            [Looking to KING AURTHER I.]

            Tell me what? Father, what is she talking about?

KING AURTHER I

            Don’t listen to her, listen to me, like you always do.

MOTHER

            She told me what you used to do to her. She told me how bad you were in bed, every

little de-

[KING AURTHER I releases PRINCE AURTHER III and slaps MOTHER in the face causing her to collapse to the floor. OLIVIA runs to MOTHER’S aid and tries to pull KING AURTHER I away from MOTHER, but PRINCE AURTHER II grabs her and throws her back. ABIGAIL runs in front of OLIVIA to protect her.]

PRINCE AURTHER II

            What are you going to do? Hm?

            [He lunges forward and places two hands around ABIGAIL’S throat and begins to choke

her.]

I loved killing Arabella. It was the first thing in my life I had some control over.

[He gets a huge creepy smile on his face as ABIGAIL begins to claw at his hands.]

You look and act just like her. It’s like I get to do it all over again.

[PRINCE AURTHER III grabs the bread knife and puts it to his throat.]

PRINCE AURTHER III

            STOP! Stop or I swear I will end this now.

[PRINCE AURTHER II slowly loosens his hand on ABIGAIL. OLIVIA crawls over to her and comforts her. KING AURTHER I moves away from MOTHER.]

PRINCE AURTHER III

            Good, now I have your attention.

PRINCE AURTHER II

            [Angerly.] Put down the knife, Arty. You aren’t going to do anything anyway.

PRINCE AURTHER III

            Shut up. SHUT UP! Y-you killed Abby’s mother, and you were about to kill her! How

could you do that? She’s my best friend! She’s my sister dammit!

 KING AURTHER I

            She isn’t your best friend; she is barely even your sister – or aunt…

PRINCE AURTHER III

            And you, I thought you were just a weird old man… I don’t even want to think about

what you did. [Pause.] You both make me sick.

[He stops to take a calming breath and look over everyone.]

            GUARDS!

            [The guards from the ball come into the room and take in the scene. PRINCE AURTHER

III drops the knife.]

I’m claiming the crown, quod per insaniam. Proud of me Father? I actually listened to

your lessons. An immediate transfer of leadership on the grounds of insanity.

[The guards take PRINCE AURTHER II and KING AURTHER I off stage.]

[Fade to black.]