Urahra 5359 Share Posted February 4, 2021 LORIN + SIEGMUND A Tragedy in Four Acts Inspired by the life and writings of Lorin of Kaedrin. Penned by Bianca La Fleur. Published IST 1806. Part of the Black Rose Quartet On The Shores of Paradise Lorin + Siegmund Lorin + Augustus Inheritor This play is a work of fiction meant for entertainment only. Changes have been made to simplify the story for the stage. This work is not to be treated as a historically accurate text for purposes of education. CAST In Order of Appearance LORIN FLAY - A young lady of nineteen, forced against her will to marry a man four times her age. She runs away following a traumatic miscarriage and ends up at the estate of her former lover, Siegmund Carrion. A beauty endowed with a fiery temper. Auburn hair, blue eyes. SIEGMUND CARRION - The youthful figure of the Exalted Prophet, years before he was bestowed the Holy Scroll of Auspice. A Raevir man of roughly thirty. Pragmatic and principled, yet nonetheless a slave to his impetuous passions. Black hair, green eyes. Wears an eyepatch. HADRIAN DE SARKOZY - The Duke of Sarkozy and Siegmund’s friend. Fifty or so years old. Dark hair, blue eyes. HELAINE DE SARKOZY - Hadrian’s daughter, a girl of eighteen, whom he offers to Siegmund as a potential bride. She is mild-mannered, quiet, submissive, and uncomplicated - a stark contrast to the fierce and emotional Lorin. Dark hair, blue eyes. SETPIECES The great hall of a medieval castle. Furnished modestly in a Raevir style, with House Carrion colors (red, black, gold) hung on the walls. A table, chairs, a sideboard. ACT ONE Spoiler CURTAINS RISE on the fortress of KRELMSTAD, home of the Carrion Crows in the city of Kralta. Gold, black, and red BANNERS flutter from the rough hewn stone walls. ENTER LORIN, clad in cloak. LORIN Bless the colors that hang upon these walls - Black, the shade of my sorrow’s end; Red, the hue of a new life unfolding; Gold, the glow of dawn piercing through the veil! The sad shackle that kept me prisoner Shall at last be unbound. O, freedom calls! ENTER Siegmund, carrying a letter. SIEGMUND Lo, and she arrives as indicated - This letter was not a forgery after all. Lorin CURTSIES. LORIN Thank you, Lord Carrion, for your welcome. SIEGMUND You are she who ought be called Carrion. Your Lord Husband sent word of your demise - A life sadly concluded in childbirth. He gestures to the letter in his hand. SIEGMUND Yet late last night, among my flowing tears, I received as missive what struck me strange - Drafted by the lady I assumed dead! Now she stands before me, brimming with life. What composes this spectre? Flesh and blood? Or airy mists quickly dissipated? Lorin SMILES. She TOUCHES Siegmund’s cheek. LORIN Touch my hand and feel that I am warm - The caress of a spirit would not be so. SIEGMUND Nights have I slept and dreamt of Lorin’s warmth, Only to wake and find she was not there. Lorin shakes her head. LORIN Trust in the truth of your senses, Siegmund, For I yet live; my death was a falsehood. I’ve ventured here to ask you a favor. SIEGMUND What prompts a lady to falsify her end? Death stalks us all, but we must take due care Not to invite the reaper too early. LORIN The reaper dogs me no matter what I do. O, Siegmund! Misery lies heavy on me. He pours a DRINK from the nearby sideboard and offers it to her. Lorin takes the cup, frowning. He follows it up with a drink for himself. LORIN A few days gone, my womb was heavy with fruit - Twin infants waiting on the cusp of their birth. Yet at the moment of their emergence, Death wrapped his claws around their dainty throats And stifled the fragile life from their forms. No time had I to weep for my children - For I knew my husband would be livid And lay upon me the blame for their deaths. For the crime of miscarriage, though not my fault, Augustus would surely have me murdered. My midwife agreed to say I passed Along with my two unfortunate bairns, So that I might have a chance to escape And live free of Augustus’s tyranny. SIEGMUND He likely punished that girl in your place. Lorin CRINGES and looks away shamefully. LORIN Do you not recall the promise you made? That should I e'er wrench free from Augustus, You would thusly make me your blushing bride. Here I stand, at long last liberated! I hoped you would be happy to see me! SIEGMUND Happy? Da. Indeed, I wept for your death - But I rested content in the knowledge That you were free from August’s grip at last, That I should reunite with you in Heaven. He SIGHS, taking a drink. SIEGMUND Hearing now that your demise was a sham And you fled from home as a fugitive... Would you expect me to honor my word Under these duplicitous circumstances? LORIN (defensive) My love for you pulled me to this castle. How can I forget that perfect season We spent together walking side by side? How the white beaches of Elysium Glittered like a thousand crystalline shards? How the emerald fields and balmy seas Seemed to whisper the sweetest of love songs? Remember the night you took my waist in hand And swirled me through that dizzy ballroom? How we laughed until our chests ached from joy? How you promised e'er to remain at my side? You used to love me too. Have you forgotten? SIEGMUND Not at all. My heart leaps at the sight of you - But the tale of our love met an awful end. Your uncles rejected my proposal And instead gave your hand to my liege lord - Augustus, the most feared prince of Oren. Bound am I in service to August’s command. Have I any choice but to bring him hence So that he might collect his wayward wife? LORIN Please, Siegmund! I beg you, do no such thing! SIEGMUND What was your aim in coming here, Lorin? A PAUSE, as Lorin is reluctant to speak. LORIN ...I had hoped to begin a life anew, Taking a false name and identity. I might hide myself among your servants, At least until Augustus passed away. He is aged and sure to perish shortly… You would need not conceal me for too long. SIEGMUND (exasperated) Sweet Heaven, what a bind you’ve placed me in. LORIN (defensive) I had no choice! It was leave or perish! I could think of no other place to go - But here to the side of my bosom friend! A BEAT. Lorin averts her gaze to the floor. Her disappointment is palpable. LORIN ...If you cannot shelter me here, Siegmund, I beg of you, speak not of my secret. Let my husband believe I am deceased. I’ll depart hence and vanish into mist, Never to be seen in Oren again. SIEGMUND Then where will you go? Have you any plans? LORIN O, dear Siegmund - I fear you were the plan. Siegmund SIGHS, taking another draught of his drink. SIEGMUND I cannot send a defenseless woman Out into the savage world with niet help. He sets the goblet down with a quiet ‘thunk.’ SIEGMUND Very well, you’ll stay here as my servant. We’ll cut your hair and dress you in strelt garb And refer to you by some other girl’s name. Woe unto us if this ruse is revealed - For Augustus will surely slay us both. Go, find a room in the servant’s quarters And set about forging your alias. LORIN Fret not, Siegmund. I’ll not cause you trouble. EXIT Lorin, but not before giving him a tender SMILE. Siegmund, perhaps against his will, returns her smile ruefully. SIEGMUND Trouble! Why, her name ought to be Trouble For all the heartache and rue she’s brought me. Not Lorin, for ‘tis too pretty a name For the misery that walks through my castle door. Why, O God, does my heart welcome Trouble? Why, when Trouble smiles, must I smile back? EXIT Siegmund. CURTAIN FALLS. END ACT ONE ACT TWO Spoiler CURTAIN RISES on Lorin, dressed as a servant girl, sweeping the floor. Despite her poor dress and hastily chopped hair, she SINGS happily a love ballad. LORIN (singing, to herself) O, blessed be that face so lovely What put me on sweet adoration’s path, Blessed be lips so tender and comely That speak e’er in love and ne’er in wrath - She’s INTERRUPTED by a KNOCK at the door. LORIN O, who calls today? HADRIAN (off-stage) ‘Tis Hadrian of the House Sarkozy. LORIN (to herself) O, Hell! A friend of my uncles is here? Lord God, please let him recognize me not! She OPENS the door. ENTER HADRIAN DE SARKOZY. To Lorin’s relief, he completely overlooks her. HADRIAN Girl, summon your lord at once. I bring news. Lorin CURTSIES and hurries off-stage. She returns moments later with SIEGMUND in tow. SIEGMUND Well met, good Hadrian, Duke of Sarkoz. Might I inquire what brings you here? HADRIAN Greetings, and have your servant fetch the wine. I imagine our talk will take a while. Siegmund glances to Lorin, who EXITS. Siegmund then proceeds to offer Hadrian a chair. The two men SIT. HADRIAN What sad news emerges from the Dreadfort - That our poor Lorin is dead in childbirth! ENTER Lorin, carrying a WINESKIN and GOBLETS. She serves the two before she returns to sweeping. HADRIAN I know how you favored the Lady Flay - Tell me, Siegmund. Are you not miserable? SIEGMUND I shed some tears upon hearing the news, But I am niet one to wallow in grief. HADRIAN Indeed, there is a silver lining here - No longer are you bound by your promise. Lorin STOPS sweeping and listens intently. Siegmund’s eye darts toward Lorin, then back to Hadrian. SIEGMUND My friend, I fear your meaning escapes me. HADRIAN What, have you already forgotten it? My, how swiftly the heart changes its course. You promised Lorin, upon August’s death, The two of you would be in marriage united. Forgive me, Siegmund, but I found it foolish That would would commit yourself in that way - To waste your years of youth in chastity When other brides could easily be yours. Be it far from me to speak ill of the dead - But now finer prospects are possible! A toast to the dear departed lady - ! May she rest in peace alongside her babes! SIEGMUND Beg pardon, Duke, if I opt not to toast. I see her death as nothing to celebrate. HADRIAN Forgive me, no offense was intended - I wish only to express my delight That my bosom friend is at last released And may pursue more advantageous brides. I have long wanted you to meet Helaine. SIEGMUND Helaine? HADRIAN My eldest daughter, a maid of eighteen - A lady fair in both face and temper. Mild of character, yet stalwart of faith. Surely an ideal wife for any man. SIEGMUND My thanks, Duke Sarkoz, for your esteem - Yet I fear I am in niet mood to court. HADRIAN A heart beset by stormy, troubled tides Is not yet ready to give itself in love. Indeed, my friend, that much I understand. Even so, I would introduce you both - In hopes love might blossom in the springtime Following your winter of bereavement. My wife could not provide me with a son - So long have I thought of you as my heir. A union betwixt you and my daughter Would secure a future for my duchy. Surely you see the benefit of this match. Would you allow me to escort her here? SIEGMUND Niet objections have I. Bring her if you like. Hadrian finishes his wine and STANDS, CLAPPING his hands. HADRIAN Smile, Lord Carrion! Your grief ends soon - For a new love shall light upon your door. EXIT Hadrian. Lorin resumes sweeping. A storm cloud broiling upon her furrowed brow. Siegmund makes an attempt to lighten the mood. He pours himself another drink. SIEGMUND (in gentle jest) O, the little sparrow puffs her feathers, Ready to unleash a ferocious peep! LORIN Vex me not with your teasing, Siegmund. Though clothed am I in a poor servant’s garb, I’ll not hold my tongue as a peasant would. SIEGMUND Lord knows the Chivays cannot hold their tongues. Ne’er did I demand your silence. Speak, if you’ve a mind to. Lorin hesitates, unsure if she ought to speak in anger. But after a moment, she unleashes. LORIN A fine prize indeed, the Duke’s fair daughter! Why, you would be a fool to turn it down. And but a small price you have to pay too… Merely breaking the heart of she who loves you! Merely destroying the promise you swore! SIEGMUND Introductions are hardly engagements. LORIN Just as a seed is hardly a flower - But planted and watered, it will soon grow. Siegmund’s face scrunches in exasperation. He takes a drink. SIEGMUND (irritated) Did you not also break my heart, Lorin, When you walked down the aisle toward Augustus? LORIN Think you I was somehow wooed by August And cheerfully opted to give him my hand? No! In tears, I begged at my uncles’ feet That they would release me from engagement. I said I should run away or end myself Rather than share Augustus’s marriage bed. Walked down the aisle? Pah, you know I was forced - ! Made to marry under threat of swordpoint! SIEGMUND Either way, my heart was thusly broken - ! LORIN Poor Siegmund! O, what trials he endured - ! While in the Dreadfort, I was ravaged, beaten, Forced to bear children against my own will, Then made to watch as they slowly perished! Do pardon me if I reserve my tears! Siegmund’s anger flares up. He STANDS abruptly, advancing on Lorin. SIEGMUND O, would you cease with your selfish talk! In all the world, niet one suffers but Lorin! We must all forget our woes and pity her - For compared to hers, what are our troubles? The final Carrion stands before you, His family slain by the cruelest swords, But those wounds are naught but a gadfly’s sting Next to the torments of poor Lorin Flay! Lorin backs down, unable to look at Siegmund. Tears springing to her eyes. LORIN Please, Siegmund, do not be so cruel to me. Through all the pain I have endured thus far, The only thing that kept me from madness Was the memory of my love for you. In the darkest of nights, I imagined That you might still care for me as well. Those thoughts were my anchor against the storm, My rock through all my myriad troubles - I beg of you, but let me imagine. Let me imagine that you love me. Please, you must not marry the Duke’s daughter. Wait for me, wait for me - ! As you promised! Siegmund SIGHS and moves to EMBRACE her. SIEGMUND It is not merely your imaginings. I do still love you. Would I have thus opened my house to you, Betrayed my liege lord to protect you, If my heart did not beat in time with yours? LORIN Then show me. Show me the promise you made is still true. They KISS. Siegmund then sweeps her up in his arms and carries her off-stage. CURTAIN FALLS. END ACT TWO. ACT THREE Spoiler ENTER Siegmund, distraught. SIEGMUND O, good Lord in Heaven, what have I done? Carried my liege lord’s wife to my bedside, Made love to her as though she were my own. Smiled at Trouble, then danced with Death. Should word of my deed e’er reach Augustus, Then my life is forfeit, as is Lorin’s. Weeks have passed, but the guilt of it lingers Over my thoughts like a noxious vapor! A KNOCK at the door. Siegmund STARTLES. SIEGMUND Niet - not Augustus. Such is impossible. (raising his voice) Who knocks on my door? HADRIAN (off-stage) Hadrian, Duke of Sarkoz, and daughter both! Siegmund moves to open the door. ENTER Hadrian, accompanied by HELAINE. HADRIAN ‘Tis most unbecoming of a baron To answer his own door like a page boy. Why has your little servant disappeared? SIEGMUND She is sickly to-day and lies abed. Methinks ‘tis some malady of the stomach. HADRIAN Inconsiderate of her to take sick When she knows you entertain such grand guests. No matter. Allow me to introduce This most precious flower of mine - Helaine. Helaine CURTSIES. HELAINE A blessing to meet you at last, my lord. My father speaks ever so highly of you. SIEGMUND He praises you infinitely, my lady. Siegmund kisses her hand. HELAINE Do his praises match the reality? SIEGMUND I fear they do not. HELAINE Oh? SIEGMUND More charming are you than words could capture. Helaine GIGGLES. HADRIAN Suddenly I’m possessed by a desire To take a constitutional in town. Might I leave you to acquaint yourselves? HELAINE (looking to Siegmund) I trust my lord shall be naught but a gentleman. SIEGMUND (to Hadrian) Upon my oath, I’ll defend her virtue. HADRIAN Then away I’ll go to sample the air! EXIT Hadrian. Siegmund gestures for Helaine to SIT, which she does. HELAINE Ah - ! While I love my father dearly, Rather domineering is his manner. My concern is that he forced this meeting Against your wishes and without consent. SIEGMUND Pray tell, why would you think such a thing? HELAINE So many times have I heard it said in court That Siegmund Carrion loved Lorin Flay - And it was their full intent to marry Once her loathsome old husband had met his end. With news of her untimely departure, I worried you should be too grieved to speak. SIEGMUND Lady Lorin’s husband is my liege, miss. What you’ve heard is naught but baseless rumor, Intended to smear his reputation And mine as well. Though indeed Lady Flay and I were friends And her passing has affected my mood. HELAINE O - ! You must think me abominable, then - Bringing accusations into your house! Especially in your time of grief! How wicked of me to impugn the fame Of one I know to be an honorable man! SIEGMUND Niet. If there is a misunderstanding, I wish only to set the record straight. Bless you for granting the opportunity. Helaine falls quiet, glancing away shyly. HELAINE Might I confess something very strange? SIEGMUND Dear lady, the world is full of strangeness. HELAINE From a young age, my father told me tales Of that good baron Siegmund Carrion - How stalwart in his courage and his faith, How noble his bearing and kind his manner. I confess that - never having known your face - Regardless I fell in love with you. O - ! I wept when I heard that wicked rumor That you gave your heart to a married woman And intended to make her lord a cuckold - For that did not reflect the man in my mind. But meeting you now, I can plainly assess That all my father’s praises match the truth. You are indeed as goodly as he claimed And my feelings were correctly bestowed! Helaine reaches for his hands. HELAINE We only met but a moment ago, Yet I already know fate’s path for us. Heaven inspired this love inside me And the aenguls guided me to your door. SIEGMUND I fear that I know not how to respond. Helaine releases his hands. HELAINE (embarrassed) Father cautioned me against forwardness, Yet here I am spilling the truth of my soul. Dear sir, please let me not frighten you. SIEGMUND Niet man of worth would be frightened away By a lady’s tenderly meant words of love. Though there is a great deal to consider When discussing matters of courtship. HELAINE Ah - ! No matter what one’s feelings might be, One must always take the time to assess And weigh both ends of a proposed agreement. By all means, think it over in full. Siegmund RISES from his chair and PACES the length of the stage, putting some distance between himself and Helaine. SIEGMUND (aside, to himself) Never have I favored games of deceit. For in his lies the liar becomes ensnared. Falsehoods compound like a spider’s webbing, Entombing us like writhing, helpless worms. Were I the same honorable fellow That Lady Sarkozy had envisioned, I would have returned Lorin to her spouse And not indulged in this theater of lies. Alas, lust and misplaced love lead me here - Entrapped me in an impossible bind! Yet perhaps God has granted me reprieve In the form of this innocent maiden. The only way to undo a tangle Is to brandish your sword and slice it through. If I wed the sweet Lady Sarkozy, It would grant me the chance to begin anew And truly become the man she described Rather than this fearful and lying thing. She says the aenguls guided her to me - Could such a thing be true for both of us? He looks to Helaine with a glint of hope in his eye, but pauses. His gaze downcast to the floor. SIEGMUND (aside, to himself) But just as my hopes rise, they’re dampened too. Am I cruel enough to break the promise I swore to Lorin on her wedding day? To send her back to her wicked husband, Knowing Augustus may well murder her? But I daresay he would do niet such thing. Lorin’s hand is what secures the accord Between the forces of Flay and the White Rose. Is life with Augustus better than death - When he batters and abuses his bride? He is my liege lord! I owe him a debt! Though I love Lorin, I cannot allow Tender feelings to beguile my sight. I must cut this knot! He pivots and crosses over to Helaine, dropping to his knee. ENTER Lorin, unseen by either. SIEGMUND (to Helaine) If you love me truly, let us make haste Toward the blessed altar of the church. So, before God, I might thus be transformed Into that sterling image of myself That you hold so tenderly in your thoughts! Siegmund EMBRACES her. When he parts from Helaine, he looks up - and his eye catches Lorin’s from across the room. Lorin says nothing - merely GAZES at him as slow TEARS well up in her eyes. In utter silence, she turns and EXITS. CURTAIN FALLS. END ACT THREE. ACT FOUR Spoiler CURTAIN RISES on Siegmund sitting at the table, looking miserable. ENTER Lorin, wearing a traveling cloak and carrying her few possessions in a rucksack. She notes him as she enters. Pauses. Then lowers her head and hurries past him. Before she reaches the door, Siegmund abruptly stands up. SIEGMUND Lorin… where do you intend to go? Lorin stops short in front of the door, but does not turn to look at him.. LORIN For that question, there is no good answer. Is there any place in the world for me? I cannot remain here and watch you break That cherished promise you long ago swore. Yet should I return to Lord Augustus, Methinks he shall punish me doubly. Woe, I am cast aside and loved by none - My only hope is that bandits or wolves Shall claim my life as I wander the road. Siegmund steps closer to her. SIEGMUND It grieves me deeply to hear you speak so. Lorin turns at last. Her face is wet with tears. LORIN Please, do not pretend as though you love me. My fragile heart, as brittle as glass, Cannot bear another humiliation. SIEGMUND A girl cannot survive wandering the land. I ask that you return home to your lord - Mayhaps you’ll find a measure of forgiveness Hidden in some darkened part of his heart. LORIN You think I can survive in the Dreadfort - A place so cold, cruel, and brimming with blood? You may as well ask me to survive Hell - But since that is your wish, I will grant it. (with some dark humor) If he allows me to live, I imagine I’ll be locked forever in some tower To prevent a second escape attempt. Wish me well in my tower, Siegmund, For I shall surely ache for your company. Lorin turns away from him once more and moves toward the door, but halts on the threshold as though something prevents her from leaving. LORIN If our coupling were to produce its result, What would you have me do? SIEGMUND Result? What result? LORIN Surely I need not spell it for you, Siegmund. SIEGMUND You are with child? Lorin NODS. SIEGMUND Is there any way you might conceal it? LORIN With loose gowns, perhaps, and my midwife’s help. SIEGMUND When the child is born, send it here to me. I will ensure it receives proper care. Lorin lets out a deeply bitter laugh. LORIN How foolish of me! O, some stupid and girlish part within Hoped that the reveal would cause some stirring Deep within the chords of your stoic heart. That your love for me would reawaken, That you would fling yourself upon the floor, Clutch my skirts and beg me - “O, stay, my love! Stay and let us raise this child together!” Alas, that we are not a pair of lovers Inhabiting the stage or the notes of a song. At least then my cruel humiliations Would gain a miniscule ounce of beauty. SIEGMUND Lorin - EXIT Lorin, unwilling to hear more. The door SLAMS. Siegmund SINKS into the nearby chair. SIEGMUND Would that love or beauty were enough. Would that love could truly conquer all. In the shattered glass of the bond we had, I might glimpse a vision of a just world - One in which we might have been united. One in which we would not have to suffer. Yet GOD in Heaven arrayed us as he did - Placing us each on the paths we must walk. Those roads diverge as oft as they connect - Yet they lead us all to our ultimate place. Lorin, when the Skies move to embrace us both - Let the wounds we’ve inflicted on each other Be closed by the healing hand of forgiveness. Let promises be made once again In hopes that in time they shall be fulfilled. CURTAIN FALLS. END ACT FOUR. 8 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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