Urahra 5359 Share Posted April 17, 2021 ON THE SHORES OF PARADISE A Drama in Four Acts Penned by Bianca La Fleur Inspired by the medieval writings of Lorin of Kaedrin. Part of the Black Rose Quartet On The Shores of Paradise Lorin + Siegmund Lorin + Augustus Inheritor Editor's Note: This previously-unpublished manuscript was discovered among Dame Yuliya Styne's personal affects following her untimely death. With permission from her estate, we have chosen to publish it for the public's enjoyment and enrichment. This play is a work of fiction meant for entertainment only. Changes have been made for the purposes of simplifying the story for the stage. It is not to be treated as a historically accurate text for purposes of education. CAST (In Order of Appearance) Barkeep - A figure of mystery and whimsy, as barkeeps often are. Siegmund Carrion - The Exalted Prophet as a young man in his twenties. Dark hair, green eyes, ghostly pale. Long before the gift of auspice was granted to him. A gloomy, black-clad figure weighed down by immense tragedy. Direly searching for some method of preserving his lineage after his family was slaughtered by the Knights of Nzech. Lorin Chivay - A young woman of roughly 18. Auburn hair, blue eyes, tan and freckled. Recently orphaned, she has come under the protection of her uncle Thomas. Headstrong, fiery, sharp-tongued, and a tad provincial in her manners, the young lady finds herself misunderstood and disliked by those around her. But a chance encounter alters the course of her life in ways unforeseen. Thomas Chivay - The leader of the White Rose Order. Auburn hair, blue eyes, fair skinned. Roughly forty years old. Beloved by his men, feared by his enemies. Lorin's uncle and guardian following her father's death. Augustus Flay - The most feared bandit lord of the era. Roughly seventy years old. Grey hair, green eyes, sickly pale. An unequivocally evil man, known chiefly for his gruesome practice of flaying men alive. Vainglorious, prideful, domineering, sadistic, and singularly terrifying. He's aging and seeks a bride to ensure the continuation of his bloodline. Additional Roles - White Rose Bannermen, Flay Bannermen, Partygoers SETPIECES Author's Note on set placement: If the stage is sufficiently large, all three sets could potentially occupy it at once. The suggested arrangement - Sarkozy's Tavern on the stage right. A section representing the beach in the middle. Fort Ardban on stage right. The spotlight might shine on each section in turn, depending on where the current action is taking place. -Sarkozy's- A tavern located on the shores of Elysium, with an ocean view. Formerly a brothel run by the infamous Hanrahan Brae, it was later purchased by the legendary merchant Toveah Goldman and became a favorite watering hole for the nearby Order of the White Rose. Must feature a bar with accompanying barstools. -A Beach- A beach, located right outside the tavern. Because the seasons and the passage of time are a feature of the play, we offer this suggestion to the set designers - A tree, located on the "beach" portion of the stage, what changes its leaves for each season represented. Pink blossoms for spring, greenery for summer, autumnal colors for fall, and bare branches for winter. -Fort Ardban- A White Rose military outpost established on the shores of Elysium, a short distance away from Sarkozy's. Simple and pragmatic in its design and furnishings. ACT ONE SPRING Spoiler CURTAIN RISES on Sarkozy’s, a tavern situated on the shores of Elysium. The BARKEEP idles behind the bar, polishing a glass. Enter SIEGMUND CARRION, a humble Orenian baron, carrying a CRATE. He ferries the box to the bar counter, where he sets it down. BARKEEP Lo and there he comes, the Carrion lord, With yet another tote of Black in hand. Lord knows we are grateful for the supply, Yet I cannot help but wonder at it - For springtime wreaths the hills in loveliness, Gently coercing the flowers to bloom. All Oren’s maidens are blossoming too. Should not the Baron be seeking to court ‘Stead of spending his hours brewing drink? Does vodka appeal more than a lady’s touch? Siegmund CHUCKLES. SIEGMUND Perhaps - for vodka sits neat in the glass, Where it waits agreeably to be drunk. You needn't woo the goblet before you sip, Nor can it turn its back and refuse you. BARKEEP Does my lord suffer in the ladies' esteem? The bartender takes a bottle of Black out of the crate. He pops the cap and pours Siegmund a DRINK. Siegmund slips into a seat at the bar counter. SIEGMUND Da, the maids of Oren favor me not. The ladies deem me a frightful specter - Shrouded am I in the robes of mourning. They prefer the red-clad knights of the Rose, All a-glitter in their fine chainmail To the likes of me. Yet I swore I would scorn all vivid color To honor the cruel slaughter of my kin. BARKEEP To be so gloomy on such a fair day - Methinks that is why the women mislike you. Enter LORIN CHIVAY. Her presence disturbs the bar patrons, who turn to stare at her. She strides boldly toward the bar, ignoring the stares. LORIN Ay, barkeep! Pour us a drink if you will. BARKEEP What's this? Does a lady speak so roughly? Get thee gone, for this is a hooligan's haunt - No place for a woman unattended. LORIN (as she takes out her money) Minas care not whether I'm woman or man. SIEGMUND (amused, to the barkeep) The girl speaks truly. BARKEEP I should dislike becoming the person Responsible for a maid's corruption. SIEGMUND Then let me be the one to corrupt her. Siegmund takes out his money and lays it on the counter. The barkeep collects the money begrudgingly and turns away, continuing to clean his cups. Siegmund reaches into the crate and hands Lorin a bottle of Carrion Black. SIEGMUND Courtesy of the Baron Carrion. LORIN (pleased) The House of Chivay extends its gratitude! SIEGMUND Chivay? Be you a servant in their keep? LORIN (offended) Is my appearance so dreadfully plain That you’d mistake me for a hireling? SIEGMUND Niet, I would instead compare your features To those icons of saintly Julia - For yours might be the very face of love. LORIN (scoffs) Fine praises, yet clumsily delivered. You reek of a man who knows not the method Of properly wooing a lady fair. SIEGMUND Woe, you've diagnosed my inexperience. Might the maiden then offer me practice? LORIN 'Tis unfortunate that the sole solution To your problem is that you must inflict Your ungainly flirtations upon me. Nevertheless, sir, I shall indulge you. This bottle for an evening's conversation. Lorin SITS next to him. Siegmund opens the vodka and pours her a drink. SIEGMUND Might I know your name? LORIN (taking a drink) Lorin, they call me. The lord of Fort Ardban is my uncle. SIEGMUND The much-feared Marshal of the White Rose Permits his niece to carouse in taverns, Drinking and talking amongst strange menfolk? LORIN Strange, perhaps! Though none are so strange as you - A man robed in the murky cloth of night With a mien like unto the milk-white moon. I entreat the Baron to take some sun, Lest he shrivel into a pallid corpse! SIEGMUND The sun would bake me to a ruddy hue And I should appear even stranger still! Lorin LAUGHS. Siegmund refills her cup. SIEGMUND And yet you’ve avoided my question. LORIN (taking a drink) Determined am I to do as I like Whether my uncle allows it or no. Would that I could be a sailing pirate Or a highwayman astride a black horse - Why should I sequester myself away, When the trees and hills summon so sweetly? SIEGMUND The taverns too, so it would seem to me. All at once, the tavern door FLIES OPEN. Lorin PANICS and rushes to HIDE. Author's note: Depending on the set design, she may hide wherever it is most convenient, whether it is in a cupboard, behind the bar, or elsewhere - so long as she's concealed. Enter THOMAS CHIVAY, accompanied by his retinue of White Rose soldiers. THOMAS Bah! No sign of her in this bar either! By my troth, that girl is more troublesome Than e'en the Teutons, our hated enemies! (noticing Siegmund) ‘Lo there, good Baron. You are Siegmund, ay - ? The vassal serving Lord Augustus Flay. Though the peace between our Houses is flimsy, My aim is to strengthen it shortly. We both call the Teutons our enemies - Thus, the foe of my foe shall be called my friend. Mayhaps you can help? SIEGMUND Da, I am at your lordship’s disposal. Whom do you seek, O Roses of Chivay? THOMAS In your ramblings, have you perchance glimpsed A maiden wandering unescorted? SIEGMUND What would bring a girl hence to this tavern? Methinks ladies tend to avoid such places. THOMAS (sighing) ‘Tis Lorin, my niece. Entrusted am I with her guardianship. O, but she might be a fine young woman - Were she not so plain ungovernable! She scorns my discipline and roams the town, Chatters with menfolk, and drinks herself sick. Acting more the part of a common tramp Than a daughter of highborn lineage! My task is to temper her vices, yet - I cannot locate her. She eludes me. My plan is to commit her swiftly Unto some marriage with an unlucky man, So I might no longer be forced to wrangle her. Siegmund glances casually toward Lorin’s hiding spot, then back at Thomas. SIEGMUND Alas, that I could not be of more service. I have not seen her. THOMAS Pity. And so my hunt must continue. EXIT Thomas and his retinue. Lorin peeks out of her hiding place. LORIN Common tramp! My uncle is too cruel! He speaks as though he hates me entirely! SIEGMUND Not hatred, but rather an uncle’s concern That you should harm your good reputation. Come - The redhead rose has had her fun to-night. Now comes time to return to the garden. Lorin grumbles moodily, but complies. Siegmund offers her a HAND as he helps her out of her hiding spot. Their hands touch briefly. A subtle spark passes between them. LORIN (after a beat) ...Will I see you again? SIEGMUND O? Then have my ungainly flirtations Somehow struck their mark? You should find me here, if it pleases you. LORIN (defensive) Don’t flatter yourself! She EXITS in a huff. Siegmund LAUGHS as he takes a drink. CURTAIN FALLS. END ACT ONE. ACT TWO SUMMER Spoiler SIEGMUND sits beneath the shade of the tree, nursing a bottle of Carrion Black. The BARKEEP emerges from Sarkozy's to SWEEP the front stoop. BARKEEP Ay, Lord Carrion! Even in this heat, You remain clad in those funeral garments? I bid you, come into the tavern Before the sun fries you into a crisp! SIEGMUND Can a man not spend a serene moment Enjoying the pure beauty of nature? BARKEEP The beauty that Siegmund wishes to glimpse Dwells in the yonder fortress of the Rose. Behold how he gladly subjects himself To summer's cruelty for her sake! SIEGMUND Fie, away with you. Niet taste have I for your japes to-day. The barkeep returns to the interior of Sarkozy's, leaving Siegmund. SIEGMUND (to himself) Woe, is my desperation apparent? Such attendance becomes not a suitor. Ladies tend to favor the gentleman Who shows them niet token of his liking - Yet the survival of my lineage Hangs precariously in the balance. Even in summer's sweltering fever, I remain e'er in dark garments wrapped To remind me of my obligation - Of that tragedy what befell my kin. Should I fail my quest to find a bride, The blood of Joren shall perish with me. A ready women waits in Fort Ardban - So near to me and yet out of my reach, Like a steak dangled 'fore a starving dog! Would that the fair maiden would show her face. ENTER a Hooded Figure from the Ardban side of the stage. SIEGMUND What, ho? Who comes near? HOODED FIGURE Is such knowledge any business of yours? SIEGMUND Hours have I watched the gates of Ardban And seen many soldiers clad in surcoat - You are the only creature to emerge With your face concealed 'neath flowing shawls. (teasing) I wonder, be you some hideous crone? HOODED FIGURE O, you are naughty! The hooded figure removes her hood, revealing LORIN. LORIN Call me hideous again, I dare you! SIEGMUND 'Tis hideous of you to make me wait. Did you not request to see me again? LORIN See you again? Pah! Rather, I should curse the sight of your face! When I returned home after our meeting - I found my uncle awaiting me there! He roughly boxed my ears and forbade me From leaving the fortress to go and play. I should have expired from sheer boredom Were it not for the company of my books! Now look upon my unfortunate self - At length, desperation drove me to this! Forced to don these weighty, concealing clothes In the fierce swelter of the summer's heat So that I might escape my uncle's notice And come find you again as I promised! You've caused me such trouble - I should hate you! SIEGMUND Would a merry drink convince Lorin To extend unto me her forgiveness? Mayhaps vodka would cool her reddened tempers. He dangles the bottle of Black in front of her. Lorin HUFFS indignantly and then removes her cloak and sits with him under the tree. Siegmund hands her the bottle. She drinks. SIEGMUND The lady mentioned her fondness for books - Does she like to read as well as play? LORIN She considers reading a type of play - For books may delight as well as instruct. If I cannot travel using my feet - Then may the pages carry me abroad. SIEGMUND Ah - on this subject, we are of one mind. LORIN Though on the matter of fashion, we are not. You know my reasons for cloaking myself - Yet your logic remains a mystery. Are you not roasting alive in those robes? SIEGMUND The dignity of mourning supersedes The mortal frame's petty needs for comfort. LORIN And whomst do you mourn? SIEGMUND My mother, father, and brother - all slain By the pitiless swords of Nzech’s knights. Were it not for the prompt aid of my liege, Their brutal crimes would have gone unpunished. LORIN What? Am I to know you as an orphan? SIEGMUND I'll endure mockery on many counts - But not on this one. Pray, dear, speak gently. LORIN No mockery here. I, too, am orphaned. Mother and father both sadly deceased - Which is why my uncle has custody. SIEGMUND Are the wounds then fresh? LORIN Both are recently passed. 'Tis why I drink. 'Tis easier to be drunk than to weep. SIEGMUND There are better ways to ease a heartache. The same pain - shared - is thus lessened by half. Two broken people together made whole. Lorin peers at him curiously. LORIN I came to offer an invitation. SIEGMUND O! At last, proof of Lorin's affections! LORIN (rolling her eyes) Bah, you overestimate my esteem! My uncle opts to hold a debutante - To display me like a prized breeding sow For I am lately come of age to wed. Such is custom, though I despise it! But! Methinks such would be tolerable Should I have a bottle of Black with me. SIEGMUND (teasing) Alas, my poor heart! She only likes me For the taste of my brews. Wicked Lorin! LORIN (indignant) Be grateful a woman likes you at all! But her faux-indignation breaks and she begins to LAUGH. Siegmund laughs along. A moment of warmth between them. SIEGMUND Debutantes feature dancing, do they not? Shall I glimpse little Lorin a-capering? LORIN Only in your dreams! SIEGMUND A-ha! She knows not how! LORIN O, be silent, you! I dance with the grace of a loping doe! SIEGMUND Then perhaps the lady will demonstrate? He stands up, swaying slightly with drunkenness, and offers her a hand. LORIN (scoffing) I hardly need to prove myself to you! A BEAT. Siegmund's hand remains outstretched. Lorin HARRUMPHs. Puts her hand in his. He pulls her to her feet and into his arms. SIEGMUND Come, little doe, let me see you loping As you might o'er the green hillocks of summer! They begin to dance, but they're both well drunk by now. A clumsy and ungainly waltz across the uneven sands of the beach. Lorin TRIPS over the hem of her dress and collides with Siegmund. His balance already knocked off kilter by the drink, he topples and falls on his rear in the sand - taking Lorin down with him! LORIN (with genuine concern) O, Lord Carrion! Pray, are you injured? SIEGMUND (laughing) Da, but only my pride! Lorin LAUGHS as well. Her defenses lowered by the silliness of the situation. Until… VOICE (off-stage) Ay, what is this miserable display? Siegmund Carrion, fallen on his ass? Siegmund's eyes go wide. He scrambles to his feet. ENTER AUGUSTUS FLAY and his retinue of masked soldiers. LORIN Siegmund, who is that? SIEGMUND (pulling her to her feet) Arise, arise! My liege lord draws near! AUGUSTUS Does it befit a bannerman of mine To wallow like an idiot in the sand? LORIN Idiot?! How dare - Siegmund cuts her off. SIEGMUND (quietly, but harshly) Hush now, Lorin, for your dear safety's sake! (to Augustus, deferential) My apologies, lord. 'Tis well beneath Both my dignity and your own. AUGUSTUS Is that alcohol I smell on your breath? Did I grant you permission to partake? SIEGMUND I was not aware that I needed such -- AUGUSTUS (to his retinue) What punishment ought we enact on him For this most outrageous embarrassment? FLAY SOLDIER My proposition is that we extract Both eyne for making you witness his shame! AUGUSTUS Ah, but blindness would render him useless. Lucky that I am a merciful lord. Let one eye be the price for your sin. LORIN What - ? Augustus draws the KNIFE from his belt and seizes hold of Siegmund's hair - forcing the Raevir man onto his knees. Lorin RUSHES to intervene and grab hold of Augustus's wrist. LORIN I would never permit such a thing! Augustus BACKHANDS her, sending Lorin SPRAWLING. He then plunges his dagger into the howling Siegmund's face - popping his eye out of its socket. Author's note: The illusion of mutilation might be achieved by having Siegmund face away from the audience while it occurs, so that the act is obscured. A colored marble might be used for a false eye. Augustus examines the eye for a moment before casting it aside casually. AUGUSTUS Take care not to embarrass me again. He turns and strolls off-stage, gesturing for his retinue to follow him. Siegmund lies doubled over on the sand, clutching his bleeding face. LORIN Siegmund…? She draws closer to him, reaching out a hand to touch his back. LORIN O, Siegmund! Your eye! SIEGMUND Touch me not, I say! Look not upon me! Go now and leave me! LORIN But you've been wounded! SIEGMUND (with agonized anger) Do the funnels of your ears not reach your brain? Go! Lorin stands up and hurries off-stage in tears. Siegmund slinks off in the opposite direction toward the bar. The Barkeep might appear to assist him. Curtain falls. END ACT TWO. ACT THREE AUTUMN Spoiler CURTAINS RISE on a PARTY in full swing at Fort Ardban. Guests include the most prominent of Oren society, all dressed in their finery. ENTER Thomas, nicely dressed, with Lorin on his arm. THOMAS May I present to you, O court of Oren, Ardban's flower, a rose among Roses - My sweet niece, Lorin! APPLAUSE from the guests. THOMAS To whom will the lady grant her first dance? Lorin scans the crowd, frowning. LORIN Woe, he is not here. THOMAS (whispering to Lorin) This ball is for you. Be pleasant! Smile! LORIN (whispering to Thomas) I ought be allowed to act how I want If the party is intended for me! Thomas growls at her, but then forces a SMILE as he turns to the crowd. THOMAS Pray, my friends! Continue your revelries! A fit of fatigue has taken my niece, But she shall be up and dancing shortly! The guests resume their merriments. Thomas leaves Lorin to mingle with the crowd. Lorin, alone in the crush of people, exits the fortress and strides out onto the beach. LORIN The chilly bite of the autumnal air Cannot compare to the cold solitude I feel inside my sad and sorry breast! O, would that the oncoming winter wind Could carry my pain as it carries the leaves - Bearing it far from its origins! Siegmund hates me now, for I caused the loss Of his eye! What agony he suffered! He has avoided me ever since then… I had but a single friend on this island And it was Siegmund. Now even in this crowd, I am alone! ENTER a hooded figure. LORIN What, ho? Who comes near? HOODED FIGURE Is such knowledge any business of yours? Lorin's eyes widen… and she starts to SMILE. LORIN I wonder, are you a hideous crone? HOODED FIGURE A crone? I doubt it. He lowers the hood, revealing SIEGMUND - now wearing an eyepatch. SIEGMUND Though perhaps more hideous than before. LORIN Not so! A face is all the more beloved Seen once more after such a long absence! SIEGMUND Beloved now? So all that was needed To earn Lorin's love was to lose my eye? LORIN (defensive) Tease me not, Siegmund! (softening) Though I am indeed most pleased to see you. SIEGMUND To see me? Or to see my bottle of Black? LORIN (indignant) Vex me too much and you'll spend my goodwill! SIEGMUND (laughing) Pray, why does the lady linger outside, Neglecting her guests in the shiv'ring cold? LORIN I care not for any guest except you. SIEGMUND Absence does indeed make the heart fonder. LORIN If you hate me not - Would you grant me the honor of a dance? SIEGMUND Ah - but our last dance went rather poorly. LORIN Would you refuse the lady of honor? She offers him her hand. SIEGMUND Niet, I should hate to be so mannerless. Siegmund takes her hand and slides an arm around her waist. The music rises. Perhaps, to the side, the BARKEEP might appear with a violin. LIGHTS FADE on the rest of the stage. A singular spotlight upon the couple. They begin to dance. Slowly at first. An elegant waltz. They glide in relaxed, easy circles around the stage - detached from reality as they only have eyes for one another. All the rest of the world has fallen away. Autumnal leaves drift past them in a romantic swirl. A smile comes over Siegmund’s face as he leans down to whisper - SIEGMUND Double time! The music erupts into a lively Ruskan folk dance. Siegmund leads Lorin in a passionate flurry of steps, relentless in their rhythm. Lorin STRUGGLES to keep up at first, but soon she is matching him step for step - perfectly keeping with his pace and following his lead. The song concludes and she tumbles - laughing, flushed, breathless - into his arms. And at that moment, he takes her face in hand and does what he has been wanting to do since Act 1. He KISSES her. An intense, burning kiss that leaves Lorin speechless. She is rendered, for once, with no quippy response. Her defenses stripped away entirely. The rose without its thorns. After allowing the kiss to linger for a moment - SIEGMUND (gently teasing) Whose face is this? I fear I know it not. She looks at me as though I hung the stars. As though I polished the moon’s silver sphere And set it shining in the autumn sky. Where is that prickly girl, so full of vim And venom, whose sharp tongue lashed like a whip? Somehow this tender maid, with her soft eyes Through which I spy a heart o’ertaken by love, Has stolen in and replaced that harsh girl Whomst I had originally courted. Pretty girl, pray tell - where is my Lorin? LORIN (huffy) She stands before you! SIEGMUND Aha! And so my prickly dear returns! Gentle Lorin to Fierce Lorin gives way. Like the rose, you are both bramble and bud - But I pledge both sides e’er shall I adore. Though the sweet look ‘pon your face be gone, Do you still wear it within your heart? LORIN (shyly) Whether bramble or bud, both are a part Of the same flower. Dear Siegmund, I am— TING. TING. TING. An interruption to Lorin’s confession of love. The sound of silverware striking a goblet. The lights come up. THOMAS stands amid the party guests. All eyes on him. Including Lorin’s and Siegmund’s. A new face has joined the throng of partygoers. A face concealed behind a red bandana. AUGUSTUS. THOMAS The House of Chivay extends its thanks To all who have joined us this evening. Ne’er was there a fairer gathering. But now is the time to reveal our truths - You thought you attended a debutante When, in fact, it was an engagement ball To celebrate her upcoming nuptials! To Augustus Flay, my Lorin is betrothed And their wedding ushers in a new age Of alliance betwixt Flay and the Rose! May our powers combined at last bring an end To that menace known as the Teutonics! APPLAUSE from the partygoers. While Lorin stands stock still in silent, quavering horror. CURTAIN FALLS. END ACT 3. ACT FOUR WINTER Spoiler CURTAIN RISES on a desolate Fort Ardban. Empty of guests. Only three remain - LORIN, SIEGMUND, THOMAS. LORIN (to Thomas) Am I but a game piece to maneuver - A poor pawn strategically sacrificed To gain an advantage ‘gainst your enemy? Have you no regard for my desires - For the hopes and dreams kept inside my heart? So readily you throw them all away! Without my knowledge! Without my consent! THOMAS I have tolerated your wantonness Out of love for you, Lorin, but no more. The duty of a girl is to submit And do as instructed by her kinsmen. The alliance produced by your wedding To Augustus shall prove invaluable. War with the Teutons draws e’er nearer. For our family to survive, you must wed! LORIN Could I not wed Siegmund? He is vassal To the House of Flay! THOMAS Your pleas reveal naught but your ignorance In the ways of men and of making war. Would that you had minded more your uncle And behaved goodly as a woman ought, I might have let you marry as you pleased. Alas, you chose to be a frightful tramp, A thorn digging e’er into my side Rather than a sweet bloom to gild my house. Because I could not hope to control you - I had no choice but to give you over To a hand e’en stricter than mine own! Thomas STORMS OUT. Lorin hovers in the middle of the floor. Shaken. Tears streak down her face. LORIN Siegmund, do you remember what you said That day so long ago upon the beach? Created you an image in my mind - Two broken people together made whole. ‘Twas that moment I felt my brokenness Might one day be repaired by your hand And yours in turn would by me be healed. When your lips met mine, the cracks in my soul Filled for a moment with adoration’s light. What we lacked in family, we would create - Bring forth from the soil of love to fruit. I see that vision now slipping away. Are we fated now to remain in this state? E’er in shards, never to be restored? Lorin reaches for his hands. LORIN This be a fate that I cannot accept! Run with me, Siegmund. We might still elope! We’ll live free as pirates or highwaymen, Beholden to no one but each other! Siegmund withdraws his hands from hers. SIEGMUND Alas, but such a life cannot be ours. My first oath was pledged to Augustus Flay - He who sent his men in my hour of need And exacted vengeance for my family Against the vicious raiders of Nzech. I cannot crown him with the cuckold’s horns. LORIN Even after he sliced out your eye?! SIEGMUND The debt I owe House Flay cannot be paid With the measly donation of an eye. LORIN How could the one who claims to adore me Condemn me to this most heinous marriage?! SIEGMUND To betray my oath or betray my love? An impossible choice niet man could make! Lorin begins to weep in earnest. SIEGMUND Lorin… LORIN Wait for me! SIEGMUND What? LORIN Should you sincerely mean a single word That you uttered during our courtship, Then you will wait until I am widowed To take you a wife. Augustus is aged and soon to perish - Can you not wait to receive my hand? Can you not wait to call me your bride? Siegmund hesitates. LORIN Siegmund - ! SIEGMUND I need a wife to continue my line… LORIN Is that all I was to you? Naught but a womb? A means to extend your family name? SIEGMUND Niet, I would not diminish you so! LORIN Then, I beg you - wait! If I must endure the sham of marriage To support my uncle’s wartime alliance, Then I must know a prize is awaiting! A true love that is worth my suffering! SIEGMUND Upon my honor, I shall be patient - So long as I can bear it. Lorin hugs him. LORIN If one day I might be with you, I’ll try - Try to endure whatever comes my way With the memory of this year we spent. SIEGMUND I can promise only this for us two - One day, on the green shores of Paradise, We shall stand in holy love united And watch as the winter of our suff’ring Gives way unto an eternal springtime. The fruits of our love will seed and grow Into trees with branches as infinite And spreading as the rays of the sun. This truth is my gift unto you, Lorin. This truth is promised. CURTAIN FALLS. END ACT FOUR. Published 1816 IST by Penton-Napier Publishing 10 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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