Rules:
(Between “script start” and “script end”)
Word count: 2383
Spoken word count: 2002
Description:
You’re lying on the cold stone floor of the throne room, your head still ringing, your mind foggy. You remember the stranger, kneeling in front of your queen… and then a bright flash. Your instincts took over, allowing you to move in front of her before the detonation could harm her, leading to you becoming gravely injured. At the corner of your vision, the queen kneels, her face a mixture of shock and anger, and you feel relieved as you realise she is unharmed. But why is she trying so hard to save you from fading? After all, you’ve only fulfilled your duty as the captain of her guard…
Listener Profile:
After distinguishing yourself throughout your service in the royal army, you have been personally selected by the queen to serve as her guard. This change of scenery has been bothersome to you at first, but after a while you have settled into your new duties. You revere the queen for her kind heart and decisive actions in the face of difficult decisions, but you realised a long time ago that there is more to your feelings than mere admiration. You are a simple soldier however, meaning you will never be able to express those feelings, so you settled on ensuring her happiness and safety. Even if it means that you need to give your life for hers.
Speaker Profile:
As the queen of a whole nation, your duties are numerous and exhausting at times. Born into the royal family as the eldest child, your path in life was cemented from the very beginning. Hobbies, friends, even your potential suitors, all of those things were decided for you, as choosing those freely is the privilege of the commoners. Even though you did not choose to become the ruler, you do your best everyday to improve life for your subjects as best you can, as you are kind hearted and quite headstrong. Unhappy with your lot in life, all you seek is a break from your boring and exhausting duties, so when your newest guard started to tell you stories of their battles and travels, you were fascinated and intrigued to say the least. Slowly but surely, the bond between you two deepened, and even the protests of your advisors couldn’t keep you from spending time with them as much as possible. But now it seems that your time together has come to an end, and you will have to make an impossible decision.
Legend:
Script start
(Scene description: Listener is lying on the floor of the throne room, passed out from the explosion. Speaker is kneeling beside them, trying to wake them up.)
(Optional Background SFX: The building is crumbling around them slowly, so low rumbling, dirt falling from the ceiling etc. from time to time.)
(optional: Listener is slowly waking up, so Speaker’s words are slightly muffled at first. If you don’t want to edit your audio that way, feel free to skip the following line.)
[desperate] …wake up… please… to get up… can’t give up now…
(Listener is awake now.)
[frantic] Wake up! Yes! Yes, finally, I need you to stay with me, understood? Keep your eyes on mine, that’s it, I need you to focus. How are you-
…
[nervous] D-Do not speak too much, I’m just trying my best to keep you awake… You… You’ve been injured, captain. Quite seriously I must admit, you’ve lost a lot of blood… But you will pull through and we will get you the help you need to survive this, that’s an order from your queen, understood?
…
[slightly relieved] Good, that is good. Let’s see, there must be someone around who can get help for us…
(SFX: Sounds of cloth rustling, jewelry moving as Speaker looks around.)
[angry] Where… where are the rest of my guards? Did everyone else escape already? The devastation was quite immense, but… Ah!
(Speaker notices a person in the distance, on their way out.)
[commanding] You there! Guard! We need help over here, send for my personal healers immediately! Tell them if they don’t come to aid us right this instant that I shall have their heads! What are you waiting for, move, move!
(SFX: large doors opening and closing, as the guard leaves the throne room.)
Let’s hope that boy knows how to follow orders…
[desperate] H-Hey! No no no, don’t you fall unconscious again captain, you must stay awake, at least until help arrives! If you fall asleep again you might not… Nevermind, it won’t come to that, I will not allow it.
…
[softly, reassuringly] Shush! I told you not to speak so much did I not? Save your strength, please. I shall tell you what happened, just… I know, take my hand. That’s it, just like that. And now I need you to squeeze a bit, I need to feel that you’re still with me you hear? You’re doing great, keep squeezing it. Do you recall where we are?
…
[softly, reassuringly] Correct, inside the throne room. We were speaking about that last petitioner, when a strange man wearing a long, dark cloak arrived.
[angry] That bastard… Whoever let this cretin in here will pay for it, mark my words! As would he, but… I believe he was quite literally ripped to shreds by the detonation. An assassin, no doubt sent by one of the many dastardly nobles who are opposing my plans to lessen the people’s taxes for the coming year, instead of letting them increase their wealth even further. But how did they… How were they able to get a weapon like that in here? If it wasn’t for you…
…
[scolding, upset] Yes, you! What exactly was your plan anyway? When you realised that my life is in danger, you just jumped in front of me to take the hit in my stead! I don’t know what they taught you during your many years on the battlefield, but “success no matter the cost” is not the way I want my soldiers to carry out their missions! Was it not you who told me that every life is precious, no matter how small or insignificant? How can you then decide to throw yours away so callously, you insufferable buffoon!
[angry] And where in all the stinking, rotting, demon infested hells are those blasted healers! Bah, forget it, you can’t stay like this, I need to stop your bleeding at least.
(SFX: Cloth ripping, as Speaker rips her dress into strips of cloth.)
…
[annoyed] Yes, yes, my dress is sooo much more important than your life, is that what you are trying to imply? How about you concentrate on staying awake and let me worry about the royal wardrobe in the meantime. Now stay still, let go of my hand for a moment and try to raise your arm… That’s perfect. Keep still now…
(SFX: Cloth moving, as Speaker starts to dress Listener’s wounds. Speaker talks throughout.)
[more softly] Thank you, by the way. I realise that you had to make a decision within the blink of an eye. I can’t say that I approve of the way you handled the situation… but I do understand that if it wasn’t for you, I would be the one on the ground now. Maybe I would even be gone already… I don’t have your… physical tenacity.
…
[slightly flustered] O-Oh shut it, will you? You know exactly how I meant that. If you can joke around like that I guess you’re going to live after all, huh? A-Anyway I’m going to dress your chest next, so I need to remove your jacket. Tsk, will you wipe that smirk off your face already? By the gods what have I done to deserve this. (soft chuckle)
(SFX: Wound dressing stops. Buttons opening, as Speaker opens Listener’s jacket, or similar “jacket opening” sound. Listener’s wounds are severe.)
[shocked] Oh no, oh my-
[acting calm, nervous] I-It’s going to be alright, you hear? Don’t! Please don’t look down, focus on the ceiling for now… Yes, don’t look down…
(SFX: Cloth ripping, as Speaker rips her dress into strips of cloth. Then cloth moving, as Speaker starts to dress the Listener’s wounds. Speaker talks throughout.)
…
[nervous, trying to convince herself] N-No… I-It’s not that bad. I’m just not used to seeing blood I believe… A-And there is quite a lot of it, but you seem to be handling all of this quite well given the circumstances. So… You’ll surely get better again. I do admire that about you, captain. No matter the hardships you have to endure, you always seem so… strong. So decisive, and dedicated to solving the problem at hand.
…
[slightly flustered] N-no, I don’t think I possess the same tenacity that you do… but I appreciate the compliment. I think… spending so much time in your care just made me very aware of how capable you are… And that I can always trust in you to make the right decision, even if it is not the most popular one. I just wish that the rest of my court would be half as kind and well-meaning as you are… N-Nevermind all that, I need to concentrate here.
…
[angry] Yes, I do believe those renegade noblemen are at fault for this attempt at my life. I swear as soon as I get my hands on the necessary proof, they will have the full weight of the law brought upon them, this is high treason! And that weapon… I have no idea what kind of weapon could be this small yet hold such destructive force, after all, the assassin was hiding it under a simple cloak… All I saw was that he raised his hand, and that bright flash of light… the noise almost made me go deaf… In any case, we will need to conduct an investigation into its origin. If something like that would be readily available to our enemies, there is no telling how much pain and death they could spread throughout the kingdom. H-Hey!
(Listener is drifting away again.)
(SFX: Wound dressing stops.)
[desperate] Oh no you don’t! Don’t you fall asleep again, what did I tell you?! Don’t you dare leave me now, I need you!
(SFX: Speaker lightly slapping Listener.)
[desperate] Yes! Yes, stay awake please, I’m begging you captain! Uhm… I know, Why don’t you tell me one of your stories again, like you always did when the day dragged on and I needed a distraction? Please, anything, even if I heard it before!
…
[nervous] Of course, that’s fine! Here, I even finished treating your wounds and-
[almost whispered in shock] They won’t stop bleeding…
[acting calm, nervous] N-No, it’s going to be alright! Uhm… I’ll just… press on your stomach a bit, just to make sure the bleeding stops, alright? I-It’s not necessary of course, you’ll be absolutely fine, you hear? I just like to be safe… Hey, I’m really fond of that story about the mercenaries hunting vampires! Please tell it to me again, it will help you stay awake!
…
[nervous] Uh-huh, right, it was five vampires in that old dungeon, right? A-And what about the mercenaries? What did their standard look like? How many of them were there?
…
[nervous] Exactly, now that you’ve told me again I remember… Please keep going, you’re doing really well… Did the mercenaries defeat the vampires? Even though they had such small numbers?
[almost whispered] Where are those damned healers…
…
[desperate, optional tearing up] Y-Yes… yes they did… it was… a grand battle, and they found only one survivor right? One who was very peculiar? Captain…
(SFX: Jewelry rustling, as Listener gently touches Speaker’s face.)
[desperate, optional tearing up] H-Huh? Why are you… holding my face? Captain… we can’t…
…
[desperate, optional tearing up] No! No, don’t say that, I’m begging you! The healers will be here any second now… I will stay with you for as long as is necessary, you will make it through this do you hear me? I command it as your gods-damned queen!
…
[breathless, optional in tears] Don’t… Why are you telling me this now? Of all the time we’ve spent together, all the moments we were alone, all the chances you had… Now you are confessing your love for me? Wait… Wait, are you… doing it now because you think… I won’t get the chance to reciprocate? Because you’ll… be gone before I can admit that I fell in love with the captain of my guard the day they first told me one of their stories? So that I don’t get the chance to create a scandal? You know exactly that I wouldn’t have cared about the stupid rumors, or what the rest of the nobility would have to say about it!
[realization, slight anger] That is the reason why you’ve kept it from me, isn’t it? You… You realized that I felt the same way about you, and that I would have chosen to be together with you, a commoner, even if the nobility would have used it to depose me!
…
[desperate, angry] Giving up this power? What power? I have none! Even with this meaningless piece of jewelry I can do nothing but watch as the love of my life slips through my fingers! More importantly, I can’t even choose to spend my life with you in the first place! I’m powerless to stop a corrupt system of nobles terrorizing the people of this kingdom, for fear of having my loved ones taken from me! Is this the kind of power I should not give up for you? Well then why don’t they come and take it, I would gladly give it all up to save you at least! Ngh!
(optional SFX: light metal hitting the floor, as the queen throws her crown.)
[determined] There it goes, onto the floor! I’m just a woman now, trying to save the person she loves! Forget about your convenient escape, you’ve confessed your feelings to me and now I’ll hold you accountable. No more talk of death. Start thinking about how you are going to make me happy for the rest of our lives, because throwing away the useless jewelry shackling me to a life of solitude and endless tedium made me understand what I must do.
(SFX: necklace chain rattling, as Speaker takes off an amulet.)
…
[determined] I’m talking about this. The necklace my father left me on his deathbed. He made me swear that I would never take it off, until the day I met the one that I want to spend the rest of my life with. I was to hang it around their neck, just as mother did for him, and the blessing put upon the amulet would bind our lives together. I never understood the meaning of his cryptic words, but now I do. Both of them died on the same day, you know.
…
[determined] Yes, that is precisely what I mean. I don’t know how the blessing works exactly, but if you wear this necklace, then I believe either your life will be saved or mine will stop with yours... And at this point, I’m more than willing to take the chance. Don’t even think about stopping me, I’ve decided long ago that a life without you would be meaningless to me. Now, captain, hold still. Your queen commands it.
(SFX: Necklace chain rattling, as Speaker puts the amulet around Listener’s neck.)
[nervous] There we go. Alright… I don’t know what to do now. Do I need to activate it somehow? Tsk, why did father not tell me how it works in more detail! Hmm… Let’s try this then, as cliche as it might be.
(SFX: Speaker kissing Listener.)
[flustered, nervous] That… That wasn’t so bad, was it? A-And now… I’ve made my choice! Please, save my one true love! Come on! Do something you stupid piece of- huh?!
(optional SFX: Sounds of divine magic, maybe soft sounds of bells ringing)
[Surprised] This light… it’s coming from the amulet… Is it… working?
…
[relieved, happy, optional tearing up] Y-You’re feeling better? Oh thank the gods, I knew it, you’ll live! Look, your wounds are closing! My father was right… I feel so much closer to you now… I guess… you really have no choice now, do you? (happy chuckle)
(SFX: Large doors opening, running steps)
[annoyed] (groans) Of course, now the healers show up. (chuckles) H-Hey, are you falling asleep again?
[happy, softly] Oh well, it’s alright my love, you can finally rest. Sleep tight, and when you awake again, everything will be different, and yet, so familiar. As long as you’re by my side, we will make it through what is to come. I love you.
Script end.