How young is too young to be crowned a King?
When sixteen-year-old Tybalt is burdened by kingship while still a child, he must convince his subjects that he's strong enough to wear the crown or risk the whole town of Nevergolden, demanding his blood...
Tybalt (now he's wearing a white shirt, a black and blue vest, and black trousers) is standing on a chair and is trying to remove the religious pictures from the walls.
The walls are white, and together with the religious pictures, several portraits of Tybalt's ancestors are hanging on the walls. All the ancestors wear laurel crowns and imperial robes, as they all have a solemn look on their faces.
As Tybalt removes the pictures, his sister, ISABELSTAFFORD, sits at the studio's desk. Isabel is a fifteen-year-old girl with long dark hair, a tinkling voice, and elegant and girly behavior. She's wearing a wide pink princess dress.
On the desk, chaotically, some books, scrolls, a couple of feathers, and a little pot of ink are scattered.
In the studio, there is also a bookshelf full of books. And BERTY MONTGOMERY (15), the footman, a chubby big boy with blond hair, is watching the removal of the pictures without lifting a finger. He's wearing his featureless uniform: a white long-sleeved shirt, black trousers, and slightly shabby boots. He's holding a broom as if it was a walking stick.
TYBALT (Talking to himself, or rather, to the pictures): You, stupid pictures, get out of here. I tear you off the walls.
At that moment, ROHESIA (Tybalt and Isabel's mother) enters the room. Rohesia is a forty-five-year-old woman with platinum blonde hair. She is short, has a slight build, and is wearing a blue velvet dress that looks expensive.
ROHESIA: What's wrong with you, kids? What the hell are you doing?
TYBALT: Mother, as you can see, I'm removing the religious pictures.
ROHESIA (in a sarcastic tone): The first thing you do after becoming a king is alter the furniture. Meh.
ISABEL(raising an eyebrow): Right.
Tybalt takes another picture off the wall.
TYBALT: I know. I took the oath. But I am a non-believer, and I will never adhere to Christianity.
ISABEL: What if someone in the palace says something?
TYBALT: I don't care. In this palace, people can say whatever they want and make a tragedy. I don't care.
Rohesia looks at the pictures that are now disorderly placed on the floor.
ROHESIA: Anyway, let's not throw them away. Maybe Fred and Honor want them. One of the servants might move them in their rooms.
Rohesia glances at Berty.
ISABEL: Actually, yes.
Isabel also glances at Berty.
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BERTY: Fine. I'll do it. I always have to do everything myself.
Berty straightens up one of the pictures. Then he stops and starts listening to what Rohesia says.
ROHESIA: Anyway, kids, I have to tell you something important. Amaury Somneri, the lord of Parbat's son, is coming to Nevergolden. He'll come tomorrow with his teacher. Tybalt, Amaury was your friend. Aren't you happy?
TYBALT: Yes, I am. But why does he come here?
ISABEL: Exactly. Why does he come here?
ROHESIA: Isabel, I'd like you to give him a chance. He's a pretty young boy. He comes from a wealthy family and could be a catch for you. And then--
ISABEL: (shocked, she stands up from her chair): WHAT?! NO! Besides, he is not even a pretty young boy. He is ugly. His nose is crooked, his teeth are crooked, and I don't even understand what he says when he speaks.
ROHESIA: And then his parents are family friends. And we'd need some contacts out of the Golden Lands.
ISABEL: Why do I have to be the one to get them for you?
ROHESIA: Someday, you will have to look for a husband anyway, and Amaury is better than some gross gentlemen of the Golden Lands.
ISABEL: Mother, you don't get it. I DON'T WANT AMAURY! I DO NOT LIKE HIM!
BERTY (he plugs his ears after Isabel's screaming): I KNOW! WE HEARD YOU! We understand that you don't want Amaury and you don't like Amaury!
ISBAEL: STAY OUT OF THIS, BERTY.
ROHESIA: In any case, he'll come. You, both, have to be kind and help him settle down here in Nevergolden.
ISABEL: Do I have to help him settle down too? (To herself, with a low voice): I wouldn't get caught dead doing it.
ROHESIA: Anyway, he'll come. Now I'm going upstairs to give instructions to the servants. (Turning to Berty with a strict tone): The ones who do work.
Rohesia leaves the scene.
Isabel sits down. She is full of rage, but she doesn't raise her voice.
ISABEL: I won't marry him.
BERTY: What if he became handsome?
ISABEL: He didn't become handsome. (Turning to Tybalt and raising her voice a bit): Brother, don't you say anything about this thing?
Tybalt is still removing the pictures from the wall.
TYBALT (he shrugs): What do I have to say?
ISABEL: I don't know. You're the king. Anything.
TYBALT: You'll have to get married anyway, eventually.
Isabel looks towards the ceiling.
ISABEL (talking to herself): I surrender.
BERTY (giggles): I went to Parbat once. A really bad place. They forced me to dine in a tavern, and the food was awful.
Everyone, when Berty speaks, looks away. Nobody is listening to him, so he stops talking.
