Act 2
Scene 2
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		(Enter Benvaltro, Yareena, Armus, Alexia)

Armus		My goodly queen, most humbly do I ask			1
		You whether Lilia is ill of late;
		For my repeated invitations have
		Gone quite ignored by her; an if she lies
		Not ill, her humors quite undone, then I		5
		Would ask that now her presence could I claim,
		That to her I can make my case.

Yareena						Indeed,
		The most exalted royal princess has
		Been most remiss in ans'ring my son's tenders		10
		That he has fortnights two deliveréd.

Queen Alexia	And to her, marry, will I order thus
		That she will speak with you, and if she balk
		I will be most expedient in correcting
		Her quite foolish behavior.  And shall I		15
		Ensure that she do understand our case,
		And make her promise Armus they may wed.

Yareena		I thank your liege, and shall await the day
		When yours and  mine are wed as king and queen.

				(Exits with Armus)

Queen Alexia	And does it please you our proclaim, Benvaltro?		20

Benvaltro	I hesitate to voice my 'pinions; for,
		While in your royal ways you are quite versed,
		And do excel in your capacity
		As queen, I fear that, verily, your daughter
		May not 'ccept your decision, but instead		25
		Continue t'scoff and mouth your ev'ry 'tempt
		T'enforce on her some reason.

Queen Alexia					Sir, I know
		The key to her defenses; 'tis with this
		That I will open the chamber of her heart,		30
		And thereto admit judgement.

Benvaltro					But verily,
		I'd soon be made a partner to this knowledge,
		An if thee would be moved to share it thus.

Queen Alexia	Her brother, good Benvaltro; aye, her mad,		35
		Her elder brother is her only weakness.
		For some strange reason, sooth, I know not what,
		She feels a kinship with that addled whelp,
		And she would rather die than see him harmed.

Benvaltro	But surely as he is your only son -			40

Queen Alexia	Bah!  He is useless to me.  Lilia
		May prove to me expedient yet; but if
		She do continue to protest, I will
		Do what the times do dictate, and I shall
		Use all of my resources to ensure			45
		That to my will my 'calc'trant daughter bends.
		If that include my son to harm or maim,
		I'll do what must that I'll achieve my aim. 

Benvaltro	Well do I then await the consummation
		Of these your royal plans.				50

				(Enter Lilia)

Lilia					I see you plot
		Against me in my absence, mother dear.

Benvaltro	Ah, well, I beg your leave, and yours as well.

				(Exits)

Lilia		You seem to think that you've the right to give
		Me orders, but I cannot do the same.			55
		Are you more man than me?

Queen Alexia				Now silence thee!
		I'll not hear this your naughty wagging tongue.
		I stand only to put your father's whims
		Into this kingdom's annals as the law;			60
		Then I'll step down, and then let Armus rule.

Lilia		Let I, you mean.

Queen Alexia			Armus shall be the king!
		Now say no more these foolish things untrue!
		Ye'll not be queen, 'less it is on his arm.		65

Lilia		And what of Marcis?  Surely do you know
		That if that man do be ordained as king,
		That Marcis - aye, your son - shall sent away
		And in the madhouse die!  And you care not?

Queen Alexia	I wish'd to touch on this with you, my daughter,	70
		But dared not speak it thus.  But since you have
		Thus so oblig'ly brought it to our mutual 'ttention,
		Then I will give it voice.  Your foolish ways
		Of clamoring for rights that you deserve,
		Sooth, not one whit, I've now determ'd to have		75
		You brother Marcis placed in strangers' care
		Until these angered haviors you possess
		Do calm themselves, that he be not endangered.

Lilia		Strangers.  You mean the madhouse?

Queen Alexia					There he'll stay	80
		Until ye cede to wed.

Lilia					You art as mad
		As Marcis; madder, for while his mind ails
		Unknowing, you do set yourself to evil,
		And turn upon your soul, that you devour it		85
		And thus do pass from God's to devil's hands.
		Thou art as evil as the fiend himself.

Queen Alexia	Indeed I am, and proud of it as well.
		Now marry ye the man to whom ye've promised,
		Or to the 'sylum shall young Marcis go,
		And die among infirm and damnéd minds.

				(Exits)

Lilia		And so do all my choices come to naught,
		And all informs against me.  Do I let
		This greatest crime 'gainst woman come to pass?
		Or do I sentence he that's innocent			95
		To early 'saken death?  I do not know.
		Time, I need time to think, perhaps to plan
		How to escape this trap 'fore it is sprung.

				(Enter Armus)

Armus		Ah, Lilia, my friend and future bride,
		Long have I wished that I could speak with you		100
		About the nuptials that do us await,
		An if you'll heed your father's dying word
		And give to me your hand.

Lilia					And I would sooth
		Now speak to you as well, sweet Armus, for		105
		My mind has late been troubled by the 'ccasion
		Of our preplannéd marriage, and the facts
		Which do indeed surround it.

Armus						Then I say
		With hearty and with quite amazéd joy			110
		That we shall speak of it!  What ails your mind?

Lilia		As surely all will wish to view th'event,
		And to be welcomed as our honored guests,
		I wonder whether I may add my voice
		To the selectión of who may come?			115

Armus		Of course, mine own betrothéd, and you shall
		Have thy desired right to aid in the
		Decision of who witness the event.

Lilia		Then ask I that my brother Marcis may
		Be 'llowed to come, and join the grand attendance.

Armus		Your brother is insane, dear Lilia,
		And doth be dangerous to all.

Lilia						Then he
		May not attend the wedding?

Armus						No, my love.		125

Lilia		Then even this ye'd gladly snatch from me?

Armus		Why speak you thus?  Shall we not now be wed,
		And you remove your gown of mourning hue,
		And now speak kindly to me?  I shall be
		Your king and master, for you to obey,			130
		So in your favor it would strongly be
		To learn to serve me.

Lilia					You want not a love!
		You want a slave to your inflated passions
		Of selfish satisfaction and of power!			135
		My father I shall never cease to mourn,
		So cease your vain attempts to order me.


Armus		I beg of you your pardon; I have stung
		Your still quite lively sorrow for your father.
		The queen spoke true; you yet need time to mourn,	140
		And I'll give you that time ere I approach
		And make the overtures of love again.

				(He exits)

Lilia		Maintain my dignity and kill my brother,
		Or save him and throw self upon the winds
		To blow between the empty wastelands.  There		145
		Must be a way, a route I yet may take
		That I can free me from this vile web.
		--If Marcis's life do rest on my decision
		To wed, or not, what if I do agree?
		It be a sin to lie, but when that lie			150
		Do save another's life, I scorn it not.
		Perhaps then all will be quite satisfied
		If I do ask the wedding be postponed--
		Mayhap a summer wedding; then two months
		Times two would lie where I might form a plan.		155
		Then Marcis would be safe, and I would not
		Be 'sonsible for sending him to death.
		And now shall I put all my thoughts to bear
		On how I might escape.  There be a way
		To solve all puzzles; if one think enough		160
		One may outwit the devil.  But I do
		Not need to do so; 'tis enough to smart
		My mother and her allies in this crime.
		And I shall do so an I have the time.

				(She exits)