Act 3
Scene 1
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	(Enter Alexia, Armus, Yareena, Lilia, Marcis, Benvaltro)

Queen Alexia	I do admit my wonderment at you,			
		Sweet Lilia, for now it seems as though
		You never did so wish a thing as this
		Up-coming marriage that ye twain do share.

Lilia		I am possessed of senses, I am sure			5
		You know, and I have come to them.  For why
		Should I thus struggle 'gainst a happy 'ccasion
		Such as my wedding, when in this event
		There can be naught but joy?

Armus						Indeed, my love,	10
		And now that you have set your lovely head
		In favor of our joining, soon I wot
		Transmuted we can be from two to one.

Lilia		But why now should we rush past our objective,
		And in the flustered hurry to achieve it,		15
		Do cause it to be left?  'Twould be more meet
		If we did place a pause upon the date
		And in anticipation find more pleasure
		Than making future past.

Armus					If you do feel			20
		That this is needful, dearest Lilia,
		Then I do say that your expresséd wish
		Shall thus be granted.  When you say we wed?

Lilia		In summertime, when bloom are on the trees,
		And heaven's eye will wink quite kind at us		25
		As we are brought together, and made man
		And wife in wit of God.

Armus					But that doth be
		Eight arduous and lonely fortnights hence!
		Now be you sure your patience shall be thus?		30

Lilia		It is my wish to wed by summer's grace.

Queen Alexia	Methinks your 'quest be not far out of joint,
		And I do give my blessing to this course
		On proof that you agree.

Armus					If she do wish			35
		This, how shall I say no?

Queen Alexia				Then it is set,
		And on Saint Ashmore's day shall you be wed,
		When day and sun do cede to stay their longest.

Marcis		I ask that I, as brother to the bride			40
		And tenant of this home, do be allowed
		T'attend th'bless'd event.

Lilia						And so you shall,
		I am quite sure, if Armus do comply.

Armus		It likes me fair.					45

Benvaltro			Then to this day of joy
		That's now declared, let's give our happy vow.

Yareena		Aye, to the future King, and to his Queen,
		That long and fairly will the pairing rule.

Lilia		(aside) The pairing rule in seem, and one in truth.	50

Benvaltro	My heart grows full at knowledge that my line
		May not now cease to service with mine life,
		This kingdom, but in Armus and his youth
		Can ever be a favor to the land.

Queen Alexia	Your serves have been quite grand, Benvaltro.		55

Armus								And,
		My life now pledgéd to this kingdom, I 
		Do say, by troth, I shall command me well.

Marcis		Hum, I am sure ye'll both command ye well.

Lilia		Dear Marcis speaks of my once firm resolve
		To be the only head of state.  But I 			60
		Have come to comprehend that I was wrong
		And that to Armus should I give my reason,
		For he'll conduct it better than e'er I could.

Armus		It likes me much that you have found it thus,
		For youthful sprites such as your lovely self		65
		Should not presume to reason as a man,
		But should accept their servitude with grace.

Lilia		And so it is, and I have realized thus.

Marcis		(aside) My madness seems to blow upon the winds,
		For now it 'ppears that she has it contracted.		70

Queen Alexia	Then all is well, the kingdom is secured.
		In four months shall I give the throne to he
		Who is to be instated as the King.

Yareena		My husband, well is it that now our line
		Shall power all who have existence hence?		75

Benvaltro	But better still, Yareena, that to he
		There now shall be the keeping of the strength
		And valour of the land.

Marcis					That, that as well,
		It be a wondrous thing, that though he be		80
		Not one whit of the line of rule traditioned,
		He nonetheless shall be the one supreme,
		As if a man had climbed the Mount Olympus,
		And seated Jove as ruler of the gods.

Queen Alexia	Now still  your shameful tongue, you blighted son	85
		Of mine, and speak quite soft to he who is
		To be your king.

Marcis				And why should he be king?

Queen Alexia	Because it has been set in  law's decree!
		Remove you now.  You sour this occasion.		90

Marcis		It sours me as well.  Goodnight, my sister.

				(he exits)

Lilia		For brother's acts I must apologize,
		And beg most humble pardon for his naught.
		It is the fear, I do suppose, though I
		Of course have little reason to discourse,		95
		As fits my sex, and truly should I stay
		My wand'ring thoughts, and let one better suited
		Express my mind, I have supposed it that
		He doth be quite afeared that, as his presence
		Is customary only, he will soon				100
		Be made to habit some asylum house.

Armus		That seems to be the flow of it.

Lilia						An if
		You'd be so kind, I wish to ask decree			105
		That Marcis here may stay.

Armus				He is a danger
		To you, and to himself; indeed, to all.

Lilia		He's never harmed a withe.

Armus						But he may yet.

Lilia		Please, it do mean my balance you agree.		110

Armus		If it do please you, how can I assume
		The right to now refuse?

Lilia					I thank you, lord
		Of my affections.

Armus				Also of your life?			115
		And am I also master of your life?

Lilia		Of that as well.

Queen Alexia			It does you well to be 
		Obedient, my daughter, and I say
		That since you have accepted this decree		120
		To Armus wed, your tempers have improved
		And in your company is now much good.

Benvaltro	And too has she my lady's plexion turned
		From radiant to, goddesslike, more lovely
		By blush and beam of love.				125

Lilia		(aside) I'm sure it has.
		--I thank you for your assertations kind.
		And well I look to that of happy twain.

Yareena		When Lilia did scorn my son most plain,
		And 'sist on fighting 'gainst her fate decreed,		130
		Then did I (being in my skills quite versed,
		As a prognosticator grounded well
		As any in the land) predict that soon
		Would come catastrophe, as in the land
		Where locust followed plague, and babes did die		135
		For crimes committed by their faults not any;
		But now see I my error, and I claim
		To mind the knowledge that all now is well,
		And we'll not every one of us find death
		Before 'tis written, aye, but will instead		140
		Find fortunate our fates, and thus rejoice.

Benvaltro	A boast to fortune.

Queen Alexia				And to daughter dear.

Lilia		(aside) It is too late - but 'twere quite lax to drink,
		[For is a taunt to fate that I have done.		145
		To toast oneself is death, so I have heard,
		And bad luck all about.]

Queen Alexia	Now let us jest
		And make quite merry on unto the night,
		The promise of a grand and happy day.			150

Benvaltro	My lady, this the promise of a moon
		In moons but four, I heartily applaud.

Queen Alexia	Your wit is fair.

Benvaltro			My liege is fairer still,
		And doth in bliss find humors most sublime.		155

Lilia		(aside) Doth the recounting make the tale yet honest?
		--Again, much thanks for kindness you bestow.

Armus		The purpose why your manner thus has turned
		From knavery to this proper surrender,
		I must confess I fathom not.  I ask			160
		That you might tell me what the power held
		To turn you manner now so sweetly hence?

Queen Alexia	(aside) And sure I am I know that query's brother.

Lilia		In faith, I know not why my mind (I use
		The title though I know , a woman being,		165
		Mind I have truly not) hath turned from mouthing
		All those who aim to mend my naughty ways,
		To sweet obedience, as is required
		Of such a one as me.  I only know
		That glad I am I've found my proper place		170
		At Armus side, there never to bestir.

Armus		A wife as lovely and with haviour toned
		To such demure describe, I feel quite sure
		I am obliged to have.

Marcis					(from offstage) Ho, Lilia!	175

Armus		My heart grows full at prospect of our future
		Together, man, and wife obedient,
		That -

Lilia			Sorry though I am, I beg excuse.

Armus		Your place is listen, interrupting not.

Marcis		(offstage) Ho, Lilia!					180

Lilia					Apologies.  Your leave?

Queen Alexia	The hour grows quite late, I do suppose,
		As to our centers has come such a jolt
		Of happy news to leave us quite undone;
		So I declare our revels at an end,			185
		To be renewed upon the morrow's eve.

Lilia		Thanks most sincere, and morrow to you all.

				(exits)

Armus		Hum, think you she be ill?

Queen Alexia				Nor yet reluctant.

Benvaltro	I feel she simply cannot now contain			190
		The depths of her emotions for my own,
		And, as is wont in women, has removed
		That she may flit about, and not disturb.

Queen Alexia	It seems that may be what she do enact,
		For, to be true, her ere reluctance hath		195
		Now disappeared, I do believe in earnest,
		And she is now all patience with her fate.
		'Tis strange, yet bodes us well.

Yareena						Well, well it is.
		And, lady, with your leave we shall depart.		200

Queen Alexia	You have it.

			(Yareena, Armus, Benvaltro exit)

				Strange it is; yes, and I feel
		The slightest touch of wonderment in me,
		That suddenly her ways should shift, and with
		No need t'invoke her brother.  My suspice		205
		Is great, and yet belief is greater still.
		Her alt'ring modes I must receive as true.

				(she exits)