Act 4
Scene 2
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		(enter Lilia, Armus, Benvaltro, Yareena, Alexia)

Queen Alexia	We mourn the passing of another gone,
		Not two months since King Wilham to his grave
		Has left, but that my son is dead as well.
		And to his memory I give a day
		Of solemn thought and of reflectión			5
		That we may give his 'cendance proper weight.

Lilia		(Aside) A day to end a life of years, as if
		It were enough - but more than he did get.

Benvaltro 	'Twere ill that he has left his firstcome set
		Existence, and begun the next so soon.			10

Yareena		But look how Armus at this downward turn
		Do look so solemn, an as if he felt
		He could persuade the hand of god to stop,
		And leave young Marcis in his earthly sphere!

Armus		It is a sorry thing.					15

Lilia				(Aside) And does your heart
		Now shrivel on itself in guilt, or are
		Ye proud of your accomplish?  -- I am sure
		That Armus feel that Marcis' death were close
		In casting to his own.  For if a prince,		20
		The rightful heir of kingdom quite unable,
		Do die by murder foul, why not the man
		Who will be king?  The inclination is,
		And the ability, since in this house
		There came three murderers who were not stopped		25
		By guard or wall, but did come slyly on.
		What's once could be again.

Armus					Now say you not!
		I mourn for you, dear Lilia, that you
		Have lost your cherished brother.			30

Lilia						Yes, I'm sure
		You deeply feel for that.  For you well know
		That he to me was dearest in the world,
		And without him is world with meaning none.
		But emptiness is left.					35

Queen Alexia				Need you a room?

Lilia		Nay, I be well enough, I do suppose,
		Still living, at all points.  And Armus knows
		The depth of my emotions, and that they
		Will sway me for my life, and he do give		40
		Me patience, and for that I give him thanks.

Armus		Oh, welcome, welcome.  Yes, I know that you
		Are grievous hurt, and I do understand.

Lilia		Oh, why did fate then take my only friend
		In all the world, my single life companion,		45
		And leave me lone and small?  Were he still lived!

Yareena		But time will stop the weeping of your heart.

Lilia		Time, time will never pass but I am torn
		In shattered fragments by my sorrow!  I
		Will always mourn, will never cease to lack		50
		My only friend of life from birth to now!

Queen Alexia	O calm yourself, my daughter, for your grief
		Does fare you ill.  We all do feel the gape
		Of absence, but your puling only serves
		To desecrate the dead's remembrance.			55
		So dry your streaming orbs, and mourn in dark
		And solitude, when this assembly's done.

Lilia		Apologies, my womanly emotions
		Do steal what little sense I have away.
		My heart has fallen in a rain of shards,		60
		And ride the flood of tears.  I'll silence me.

Benvaltro	Were I the sister of the now departed,
		I too would now give flow to tears and wails
		Such as would shake the very spheres above,
		And mourn for days and nights eternal.  But		65
		To you I offer my condolences,
		That  (being but a servant low and common)
		I do not feel the depth of pain you do.
		Again, is but remove that makes it so.

Yareena		We all feel to our centers for your grace,		70
		And pray your soul will not of sorrow flee
		To follow that it craves to heaven's gates.

Armus		Let us not talk of death; mayhap of life,
		And how we'll feel this loss for all of ours.

Benvaltro	My son, you seem quite all undone with woe,		75
		As much as Lilia.

Armus				How say you so?

Benvaltro	Your view is pale, and when you look about
		Your eyes do have the seem of wounded creatures;
		They flit about, as though the final blow		80
		Will come ere too long from the hunter's bow.

Armus		I may be ill, and too am sore from loss.

Lilia		Armus do feel too deeply for my own,
		His pain thus being that of sympathy.
		It being in his power, he would turn			85
		The glass of time upon itself, and thus
		Restore my brother to me.

Armus					Aye, of course.

Queen Alexia	And well he should be, for this is a loss
		We all shall feel.  And having said it thus,		90
		I shall declare this dim assembly closed,
		That we may each retire to our closets
		And mourn us there in quietude remote.

Benvaltro	A fairer rule I've never hence beheld.
		Good morrow to you, lady; may your humors		95
		Restore themselves anon.

Yareena					Courage, my lady.

				(Yareena and Benvaltro exit)

Queen Alexia	Your elder seeks his favors actively,
		I do declare.

Armus				My queen, I heard you not.		100

Queen Alexia	It matters not; a matter of amuse.


Armus		With your permiss, I shall remove myself.

Queen Alexia	Do as you will, for I shall leave you hence.

				(exits)

Lilia		Armus.

Armus			Aye, Lilia?					105

Lilia					I do suppose
		The marriage will be quite derailed by this?

Armus		I think we may proceed as planned, an if
		You do feel that your ills are not too great?

Lilia		And do you so?						110

Armus				My darling Lilia,
		I ache for you, and for the grievous loss
		That has affected you to your foundations.

Lilia		It has indeed.

Armus				But of the nuptiáls --			115

Lilia		If you declare it so, they will continue.

Armus		It likes me.

Lilia				May his spirit go with you.

Armus		What mean you thus?

Lilia					He is your angel now,		120
		Your guardian, to be with you forever
		Into eternity, and never leave.
		His wrongful death, too soon, aye, grievous soon
		Has vaulted him to status of a saint.
		And so I say may he be yours, to keep			125
		And to protect, and give what you deserve.
		With this I bless; 'tis dowry mine to you.

Armus		What mean you by this?

Lilia					Why, nothing at all,
		Except that I do bid you pleasant night.		130

Armus		I must be faint, for at the very walls
		I seem to start.  I beg your leave, for I
		Am o'ertired of light, and in this chamber
		The luminance does do me ill.  I'll go,
		And in soft darkness rest.  Good morrow t'ye.		135

				(exits)

Lilia		And I am sure you do despise the light,
		For in't the truth of yours may be revealed.
		I know me now.  Marcis was right; you are
		A murderer, a creature greatly foul.
		You prove it in your words, your acts, the very		140
		Express that's in your look, that tells me so.
		--I was not sure, my hateful hesitation
		Did call me short, and hold me from the sure
		Commitance of the deed.  But in his true
		Accountances of form, that monster has			145
		Declared himself to be a murderer.
		Behold me, I am Armus!, he declares,
		My hands are thick with blood of innocent!
		--No hesitation, I did say, but I
		Have hesitated long, and now I fear			150
		There may not now be time t'venge my brother.
		But I'll perform my best; aye, as a clown
		I'll gambol in affected merriment,
		And seem to smile, and smile, but in my heart
		Will bitter thorns constrict my very soul,		155
		Ever reminding me that I've to end.
		My careless laughs and jestings will disguise
		The horror and the hate that in me burn.
		My time I'll watch, and now - and now I'll do,
		Will not allow uncertainty to sway			160
		Me from this highest goal.  I know not when
		The hour shall approach when 'tis the right,
		Be it a day or yet a year away;
		But it will come, as sure as comes the night -
		Eternal night, to close his hateful eyes,		165
		Trap Armus in a realm of endless chill;
		For hell's not hot, it's fully cold indeed,
		An age of ice, and hoary frost upon
		The very blood, that eats the soul within.
		And there he'll go; and there he'll freeze, not burn;	170
		Until the devil's had his way with him,
		And reaping comes, and he as chaff is blown.
		--And when the moment is, and when it be
		The right and proper time to strike, then I
		Shall act.  No hesitation.  Not a whit			175
		Of sureness lost.  And nevermore shall I
		Rest innocent.  There's hunting to be done.
		That Armus nevermore shall see the sun.

				(exits)