Act 5 Scene 2 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ (enter Lilia, Armus, Alexia, Benvaltro, Yareena, some servants) Queen Alexia Now witness us a grand and happy time, The joining of my only daughter, she Of fair and proper watch as to her role, Sweet Lilia; and he, good Armus, King Hereafter of this mighty land, and too 5 Quite godly in his form; in holy wed. The day is kind; Saint Ashmore's festives shall Be mimickéd a thousandfold by the Celebratories that will this attend. Aye, Cupid's favor has on us bestowed 10 Beyond my comprehense, or any; and The very halls of heaven now should ring With happy acclamations of the fact! Benvaltro Indeed, this happening be every good, But that, unfortunate it seem to me, 15 The royal cousin Garond do be absent. Queen Alexia His land be in unrest, and till it be Attended to, he dare not leave the court. The strength of kings be stronger in their presence. Benvaltro Aye, but of course. 20 Yareena He be unfortunate, Methinks, that he must miss this joyful time. Lilia (aside) Then he may yet survive. - The absence of One guest, aye, sorely missed, but not yet all To matters, should not bar us from our joys. 25 The day's arrived, and most we now are here And in attendance; god's grace, we be well, And for these we should now be something glad. But once in life shall this we few do see. Let's give it all that it command of glee! 30 Yareena Well said, well said indeed! Did I not say But fortnights eight ago, that we would be Blesséd a thousandfold now on this day? And so it is, our fates do smile plain! Our days shall be quite long upon this earth, 35 And good, and filled with pleasures most divine. This do I cast, with my predictor's skills: Long life to all, and marv'lous happy too. Benvaltro A boast to such! Queen Alexia Do save your boasts, good sir, 40 For wine and wassail free shall flow, upon The matter of a moment short away, When he and she are joined. Then let us make Quite merry, we shall jest into the rise Of sun's tomorrow; but until the rule 45 Of land is passed to he then freshly joined, Do hold your thirst. Benvaltro I bow to your decree. Queen Alexia I know it well. Armus Why do you look so still 50 And solemn, Lilia? Methought you would Find fortune in this day, as muchly hast Thou thus anticipated it. But now That which was so awaited has arrived, You look to be 'most ill. I hope your mood 55 Do not now shrink, that this you might recant. Lilia Nay, I be well. This is, you all must 'mit To me, a day which much importance has. And, being as it is, I find myself Some fearful to the new experience 60 Of being wed. My thought is not as such That I'd cry off the join; but, sooth, I find Myself somewhat required to bethink How my positión will soon be changed, An ending to the life I once did know. 65 Benvaltro O think it not! This is not now an end, But a beginning! Yareena And a favored one! Lilia (aside) They know it not, but ending it will be, For all. 70 Queen Alexia Soft, soft, good councellors! It be Not quite, but very near, the time to 'joice As such. An if those seeing to the set Of things have filled their form, we can proceed. Servant It seems the cook be having some trouble, milady, 75 And be not completed as yet. Queen Alexia Oh, wretched fool! I'll set my tongue to him, And then see how he fares! (exits) Armus Glad I'm not him. Benvaltro While 'lexia do busy thus herself, 80 Mayhap you can explain to me this chalice, And why, yea, seemingly against god's rules, You 'sist on bringing to this holy day A symbol from a time that knew god not. Surely you do not mean to curse the wed? 85 Methought your will had come to 'xert on it, Returning from the very furthest pole Of thought, and bringing you into align With rightful workings. But that you have asked For something off as this to seal the marriage, 90 Leaves me to think, though idly may it be, Your wants are not with ours. Lilia You doubt me still? Yareena There be some reason to. Lilia I thought that I 95 Had demonstrated amply to you all The fair veracity of my agree. Though truly it was once the thought of this Did teen me passing, wherefore do you slip The fact that I have mended now my ways? 100 O, wherefore do thee all refuse to hear That I have me repaired, and he accepted? (enter Alexia) Queen Alexia O, foolish prattler; while the wedding feast Did blast, the cook did dally with his serves! He has another tale to tell, I wot, 105 That of remove of his employ! Benvaltro My liege, It be just as is said, that those who 'bey Are rarer than the rarest fare of gems. Queen Alexia An if the court would not be quite undone 110 By lack of them, I'd whirl me now about And empty this my house of every serf. Yareena But in the matter of a moment short, The house will glad take leave of your concern, And it will be to Armus to attend, 115 To keep affairs of house and mighty state. Queen Alexia Aye, well, let's have the moment shrink to none. --Array yeselves about, and out of sight Let ye then stand, that we might undertake This ceremony in our company 120 Alone. - Now, if we all be quite disposed To fair continue, close the matter thus, Then I would hope we could bestir ourselves Immediate. How do the chalice-wed We 'here to, Lilia? I notice ye've 125 Not called a churcher to assist. I trust You will proceed will due thought gi'en to god. If not, then ye have but yourself to chide. Lilia Hm. Be you easy I have full assured That every detail be accounted for. 130 My plans have been laid out with greatest care, And many of the darkest hours of night Have I spent studying how best this day Should now be carried out. Trust me, my mother; We'll none of us e'er think back ill of today. 135 Queen Alexia Well, then. Benvaltro My dear, do you be ill? Yareena O, faith, I know not what the horrors I have seen! O, god in heaven save us, if they be 140 The slightest bit the truth! Oh, oh, my husband, Aye, you I did see dead, there, on the ground! And here, beside you, I lay, with my life In spreading scarlet pools around me! O -- And Armus -- Armus, poisoned by an asp, 145 A deadly harbinger of death, what he Did think that he could trust; he is deceived! And dead he is, his life the 'llusion's forfeit. But oh -- the worst by far; that all be dead, Queen, princess, all; and ruling of the kingdom 150 Does pass to one unknown to me! For though I see his form, yet his visage be hidden! O horrors, death, betrayal; nightmares all! Queen Alexia My dearest servant, I am sure your health Be under question, and not all our fates. 155 -- Remove her, please, but gently, and do see That she is well accounted for -- Yareena No, no! This wedding must be stopped! We all shall lose Our lives if we allow it to continue! 160 Lilia My mother, she distresses me. Queen Alexia Away -- But gently, gently, for the lady's ill. (Yareena exits in care of several servants) Benvaltro I must confess, the troubles of my wife Have brought me all undone. Would that we got 165 This 'vent now undertaken, I would feel The betterment of my upsetted humors. Armus Yes, I agree. Lilia Hum, as I do. -- The witch Has found me out; the asp be me, I know it. 170 But I be lucky, she knows not it's me -- And, with her gone, the secret's safe, I pray. Queen Alexia Then stand you here, the twain of you; approach As two, but leave as one. -- Here, bring the chalice. (Servants do so, then exit) My daughter Lilia, and noble Armus, 175 Today the eye of god is kind upon you; It smiles well, and favors you to wed. Drink from the chalice and perform the join. Armus Now you, my dearest Lilia. Lilia Now me. 180 -- Forgive me for the lie I undertake. Armus And now I give myself over to you; Forever shall I be yours, Lilia. Queen Alexia It is your turn, my daughter. Benvaltro Speak the pledge. 185 Lilia Nay, I cannot oblige; I trust you shall Forgive me as I 'nege on my agreement. I swore to never marry Armus, and This solemn promise I will keep, though it Unfortunate will forfeit all your lives. 190 But god can sort you out; or yet, the devil. Armus O, most ungodly wretch - the drink was fouled! Lilia The drink _was_ fouled, and you have sipped the poison. And as your breath and life do steal away Remember this: the final words you hear. 195 You shall not have me; I shall be my own. Now burn in hell for your attempted crimes. (He falls) (Enter Yareena) Yareena The asp, the snake, all poisoned milky fangs! You've killed my son, but I shall see thee suffer! (Clumsily wields sword) Lilia A sword? Have you forgot my skills in such? 200 Have at you, witch, that thee may meet thy master. Benvaltro My wife! Yareena O, slain! The asp will kill us all! (Falls) (Benvaltro is killed by Lilia while trying to escape the room) Queen Alexia What has thee done? - Stop now! Ye've damned your soul For these depravéd acts; you'll join your brother 205 In hell, together burn forever. Lilia No! His home is with the angels of the spheres Above this, not below it. Queen Alexia Foolish girl. 210 Lilia No, say you not! To him, you are as one With god's eternal other. Do not soil His memory with thy untruthful words! Queen Alexia Your lovéd brother blasts he now in hell. (Lilia attacks her in a frenzy; Alexia removes a dagger from her sleeve or belt and stabs her daughter before being stabbed herself) Lilia Ha! Think you that you could avenge thy fate? 215 I am already dead, for I have drunk The poison from the very cup as Armus. Queen Alexia Another sin - betrayal, murder, lies; And now ye've taken your own life as well. We both are damned, but you thrice more than I. 220 (Falls) (Silence and stillness for a moment; Lilia stands swaying amongst the four bodies) (Enter Garond) Garond I come to bring glad tidings to the day When my own dearest cousin do be wed - What here? Speak, what has now transpired? Lilia O, My voice could not describe the horrors here, For it grows weak, as that which I have supped 225 Do overtake me. Read thee this, and know The full accounting of these heinous times, And judge me as thee may, for I have not The strength nor care to justify myself. Good night, now king of mine as well as thine. 230 (Falls) (Garond takes paper from her hand and reads for a moment) Garond O faith, but would that I had been aware, Perhaps my counsel, trusted as you e'er Did claim to be, as sure as I am thine Own cousin, might have 'stilled in thee some reason, That you would have accepted thy own fate. 235 A pitied turn it is, that one maid's pride Could cause the downfall of the royal house. But still, I do not judge thee, for though thou Hast 'mitted crimes considered most ungodly, The happen of your brother's murder do 240 Give reason to what other would be sin. Thy only fault is wanting what cannot, Sweet cousin. You could never have been queen Without a king to watch in thy affairs. I'll tell your tale, and sure to tell it fair. 245 Sleep easy, Lilia, and free of care. (Exits)