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| PART I: THE COURTSHIP OF PRINCESS GWEN |
| MERLIN AND THE LADY OF THE LAKE
From the outset, for reasons then unknown to us, Merlin is angry with the Lady of the Lake! After several auditory hallucinations, she appears to Merlin as a glowing figure of light and tells him “What has been done can never be undone.” Merlin, like an angry child, screams back at her, “Is that all? What has been done can never be undone? Well, it's not enough. You used me!” The Lady of the Lake continues, “What's yet to come will never be forgotten.” Again, Merlin shouts at her. “Nothing is forgotten! Nothing is forgiven!” And the Lady of the Lake answers, “Nothing is forever . . .” |
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I see, as you taught me to see. Your face is but one face of three. I see . . . the Queen of Sorcery! |
| Unmoved, the Lady of the Lake says what she came to say. |
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Will come the captive maiden fair, Whose loins were formed a king to bear, Whose beauty shall Nial's heart ensnare |
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(fading from view) Her prison is the dragon's lair, Whose destiny you're bound to share, Whose life the gods demand you spare . . . |
| As Merlin raves at her, she is disappears into the low-lying fog that shrouds the lake, the same low-lying fog through which Merlin sees that which impels him to begin his journey! |
| MERLIN'S PROPHECY FOR NIAL
Merlin arrives in Osterlaw aand finds young Nial in the courtyard of Fellsgard Castle, where the warriors and nobles are preparing for the journey to Galwalk to contest for the hand of Princess Gwen. He grabs Nial by the arm and begins to recite his prophecy. |
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(spookily) This much and more the future brings. |
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(good-naturedly |
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(more intensely) And by this sword, your son shall rule! |
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The sword by which he'll claim his throne. The greatest king of all, he'll be Renown for all eternity. All this I've seen. All this and more Of what the future holds in store. |
| Nial pulls free of Merlin, rubbing feeling back ionto his arm with new respect for Merlin's grip, if not for his prophecies. |
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| As Nial continues, he fishes a gold coin from his purse and presses it into Merlin's hand. |
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| Merlin, disappointed in Nial, examines the coin. |
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(an alarmed shout) |
| When Nial's mother, Deirdre, tells Nial that the stranger was indeed his uncle, Merlin, Nial gives chase, planning to force Merlin to retract his prophesy. But Merlin easily escapes. |
| MERLIN'S PROPHECY FOR PRINCESS GWEN
Although not on the guest list for Princess Gwen's birthday party, Merlin manages to slip by the king's porters and, taking advantage of a brilliant flash of lightning and a terrible crash of thunder, strides purposefully to the center of Galowyn's Great Hall. |
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Terror and turmoil! Betrayal and War! |
| King Galowyn is as stunned as his guests by the dreadful words that ring from Merlin's lips, but no one is more filled with dread and revulsion than Deirdre. |
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(like a curse) |
| Aver is stunned, never having heard such loathing in her mother's voice. |
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A child takes up his father's sword. |
| Princess Gwen is mesmerized by Merlin's rhyme. |
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A kingdom fails to have an heir. |
| At the head of the hall, King Galowyn turns pale. |
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A vile, dire power blinds men's eyes. |
| Merlin casts his baleful gaze on Princess Gwen, now listening with such intensity that she fails to breathe! |
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'Til Princess Gwen shall wed a dragon! |
| As all eyes turn to Princess Gwen, still another mighty crash of thunder and lightning quake the Great Hall. Princess Gwen faints and in the ensuing confusion, Merlin makes good his escape. |
| There is a final prophecy at the end of this story, but I'm saving it. The Courtship of Princess Gwen is, after all, only Part I of a contemplated five part theatrical series. |