JAMIE. What should he have told me?

JOHN. We call a parliament…

MARGARET. Only the King can call a parliament!

JOHN (ignoring this). The young Prince shows them he’s willing to serve the Three Estates and this country. And you are standing beside him. And so am I.

MARGARET. And the King?

JOHN. That’s up to him.

MARGARET. And you said you wanted to do this without blood?!

ANNABELLA. Leave the children alone! Leave the children alone! Leave us alone!

She’s in bits, shaking, PHEMY comforts her.

PHEMY. Annabella? Princess Annabella? What is it?

JAMIE. Christ, what’s all the fuss! Mum? I won’t go if it upsets you.

But I’m not a child. My father won’t teach me to be a king. I need to learn for myself.

JOHN. Hear him? He’s nearly grown.

MARGARET. Jamie, he wants to put you in your father’s place.

JAMIE. That would be for parliament to decide.

MARGARET. Oh, listen to yourself, you stupid boy! You think civil war would be a great adventure, do you!?

JAMIE. I’m not a stupid boy. I’m fourteen years old. I need my own court, my own men and my own household. I’m going to Edinburgh with Lord John.

JAMIE exits.

MARGARET calls after him.

MARGARET. Jamie!

He doesn’t stop.

(To JOHN.) You said you wanted to hold Scotland together. You said you wanted peace.

JOHN. How can we have peace without a king? Your husband is no king.

MARGARET. Give me one chance. Please! Let me talk to King James.

JOHN. What good will that do?

MARGARET. Let me try.

JOHN. You think you can bring him before his parliament and make him apologise to every man there? You think you can make him go down on his knees and swear he’ll undo every wrong he did, give back all the land he’s stolen, swear to keep all the promises he’s broken… and better than that… make us believe him? You think you can do that?

MARGARET. Let me try.

A beat.

JOHN. Well… you can come and talk to him. No harm.

He exits.

ANNABELLA. Your bairn gone to be a man. You’ll never win him back now.

MARGARET. I will try.

ANNABELLA. When they say they’re men and pick up a sword with an edge, they’re lost. They’re gone. Make your heart a stone or it’ll break like an egg.

MARGARET. Phemy, we’re going to Edinburgh. Will you help me get ready?

PHEMY. Aye, Margaret.

MARGARET exits, PHEMY is following, she sees something on the ground.

Aw! He wasn’t looking, eh?

He trod on a chick. Wee thing. He’s smashed it, the brute.

The King’s Room, Edinburgh Castle

MARGARET enters. She can’t speak.

JAMES. Margaret? What’s happened?

What are you doing here? What do you want?