JOAN wakes and sees the knife. She screams.

JOAN. Murder! Help us! Help!

Neither JAMES nor BALVENIE move. MEG runs on. She sees the knife and stops dead.

JAMES. Balvenie… what do you want?

BALVENIE. Land. I just want more land. What else gives a man worth on this earth? A good life is invisible unless you own the land they bury you under.

JAMES. You’re… you’re petitioning me for land?

BALVENIE. That’d be nice.

But how can you give it to me when you’re dead…?

He’s still poised with the knife.

JOAN. You said you were my friend…

BALVENIE. Oh, what can I tell you. What do you want?

Maybe if you were mine I might fight every man alive for the chance to keep you safe. Looking at you might make me strong enough to do it.

But probably not. I’m not that kind of man. The question is, King James… what kind of man are you? I’ve no chance of a peaceful life now. He’ll come for me, I know he will. I have to choose.

JAMES. Who’ll come for you?

BALVENIE. Big James Stewart.

JAMES. Why will he come for you?

BALVENIE. Because he told me to kill you.

JAMES. Are you going to kill me?

BALVENIE. No… No, I… No.

He drops the knife. He crumples, terrified.

Oh Jesus, what have I done, what have I done, what have I done?

There was no safe choice, was there? This is the end of me. The end. I’m dead. You’ll kill me now, won’t you?

JAMES secures the knife, moving slowly, careful.

JAMES. No. No, not if you stand by me. Tell me what’s happening.

JOAN. You told me we were safe, you promised me we were safe.

BALVENIE. He’s gone to the south-west. He’s raising an army against you. He’ll bring war on us. Big James will raise their whole family and all the other families that run with them. And the rest of Scotland will sit and watch like it’s a dog fight.

JOAN. We can run away. We can run south. We can go to my father’s castle, we’ll be safe there. We will. I know we will.

JAMES. I am the King of Scots and I won’t be driven from Scotland again.

BALVENIE. Well, get ready to fight because Scotland’s bringing war on you. Oh Jesus…

JAMES (to MEG). Bring my armour. Make me ready.

MEG goes to get his war gear from a chest. BALVENIE helps. They dress JAMES for war.

JOAN. I’m sorry.

JAMES. For what?

JOAN. Your armour. It hasn’t been cleaned. I didn’t think… I didn’t want to think…

JAMES. It’s fine.

JOAN. I don’t want you to die. I don’t want any harm to come to you. I feel that. You see? I do feel that. Look I’m shaking with it. That’s how much I want you to be safe.

BALVENIE. What lands would you have given me?

JAMES. What?

BALVENIE. If either of us had lived, what lands would you have granted me?