JOHN STEWART. You look like him. Like your father.

He died in a drain. Did they tell you that? They caught the ‘brave King’ in his nightshirt. He climbed under the floorboards to hide. He left his women to fight for him. He robbed the wealth of half of Scotland, so that every man with a sword wanted him dead, and then he tried to hide safe behind his wife’s skirts. They cut her arm to the bone. Have you seen that? Have you seen what those bastards did to her, what he left her to face? I curse your father’s name every time I look at what was done to her skin. He was a coward and they killed him like a sewer rat.

JAMES. If my father was here he’d kill you with a big sword. And the worms would eat your eyes.

JOHN STEWART moves closer still, confiding.

JOHN STEWART. If your father was here I’d cut his legs and leave him sitting in his blood watching me give your mother what he never could. And I’ll do the same to you if you don’t shut up.

JAMES. No! No!!!

Nightmare, thunderous knocking, off. Splintering wood, shouting. Distorted voices calling, off.

VOICES. The King! We want the King!

JOAN runs on, followed by ANNABELLA. JOAN goes to JOHN STEWART, who’s drawn his sword.

JOHN STEWART. Oh Christ.

JOAN. There’s hundreds of them, riding at the gate! They’re breaking in.

JOHN STEWART. Aw Jesus.

JOAN. You promised me! You promised me we’d be safe!

JOHN STEWART. Bar the door!

JOAN. With what!? There’s no time!

Hide, Jamie! Quick! Quick!

JAMES climbs into the box. LIVINGSTON, CRICHTON, BALVENIE and armed MEN surround JOHN STEWART, JOAN, ANNABELLA and JAMES. WILLIAM is there too, standing behind his father, watching. LIVINGSTON advances on JOAN.

LIVINGSTON. Where’s the King?

JOAN. He’s not here. I don’t know where he is.

LIVINGSTON. Well, what kind of mother are you? Lost him, have you? I don’t think so. You can’t rob Scotland of her ruler, Lady Joan.

JOAN. I am the Queen Regent, I rule Scotland and this is treason, Lord Livingston.

LIVINGSTON. You’re queen of nothing.

JOAN is pulling everything together. She squares up to them all.

JOAN. Do you know what I do to traitors? Do you think I’ll spare any of you?

CRICHTON. Do you really think you can threaten us today, Lady Joan?

JOAN. Queen Joan. I’m your Queen, Lord Crichton.

She’s looking at BALVENIE.

You know it. You still see it. Tell them, Balvenie.

BALVENIE. Oh, Joan… I still see a bonny white flower. I do.

But you’ve made your choice. And you’re no queen when you lie in your sweat with John Stewart.

LIVINGSTON. Where’s the King?

JOAN. He’s my son. Mine. You’ll never have him. Never.

LIVINGSTON. Well, I think he might turn up once we’ve torn this place to rubble and looked under every stone, but you’ve wasted enough of our time. (To GUARDS.) Hold him.

The GUARDS grab JOHN STEWART as he struggles.