JOHN STEWART. Get off me!

LIVINGSTON puts a sword to JOHN STEWART’s neck.

LIVINGSTON. Tell me where the King is or I’ll slice his throat.

JOHN STEWART. Joan, for Christ’s sake!

JOAN. He’s my son…

JOHN STEWART. He’ll always be your son! We can have more sons. You and me.

MEG. Joan! You can’t trust either of them! No!

JOHN STEWART. Joan! Please!

LIVINGSTON readies his sword.

JOAN. Don’t!

He waits, looking at her, waiting for her answer.

How do I know you’ll let us go?

How do I know we’ll be safe?

LIVINGSTON. Because you’re nothing without the King. Give the royal children to me and I’ll let you run away and be nothing.

JOAN walks to the chest.

MEG. Joan, no!

JOAN opens it.

LIVINGSTON walks to the chest and looks in. JAMES cowers.

LIVINGSTON. Well. Good to see you, Your Majesty. Up you come.

He pulls JAMES out.

JAMES (quiet). Go away, don’t look at me. Mum! Mummy!

LIVINGSTON. Mummy’s got to go away, Your Majesty, she’s got to run away fast before I slice her pretty lord into bacon.

JOHN STEWART. Joan, come on!

JOAN. Leave me my daughter.

LIVINGSTON. We would have done. But it seems you’re a very careless mother, Lady Joan.

ANNABELLA. Mummy?

JOAN is leaving.

LIVINGSTON. Wait!

He grabs JOAN.

That’s no yours, that’s the King’s ring.

He wrenches it from her finger as JOAN cries out in pain. JOHN STEWART moves to defend her but is stopped.

You don’t get to keep Scotland’s treasure now.

He pushes her away from him and puts the ring on his own finger.

Run away then. Run away and hide in some wee hole, Lady Joan. You’re done.

JOAN hesitates a beat longer then she starts to leave.

MEG. You can’t leave them! You can’t!

JOAN (to MEG). Stay with them. Look after them.

(To JAMES.) You’ll be safe, James, we’ll both be safe. That’s all that matters.

ANNABELLA. Mummy!

JOAN. Stay with your brother, Annabella.

JAMES. Mum, no! Don’t leave me with the bad man!

She’s gone. MEG gathers ANNABELLA to her.

MEG. It’s alright. It’s alright, pet, I’ve got you.

(Reaching for him.) Jamie, I’ve got you.

LIVINGSTON stops JAMES as he tries to get to MEG and ANNABELLA.

LIVINGSTON (gentle). Little red face. Know this. I’m your loyal subject and I’ll be like a father to you. Don’t be frightened. You’re with friends now. Just answer me one question, we’re all just curious, one wee question, Your Majesty. Can you do that?

JAMES. Yes.

LIVINGSTON. Was she shagging John Stewart before your dad got cut to collops or did she wait till she’d buried him?

Do you know? Come on. You have to know that. She was, wasn’t she?

Everyone starts to laugh, louder and louder. JAMES tries to run but he’s caught and blocked wherever he runs.

MEG. Leave him, you bastards! He’s your King!

There’s a moment where JAMES bumps into WILLIAM and the two boys stare at each other, then JAMES is pushed away again, spun as if in a game. In the end he dives back in the kist.