(Louder.) Oh, what am I to do? And me with cakes in my pocket spoiling because there’s no one to eat them…

She waits, no response.

…I’ll have to eat them all myself, we can’t have them wasted…

MEG takes a package of cakes out of her pocket and starts to unwrap it. JAMES sticks his head out of hiding and watches, MEG ignores him.

Have to eat them all up, can’t have this honey making my pockets sticky…

JAMES starts to creep out of hiding, creeping towards her. Obviously she can see him really easily but pretends she can’t.

(Eating.) Mmmmmm… lovely honey cakes… delicious… better eat them up before the bears get them.

JAMES runs at her with a roar. MEG pretends to startle and scream.

It’s a bear! It’s a bear! Give him the cakes!

JAMES grabs the cakes and starts to eat them hungrily.

Oh thank goodness, it’s not the bears, it’s just His Majesty King James. That’s a relief, I thought I was going to be torn limb from limb.

JAMES makes bear growls as he eats. She wipes at his face.

King of Scotland? King of Scotland? You’re just a messy wee bairn, that’s what you are, a happy, messy wee bairn.

ANNABELLA enters wearing a beautiful white wedding dress.

ANNABELLA. It’s my special special day.

JAMES. Oh naw! I’m no playing that game again!

MEG. You need to play it today, darling.

You need to help your sister on her wedding day.

JAMES. It’s boring!

ANNABELLA. It’s not boring! It’s my wedding!

MEG is upset, hiding it.

MEG. And you have to be ready to give her away, King James, so we need to clean these sticky hands.

JAMES (to MEG). Why’re you upset?

MEG. I’m not, darling. Now hurry up. You can’t make Annabella late on her special day.

ANNABELLA. My special day.

JAMES. It’s just a game though, isn’t it? I don’t want Annabella to go away.

ANNABELLA. I won’t, silly. I live here.

MEG (faltering). She’ll come back… to visit. She’ll…

JAMES. What?

MEG. Just… do everything like we did the other times, Jamie, like the game. Just like that.

ANNABELLA. I’m going to be married lots of times and get lots of dresses. Like Mummy.

JAMES. Did Mum cut the bad men in pieces?

MEG. What?

JAMES. The men who murdered my father. Did she…

MEG (cutting him off, sharp). Who have you been talking to!

(Calms herself.) She was just frightened, James. She was drowning in fear.

JAMES. Was she… faithless?

MEG. We don’t have time for this! We need to clean you up.

She’s helping him.

She was frightened. She was all alone.

Who’s been talking at you?

JAMES. Did my father murder people? Was he cruel?

A pause.

MEG. It wasn’t murder. Listen to me, listen now, Jamie, I’ll tell you a story about your father. Your father, King James, knew the birthday of the boy that helped the man who had the dogs that kept his sheep. He sent that boy a gold coin on his birthday and asked after the dogs by name. That’s a king. Now he’d want you to hold your sister’s hand on her wedding day. Come on, darling, you have to. It’ll be alright.