ANNABELLA hugs her back.

ANNABELLA. I’m cold.

MARY. So we go to the kitchen and get wine and steal the cakes while they are hot!

ANNABELLA. Aye, we’ll get the party wine today if we’re quick.

MARY and ANNABELLA hurry off. MEG following.

MEG. Christ save us! You can’t start the drinking before church!

JAMES and WILLIAM look at each other for a moment.

JAMES. It was another nightmare.

WILLIAM. Aye. But you’re alright. She sorted you, eh?

JAMES. She must have.

WILLIAM. Good. They’ll maybe leave me in my kip next time.

Right, I’m going to lay out the field for football.

JAMES. I am going to beat you, you know.

WILLIAM. Do you think? I don’t think so, Jamie. I don’t think I love you enough to let you win.

JAMES. Let me?

WILLIAM. Only way you will win.

They exit, laughing and chasing each other.

The Castle Courtyard

MARY and ANNABELLA enter, eating. MARY has a little bag or basket of cakes.

MARY. I dare you… to… roar like a lion.

ANNABELLA. No.

MARY. You have to.

ANNABELLA. I don’t want to.

MARY. You have to. Today we play games. And you are a Stewart lion.

ANNABELLA does a half-hearted roar, MARY laughs.

Qu’est que ce?!

ANNABELLA. I don’t want to, I’m not a Stewart lion! I don’t even feel Scottish! I hate it here!

MARY. You speak Scottish…

ANNABELLA. I hate it! The skies are too high and the folk talk right at you and it’s cold and they keep feeding you oily herring and telling you it’s lovely! It’s not! It’s bogging! I want…

MARY. What?

ANNABELLA. To go back… don’t you want to go back?

MARY (ignoring her, still playing). I dare you…

ANNABELLA. Don’t you want to be home again?

MARY. This is home now… I dare you…

ANNABELLA. No, it’s my turn. I dare you…

MARY. Quoi?

ANNABELLA. To tell me the truth.

MARY. This is my home now.

I dare you… to… smile.

ANNABELLA. Oh, Mary…

MARY. Please.

ANNABELLA smiles. LIVINGSTON enters, as MARY spins ANNABELLA.

Yes. Yes. Now dare me! Dare me.

LIVINGSTON. Games.

ANNABELLA. Yes.

LIVINGSTON. Lovely. Carry on.

MARY. Will you play?

LIVINGSTON. No.

LIVINGSTON is waiting. ANNABELLA whispers to MARY. MARY resists the dare. ANNABELLA pushes at her, laughing now.

BALVENIE enters under this.

So? Have you talked to him?

BALVENIE. You’re imagining things.

LIVINGSTON. I doubt that.

MARY is moving closer on LIVINGSTON, looking for a chance to tickle him.

Crichton is smirking. He’s got some plan to meddle with me… or murder me.

BALVENIE. What do you care what Crichton thinks? When did you get so jumpy?

LIVINGSTON. You wait, he’ll be creeping up behind me, first chance he gets.

MARY is behind him. She tickles him. LIVINGSTON whirls on her. She drops the cakes.

BALVENIE. Christ, Livingston, don’t kill the Queen.

LIVINGSTON. Your Highness…

MARY. It is… a game.

LIVINGSTON. Aye… sorry.

MARY. Just a game.

BALVENIE. Day of the Innocents, Livingston, tricks, football… games all day.