MARY puts herself in JAMES’s eyeline.

ANNABELLA (terrified). No, Mary! He’ll hurt you! Leave him!

MARY. Stop looking there! Look at me! I am your wife! Look at me.

The DOUGLAS ghosts vanish.

Allors ça suffit!

(To JAMES.) Stop it! Stop being mad! I will not be married to a madman!

She hits at him. JAMES grabs her. He wakes, lost, staring at her.

No more nightmares. Enough.

So. Are you awake?

JAMES. Yes.

MARY. How do you know?

She kisses him.

JAMES. Because I felt that.

MARY. You were crazy. You were seeing things that weren’t there. Stop it.

JAMES (shaky). Sorry.

MARY. And you’re holding me too tight.

JAMES. Sorry.

He lets her go.

MARY. I did not say to let me go.

She holds on to him.

MEG enters with WILLIAM. They take in the scene.

MEG. My God… how did she manage it?

MARY takes JAMES’s face in her hands.

MARY. Now listen to me. Everything here is strange for me. I still understand almost nothing. So you must stop being frightening.

JAMES. Yes.

MARY. I am your wife now.

JAMES. Yes.

MARY. There is months of this. It is making me miserable. I do not want to be miserable. I want to be happy. So we will be happy.

JAMES. Yes.

MARY. We will love each other.

JAMES. Yes.

MARY. I can love you very easily because I like the way you look. But no more screaming.

JAMES. No. Sorry.

She kisses him.

ANNABELLA (moved). Oh.

WILLIAM turns to MEG.

WILLIAM. So where’s the problem?

JAMES notices him at last.

JAMES. Will! What are you doing here?

WILLIAM. That’s what I’m asking.

JAMES. This is my Queen.

WILLIAM. I know. We met. At your wedding?

JAMES (to MARY). This is William Douglas, the dearest friend I have.

MARY goes to WILLIAM.

MARY. You love my James?

WILLIAM. She doesny do small talk, eh?

(To MARY.) Aye, he’s alright, as kings go.

MARY. Good. So you are my dear friend as well. Comme ça tout va bien marcher.

She kisses him formally on both cheeks.

Enchanté.

(Turns to MEG.) Now please we need sun.

MEG. Come and help me let the morning in.

They pull back the shutters and let pale winter pre-dawn light into the room.

A clean morning.

A wee dust of snow and a hard frost on it.

It’s a good day. This bright weather will hold for a week now.

It’s the Feast of the Holy Innocents.

MARY pulls away from JAMES and bounces with delight.

MARY. Games!

Oh at home I love the games! We play chasing games and kissing games…

WILLIAM. Well, here we play the ball.

MARY. What’s that?

JAMES. The best game there is. I’ll win it for you. Watch me.

WILLIAM. Aye, dream on.

MARY. This is going to be a good day, a good, good, good day!