There’s a sudden scramble for sides, the mood changed, laughing and jostling.

CRICHTON exits. BALVENIE watches the game for a second, furious, then he follows.

MEN and WOMEN have been lining up behind JAMES or WILLIAM. The MEN pulling off coats, the WOMEN tucking up their skirts.

Give me the ball! Give me the ball now!

It’s thrown to him.

(To WILLIAM.) I’ll show you what I’ve learned since you last saw me, William Douglas.

WILLIAM. Go on then.

With an ear-splitting yell, JAMES kicks the ball up in the air and then everyone runs for it. MARY watches. ANNABELLA hesitates for a moment but as the game gets going she gives a yell and runs to join them.

The rules of medieval football are pretty obscure and open to interpretation.

Basically there’s no goal. One side of the courtyard is JAMES’s ‘goal’ and if the ball hits anywhere on that wall it’s a score for the other side and vice versa.

The ball has to be hit with feet.

Apart from that there are no rules as we’d understand them and the main aim is to stop the opposing players getting or moving the ball by any means possible – kicking, punching, biting gouging… It’s basically a screaming, rowdy street fight with occasional contact with the ball. MEN and WOMEN are going for it with enormous enthusiasm but rapidly everyone is beaten to the point of collapse. Only WILLIAM and JAMES are left standing, limping, battered, utterly exhausted but refusing to give up.

They are each staggering after the ball. As one of them reaches it, the other knocks them over and they wrestle for a minute until one of them breaks free and struggles for the ball again.

WILLIAM seems to be injured. JAMES relaxes his hold. WILLIAM springs up and kicks the ball hard against the wall.

JAMES goes at WILLIAM with a sword. WILLIAM just faces him down.

Everyone is watching. No one speaks or moves.

WILLIAM. Game over. DOUGLAS!

JAMES. You bastard.

A moment. It really looks like JAMES might kill WILLIAM. Then he starts to laugh.

You fucking cheating Douglas bastard! You win! JAMES pulls WILLIAM into an embrace.

The two teams start to pick themselves up properly, handshakes and embraces, laughter.

MARY makes her way to JAMES.

MARY. That was a game!

JAMES. Were you scared I’d be hurt?

MARY. No! Of course not!

JAMES. Listen to her! Look at me, woman! I am hurt! He nearly murdered me!

WILLIAM. Aye and you bit me!

MARY. That was a game.

JAMES. I love it.

WILLIAM. Me too.

ANNABELLA has joined them. She’s covered in dirt and blood, grinning. The other players are moving on and off, preparing for a party outside, building fires in the courtyard, bringing food and drink.

ANNABELLA. We play it differently here. I’d forgotten. That was mad! I love it! I’m happy! I’m happy!