BALVENIE. Ah Christ… it hurts… my breath… it hurts…

WILLIAM. Listen… if you held your breath you’d just go. Stop bleating, Dad. Hold your breath and imagine you’re dying like a fighting man… like a man on a spring battlefield. The sun blinding him as he shuts his eyes and takes his last breath…

Just shut your eyes…

Feel the sun…

Shut your eyes…

BALVENIE. You’re not… ready… you’ll lose everything I got for you…

WILLIAM. It’s mine to lose.

BALVENIE. You’re not fit for the name Douglas!

WILLIAM. I’ll be the Earl of Douglas by morning. It’ll be my land.

BALVENIE. Oh Christ… listen to me…

WILLIAM. No. I can’t hear you. Even your voice is leaving you. The dark’s coming now… you can feel it, eh?

BALVENIE. Patience, just… Oh Christ I’m cold…

He coughs.

I’m cold…

WILLIAM. What’s that? You need the cold air? I’ll fetch you some cold air.

WILLIAM wrenches a window open.

BALVENIE. So cold… help me… I’m too cold…

WILLIAM roughly pulls the covers off him.

WILLIAM. I’ll help you to the cold. There.

Now hurry up, will you?

This is breaking me in pieces. My heart’s shattered. Get on with it, will you!

The new Earl needs to be busy.

The new Earl needs to be about his work.

BALVENIE is choking. WILLIAM watches.

Elgin, Huntly, Brechin, all mine…

Melrose, Dunbar and Galloway… all mine…

Mine…

Mine…

BALVENIE is dead. WILLIAM covers him.

The scene transforms to BALVENIE’s funeral.

Castle Courtyard

Funeral music. BALVENIE’s body is draped in rich coverings and carried to rest in the chapel. WILLIAM follows it. A group of MUSICIANS gather round him.

CRICHTON, HUME, ANNABELLA, MEG and other LORDS and LADIES of the Scottish court gather. JAMES and MARY enter last. MARY is now heavily pregnant.

WILLIAM. Thank you all for coming here.

Thank you for honouring the name of Douglas.

WILLIAM goes to kneel by his father’s coffin.

The court processes past him, each one crossing themselves and bowing to the coffin, then acknowledging WILLIAM.

They all pass in silence, CRICHTON and HUME are last. CRICHTON steps up, he speaks quietly as he bows his head close to WILLIAM.

HUME. My lord, Earl Douglas, we share your grief.

WILLIAM. Do you?

CRICHTON. May I express the sorrow of the whole council, we will meet soon to discuss your own place among us, I hope we may help you understand your role as one of the King’s advisers…

WILLIAM (cutting him off). Have I asked you to do that?

HUME. No but…