HENRY. I hold two kingdoms! Two! And you’re my fucking prisoner, King James of Scotland! Aren’t you?

(Shaking him.) Can’t hear you?

JAMES (quiet). Yes.

HENRY lets him go.

HENRY. Yes you are. And always will be. My vassal King.

(Studies JAMES.) What’s going on in there now? Are you dreaming of stabbing me or have you stopped thinking at all? No telling is there. Never is.

(To GUARDS.) After we’re done here send out a battalion to round up the farmers. All of them. Cut their throats. Burn their crops.

JAMES. Then what will you eat, Henry?

HENRY. Shut up.

You don’t need to worry about that, little King James. You won’t be here.

(Re: the poem.) James is ready for love. He’s pouring out romantic verses to unknown beauties.

Gives poem back to JAMES.

Actually some of it’s quite touching. I was genuinely moved. Time to get serious now though. You’re going back to England for your wedding.

JAMES. My wedding?

HENRY. Yes. Congratulations. You’re marrying my cousin Joan. Have you met her?

(As JAMES says nothing.) No. Well, don’t worry. I think you’ll get on.

Jesus, I wish I could be there to see your face.

You’ll need an English bride when we send you back to Scotland.

(Public announcement.) King James of Scotland, I charge you this day to return to your kingdom and command every man there to cease their warring in France. I further charge you to gather up the full price of your ransom as a prisoner of England and pay that gold to the English crown. In token of your agreement, kneel to me now.

JAMES is just taking this in.

Kneel.

Still nothing.

Fucking kneel, James.

JAMES. Are you really doing this?

HENRY. Yes. I’m really doing this.

JAMES. No.

HENRY. What?

JAMES. This will not work. This can’t work.

HENRY. No, it’s a useless plan but it’s the best we’ve got. We have to get the Scots out of France and we have to get more gold in the treasury somehow.

It could have worked, James, it could have worked if you had anything in you but dry ink and vinegar.

JAMES. Fuck you. I’m not going back to Scotland till we’ve got a proper plan, a strategy… I had a plan, you arse! We’ve been in negotiations for years! You just fucked every hour of that, didn’t you!? How do you think I can rule the Scots when the story of your little display here gets back to them? I’m not doing it. I won’t go.

HENRY. There’s no time for plans, I’m dying, James.

(Shows him the blood on his hand.) It’s black. Look. I am coughing up black blood. We all know what that means. We’ve seen it. First you cough, then your bowels go, then your reason, then there’s just pain.

Two days from now I won’t be able to sit up. A week from now I’ll be dead.

JAMES. Good!

HENRY. No, you don’t mean that. You’ll be sorry you said that when I’m gone.