A brief tragicomedy of Robert de Normandy

[azatol]

Jordan is Richard's son, he is Richard's heir. The probelm is Jordan is interested in Lithuaise but she's only a count's advisor's daughter and Richard wants him to marry higher.

If you were confusing Richard and Robert, Our other count Robert de Normandie of Cornwall has no heir and so he wants to get married to continue the dynasty although his brother is doing well enough.

Jordan doesn't want to be count, he's kinda shirking his responsibilities. He just wants to meet someone like Lithuaise. Richard is trying to get his son to take things more seriously.

And then there's Matilda and her new flunkie and they are going to be watching Isabella closely, but she's got plans of her own for Robert mostly relating to Matilda.

The two stories will eventually combine of course, in a somewhat Shakespearean pattern common to his comedies.

 

[azatol]

I might be too ambiguous in my writing, I'm trying to use double entendre and puns quite a bit but if I'm not being clear enough and you want to point out what was confusing to me by PM I wouldn't mind the critiquing.

I am planning on going back through all the scenes when done to tidy them up and turn it into a pdf. I haven't really written plays before although I have done poetry, so it can be a challenge to clearly tell the story. Plus I've been using a fairly opaque style of speech that might be too ambiguous.

 

[azatol]

Act 2, Scene 1

Act 2
Scene 1

[b]{Setting: Inside the Keep at Cornwall, three days after the events of Act 1 Scene 2}
{Matilda and Humbert enter}[/b]


Humbert:	Worried you have of late for idle things
		Yet what do you now plan to do of her
		You see they meet today of what unknown
		And so do you seek hearing of all words

Matilda		My plan is this: enlist you in purpose
		Attend this conference odd and long shall you
		And give report of all things said and done
		Find out that Isabella’s plan she gives
		Hurry now must I flee for here they are
		We shall meet as I said. Till tommorrow. 


[b]{Matilda exits, Isabella and Robert enter}[/b]


Humbert:	My lord I ask to offer my guidance
		Of matters grave if so do you speak of

Isabella:	Humbert do you not know of role
		For you have mastery of gold and tax
		And so I have knowledge you have not found
		Would I attend your conference of the tax?
		You may hear some report from me later
		Of our solution to this problem grave


[b]{Humbert leaves the two}
{They enter the Count’s bedroom}[/b]


Isabella:	Many things does she think of us right now
		Of all the wrong impressions of our task
		Be sure my Count I am for your interests
		To save you from a mighty fall come we
		Your wife can not bear any sons for you
		So we must turn beyond but first bad things
		The King has sworn if you shall not have son
		Within the nearest of two years from now
		He shall snatch up this land and have himself
		But you have me and I plan to succeed
		To be a single man shall I plan well
		Merely give slight assent to this scroll plan


[b]{Robert signs the scroll without glancing at it}[/b]


Robert:	        If I were bachelor again then might
		I find myself a lovely lady then
		She shall be young and barren not, for sure!
		Then Normandy shall have another son


[b]{The sound of running footfalls distracts them both}
{Isabella and Robert exit}
{Outside the Keep, Humbert and Matilda enter}[/b]


Humbert:	I heard not what they spoke of Matilda
		But I have seen the two in his bedroom
		Mistress has been the story all along
		And not of some foul plan more dark than this

Matilda:	I thought she was the foulest one of all
		Yet not of that consort did I ponder
		But yet the spy has that weapon surely
		Perhaps her plan was elsewhere from the Count
		A mistress has funding surely from him
		And so her plan may go ahead but what

		
[b]{Matilda and Humbert exit}
{Isabella and an associate enter, three hours later in the countryside of Cornwall}[/b]


Isabella:	The count dearest has great problems of wife
		Yet I received a word to continue
		And so with approval start we our plan
		To off this lady old so he is free

Associate:	I shall prepare the others needed then
		And payment then shall I ask from you too
		So act quite quick to get the funds from him

 

[coz1]

Yes, I was confusing Robert and Richard. My fault.

Oh dear, it appears Matilda is going to get it.

 

[unmerged(24857)]

I guess that the murder is going to fail spectaculously.
It is a tragicomedy after all.

 

[azatol]

Act 2, Scene 2

Scene 2

[b]{Outside the Hereimes residence, Jordan enters on horse. He dismounts}[/b]


Jordan:	        My Lithuaise our time is growing short
		But shall we make the best of it indeed
		Lets ride into the forest floor on horse
		And flee my father’s watchful eye tonight


[b]{Lithuaise enters, gets on the horse as does Jordan}[/b]


Jordan:	        And now, away, away my horse, fly fast

Lithuaise:	The wind screams as a guard dog barking loud
		Against our travel far to speak apart  
		From prying eyes and ears, of love and loss
		For soon you shall be gone and I, alone

Jordan:	        Then we must make up time tonight or else
		We shall never know who we really were
		But no matter what shall come after this
		Always remember this, I will truly

[b]
{They ride in silence into the forest, Jordan has an apple 
for his horse. They sit at the base of a large tree while 
the horse meanders about.}[/b]


Lithuaise:	Your horse is strong and swift as you
		You shall slay dragon to save me surely
		You have the might and yet you care for much
		A learner and a conqueror you are

Jordan:	        No my lady I am a peaceful man
		My horse is truly grateful of your praise
		But I seek no conquest but you today
		For I must prove of worth to Lithuaise

Lithuaise:	You river strong have already done that
		For Jordan was a place of might in God
		It baptised him, the son, from such its strength
		And you match your namesake’s glory my love

Jordan:	        You flatter me muchly but I must find
		The hidden secret of your own sweet name 
		It rolls across the tongue so nice and smooth
		The mystery of “Lithuaise” I seek

Lithuaise:	It is of origin obscure as I
		For from small birth as daughter do I come
		Not Aphrodite but a lesser child
		
Jordan:	        You know that is not the answer my sweet
		Nothing minor can bloom so bright as you
		The rare resplendent colors in your hair
		Make you an exotic flower indeed

Lithuaise:	But I am just a girl who has grown fond
		Of Jordan who shall soon be flowing on
		I shall miss bathing in your glory then
		When far downstream have you found another

Jordan:	        To rain I shall be turned to come again
		And then I shall visit once more you see
		For rivers forever flow strong, not once
		And so like that shall I keep faith in you
		Apart we must be for right now, but soon
		We shall meet one more time before I leave


[b]{The two find the horse and ride into the village, 
Jordan deposits Lithuaise at her home. With a kiss he rides off}
{Lithuaise exits, Richard enters}[/b]


Richard:	You shall not have the girl you seek my son
		For she is lesser than your great station 
		You must think for the family future
		A dynasty we are and must remain

Jordan:	        But I seek not to rule only to love
		To you I must be foolish then father
		But I admire you for your strong ruling
		For me, I have no skill in such a thing

 

[J. Passepartout]

I hope Lithuaise doesn't get killed over this.

 

[coz1]

Nicely done, especially this:

                But I am just a girl who has grown fond
		Of Jordan who shall soon be flowing on
		I shall miss bathing in your glory then
		When far downstream have you found another

Lovely use of language. Jordan and Richard will have it out over this, methinks.

 

[azatol]

Thanks for the comments, I thought it would be cool for someone's name to be taken for its meaning, cause normally we don't do that with names. I also looked up an etymology for Lithuaise, but the only thing I found was french and very non-romantic. But it was a slightly different spelling: Lithaise.

 

[azatol]

Scene 3

{Setting: In the King’s bedroom}
{Robert and Isabella enter, in bed}


Isabella:       For things we spoke of yesterday I ask
		Of things and eyes and dagger strong I buy
		A payment must I get for men employed
		For work done for this task you want finished

Robert:	        Of what small cost I shall repay but stay
		For I do not wish thought of what you do
		Except of your great skill in our place now
		Wait till the day has fully rose my doll


{Isabella gets out of bed, putting clothes on}


Isabella:	I ask my dear for help but time is short
		I must pay them or things could go quite bad
		My work must be done carefully or not
		For one misstep shall send you out of fief


{Robert gets outs of bed}


Robert:	        How much do you seek from me spy mistress?
		For if I may give such I shall right now.

Isabella:	Seventy bars of English gold...

Robert:	                                    ...cough gasp
		I have not that amount within the whole


{Isabella leaves in mid-sentence}


Robert:	        Of all the coin of this county contained


{Roberts exits}
{Later that day, at court, Robert and Humbert enter}


Robert:	        Of great amount do I find need of gold
		And yet within the vault lie not enough

Humbert:	You may only ask your brother for it
		But can you give a worthy reason then
		And I must ask quite frankly for myself
		What do you seek of so vast bars of gold 

Robert:	        A ransom of my daughter by captor


{Emma enters}


Emma:	        Hello! I have come here to see father


{Robert is speechless}


Humbert:	Robert I beg of you to listen close
		That Isabella is a poison dart
		To your honor to stoop so low as that
		I know the money is to go to her
		For she has captured you like a falcon
		And now she chains you to your bedroom cage

Robert:	        Now I see that you are quite right Humbert
		Lets go and be a family again

		
{All exit}
{Isabella and Associate 1 enter}


Isabella:	For now stand down until I make progress
		For I will find the money he does need
		From King of England shall we seek our gold
		On pretext to be arriving right now


{Associate 2 enters}


Associate 2:	I shall kidnap the Count himself for you
		Then you speak tragedy to this rich King
		And I shall give that which I had received
		Save part for fee as we agreed...

Isabella:	 				 ...no more
		Beyond what we had set, or you shall fall

 

[coz1]

Isabella turns from extortionist to kidnapper. Things are getting rough in the Dukedom.

 

[azatol]

Act 2, Scene 4

Scene 4

{Lithuaise and Jordan enter}


Lithuaise:	Why do you have such odd things on Jordan?

Jordan:	        You must put these peasant clothes on and flee
		For we are due for priest to say our vows
		With these we shall disguise our noble hearts


{Lithuaise puts on the peasant clothes, a local arrives}


Local:		Stop! Stop! You can not ride that fair a horse
		Only the knighted may fly on that beast


{Jordan pulls Lithuaise up onto the horse and gallops off,
the noble gives chase}


Local:		You are a swift horse thief, I fear to say

Jordan:	        My love has given me a reason to
		We have a forbidden love of nobles
		And seek to make an oath before our God
		My father seeks only a count’s daughter

Lithuaise:	And my father is just an advisor
		Yet I try to suspend the flow of time

Local:		I shall be your guide then to find the priest
		I speak no more of this disguise my friends


{The Local overtakes them and leads them to the nearest church}


{whispering}
Local:		The priest will be informed of your desire


{Priest enters, Local exits}


Priest:		Please come this way and we shall see of this


{Richard and Hugues enter. Lithuaise, Jordan, and the Priest 
go to the pulpit. From the back of the church neither the vows 
nor the name of the two participants can be heard by their 
parents. They both glance at the couple but in their disguise 
fail to recognize them.}


{To Richard and Hugues}	
Priest:		May you two please witness before our Lord
		Of vow of marriage that is now complete

Hugues:	        May your days be happy...

Priest:			              ...Amen to that. 
		I hereby pronounce before god and men
		You are now man and wife inseparable
		You may now kiss the bride...


{They kiss}


 Jordan:			          ...Now we must leave


{Priest, Hugues, Richard exit}
{Jordan and Lithuaise exit the church, their fathers 
completely oblivious of who they are}
{They ride off on horseback}


Lithuaise:	They say a heart grows fonder in absence
		I say our hearts grow closer together

Jordan:	        One last best night married before our God
		Our paradise shall last at least that long
		My plans have brought us fruition for see
		We have a place unseen to celebrate

Lithuaise:	I pray upon all that I may for this
		That you shall come to save me from my fate
		Another man shall think he owns me then
		But you shall come upon that day to save

Jordan:	        Even to Africa I would follow
		I shall be knight shining as you once spoke
		But let us savor what we have, my sweet
		The time is short yet we shall make it work

End of Act 2

 

[coz1]

The fathers won't be happy if they ever find out they witnessed that wedding.

 

[J. Passepartout]

I think that we will have quite some fun with the aftermath of this scene when we reach the comedic part of this tragedy. "YOU MARRIED AGAINST MY WILL!!!" "But dad, you were watching." "ARGH!!!"

 

[azatol]

My skill in comedy is, well a bit more lacking than in the tragedy aspect. I hope the comical part of this is just how bizarre all these things are. I mean kidnapping someone for his own good is kinda funny. I hope it will be funny to present Isabella's appeal to the King

In game I didn't have enough money so I waited a few months but thats not very dramatic. The part where I realized this was shakespeare is where the two plots tie together. The strangest event pop up I've ever had then appeared.

I would say that Robert is somewhat like Macbeth (sliding into evil) and Jordan is Hamlet (failing to speak up and assert himself and his interests, although in a romantic rather than murderous connotation). Of course Shakespeare is the real master and I'm just a pale imitation, but Isabella is something like a crossbreed of Iago and Macbeth's wife. And Lithuaise takes a little bit from a lot of romantic females in Shakespeare's plays. Most of whom I've forgotten their names. Juliet of course, and Hamlet's girlfriend (Ophelia? or is that from another of his plays)

 

[J. Passepartout]

Yep, Ophelia is from Hamlet.

 

[azatol]

Act 3, Scene 1

Act 3
Scene 1

{At the palace of William de Normandy}
{Enter King William and an Advisor}


Advisor:	A black and sickly reputation too
		For many talk about her ways at court
		And I suggest a rebuff of her plea
		For this kidnapping is truly bizarre

William:	It is my brother lost to crooks, dear sir
		I can not hold my royal purse for this


{Isabella enters}


Isabella:	I merely seek to kiss your feet meekly
		And pray upon the saving of my lord
		His dearest advisor I am truly
		I fear his loss for I serve him from love

William:	My lady stand you must compose yourself
		I know you weep for him who is adrift
		Advisor could you send a servant please
		For we need drinks to calm our tattered nerves
		Dark things they speak of you, so false I know
		For you are true in service to brother
		They fear you for the love and aid you give
		But I tell you I shall pursue those men
		Whoever did steal him I shall confine
		And hang upon the seventh day after
		I will bring noose upon their heads and then
		To slice with sword each piece of them to bits
		Now give the note you have received to me
		For I shall go myself to send the gold


{A servant brings drinks}
{Isabella shivers, involuntarily}


Isabella:	My lord I wait for your plan to unfold
		I shiver of what they might do tonight



{William unfolds the note}


{Reading}
William:	Addressed to Isabella is this note:
		Bring yourself to the blacksmith in Cornwall
		Upon the full moon that comes hence so soon
		You shall bring eighty pieces of your gold
		No other shall come with you to this place
		Only alone shall you receive him then

Isabella:	It is tommorrow night my lord, I must
		Arrive in Cornwall then to show the gold

William:	Then I shall stay in the Keep there next night
		So we shall go by carriage soon today
		Plans must be made and so I shall see you 
		Upon the next hour we will take flight


{Later by carriage, the two are preparing to ride to Cornwall. 
Personal effects and undoubtedly the neccesary gold are 
arranged in boxes for the King’s stay at the keep in Cornwall. 
A small army is riding alongside, although what role they shall 
play is unknown.}


Isabella:	I weep in gratitude for your efforts
		They were beyond all that I might have hoped
		
William:	I saw your caring eyes and knew I must
		By kin and by honor we are brothers
		So that again is reason to repair
		For we have fell apart as family

Isabella:	But now you shall repair that too my lord
		And bring the Normandies now together

{whispering}
William:	You know I am a bastard son and I 
		Now hope for you to bear one for him too
		For he has no good luck with that woman
		And I shall give insurance to a son 
		Who may be hated for his way of birth
		For I see you surpass the weak Countess

Isabella:	You cut through all with honesty my lord
		I see your willingness from whence you came
		You may get your dear wish in its due time
		Or other ways ensure the same grand goal

 

[azatol]

Act 3, Scene 2

Scene 2

{Isabella and Associate 2 enter}


Isabella:	All plans are started now anew, begin!
		Take your profits but bring the rest to me
		So I may pay myself and the others
		

{Isabella hands over the gold, Associate 2 reveals the count}
{Associate 2 exits, Robert enters}


Robert:	        Ugh...phew...that place was most awful, too dark


{Knights gallop in on horse, with the King just behind them}
{Knights and William enter}


William:	Is the ransomer gone? We seek them quick.


{The Knights rush into the blacksmith, returning a few minutes later.}


Knight:	        Escaped did they without a place to leave
		Neither gold nor man could be found my lord
		Impossible I say yet true, they fled

William:	We shall return to Keep and feast for health
		Indeed, Robert does need color anew
		For he is pale and quite put out by trial

	
{Later that evening, the King and Count are feasting along with
family and friends. Isabella gives an excuse to miss the party and 
meets outside the Keep with her associates)
{William, Robert and Knights exit}
{Associates 1, 2 and 3 enter}


Isabella:	With the matter of gold settled we turn
		To face the task renumerated for
		Matilda shall not face a waking sun
		You know to give no notice you exist
		Be shadow in your actions with dagger
		Free as falcon shall he feel with her gone

Associate 1:	Wait till the sun has left and all then sleep

Associate 2:	We shall become the serving men tonight
		And so take costume to kill with quickness

Associate 3:	No wrong you are, twice lost of path brothers
		Of dawn next rising she shall meet with one
		Humbert, the aid, she plans to see, waylaid
		By me, leaving you two to do the deed

Associate 1:	Shall we be hidden in the act I ask

Associate 3:	They wish of none to hear their words against
		Our mistress in charge who they do quite fear

Associate 2:	Next dawn, then daggers drawn and used my friends

Associate 3:	Prepare you must brothers for all that might

Associate 1:	Always something must go all wrong I fear


{The next morning, hidden in the bushes of the garden, which 
was Matilda’s meeting spot with Humbert, Associates 1 and 2 
eagerly await her arrival.}
{Associate 3 exits}
{Matilda and Humbert enter}


Humbert:	Foul play is in the cards today for sure
		I was followed just now by someone new

Matilda:	She has compatriots who are her swords
		They act after she plans, indeed foul day
		

{whispering}
Associate 1:	Number three has failed us and now we act

Associate 2:	Humbert wields a mean sword, he shall protect
		And halt our task if we can not surprise

Associate 1:	I will fight him while you finish our task

Associate 2:	I shall destroy the girl without a pause.


{Associate 1 leaps out of the bushes towards Matilda while 
Associate 2 attacks Humbert. Humbert stumbles backwards
drawing the sword he carries whenever he meets with 
Matilda. Humbert tries to rush to Matilda’s side but 
Associate 2 trips him and they start swordfighting. 
Meanwhile Associate 1 rushes after Matilda who is running. 
He stabs her repeatedly in the heart and then runs off
leaving Associate 2 at Humbert’s mercy. Humbert hacks 
Associate 2 to death with his broadsword. He runs to 
Matilda’s side only to see she is dead. Furiously he 
turns to the dead body of Associate 2 and chops off 
his head. He then stumbles off to the keep with sword 
in hand, dripping with blood.}


Humbert:	May God smite all who sought her death
		Starting with the foul count who fell to lust
		Isabella, a witch to be slain soon
		I shall revenge her death, expose the Count
		And slay the mistress who wears a false face
		She shall fear me for I know all she is
		I will see her wearing the black and know
		She weeps false tears at her webbed prey and laughs

 

[J. Passepartout]

Well that is not good! I had been hoping that maybe the three assassins would confuse each other for their target and fall upon themselves.

 

[azatol]

I didn't want to see Matilda go cause it seems to be anti-climactic, but its part of the story and she has to die to bring the next sequence of events. There's a lot of angles to cover in the next few scenes.

You can be sure Humbert will remain angry but what he'll do next is up in the air.

In game the death of Matilda was an assassination that went off without a hitch. 75 gold was a lot for a tiny county like Cornwall. And as players know, after you assassinate your chaste wife in game, its time to find another one. Thats about the best hint you'll find as to the future of the story.