In the Hall of the Dancing Lion

By
Sir_Robert_Muldoon
For Reddit Write-Off 8/20/2014
FADE IN
INT. CASTLE FOYER
Wide windows and elegant tapestries give the castle hall a
profound sense of royalty.
A single man of noble stature, of tanned skin and a refined
brow, dressed in a simple brown tunic, stands before a great
pair of double doors. He has the look of a man raised under
the burning rays of the sun, and his dark hair falls down to
his shoulders.
A pack is slung over his shoulders and his head hangs low.
A lady in waiting, Lisette, emerges from behind a pillar and
approaches him. She seems somewhat uncomfortable in her
dress, and nearly stumbles on the hem of her skirt.
LISETTE
Andreu?
ANDREU
Hello, Lisette.
LISETTE
Are you ready?
ANDREU
As Ill ever be.
She touches his cheek and tries to push his head up.
LISETTE
Just get through it till tonight.
Ill get the key. Fleury will be
waiting with the cart. Well be in
and before the witching hour.
ANDREU
Who has the key?
LISETTE
Arthur has it on his person at all
times.
Andreu shrugs.
ANDREU
I wont let us down. You know me.
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 2.
LISETTE
I do.
She gives him a light kiss on the cheek.
LISETTE
(cont)
They are waiting for you.
She turns away and disappears down a dark corridor. Andreu
drops down to his knees and opens up the bag.
INT. FEASTING HALL
Jesters, ladies, nobles and men-at-arms cavorting and
engaging in every act of debauchery. A priest reaches for a
haunch of lamb, knocks another man reaching for it so hard
hes thrown from his chair.
The fife and the tabor echo throughout, but the festivities
halt just before a long table with a throne in the center.
An older man, ARTHUR, a greatsword lying propped against the
side of his throne, looks over the party with a profound
look of boredom.
A wizened man at his left, MERLIN, a greybeard with hard
eyes, looks out at the attendants with similar coldness.
MERLIN
Terrible, sir. Terrible.
ARTHUR
The people respect wealth, Merlin,
especially when it is spent on
their preferred indulgences.
MERLIN
True, but wealth is fleeting. And
how long will country whores and
french wine be enough?
ARTHUR
It is only temporary. Soon enough
an unpleasant memory.
From the other end of the hall, a commotion draws their
attention.
ARTHUR
(cont)
The devil...?
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 3.
Andreu is walking along, head held high, a sheeps fleece
draped over his shoulder. He carries a small flag with the
sigil of a sheep, a poorly drawn one at that, on the end of
a pole. The partiers fall silent.
He approaches and stands before Arthur and the other knights
of the table. One of the knights, GAWAIN, a youth in finery,
stands up and addresses him.
GAWAIN
State your names and business, and
know that stand before the king of
this realm.
ANDREU
I know who he is. My name is Andreu
Radigo, and I am a knight.
GAWAIN
A knight...
He starts to laugh.
GAWAIN
(cont)
A knight!
He throws his hands up and the partiers join in. Arthur and
Merlin are stone-faced. After another moment, one laugh
rises above all the others.
No one is laughing harder than Andreu.
ANDREU
A farce if I ever saw one, true.
Youve called my bluff, Ser Gawain,
I am no knight.
ARTHUR
But you were.
ANDREU
True, once, long ago.
He looks around. Lisette has come in from the side. She
sidles alongside some of the other ladies bold enough to get
closer to the kings table.
ARTHUR
Wait, your name? Did you say you
are Andreu Radigo? Of the knights
of Catalonia?
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 4.
ANDREU
I did, and I was.
Arthur laughs a deep, sardonic laugh.
ARTHUR
The Coward of Santiago. Brilliant.
And I thought the night was going
to be boring.
ANDREU
Well, I aim to entertain.
He does a cartwheel. Some of the people in the crowd titter,
but a quick glance from Merlin and they are silenced.
ARTHUR
You fought against all the
barbarians of the continent. I
remember. The goths, the saxons,
the peoples of the desert who I
know plagued your home.
ANDREU
You know your history, your
lordship.
ARTHUR
I also know that you failed when
your own king had most need of you.
Arthur steps down and gets up close to him.
ARTHUR
(cont)
Did you think I would welcome a man
of such shame into my court?
Andreu looks away.
ANDREU
(whispering)
You were not there.
ARTHUR
What?
He resumes his chipper, loud voice.
ANDREU
Nay, my lord. I know the battle of
which you speak. When the brave
King Walhar set us to burn the
(MORE)
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 5.
ANDREU (contd)
villages of the goths and string
their children women up for the
crows.
A murmur through the crowd.
Arthur gives him a swift boot to the stomach. He keels over
and gasps for breath. Lisette draws closer.
ARTHUR
Shut up. Sheep like you should say
baah when spoken to. They should
dance when ordered, and they shoudl
keep quiet when ordered.
Andreu glares up at Arthur. For a moment he takes a stance
as though to attack him.
ARTHUR
(cont)
Speak.
A long beat.
Andrew complies. Arthur bursts into laughter.
The crowd joins in the jeers. The fat priest throws a bone
that hits Andreu in the side of the head. Trenchers and
leftovers fly through the air.
As Andreu and Arthur stare at each other, Lisette dashes
across the floor. She pushes the king aside and bends down
to Andreus face.
ANDREU
Lisette...
She holds up her closed fist.
LISETTE
I got it.
He presses his forehead against hers.
ANDREU
Ill see you before the witching
hour.
A tear wells up in Lisettes eye. She pulls back and slaps
him across the face, hard enough to leave a mark.
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 6.
LISETTE
Whip the sheep. Shear him and set
the dogs after him!
No sooner does she say this than a barber approaches with a
pair of shears. He takes a handful of Andreus hair and lops
it off in imprecise bundles.
Lisette watches for another moment as a kennelmaster
approaches with a pair of dogs. She holds the key close to
her breast and fades behind a crowd, then into the shadows,
then disappears entirely.
FADE TO BLACK