Dramatis Personae

ALEX, Knight of the Bodega
TINA, Princess of Fort Greene
JAMAL, the Peaceful Warrior of Hurston
HECTOR, Sir Alex's squire
ROB, King of Fort Greene
LENNI, Queen of Fort Greene
GABY, Countess of Brooklyn Heights
CALVIN, Count of Brooklyn Heights
CASEY, Tina's nurse
TUAN, a knight from Brooklyn Heights
CALYPSO, Countess Gaby's pet cockatoo
PAGES
HERALD
CHORUS

SCENE: The kingdom of Fort Greene- Fort Greene Village and the province of Brooklyn Heights.

ACT ONE
PROLOGUE
[Enter CHORUS]

CHORUS: Come all that hear to hear my sorry tale
Of sweet romance all clouded o'er with woe
That did befall this kingdom of Fort Greene
The tale of Tina and Alejandro.
Alex returning from afar did seek
Leave for himself and Tina to be wed
But evil forces did destruction wreak
Which left dark tragedy in sweet love's stead.

[Exit CHORUS]

SCENE ONE
The countryside near Fort Greene Village, early morning.

[Enter ALEX, JAMAL, and HECTOR on horseback.]

ALEX: Aye, friends, to breathe the sultry air of home
Is an experience I dreamed of not.
Long have we in eastern lands been wandering
And only now returned to King Rob's realm.
How many days, pray squire, has it been?

HECTOR: Would I that it was only days, my lord.
'Tis two years and a fortnight since we left;
For five months did we travel, eastward bound,
And the like duration have we journeyed back.
We spent a year in Hurston land besides,
Which, roughly added, does give two years' sum.

ALEX: Alack, two years since I beheld my love
Who in yon Fort Greene Castle does reside.
Two years since King Rob did my wish reject
And deny fair Princess Tina as my bride.

JAMAL: Who is this Tina of whom thou speakest?
Wherefore does Rob forbid her to be thine?

ALEX: O Peaceful Warrior, I forget myself!
Do pardon me for not explaining well.
Thou art but newly come here from the East
And canst not know the names of which I speak.
My homeland of Fort Greene whence we have come
Is governed by Queen Lenni and King Rob.
Princess Tina their beauteous daughter is.

JAMAL: Wherefore did'st thou not win her love?

ALEX: If only I could see her, t'would be won.
But Rob her father would it not be so.
He would that Tina wed a wealthy prince.
Mere Knight of the Bodega, though, am I.

HECTOR: Not "mere," my lord, for thou art without doubt
The greatest knight that ever roamed the land.
Haply King Rob might take that in account
And consid'r again his earlier reply.

JAMAL: Marry, thou art the first and only knight
To venture into distant Hurston land.
Long years have there my ancient ancest'rs dwelt
And never once beheld a foreign face.
Until thee rode into our village fair,
We knew not of Fort Greene, nor other lands.
Thou hast brought light and knowledge to our land,
And generously taken me with thee.
So always hence our stories shall be told,
Of Alejandro, knight serene and brave,
Who came to Hurston on a charger white,
From distant realms upon a holy quest.
Haply my tale of thee come to my land
Shall work upon the King, and teach him truth,
That thou art the greatest of a thousand knights
And quite deserve the honor of Tina's hand.

ALEX: Ev'ry thanks I have is thine, my eastern friend.
'Tis a happy circumstance that thou art here.
Marry, your testament unto the King
Shall 'nough impress him, so he'll give consent.
Jamal! My first and truest friend. I am
Eternally indebted unto thee.

HECTOR: Behold, the village whence we shall prepare
Against thine meeting with the noble King.
Rejoice, my lord, for you'll see Tina soon.

ALEX: Marry, we shall not ride to yonder town!
It offers naught to me but pointless waste.
Yon castle is the glorious Tina's home,
And thither shall we go. Hie, Hector!
Hie, O Peaceful Warrior! Why tarry?

SCENE TWO
The throne room in Fort Greene Castle.

[A page is standing at the back of the room. Enter ALEX, JAMAL, and HECTOR.]

PAGE: Good morrow, sirs. What business have thee here?

ALEX: I seek an audience with His Majesty.

PAGE: What matters have thee to discuss with him?

ALEX: My errand is of a private nature,
But I'll say Princess Tina it concerns.

PAGE: Stay then, noble sir, I'll announce thee.

JAMAL: Marry, Sir Alex, in thy land there is
Much propriety to be observed.
If we were in my homeland and wished
To see the chief, it would by now be done.

ALEX: My friend, much differs 'tween my land and thine.
But stay thy comments. Hither comes the page.

PAGE: Show homage to our King, who hither comes.
Be honored that he grants thee audience.

ROB: [sits] Leave us, boy, for here is royal business.

ALEX: Good day, my liege. May Fortune treat you well.

ROB: Likewise, knight, good day. What is thy task?

ALEX: Lord King, I am a humble knight­errant
Alejandro, Knight of the Bodega.

ROB: This name I know, and treat with due contempt.
Where hast thou been, long absent from my court?

ALEX: I have journeyed to the East, a quest divine,
Which parted me two years from this fair land.
A distant kingdom, Hurston, did I find.

ROB: Pray tell me what thee found in that far realm.

ALEX: [Indicates JAMAL.]
This man can tell you better far than I.
He is a native of the Hurston land.

ROB: A savage from the East! What do thee here?
Alex, why foist such heathens on my realm?

JAMAL: Be calm, my lord. My mission is of peace.
Sir Alejandro visited my land,
A feat no foreigner had earlier done.
So impressed was I by his brave mien
I sought to learn the skills of knights­errant.
Accepting the knight's offer to come here,
Forsaking all, I joined his sacred quest.

ROB: And you, squire? Why follow you this knight?

HECTOR: Lord King, 'tis a question honestly asked.
But there never has been any doubt for me.
No decision, no choice to be made,
But that I follow Alex on his quest.
Marry, I even fancy him to be
More than the greatest knight: the greatest man.
Sir Alex is the idol of my heart.
I'll live to serve him, or I'll die a knave.

ROB: Marry, thine friends, Alex, are noble men.
To serve thee in all things they'd gladly die.
But pray, what is the purpose of this talk?
After all thy travels, why dost thou come here?

ALEX: Two years' adventures hath filled up my heart
With glory, pride, and wondrous tales to tell.
But through those years I secretly did pine
For she whose beauty e'en exceeds the stars.
An empty spot my heart doth hold for her
'Till it be filled, my glory is for naught.

ROB: What glorious maid inflames thy spirit so?

ALEX: 'Tis Princess Tina, perfect daughter thine.
Too many years, I loved her from afar,
Before I pleaded for her hand with thee.
That greatest honor, you, Lord King, denied.

ROB: And what think thee to ask her hand again?
Two years hath done nothing to change my mind.

ALEX: I know, Lord King, but ask thee nonetheless.
I will have Tina, or surely go mad.

ROB: 'Tis foolish to make such demands of me.
I'll not consent to thee, unworthy knight!
Begone, Sir Alex! Don't bother me again!

HECTOR: 'Tis brave to give such insults to my lord.
"Unworthy knight," indeed! I'll run him through!

JAMAL: Rest thy sword, boy, and hear reason.
'Twill do no good to threaten Fort Greene's king.

ALEX: Aye, Hector, our friend Jamal speaks well.
Idle threats do nothing for our cause.
Now fixed shall the King's disposition be,
And mine fixed too: eternal melancholy.

JAMAL: How now? Do mine ears deceive me? Alex!
Thou hast always been a knight of courage.
Hast thou not the courage to try anew?

ALEX: Anew, O Peaceful Warrior? Wherefore attempt?
Twice have I tried, and twice been rejected.
Now I must needs make peace within my heart,
For Princess Tina never can be mine.

JAMAL: Sir Alejandro, I beseech thee, please!
Be not so quick to give up the attempt.
Thou art a noble knight­errant, and Tina
Cannot but realize this, for it is truth.
Do not surrender, no! but try again,
And harder try until thy dream is real.

ALEX: Dreams are real for children, not for men.
Withal, I must needs have King Rob's consent
Before Princess Tina e'en can see me.

HECTOR: He'll give that consent, or die refusing.
True love cannot be blocked by kings' decrees.

ALEX: Forsooth, my squire! True love conquers all.
I shall have Princess Tina, Rob be damned.
Come now to yonder village, whence we'll lodge
And devise a plan to circumvent the King.
Tina shall be mine!

SCENE THREE
A secret room in Ferguson Castle, Brooklyn Heights (a small province of Fort Greene).

[GABY is watching a mirror, in which ALEX, JAMAL, and HECTOR are reflected. CALYPSO sits on her shoulder. A PAGE is standing by the wall.]

GABY: Aye, Alex, try for Tina if thee must.
'Twill do no good t'appeal to King Rob's heart.
Alack, knight-errant, thou wilt have no luck
In winning the fair Princess Tina's hand.
[To page] Boy! Go thee into yonder Brooklyn Heights,
And fetch the knight Tuan, who livest thence.

PAGE: Aye, Countess. Thy will be done.

GABY: [to CALYPSO] Anon, Calypso, shall Sir Alex feel
The true despair unhappy love can wreak.
My knight Tuan shall win the Princess's heart,
And Alex be rejected once again.

CALYPSO: Awk! You're brilliant, Countess! Awk!

CALVIN: Gabriella, my love, art thou within?

CALYPSO: Awk! She's here, she's there! Awk!

CALVIN: In what pursuit art thou engaged, my love?

GABY: Dark plans, my Count, against Alejandro.
So blind is he from all-engulfing love,
That he shall not realize my evil trap.
Oh, Alex! If he only knew the truth,
That I, the Countess Gaby, am in fact
Soon to destroy him and assume the throne.

CALVIN: Thy mind in evil channels runneth well.

CALYPSO: Awk! She's evil, she's charming! Awk!

GABY: Evil is a constant skill, but charm
Is a skill that grows more polished with each use.
Pity that Alejandro shall not see
That charm at work, before his sad end comes.

CALVIN: Then Sir Alejandro has returned?

GABY: Into Fort Greene this morning he did ride.
He seeks again the hand of Princess Tina.

CALVIN: The hand which our king Rob has oft refused?

GABY: Aye, it is that same hand which Alex seeks.

CALVIN: Has he a hope of winning Rob's consent?

GABY: He had a hope, but that hope will be gone
Once I enact my plan, he'll have no chance.
Alejandro shall never have his bride.

CALYPSO: Awk! Never, never! Awk!

CALVIN: How shalt thou accomplish thy evil task?
What plans dost thou maketh out toward this end?

GABY: A plan of love, to fuel a burning hate.
I have sent for Tuan, a local knight
Of consid'rable renown, who shall proceed
To Fort Greene Castle, whence he shall begin
By varied feats, to win the royal favor.
In meantime, he shall work against Alex
To court the Princess fair, and win her heart
Then with the royal blessing, marry her.

CALVIN: All this with Alejandro barred from court.

GABY: He shall, no doubt, find ways to venture in.
But Tuan will circumvent his every move.
Alex shall be a ruined man, and Tuan
Heir to the throne--in other words, we shall.

CALVIN: A brilliant plan, my lady, t'will succeed.

GABY: Yea, Calvin, we'll be Queen and King 'fore long.

CALVIN: Gabriella, thou art always my queen.

GABY: And thou art King forever, Calvin dear.

CALYPSO: Awk! Queen Gaby and King Calvin! Awk!

SCENE FOUR
Princess Tina's chamber in Fort Greene Castle.

[TINA and LENNI are seated in chairs, playing lutes. CASEY is mending clothes in the corner.]

[TINA plays a dissonant note.]

LENNI: Tina, thou hast plucked an incorrect note.

TINA: Pardon me, madam, for t'was but an error.

LENNI: Thou art erring oft today, my daughter.
Withal, thou bearest a distracted mien.

TINA: Aye, my lady mother, it is that.
Hopeless is it to concentrate on this
When other matters work upon my mind.

LENNI: Other matters have less import than this.
The music is our aim, all else trifling.
Thee would do well to focus on the lute
And pluck the strings correctly, rather than
Allow thine idle fingers there to slip.

TINA: Impossible it is, my mother queen.
Today I saw a thing to stop the heart
And make idle the brain, lost in daydreams.

LENNI: How now? What seizes thine attentions so?
What evil idleness consumes thy mind?

CASEY: [looking up from her mending and laughing]
Not evil, madam queen--a holy thing.
'Tis plain what shines in Princess Tina's eyes.

LENNI: What holiness could be so engrossing
To seduce ladies from the sacred lute?

CASEY: "Seduce," indeed, Your Highness, that is it.
'Tis love that tangles Tina's fingers so.

LENNI: Is Casey right, my daughter? Is it that
Bittersweet liquor which confounds thy mind?
For love, forsooth, is a powerful draught
That shrouds in mist the heart and dulls the mind.

TINA: [modestly] Love does not proceed from one short glimpse.
And that is what I had, early this morn.

CASEY: What seest thou, my lady? 'Twas a prince?
A mighty emperor, or a valiant knight?

TINA: A knight, dear Casey, fresh home from a quest.
In Father's throne room, him I did espy.

CASEY: Had he an entourage? an army bright?
Did he ride on stallion white or black?

TINA: He had no army, nay, not one brave knight.
The color of his horse I knowest not.

CASEY: What, then, dost thou knowest?

LENNI: I know this song is yearning to be played.
Attend thy music, Tina, and begin.

CASEY: Shall the Princess not conclude her tale?
I would I knew the name of her beloved.

TINA: Not so, my dearest Casey, 'tis not love.
He merely caught my fancy and my eye.
Such things are common, and not a concern.

LENNI: Thou art careless, Tina! Begin again
And this time let no knight fetter thy mind.

TINA: Sincerely, madam, my mind is not in chains.
'Tis merely weary and confused today.

LENNI: Wherefore?

TINA: I knowest not. Haply another day
Would be better suited to ply our lutes.

LENNI: As thou wouldst have it, daughter, it is done.
Take care to better rest thyself tonight
So in the morn our lutes shall properly play.
Come, Casey. Let us leave Tina alone.

TINA: Oh, Casey, dear, I know much, much, much more.
All day have I been dreaming of that knight
Who with one fleeting glimpse hath stole my heart.
O happy love, that heightens every sense
So ev'ry trifling detail I perceive.
Oh, my beloved! I do not know his name
But his countenance remains in my heart
Never to be erased, even by death.
O mother! O servant! I know him well
Though out of modesty keep it from you.
In truth I love him more than life itself
And have committed every detail
Of his perfect personage to my mind.
I know his face is noble as the sun,
His hair and eyes of ebony, like night,
His armor bright in readiness to duel.
He comes attended by a youthful squire
(Who dotes upon his master's every word)
And a dark savage, likely from the East,
Who, in the presence of my knight, is soft
And civ'lized, like a noble of our land.
Oh, that I knew his name, his land, his quest!
These questions are to me pressing affairs.
Surely Father knows those three details
And won't suspect, if I those ask of him.
Oh, noblest knight, who stilled my beating heart!
I pledge my love forever hence to you.

SCENE FIVE
The upstairs room of a small inn in Fort Greene Village.

[JAMAL and HECTOR are seated at a small table. ALEX is pacing back and forth across the room.]

HECTOR: Sit down, my lord, and weary not thy feet.
The Peaceful Warrior is making our plans.

ALEX: I cannot be still, Hector, nor relax.
The sight of Princess Tina's noble home
And likewise noble father hath inflamed
My heart anew with burning love for her.
O unhappy Fate! that hath decreed
I must go to the castle, yet not have
The chance to behold the countenance fair
Of that peerless maiden whom I seek.

HECTOR: Despair not, Sir Alex, all is not lost.
Jamal is devising a stratagem
By which thee might still win fair Tina's hand.

ALEX: How so since King Rob won't have me in court?

JAMAL: By means of a disguise. Alex, attend.
Thou wilt at nine o'clock tomorrow morn
Array thyself in garments of a priest
And go to open court, when it begins.

ALEX: My lady Tina will not be at court.
How then am I to meet her once I'm there?

JAMAL: When King Rob's throne room buzzes with complaints,
Praise, grievances, and cries of penitents,
Then, taking thou great pains to not be seen,
Conceal thyself in some adjoining room.

ALEX: The castle entrances will be guarded
To prevent supplicants from straying in.
How then am I, the "priest," to gain access?

JAMAL: Thee must needs employ thy silver tongue
And construct a line of reasoning whereby
The guards shall let thee pass without debate.

ALEX: I know the thing thou speakest of, Jamal.
Thou art counseling me to use deceit
As means to enter into Tina's home.

HECTOR: Aye, he is, but wherefore mention it?

ALEX: I would not expect Jamal to know of this
As he hails from a pagan, lawless land,
But thou, Hector, ought to be much ashamed
Of lies as means to fulfill a desire.
Against all laws of chivalry it is.

JAMAL: Deceit, sir knight, is not our strategy.
'Tis only an escape, if all else fails,
By which thou might be spared Rob's fearful wrath.
If thou canst conceal thyself at court
Without being discovered by the guards,
Deceit becomes unnecessary then.

ALEX: Would that I were sure of what thou sayest.
But as a means to visit the princess
Your stratagem, Jamal, is unequalled.
May Fortune shine on this lowest of knights!

HECTOR: Marry, my lord, it promises success.
Tomorrow morn, if the stratagem works,
After long wait, thou shalt see thy princess.

ALEX: O happy day, that it might faster dawn!
Hardly canst I contain my wild joy.
Verily I'll sing when morrow comes.