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Chapter 1
The Once and Future King – scene 1
On the shore of the lake sits Merlin. He wears still the same
clothes, they are wet and dirty. His hair is sopping and
sticking on Merlin’s head. He sits on the shore, unshaved and
looks at the isle.
The sun rises, above all is a humid haze. In the background
the king’s tent is buildt.
Gaius stands behind Merlin, his hand holds the reins of his
horse. He looks sadly down to his friend. For a moment he
looks up to the isle and then his look goes back to Merlin:
“Merlin… Merlin, can you hear me?” No reaction of Merlin. His
eyes are still fixed on the isle, as would he scan every tree
every stone on that isle. He is looking for somebody..
Gaius puts his free hand on Merlin’s shoulder. Merlin’s head
turns towards Gaius, his eyes are empty. With a sigh Gaius
says: “Merlin, it can’t go on in that way. Look at you!” Merlin
looks down on himself. Gaius adds: “You are completely
soaked and wet and dirty.. you will get a cold! They buildt up
a tent, so why don’t you sleep inside?”
Merlin smiles: “It doesn’t matter, i’m not leaving my job. I’m
a servant, i sleep outside the king’s tent.”
Gaius shakes his head: “Merlin, the king is gone. It was three
month ago as Artur passed the lake. He is gone, he is dead.
He won’t return.”
Merlin stands up: “No, he is alive. I know it. And he will
return.” Gaius shakes his head again. He makes a step
forward to hug Merlin. He holds him, he begs: “Come home
with me. I need you, Gwen needs you, Albion needs you,
please.” Merlin just enjoys the close moment to his mentor,
he wispers: “You know I can’t, I promised him to wait..”
Gaius takes his arms down. He looks into Merlin’s exhausted
face: “Merlin, i have to go. You know I can’t stay with you. I
have to return to the queen.” Merlin only nods. He looks back
to the isle: “I know.”
Gaius follows his view: “Please Merlin, look after yourself.
Take a bath, shave your face, wash your clothes..” Merlin
nods again, then he lookks to his king’s tent: “Just after
polishing the amour, sharpening the sword, washing Arthur’s
clothes and cleaning Arthur’s boots” Gaius sighs :”Merlin, you
did all these yesterday..” Merlin turns to Gaius: “This is my
job. I’m the king’s manservant.”
Gaius shakes his head again, he turns towards his horse. Over
his shoulder he looks back to Merlin: “Goodbye Merlin” Merlin
smiles: “See you in Camelot next time.” Then Merlins turns
towards the isle. His eyes are emty, his view is fixed on that
isle in the middle of the lake. He is looking for somebody, he
is looking for his king.Yeeeaaaah! In The Land Of Myth And The Time Of Magic, The Destiny Of A Great Kingdom Rest On The Shoulder Of A Young Boy/Man……… His Name *****MERLIN**** / *****EMRIS****! I’ve been waiting for this story for so long!! Thank God it finaly started(though its just an imagination story not the real BUT I would realy love to read it). Next
The Once and Future King – scene 2
In the council chamber the queen sits at the
top of the table. She wears her red velvet
dress. On her left side sits Sir Leon. They
have a conversation. In between the queen
signs some papers.
As Gaius enters the room, Gwen pauses. She
looks at Gaius and jumps up. She runs to
him. Gaius’s face shows sadness. Gwen
can’t find any smile in his face.. she slows
down, in arriving in front of him, she asks:
“Some news from Arthur?” Gaius eyes are
even more sad now: “No, mylady.” Leon
stands behind the queen: “How is Merlin?”
Gaius sighs: “Bad. His mourning has
catched him completely. He stays there and
waits..”
Gwen looks into Gaius eyes: “He didn’t gave
up his king? What did he said exactly?”
Gaius looks desperate now: “Mylady, Merlin
is not himself. His mourning defines what
he does and what he says.” Gwen looks
angry, she calmes herself down: “That was
not the answer, I asked for.” Gaius looks
down to the floor: “He said, the king lives
and he will return.” Gwen breathes loud,
then she smiles: “This is good, really good.
Everything is said.” The queen turns
arround and goes back to her chair. She sits
down and starts to sign another paper. Sir
Leon and Gaius look both with sorrow in
their eyes towards the queen. Together
they pass the room to stand next to the
queen.
Sir Leon looks down on her, he goes on his
kneels: “Mylady, the news about Arthur’s
disappearance have reached all other
kingdoms. Camelot is weak, you have to
take charge. Please mylady, have have to
take Arthur’s place on the throne! It was his
last wish mylady!” Gwen doesn’t looks up
from her papers. She declares cool: “but the
king lives. I don’t need to take his place. I
won’t declare myself to queen of Camelot as
long there is hope that Arthur returns.”
Now Gaius takes the words: “Mylady, lots of
lords are on their way to Camelot by now.
Please, we must declare you now to queen
of Camelot. The lords, they have the right to
stop the declaration to queen as long your
were not declared to heir to the throne by
the king himself. We have to declare you to
queen before they reach the castle. If they
reach the castle in time, they could claime
the throne for themselfes.”
Gwen looks up, her eyes are sad: “I have
told you: there is nothing more to be said.
Arthur lives. I won’t betray him.” But Gaius
don’t gives up. Urgently he tries again to
convince the queen: “Mylady, you have to
think about that. It was three month ago
since Arthur was gone. You have to be
honest to yourself: Arthur is dead. He won’t
return.”
Gwens voice turns into desperation, she
fights with upcoming tears: “Merlin says
that Arthur is alive. I trust him, he knows
what he does.” Gaius shakes his head: “I
don’t think so. He is like you catched by his
own mourning. He is going to wait there
until the end of time. He holds himself
responsible for what happend to Arthur.”
“Enough!” shouted the queen. “The council
meeting is closed.” Gwen stands up and
leaves the council chamber.The Once and Future King – scene 3
Gwen enters their and Arthur’s chambers.
She closes the door and closes her eyes. In
the room, nothing has changed. There is
still their big bed, the great table, all the
weapons and shields on the wall. Nothing
could give you the impression that Arthur
isn’t at home. Gwen opens her eyes, she
looks through the room. She looks for
Arthur: “Arthur were are you? Why don’t
you come home?” Now, tears run down her
face. But she made it, in the council
chamber she was strong. But now,
everything comes down on her now. She
can’t hold back her tears.
It knocks.
Gwen drys her face with her left arm. She
makes a step into the room: “I don’t want
to be desturbed now.”
Sir Leon stands in front of the door. “It’s me
Leon. I need to tell you, there will a meeting
of the round table in two houres.” He
listens. Nothing.
Inside the room, Gwen still trys to stop her
tears: “Thank you, I’ll be there in time.” She
holds her hands before her face now.
Sir Leon still listens. “MyLady, are you
allright?” For a moment he thinks about
opening the door and entering the room.
He has his right hand on the door, he only
needs to push it.
Gwen has found new strength for the
moment: “Yes, everything is fine. I just need
a moment for myself. I need to rest.”
Leon takes his hand of the door. “I wait for
you in the throne room.”
Gwen calmes herself down for just another
word: “Of course.”
Then silence. Leon listens for a moment,
then he turns arround and leaves in
direction of the throne room.
Gwen also listens: nothing more. Now, she
breaks down. Nothing can hold back her
tears now. She falls on her knees, she
wispers: “Arthur. Arthur.” A river of tears
run down her face… The desperation has
won.The Once and Future King – scene 4
The meeting in the throne room has even
begun. Two of three seats of the round
table are emty, also the royal seats. The last
knights discuss about the future. How will it
go on? What will happen? Sir Gwaine sits
bored next to Sir Percival. Both don’t take
part at the discussions. They just observe
the meeting. Next to the queen’s seat sits
Sir Leon. Next to the king’s seat sits Gaius.
The queen is missing. Gaius isn’t
concentrated on what takes place. He
seems to dream.
Suddenly the door opens and the queen
steps into the room. All knights stand up
and wait for her to take her seat. Sir Leon
stands up again: “I open the meeting of the
round table. May now everybody who has
someting to say tell us about.” He takes his
seat next to the queen.
Silence, nothing but silence.
Next to Sir Gwaine, a knight stands up. He
takes heart and starts: “MyLady, knights,
friends, i just arrived from the south of the
kingdom. The people are concerned, they
are afraid. The lords I have met on my way
are in sorrow.” The knight pauses, looks
arround in throne room, than goes on:
“They fear, without the king the kingdom
will go down. They fear that Camelot isn’t
able to protect them without a leader. They
want the queen to take charge, to take
Arthur’s place. MyLady, they ensured me
their entire loyality to declare you to queen
of Camelot.” In that moment he looks into
the direction of the queen. Gwen doesn’t
move or shows any reaction. She just sits
there. The knight takes his seat next to Sir
Gwaine.
Another knight of the round table stands
up: “My news are nearly the same. I passed
the kingdom from the east. I need to tell
you, that some of the lords are one their
way to Camelot now to make you queen of
Camelot, MyLady.” He sits down. All views
are on the queen now. But nothing
happens. She looks into the middle of the
table, she says nothing.
Silence.
A third knight stands up. His face is sad and
frightened. “I wished I could also tell you
some good news but I can’t.” Sir Gwaine
and Sir Percival change some views. The
knight goes on: “King Alined is on the way
to Camelot to be a witness of a declaration,
whatever it should be. I think we all know
what that means: a lot of problems.” He
rightens his words directly to the queen:
“Please MyLady, knights, friends, we need a
solution, a fast solution.” He takes his seat,
discussions grow. Sir Leon stands up again:
“Please, this won’t bring us towards a
solution.” All chats die. He turns towards the
queen: “MyLady, please you have heard it by
yourself. The kingdom is in danger. You
have to take Arthur’s place, you have to take
the crown. Arthur wanted that you do that,
he gave you the royal seal. You can count
on us.” He sits down.
The queen stands up, she looks arround in
every single face. In her voice sounds
determination: “Your trust is a great
honour to me. And I have made a decision,
a decision for the security of the kingdom,
not a decision of my heart. I know that
Arthur is still alive, I’m sure of that. I know
he will return. But the kingdom can’t wait
for so long. So I decided to take the crown.
I take Arthur’s place. When Arthur returns,
he will find a kingdom waiting for him. I
promise.”
All knights stand up: “Long live the queen!
Long live the queen!Chapter 5
It is afternoon at the lake. Nobody is to see
out there. The sun is shining, there is no
movement. You can hear some birds in the
trees. Only the lonely tent disturbes the idyll.
There comes some noise out of that tent.
Something happened in ther. Something is
fallen on the floor. A helmet rolls out of the
tent and a moaning Merlin follows. He takes
this helmet and puts it into the sunlight. The
helmet reflects the light. There is only one
last piece what seems to need some more
polish. Merlin takes a towel and cleans it. He
smiles confidently and looks to the isle: “It is
time that you come back my friend, Camelot
needs you.” He takes the helmet and returns
into the tent. All pieces of the amour and
weapens his king needs is prepared and
lies on the table. It looks like he is awaiting
Arthur’s returning every moment. Merlin
smiles agains. He turns arround and walks
outside the tent. He looks to the path into
the woods.
Through the trees appears a knight on his
horse. He is strong and his red cape shines
through the dark wood. Merlin calls: “Sir
Percival, I have been waiting for you.” The
knight stopps and jumps down from his
horse. As Sir Percival arrives next to Merlin,
the two men hug each other friendly.
Merlin looks straight at Sir Percival: “You
didn’t forgot to train your muscles.” Sir
Percival laughs: “What else can I do.. And
you? Are you still polishing the king’s
armour?” Merlin turns arround, looks into
the tent, then back to Sir Percival: “Just
finished.” Both laugh loudly and heartly.
Merlin looks a lot better: cleaned, shaved,
fresh – only a bit too thin, like always. Sir
Percival is surprised, this is not the Merlin
he expected. This is not the Merlin, Gaius
described .
Merlin puts his hands on Sir Percival’s
shoulders: “I have made some food, let’s
eat.” Both sit down next to the fire. Merlin
takes a plate and fills it with soup. While Sir
Percival is eating, Merlin watches him
intensively: “How is Gwain?” Sir Percival
pauses his meal: “A lot better, but he is still
a bit weak on his legs. That’s why he
couldn’t come with me. But he greets you,
in fact his exatly words have been: I drink a
tankard of mead for you..” Both smile,
suddenly Sir Percival’s face turns seriously.
He puts his plate down on the floor: “Merlin,
I have to tell you something: Gwen takes
Arthur’s place.”
Merlin jumps up, he runs up and down: “No,
she can’t do that. This is betrayal, oh Gwen.”
Sir Percival trys to calm down the situation:
“Merlin, she has no kingdom is in danger. If
she wants to save the kingdom, she has to
take charge.” Merlin is still running up and
down: “But the king lives..” Sir Percival looks
down to the floor. With sadness in his voice
he adds: “Merlin, she still hopes like you that
Arthur returns, but the kingdom can’t wait
any longer.”
Merlin looks to the isle: ” Don’t give up! I
won’t give up! I wait for Arthur. He is the
soul of the kingdom, the kingdom’s hope,
the source of all trust, the spirit of Albion.
To replace him means to forget. To replace
him means loosing our religion, loosing
everything we have been fought for,
loosing everything what we believed in. To
replace him means to loose our hope. If we
loose our hope, we loose everything.” He
pauses and goes to the shore of the lake,
his eyes still focused on the isle: “Arthur is
everything, he is the kingdom, he is our
religion and he will return.”
