Excalibur Page #4

'DUKE' OF CORNWALL

Come Igrayne.

Igrayne kisses Morgana, tucks her in and returns to her own

room, closing the door. The child doesn't know whether to

believe the truth of the dream or the waking truth.

INT. IGRAYNE'S BEDCHAMBER - NIGHT

In full armor, the 'Duke' bears down on the naked Igrayne on

her marriage bed. She stares at him, wondering. But his eyes

are closed, and finally he carries her in his wild passion,

her white limbs tangling around the lustre of his armor.

EXT. CLIFF ABOVE THE SEA - NIGHT

And Merlin is jolted awake from deep within himself, coming

out of a trance.

MERLIN:

It is done. The future has found

root in the present.

He lifts himself up on his staff. He stands in the midst of

the ancient stones, bristling with excitement. Uther's mighty

knights are asleep, a deep unnatural sleep, huddled together

and surrounded by their horses. And then Merlin swoons,

collapsing to the ground.

INT. HALL, TINTAGEL CASTLE - DAWN

His lieutenants deposit the Duke of Cornwall's bloodless

body upon the long table. His eyes are wide open, icy and

cunning even in death. The ladies of the castle support and

comfort the grief-stricken Igrayne as she approaches the

body of her husband. Morgana hangs onto her mother's gown.

IGRAYNE:

When did it happen? Where?

LIEUTENANT:

In the camp of Uther, my lady, just

after nightfall.

IGRAYNE:

It can't be. He came to me, to his

bed, last night.

LADY:

It was his spirit, yearning for you

in his hour of death, that visited

you.

IGRAYNE:

His spirit?

Pale with grief, Igrayne stares at her dead husband in

silence.

Then her hand drifts to her stomach. When she talks again,

undone and resolved, it is to all and herself:

IGRAYNE:

Tintagel Castle falls to Uther. But

what shall become of me, and the

child I bear?

Morgana shows no distress. She runs her baby hands across

her father's face and closes his eyes. The intensity that

was frozen in them is now added to her own pale and cunning

eyes.

EXT. CLIFF ABOVE THE SEA - DAY

Merlin has been propped up against one of the stones. He is

in a deep trance and Uther is attempting to shake him awake.

UTHER:

I want her, Merlin. I cannot be

without her. Tintagel is mine. Can I

take her now? Tell me!

Merlin's eyes open but he sees nothing, and only a puzzling

squeal issues from him.

INT. IGRAYNE'S BEDCHAMBER, TINTAGEL CASTLE- EVENING

Morgana watches from a corner. The ladies of the castle

surround Igrayne who is giving birth.

Noisy crows alight on the windowsill. Only Morgana notices.

INT. PASSAGEWAY, TINTAGEL CASTLE - NIGHT

Uther strides to Igrayne's bedchamber, his warrior knights

following. He is dirty and his iron dress is blood-spattered.

UTHER:

(bellowing)

Three horses died under me, so hard

did I spur them here. Is it born? Is

it alive?

INT. IGRAYNE'S BEDCHAMBER, TINTAGEL CASTLE - NIGHT

At his approach and entrance the ladies shrink back, and

Morgana edges closer to her mother, and seats herself on the

bed beside her. Ingrain holds her newborn baby in her arms,

the blood of birth still wet upon it.

UTHER:

Out!

The ladies slip past him to the door, and he goes up to

Igrayne.

UTHER:

What is it, lady?

Terrified of him, Igrayne faces him the best she can.

IGRAYNE:

A boy, sir. Rest yourself.

Uther waves away her words but does sit down on the bed,

exhausted. He notices Morgana, who stares at him.

UTHER:

Send the girl away.

IGRAYNE:

She is just a child -

UTHER:

Out!

Igrayne draws the child to her and kisses her cheek.

IGRAYNE:

(whispering)

Go now. Come back later.

The child leaves silently, hatred in her eyes.

UTHER:

She watches me with her father's

eyes.

He grasps the newborn baby with his iron hand, and pulls it

to himself. He looks upon it with wonder, with a gentleness

that is unexpected.

UTHER:

Igrayne, is he mine, or -

He can't bring himself to say his name. She hesitates on the

edge of tears, worried for the infant lying in its iron

cradle.

IGRAYNE:

The night he died, a man loved me

with great fierceness. He looked

like my husband, spoke like, smelled

like, felt like my own husband. But

it was not he, for he was already

dead. It wasn't his spirit, for this

child, who was conceived that night,

is flesh and blood. I know nothing

more.

Uther draws a dagger. He lifts it.

Rate this script:5.0 / 2 votes