Prince Valiant Page #5

You're not going to do anything

except stop talking.

Not another word.

I'm going to take you to your quarters

and dress that wound.

Fetch the litter bearers, squire,

and be quick about it.

Yes, sir.

Will you take the litter in, please?

Guard, halt.

Squire, you'll come with us

by order of the King.

Forward, march.

- I thought I told you not to come here.

- I had to come, sir.

This will tell you why.

King Aguar and his queen

have already been taken.

Now there is only

Prince Valiant.

It grieves us, Prince Valiant,

that you have made no defence

which might diminish your guilt.

We know of your devotion to Sir Gawain

and of the motives

which may have prompted you

to impersonate him,

but to wear the armour and identity

of a knight of the Round Table

is a crime for which

you must be tried.

For your father's sake,

I wish we might hear you plead

that you were not aware

of the gravity of your offence.

Do you so plead?

I... I can't, sire.

In that case, only Sir Gawain's request

delays judgment.

Until he is well enough to appear

before us, you must be confined.

Sire, may I speak?

Since it was I who suffered the indignity

of being challenged

on the field of honour by a squire

in the guise of a knight,

I feel that it is my privilege

to ask a favour for the prisoner.

I ask you all to remember

that he is not a Briton

but a Viking who has led a secluded life

in exile with his father.

And though he does

not deny knowing

that the penalty for his offence

is banishment or worse,

yet he is highborn,

and his word of honour can be trusted.

So I suggest, sire, to save him

the immediate disgrace of imprisonment

that he be left

at large pending trial

if he will swear

to confine himself to quarters.

Aye.

The accused will kneel.

Do you give your solemn pledge

to confine yourself to quarters

until you shall

be summoned for judgment?

I do, sire.

So be it.

Forgive me.

I hate you.

Well, you should.

You're going to marry Sir Gawain, and...

You don't love me.

You lied to me.

- That's right.

- No, no. You're lying now!

Have it your own way.

Oh, Val, you can't go.

You're on your honour.

If you break your pledge,

you'll never dare set foot in Britain again.

It's worth your life

to fail King Arthur.

I've already failed him

as I've failed Sir Gawain and myself.

But I'm not going

to fail my father.

I don't know what you mean,

but you can't break your pledge.

I'll never see you again.

- No.

- Let go. You'll get hurt.

- Are you going away on account of me?

- No, but it's just as well.

No. I hate you! I love you!

I'll never marry anybody else!

Sir Brack!

I've done my part, Viking.

Now let Sligon do his.

My master keeps his pledge,

for it is sworn by Odin.

When you give the word, a thousand

armed men will come to do your bidding.

Traitor!

An ugly word, and false.

You'll find yourself dubbed "traitor" when

you're delivered to Sligon in Scandia,

as your father already is.

"Traitor" is a word that winners

give to losers, and you've lost.

But I shall win a throne

that was mine from birth.

When I march on Camelot,

all the losers will throw down their arms

and hail me as their true king.

Not Sir Gawain. Never!

I've kept my word, delivered him alive.

Now you keep yours.

Val! Valiant!

Val. Val.

A... Aleta.

Run! Quickly!

Run, Aleta! Run!

That's my father's sword!

Where is he?

Be silent, infidel.

You're here to answer, not to ask.

Then I answer Sligon that he sits

on a throne that will never be his

and holds a sword

that will never serve him.

- Be silent!

- I'll tell you a secret.

A secret that's not a legend

but a fact.

The Singing Sword will only give its power

to its rightful owners.

It will never sing

in the hands of a traitor.

You hold your tongue,

or you'll lose it.

Now speak, infidel.

Who are the other Christians here?

Aye, we know we have

Viking traitors in our midst,

cross-worshippers who sought

to bring back Aguar to this throne.

Who are they? Name them!

Name them.

He seems to have

lost his tongue.

Perhaps the other prisoner

can find it for him.

She knows nothing. She's a Briton.

Her capture was a mistake.

She's betrothed to a knight

of the Round Table.

Enough of that.

Call out the names of the conspirators.

I'll check them on this list.

- Say nothing.

- Speak up.

Confirm this list.

Your father named them all.

That's a lie!

Take him out.

You'll need time to think, infidel.

You'll talk or die on the cross.

The cross is our salvation.

You'll burn in hell.

Valiant!

- Father!

- Oh, my son!

My son!

By this sign, ye shall conquer.

They who believe

in our Lord Jesus Christ

shall not fear death

for they shall know

everlasting life.

By this sign, shall ye conquer.

By this sign,

shall we conquer.

- Signs won't conquer Sligon.

- Boltar!

I mean it, brothers.

Words won't save our king.

We must trust in our Lord

and keep the faith.

Would there be any Christian faith

if our people had never fought for it?

The Lord helps those

who help themselves.

Are we going to hide and pray tonight

while our king and his family

die on the cross?

Nay. Nay.

I say we've got to fight.

- We'd be outnumbered 50 to one.

- Twice that.

Sligon sent for every warrior chief

he could count on.

Ship captains too.

All the more reason

we've got to fight.

Once Aguar's dead,

Sligon won't rest till he has crucified

every Christian in Scandia.

Boltar's right.

Yes, but, Boltar, we'd die before

we'd get through the gates.

At least we'd die fighting.

- Would you lead the attack?

- You will. I'll be inside.

I'm the only one here

they'll pass through the gates.

And I'll take Gorlock.

When I get him inside,

he'll make his way to the tower.

You gather every man.

Be armed and ready.

And when you see Gorlock

wave the torch, attack!

A torch waved from the top of the tower.

What will it mean?

That I've taken care of Sligon.

Ah, it's been tried.

No one gets past Sligon's guards.

Leave that to me.

How will I know

when to wave the torch?

Idiot!

Do you think I'll die quietly?

Next.

Next.

- Out.

- Why?

- Out!

- But why? He's a friend of mine!

No arguments tonight.

He's going out.

Get him out.

We don't want his kind in here.

Next.

My father, mother and Aleta...

We've got to get them out

of the dungeon.

- Later. I need you now.

- But, Boltar, I've got to!

Listen to me and do as I say.

Go to the tower. Do you know the way?

Know the way?

You forget, Boltar, I was born here.

The alarm for an escaped prisoner.

That's you. Get to the tower.

Escaped? Where? How?

I'll put you in chains for this.

You get out and find him.

Go ahead!

Get out and find him right away.

Get out, all of you.

Get him and bring him here.

Guard, take your men down

that corridor, and I'll take this one.

Search every room and every passage,

and hurry. He can't be far away.

The signal!

Sligon is dead!

Long live Aguar!

Sligon is dead!

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