The Kingdom of Heaven Page #18

GUY:

Precisely.

INT. THE KING’S CHAMBERS. LATER

BALIAN looks down at the dying king.

THE KING:

It is time to conclude my affairs.

(a beat)

You are the Marshal of Jerusalem.

(BALIAN looks up)

And you are a peer of this kingdom.

Do you know what that means?

BALIAN shakes his head “no”. TIBERIAS watches gravely.

THE KING (CONT’D)

No one can rule a kingdom who

cannot lead troops in battle.

Tiberias will not live forever.

(CONTINUED)

89.

CONTINUED:

The KING sits up, stands, and under his own power goes to his

chair.

THE KING (CONT’D)

I cannot die with there being a

chance of Guy taking power through

my sister. He will make war against

the Muslims, who are only too ready

to take this Kingdom. Will you

protect my nephew when he is king?

BALIAN:

Yes.

THE KING:

Would you marry Sibylla were she

free?

BALIAN stares at the floor for a long time. He has been

offered his desires. He finally looks up.

BALIAN:

And Guy?

TIBERIAS:

He will be executed on the instant

you say yes. With all of his

knights who do not swear to you.

BALIAN must now give away the woman he loves.

BALIAN:

I cannot be the cause of that.

TIBERIAS:

You are not in your forge anymore,

boy. Do it.

The KING raises his hand for silence. TIBERIAS, exasperated,

leaves the room. THE KING watches BALIAN.

BALIAN:

A king may move a man, you said.

But the soul, you said, is the

man’s.

The KING (we can see it through the mouth-hole) smiles.

THE KING:

...Yes.

BALIAN:

You have my love. And my answer.

(CONTINUED)

90.

CONTINUED:
(2)

BALIAN takes the wrapped hands and bows.

INT. THE HALL OUTSIDE THE KING’S ROOMS. MOMENTS LATER

TIBERIAS leans against the wall. BALIAN comes out OS. All on

Tiberias as he realizes: Balian possibly isn’t going to do

it.

TIBERIAS:

(coming closer)

BALIAN:

He has made me Marshal of

Jerusalem. I will protect the

kingdom, and the new king. To the

rest, I have said no.

TIBERIAS:

I understand. I do. But if you do

not marry Sibylla-

BALIAN:

I will not kill a man in cold blood

or for profit.

TIBERIAS:

(interrupts, pleading)

Who is he that you save his life?

He’s a man who hates you, who has

insulted you...I play Devil...but

for the salvation of this kingdom.

Compromise yourself.

(Balian is backing away

from him)

Jerusalem does not need “a perfect

knight”. This is the world.

BALIAN:

No...it is his kingdom, and it is

my life. And both are kingdoms of

conscience, or nothing.

BALIAN moves on. He sees: GUY. GUY (who has not heard the

previous) stares at him hollowly.

GUY:

A hundred against ten thousand.

Slow clapping from Guy. BALIAN gives the man whose life he

has saved a long, long, look, and then continues on his way.

91.

INT. THE COURTYARD AT BALIAN’S HOUSE. CONTINUOUS

Moonlight in the pool. BALIAN sits down and looks at the

water. PALMS blow overhead, reminiscent of Ibelin. Horse’s

hooves, OS, and someone comes in behind Balian. BALIAN looks

around. It is SIBYLLA, cloaked.

SIBYLLA:

I see a man who could be great,

unless he chooses to be “good”. If

you do not join with me, I am left

with Guy.

BALIAN:

You would see your husband dead.

SIBYLLA:

For Jerusalem. For my son. For

love.

BALIAN:

What kind of “love” is that?

SIBYLLA:

Who are you to refuse a king? You

refuse my son.

BALIAN:

I refuse to do murder. Especially

of a man who stands between me and

what I want.

(Sibylla is shaken)

And Jerusalem. Look into your

heart. Do you have any idea of

Jerusalem except that it is yours?

SIBYLLA:

(a long pause, and an

honest answer)

It is mine. My grandfather took

Jerusalem in blood. I will keep it

in the same way, or any way I can,

for my family, for my son. I am

what I am. I offer you that, and

the world...you say no.

BALIAN:

Do you think I am Guy? That I would

sell my sould for “the world”, or

even you? Do you think that I am

a...thing...that can be used?

SIBYLLA looks up at him.

(CONTINUED)

92.

CONTINUED:

SIBYLLA:

I think you are a man. And I think

there will be a day when you wish

you had done a little evil, to do a

greater good.

SIBYLLA exits. BALIAN stares after her.

INT. SIBYLLA’S ROOMS. LATER

PUSH through the rooms to find SIBYLLA. She crushes a rose,

stem and all, and the blood rills down her wrist.

EXT. IBELIN. DAY

THE WATERWHEEL TURNS, spilling water into a ditch which runs

off into the fields. BALIAN, covered with dust, looks at the

wheel turning. Then at the crops. IBELIN KIDS are staring at

him. He wander out of shot.

INT. SIBYLLA’S ROOMS. NIGHT

SIBYLLA is showing her son a GLOBE of the world.

SIBYLLA:

That is England, where Richard is

King. And here is France. We have

lands there. Very green.

BOY:

Will I ever see France?

SIBYLLA:

But you must be king. Here.

BOY:

Why?

She looks sad and guilty. A sound. SIBYLLA looks at:

TIBERIAS. She stands.

TIBERIAS:

The king wants you. He needs you.

SIBYLLA:

I cannot bear to look at him. He

knows this. It does not mean I do

not love him.

TIBERIAS:

(imploring her)

Go.

(CONTINUED)

93.

CONTINUED:

Sibylla nods. It is something she knew she must do anyway.

TIBERIAS stays looking at the boy for a moment.

TIBERIAS (CONT’D)

May God defend you.

TIBERIAS goes out. The BOY plays with the candle flame. He

touches it with one hand-- and draws the hand back, in pain.

He touches the flame with his other and (the fingers touching

the flame OS) does not draw the hand back.

INT. THE KING’S DEATHCHAMBER. MOMENTS LATER

The KING, wearing his mask, is breathing raggedly. SIBYLLA

approaches, down the long room. The King’s PHYSICIANS back

away. She kneels beside her brother’s bed, as if at a coffin

at a wake.

THE KING:

Do you remember when I was a boy...

SIBYLLA:

And when you defeated Saladin. You

were sixteen...

She cries.

SIBYLLA (CONT’D)

You have never not been beautiful.

In every act. In every word.

THE KING:

Remember me as I was.

SIBYLLA:

(in tears)

I will. I do.

The mask moves:
a nod. SIBYLLA kisses the mask.

EXT. THE HALLWAY. NIGHT

GUY is standing outside as Sibylla comes out. He looks

strangely more needy and in love than villainous. SIBYLLA

looks at him evenly.

SIBYLLA:

If my son has your knights, you

have a wife.

GUY:

Unless I am made head of the Army

we have no bargain.

(CONTINUED)

94.

CONTINUED:

SIBYLLA nods and moves on.

INT. THE KING’S DEATHCHAMBER. TWILIGHT

Move through the columned room. THE KING IS DEAD AND LIES IN

STATE.

SIBYLLA kneels at the end of the room. She crosses herself,

and stands to leave, but then as if in a dream moves towards

the biered, masked, body. She reaches out trembling fingers

and removes the mask. Here for the first time we see what

leprosy has done to the king, her brother. She stumbles back,

and drops the MASK on the stones. Then, as she looks up, it

is the Sibylla who will do what must be done. Whatever it may

be.

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