The Prince - part 2

9.

INT. The prince and Octavian have dinner, just the two of them. The room is full of candles, flowers and smoke.

The prince:
I’m rich, you know...

Octavian:
[smiling]
Nobody is rich enough…

The prince shows him his left palm.

The prince:
What do you see?

Octavian looks at the palm and caresses it. Then he points his blue eyes to the prince.

Octavian:
There’s a sweet violent death awaiting you…

The prince:
You’re lying!

Octavian:
Don’t you like it?

The prince:
[annoyed]
I’ll throw you in a dungeon and torture you!

Octavian:
[calm]
Are you afraid of the truth?

The prince:
Go away!

Octavian stands up and walks to the door. After a short moment, the prince also stands up and follows him, grabbing his arm.

The prince:
Stay!

Octavian says nothing, but smiles mysteriously.

The prince:
[troubled, almost whispering]
How can I trust you?

Octavian keeps silent. His pure eyes say nothing, while his lips are wet, as after a kiss.




8.

INT. A ball room at the palace. Everybody is dressed in fancy clothes. The people talk is small groups, looking around for good gossips. All women wear opulent jewels. Octavian sits on a golden chair near the prince asking him about the people in the ball room.

The prince:
[pointing to an old man that sits absent in a corner]
That old man, my dear Octavian, is you competition. He is my astrologist, John, a wise man. He was born in this land, not like many of us here. We’re just visitors. We come, stay a while, rob the population… but he is from here.

Octavian:
Wise you say? What kind of wisdom could come from this place that God left so long ago?

The prince:
Don’t be mean…. Maybe you and John can learn from each other.

Octavian:
Forget the old man! Who’s the woman that’s staring at you?

The prince:
That’s Helen, my wife… Those two are our daughters, Alexandra and Marie, and that’s my son, Julian. He’s no good, just like his mother!

The action is moving in the corner where Helen and her children sit. She is a woman in her late 30’s, a little fat and ugly and with lots of make up on her face. Alexandra, 16, the oldest daughter, looks like Evangeline, tall and proud. Marie (13) and Julian (15) are both a little fat, just like Helen. They eat something from a plate, staring pretty absent around them.

Alexandra:
Mother, who’s that man sitting next to dad?

Helen:
A stranger Evangeline introduced to your father. She says he is a wise man from the West.

Alexandra:
I don’t like him. I don’t like when strangers come along.

Helen:
Your father is the master here, dear. You can’t fight his wishes. [suddenly turning to Julian] Stop eating like a pig! The people see you. You have royal blood, for God’s sake!

Julian stops eating immediately. He cleans his hands and face with a napkin and one can see tears appearing in his eyes.

Back in the place where the prince and Octavian sit.

Octavian:
[pointing at a young man with military clothing]
And him?

The prince:
That’s Marcus, one of my captains.

Marcus, a handsome man in his 30’, turns to them as if he realizes they speak of him. He salutes the prince and then takes a long look at Octavian.

The prince:
[without noticing the special attention Octavian pays to Marcus]
The woman dressed in red is my cousin, Antonia. She grew up in Venice. That poor man next to her is her fourth husband, a rich trader of this country.

Antonia is a fatal woman in her 30’s, big green eyes, long dark hair, splendid figure. Her husband is old, fat and bold and he is looking at her with lots of admiration. She never seems to notice his care, because she is always busy flirting with other men.

In another corner of the ball room, Evangeline approaches John the astrologist.

Evangeline:
You don’t enjoy yourself much, John!

John:
No, my lady, you know I am not from this world and I don’t understand this vanity.

Evangeline:
Why do you judge us so harsh?

John:
I see people starving in the streets everyday, on my way to the palace. Yet, all you people here seem to have no worry about the country you are here to lead to better times.

Evangeline:
We have separate destinies. It would be best for you if you stopped having dark thoughts. [pointing to Octavian] What do you think of him?

John:
The stranger? He is bad luck!

Evangeline:
Oh?

John:
His wisdom is a lie. A soldier of fortune, that’s what he is.

Evangeline:
Are you jealous?

John:
No, my lady. I’m just afraid of the things to come if he does not leave soon.

Back to the place where Antonia and her husband talk to other men.

Antonia:
[staring at Octavian with lots of temper]
That’s a pretty slave my cousin and our lord got for himself!

Man 1:
I don’t trust him. His lips are so deceiving…

Man 2:
And he’s strange. Have you noticed the way he looks at everybody? Like he’s making plans for us?

Antonia:
Still… what gorgeous eyes, what lovely skin!

The husband:
[he wants to say something]
Darling…

Antonia:
Hush, my love!

And she gently covers his mouth with her finger. He kisses her palm, mute with admiration. Antonia doesn’t seem to care and with the other hand sends a kiss to Octavian, who smiles and bounces.

9.

INT. Evangeline’s living room. She reads a book on a sofa and the ladies in her company laugh and read poems around her. It’s winter outside. There’s fire in the fireplace and the tables are covered with fruits and cookies. Someone knocks at the door.

Evangeline:
Come in!

The door opens an Octavian, dressed in a charming manner, comes in. The girls in the room smile at him, some of them blush.

Evangeline:
[delighted]
Oh, my dear Octavian, come in! [to the girls] Girls, leave us alone!

The girls leave the room, smiling to the young man. Octavian sits next to Evangeline and kisses her hand. His beauty is more obvious than ever and Evangeline looks pretty troubled by it.

Evangeline:
[pulling her hand]
You never told me… where do you come from?

Octavian:
[smiling]
Who knows?...


Evangeline:
[insisting]
At least, tell me who brought you here?

Octavian:
It is the water that brought me here… but I can’t tell you more…

He takes a grape and bites it. Evangeline seems to be fascinated by his presence and beauty.

Evangeline:
Tell me, what do you think we should do with this country?

Octavian:
Lots of things… temples, palaces, strong laws. But first you must build your power…

Evangeline:
We’ve built churches!

Octavian:
[with disgust]
These are not churches! The Greeks and the Romans built…

Evangeline:
This is not Rome. People are poor and they have lost their faith. They prey, but God stopped listening.

Octavian:
That’s because they’re not afraid. Fear is the foundation of governance!

Evangeline:
We rule over a gentle nation, Octavian, and we rob it enough.

Octavian:
[with energy]
Nobody robs the people enough!

Evangeline:
Oh, but we must pity them!

Octavian:
Pity you say? The people would feed you to the dogs! They only want to drink and eat. I’m talking about a real civilization! I want to make a real king out of your son. I’m destined to him… and him to me!

Octavian speaks all that with a powerful voice and a strange will coming from inside him. He looks mad. He kneels in front of Evangeline with passion.

Octavian:
You must protect me with you power, for you are the mistress here. The people will hate me, because I will do them harm. But you must protect me! Will you?

His head is down and Evangeline, troubled, touches his hair with trembling hands.

Evangeline:
I will!

In the same moment, the prince enters the room.

The prince:
Am I disturbing you?

Octavian:
[still in his knees, but smiling]
No, Your Greatness. We were talking about you.

The prince:
[sitting in a chair]
Stop calling me that!

Evangeline:
[with a troubled voice]
Octavian is dreaming about a glorious civilization on this land…

The prince:
[laughing bitterly]
You’re mad. In countries like this, the power is just a short lasting illusion. The empire gives it to us for a while. Afterwards, we prepare to run or to die!

Octavian:
[standing]
I want to build in spirit!

Evangeline:
And how will you do that?

Octavian:
By using injustice and violence and all the other bad things in the world, if I have to!

The prince:
Do you wish for my death?

Octavian:
[with passion]
Death has no meaning. Death is a hope. You and I have met before and we shall meet again. Do you believe me?

The prince:
[with anger]
You liar! I’ll throw you in the dungeon and wipe you… or maybe poison you. There are many ways of dying here!

Octavian:
[smiling with superiority]
I do not fell the pain, or the hunger, or the thirst. I’m free of all that and you can’t hurt me.

The prince:
I don’t have time for you!

Octavian:
Oh, you’ll make time, because I’m here to teach you things. I’m here to show you how ugly justice is!

Evangeline seem to be frightened by the aggressive talk. The prince is walking through the room with rage in his eyes.

The prince:
I hate men like you! I hate liars and traitors!

Octavian:
But at least we build things!

The prince:
You’re the devil!

Octavian:
[laughing with irony]
No. I’m just a man of your court. I live to serve you and I live to serve your power! That power that you waste!

The prince:
[threatening him]
These words can cost you your head!

Octavian:
[smiling, flirting and being naughty at the same time]
Well, that’s a pretty head… right?

Evangeline looks scared and says nothing. The prince suddenly calms down and sits back in the chair.

The prince:
[speaks as if discovering a bitter truth]
I thought I was the biggest bastard of all… but you are a bigger bastard than I am. I bought my chair with mountains of gold given to the Emperor, I’ve killed my enemies and betrayed my friends… I sleep with the wives of the men in my court, so I can know their secrets. I’ve put behind bars all the locals that raised their voice to me and now these people have no leader. I have thieves that steal for me and I kill the thieves that seal for others! Yet, you are a bigger bastard than I am.

Octavian smiles victorious, with a little madness in his eyes and kneels in front of him, kissing his hand. Evangeline, frightened, rushes out of the room.