Little Captain says welcome back.

SCENE 3: Vienna, night time in the King's bed chamber. It is a large and long room with a huge  fireplace at one end with a large sofa and several chairs grouped together to take advantage of it. All along one wall are floor to ceiling windows covered with rich velvet curtains, pulled to shut out the night. Beautiful old world masterpieces adorn the walls. The rest of the room is richly appointed. At the other end of the room is a large antique king size bed. The king is asleep in the bed. A lamp on a desk across the room glows softly. At the end of the bed, a dark figure waits silently watching the sleeping king. The king tosses in his sleep and jerks awake. He sees the figure at the end of the bed, he switches the lamp on the night stand on
.
*King: "Who are you? How did you get in here? "
The woman at the end of the bed doesn't move.
King calls for his attendants:"Josef! Hans!"
Woman: "That won't do any good. They won't hear you."
King: "What have you done to them?"
Woman, softly, "Nothing. They are taking a very long nap. Your entire palace is filled with people dreaming deep in a sleep that only the morning light can break."
King, sits up straighter in the bed, " Do you know who I am? Do you want money? Is this a kidnap attempt, because I can tell you now your life will be worth nothing if anything happens to me."
The woman smiles and walks around the end of the bed, closer to the side. "Oh, I have no interest in your money and your life means very little. What I want is a little chat and an understanding." She pulls a chair from against the wall to the side of the bed by at the end.
Woman: "You've been looking for a child and I'm here to let you know you need to stop."
King, indignant: "I don't know what you are talking about and whatever I do is my business and none of yours."
The woman lazily raises her left arm until it is fully extended. She slowing begins to close her hand into a fist and stops when it is halfway. The King reaches for his neck and futilely claws at an invisible noose that he feels around his neck. He begins to have trouble breathing. He looks at the woman wide-eyed.
Woman.: "Good. It looks like I have your attention now. I will say this only once. Leave the child alone. She is no longer your concern. If I have to repeat this warning and come back, someone here will die. Perhaps it will be the little Prince Viktor." She looks levelly at the King, "Perhaps it will be you. My reasons are my own but, you may now consider the child under my protection. I take it quite seriously and I do not like interference. Nod your head if you understand."
The King can barely breathe, his hands continue to try to loosen the invisible hold from around his neck. He looks at the woman and nods. The woman opens her hand. The King gasps taking in large lungful's of air as the pressure is removed from his neck.
Woman: "As for the child's mother, I know she use to be in your employ. Prince Viktor has caused me a certain amount of inconvenience by interfering with her and the child. You are going to pay her this sum as severance pay," She lays a sheet of paper at the end of the bed, "thank her for her service and let her know it is no longer required. You will do nothing to harm her nor will you impede her departure from Vienna. She is on her way here now. You will also have Viktor explain to her that he does not have the child. I don't care how he does it but, I will not have the child used as a pawn for your or Viktor's ends. Is this clear to you?"
King, his voice is raspy from the chokehold but angry, " You come in here making demands. Why should we do anything you ask? Who do you think you are?"
The woman raises her arm again and the King cringes back against the headboard and raises his hand in a motion of defeat.
Woman: "Who I am concerns you only if you do not grant my request. Honor it and nothing will happen. Fail to..." the Woman stands up and her eyes glow a faint purple. Things in the room begin to fly around and crash against the walls, it feels like a hurricane wind is destroying the room. The curtains are ripped from their rods, paintings and furniture in the room fly around and crash into each other. The fireplace suddenly blazes up and out, catching flying bits on fire. The King clings to the headboard as the wind comes to a crescendo and then it stops, as suddenly as it started.
The woman stands where she was, unfazed by all that has happened in the room. It is wrecked, ripped paintings and broken furniture, smoldering bits of carpet and debris litter the floor. Nothing has been left whole except for the King's bed and the chair the woman was sitting on.
Woman: "Now, as long as we understand each other, I will leave. It will do you no good to try to rouse anyone here and, just to make certain you do not invite the outside authorities in, I have disabled all communications devices and none of the locks on the doors will open for you or anyone else until morning."
The King glares at her but, nods his head. The woman begins to walk away but stops halfway to the door and turns around. The King looks at her reflexively reaching a hand to his neck.
The Woman smiles without humor: "Should you forget our talk I want you to remember one name." The King looks at her, waiting.
Woman: "Baron Reine. I have not forgotten him. I hope you have not." She looks at the King and continues to the door. She opens it and leaves. The door locks quietly behind her.
All the color has drained from the King's face. There is pure terror reflected in his eyes. He shivers and draws the covers up around him to wait for morning. He knows the woman wasn't lying about the people sleeping or the locks. He hungers for the morning light.

END SCENE

.