ACT ONE

FADE IN:

EXT. MARKET - DAY

XENA and GABRIELLE are wandering through the market, stopping at various booths to browse or pick up a few items. Gabrielle hands them to Xena, who puts them in a shoulder bag she’s carrying.

XENA

Are we done yet?

GABRIELLE

Nearly. What’s the rush?

You late for a hot date?

XENA

Oh, yeah. I met this cute little

pig herder. Come on Gabrielle.

You know I’d rather poke myself

in the eye with a stick than shop.

Gabrielle laughs and takes the bag from her partner.

GABRIELLE

G’wan, get.  I’m sure you can

find something to occupy your

time until I’m done. I’ll meet

you back at the inn.

XENA

You’re sure?

GABRIELLE

I’m positive. Now go before

I change my mind.

XENA

I don’t have to be told

twice. See you at the inn.

Xena leans over and gives Gabrielle a quick peck on the cheek and then disappears into the crowd. Gabrielle smiles, shakes her head and goes back to her shopping.

GABRIELLE

Warriors.

CUT TO:

EXT. MARKET - DAY

Xena is now wandering through a section of town that is far more to her liking with shops selling weapons, armor and other ‘warrior’ type items.  As she picks up a dagger, it’s clear half her attention is on the dagger and the other half is on all the guards milling around the city.  She waves the knife and draws the vendor over.

XENA

How much?

VENDOR

Twenty dinars.

An eyebrow goes up and the vendor gulps.

VENDOR

(cont’d)

Fif…fifteen dinars?

The other eyebrow goes up and she starts to lay the dagger down.

VENDOR

(cont’d)

Twelve?

Xena takes in a deep, thoughtful breath and then shakes her head.

VENDOR

(cont’d)

Oh come on, lady.

Yer killin’ me here.

XENA

Ten.  Not a dinar more.

VENDOR

Sold.

She digs a few coins out and tosses them to his table as she picks up her new dagger.

XENA

Are you expecting

an attack?

VENDOR

What?

Xena gestures around her at all the guards.

VENDOR

(cont’d)

Oh that, no. That’s King Dameus’

guard.  They’re always in the

streets.  A deterrent, I think.

The vendor leans over the table and drops his voice to a whisper.

VENDOR

(cont’d)

That’s why prices are so inflated

in this town.  He taxes us to death

to keep his army up.  The treasury

is always empty because he is

constantly supplying his troops

with new weapons and armor.

XENA

A well-prepared army

is a good thing to have.

The vendor stands back and gives her a disgusted look.

VENDOR

If we had any real enemies in the

area it would be all right, but our

closest neighbor is Magara. The

king there is a smart man. His

kingdom has no power to speak

of, but he’s got vaults of dinars.

And his son is going to marry

the Princess Alicia in a month.

Xena nods, knowing how these things work.

XENA

So he gets part of an army

and you get the dinars. A

marriage made on Olympus.

VENDOR

Oh no, Prince Valius and

Princess Alicia honestly

love each other.

XENA

Well, that’s a nice change.

VENDOR

The marriage will be good for

both kingdoms and since the

Amazons seemed to have

disappeared, King Palaemon....

XENA

What did you say?

VENDOR

I said since the Amazons....

XENA

No, after that, King Who?

VENDOR

Palaemon.

CUT TO:

INT. INN - AFTERNOON

Xena enters the common room of the inn and her eyes land immediately on their target.

XENA

Gabrielle! Come on,

we’re leaving.

Gabrielle looks up from a scroll she has been working on.  The look of confusion is clear as Xena crosses the room.

GABRIELLE

What?

XENA

We’re leaving; we’re

going to Magara.

GABRIELLE

Why?

XENA

Palaemon is there.

He’s the king.

GABRIELLE

Palaemon?  Sumac oil?

That Palaemon?

XENA

The one and the same.

GABRIELLE

Where do you come up

with this information?

Gabrielle smiles, honestly amazed and amused at her partner’s ability to get information out of thin air.

XENA

That’s not important.  But we need

to go to Magara. Palaemon’s son

is apparently going to marry the

daughter of this kingdom’s king.

GABRIELLE

How nice!

XENA

Yeah, but something’s not right.

From what I found out this kingdom

could have taken over Magara

anytime it wanted, but it didn’t

for some reason.  And now the

kids are getting married....

GABRIELLE

Do you know why Dameus

didn’t conqueror Magara?

XENA

I don’t know why, but I know it

had something to do with the

Amazons. And now that they’re

gone, a royal wedding is about

to take place. Convenient huh?

GABRIELLE

I guess we’re going to Magara.

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. VILLAGE - EVE

As they enter the village, both Xena and Gabrielle take notice of the high walls that surround the village. There are a few guards walking the walls. Some men and some women and all of them have bow and arrows.

GABRIELLE

I recognize that type of fletching.

It’s definitely Amazon. What would

Palaemon be doing with Amazons?

XENA

Maybe he paid the Amazons

to protect his kingdom.

GABRIELLE

And now that they’re gone,

he has no protection?

XENA

It’s possible.

GABRIELLE

You’re right.  We need to find

out.  Think Palaemon will

see us? No pun intended.

XENA

There’s only one

way to find out.

CUT TO:

EXT. PALACE - EVE

As they approach the palace, they are quite aware of the lack of guards. Glancing at each other, Xena just shrugs and pushes one of the heavy wooden and iron doors open.  Inside one guard meets them and places his hand on the hilt of his sword.

GUARD

Halt!

They stop in their tracks.  Gabrielle raises her hands in a placating gesture.

GABRIELLE

Easy. We’re friends and

we’re here to see your king.

GUARD

I was not informed of any

visitors to the palace.

XENA

He didn’t know we were in the

area, but he’ll see us.  Tell

him Xena and Gabrielle

are here to see him.

The young guard looks at them and then pulls a cord, which apparently summons a palace messenger.  It doesn’t take long for a boy of about 10 to appear in the entryway.

GUARD

Go tell King Palaemon that

‘Xena’ and ‘Gabrielle’

are here to see him.

Without a word, the boy bows slightly and jogs down the hall, disappearing around the corner.

CUT TO:

INT. PALACE CHAMBER - EVENING

A weary looking Palaemon sits at a table. He is watching Vidalus who stands near an open window, watching the sun dip behind the hills that surround the small kingdom.

PALAEMON

You do understand,

don’t you?

Vidalus turns and stares at Palaemon. There are clearly tears shimmering in his eyes, but others have fallen down his cheeks.

VIDALUS

You want to hear I understand,

so that’s what I’ll say.

Yes, I understand.

PALAEMON

I want the truth.

VIDALUS

No, you don’t!

He waves an agitated hand in a motion that can only be described as ‘feminine’, causing his flowing blue and golden robes to flourish around him.

VIDALUS

(cont’d)

If you WANTED the truth you

wouldn’t be doing this.  You

wouldn’t deny the simple

truth.  You wouldn’t want

to hide me away!

PALAEMON

That’s not what

we want to do....

VIDALUS

Oh, it’s not?  Funny... going

in search of a woman to

play the Amazon mother

of our son certainly sounds

like hiding me away.

Agitated, Palaemon stands and crosses to Vidalus.  He stops short and gestures his frustration instead of completing the touch he was about to offer.

PALAEMON

You know if King Dameus thinks

there is anything unusual here

he will call off the wedding.

Forget what could happen to us.

What would happen to Val?

He loves that girl. He would be

devastated if anything happens.

Palaemon reaches out and places a gentle hand on Vidalus’ arm.

PALAEMON

(cont’d)

You’ve always done what’s

best for him.  How can

this be any different?

Vidalus, far too overcome with emotion to speak simply moves closer and is embraced by Palaemon, who rubs his back and does his best to comfort.

PALAEMON

(cont’d)

I promise it’ll be okay.

They stand like that without moving when there is a knock on the door.

PALAEMON

Yes!

The voice of the boy floats through the closed door.

BOY

Majesty, the door guard sent

me to tell you that Xena and

Gabrielle are here to see you.

Palaemon looks temporarily shocked, then a smiled spreads across his face and he pulls slowly back from Vidalus and looks down at him.

PALAEMON

I know everything will be all

right now.  Come on, get

yourself together and

let’s go see them.

FADE OUT.

END OF ACT ONE

ACT TWO