Screenplay: The Lost Countess

The Lost Countess
A Screenplay
By Nina Tryggvason

EXT. COUNTRYSIDE. NIGHT
An electrical storm rages, unnaturally centered on a castle.
The castle has dark woods to the east, a lake to the south,
open fields that are being farmed to the west and low hills
to the north.
A drawbridge faces the farmland. There is a channel cut
between the lake and the moat around the castle so that the
lake feeds the moat.
INT. COUNTESS ELISABET’S BEDCHAMBER – NIGHT.
COUNTESS ELISABET (Ingrid Bergman-ish, aristocratic
innocence) in bed, in childbirth.
A MIDWIFE (old woman, aura of no nonsense), THREE LADIES OF
THE COURT (blonde, brunette and red head), and SONCHA (deep
red hair, piercing blue eyes, coldly attractive, resonant
voice) surround the birthing.
All except Soncha are actively trying to help, but only the
midwife is actually any assistance to the Countess Elisabet.
The Countess SCREAMS as LIGHTENING CRASHES by the window.
MIDWIFE
Soon, soon, Countess.
The Countess MOANS, she is exhausted.
The storm intensifies.
Soncha smiles knowingly out the window.
LADY RED
It will be the fine, healthy son
that Count Feydric has waited for.
Lady Blonde makes a conspiratorial gesture.
LADY BLONDE
It may be the daughter that
Countess Elisabet has prayed for.
LADY BRUNETTE
A daughter to learn the secrets a
son may not.
INT. HALLWAY OUTSIDE THE BEDCHAMBER – NIGHT.
The storm is quieter here.
COUNT FEYDRIC, and ALEKSANDER (younger brother, inept) wait
anxiously.
TOMAS (4 years old, Aleksander’s son) is sleeping on a couch
in the hallway.
ALEKSANDER
It won’t be long now, Count
Feydric.
COUNT FEYDRIC
I know that babies come when they
are ready, and not when we want
them to. I just…
A CRASH OF LIGHTENING and a BABY’S CRY is heard through the
door.
Tomas sits up, stretches and yawns.
TOMAS
Is my new cousin born yet?
The Midwife opens the door, carrying the baby.
Count Feydric and Aleksander approach the midwife.
Count Feydric beams at his child but does not move to take
it. He looks anxiously to the midwife.
MIDWIFE
Count Feydric, may I present your
daughter?
The Midwife bows deeply and raises the child to the Count for
acceptance.
Count Feydric looks at the baby, mildly disappointed.
The baby makes a small COOING SOUND.
Count Feydric’s face softens, he LAUGHS, then sweeps his baby
into his arms.
COUNT FEYDRIC
She’s beautiful! An Angel!
2.
The baby makes a delighted sound.
Count Feydric rushes with the baby from the hallway to the
Countess’ bedside.
Tomas scrunches up his face, unimpressed.
TOMAS
I wanted a boy cousin.
Aleksander looks at Tomas indulgently.
INT. COUNTESS ELISABET’S BEDCHAMBER – NIGHT.
Count Feydric places the baby in the Countess Elisabet’s
arms.
Count Feydric looks gently at Countess Elisabet, and they
SING a duet of love and hope for the future.
The storm has quieted and baby TATIANA YAWNS sleepily, ending
the song.
In the dark corner of the room, Soncha sneers at the baby.
Tomas bursts into the room, followed by Aleksander.
TOMAS
Can I see the baby? What’s her
name? Can I play with her?
COUNTESS ELISABET
Tomas, she’s too little right now
to play with. As for her name. . .
Countess Elisabet and Count Feydric exchange a look.
COUNT FEYDRIC
Tatiana, after Countess Elisabet’s
grandmama.
TOMAS
(as if tasting the name)
Tatiana.
Tomas peers over the side of the bed at his little cousin. He
looks up at the adults admiring her. He notices his mother is
not at the bedside. He looks down at Tatiana.
Tatiana’s face is reflected in Tomas’ wide brown eyes. She
yawns and snuggles closer to her mother’s warmth.
3.
CONTINUED:
Tomas wrinkles his nose in distaste.
TOMAS (cont’d)
Awww, she’s too little to do
anything. I can ride a horse and
can almost draw a bowstring!
Count Feydric, LAUGHING, scoops a startled Tomas up into the
air.
COUNT FEYDRIC
You were once this little yourself,
and even now are too little to be
awake at this hour.
Count Feydric nods at Aleksander.
Aleksander kneels down, and Count Feydric puts Tomas on his
shoulders.
COUNT FEYDRIC (cont’d)
And here is your mighty steed now
to take you to bed!
The Ladies LAUGH.
Aleksander NEIGHS and trots out of the room.
In the corner, Soncha’s eyes narrow with hate at Count
Feydric. She steps out of the shadows.
SONCHA
Congratulations, Count Feydric.
Your daughter is beautiful. It
should not be hard to find her a
husband.
COUNT FEYDRIC
She is not even an hour old. Women
worry overmuch about these things.
There will be plenty of time for
dances and courting when she is
older.
MIDWIFE
Aye, His Excellency is right. Sleep
is what the babe and the Countess
need now.
The Ladies murmur good-byes to the sleeping Countess and
Tatiana, and file out of the room.
4.
CONTINUED:
Soncha waits for them to be gone, then steps out into the
hallway.
Count Feydric follows Soncha into the hallway.
The midwife closes the door behind them.
INT. HALLWAY OUTSIDE THE BEDCHAMBER – NIGHT.
Soncha walks away from Count Feydric.
COUNT FEYDRIC
Soncha, were you hoping for a son
for me? Or a lifeless child?
Soncha turns quickly, her eyes burning with hardly concealed
hatred.
SONCHA
Excellency, how can you say these
words to me. My husband, your own
brother, and I depend on your
continued health and heirs.
COUNT FEYDRIC
Is that why you are so concerned to
learn the name of my son-in-law?
SONCHA
(too eager)
Then you have already made an
alliance. To the north?
COUNT FEYDRIC
Do not meddle in the affairs of
state and men! I warn you, Soncha.
As my nephew, Tomas has a future in
this duchy even though he will
never have my throne.
The storm resumes again outside, more distantly than before.
SONCHA
My power does not rest on such
fragile things as titles or infant
children.
Soncha raises her hands, LAUGHING MANIACALLY as LIGHTENING
FLASHES immediately outside the window.
Count Feydric crosses himself.
5.
CONTINUED:
SONCHA (cont’d)
Eichtor meik lorrah scheedo korr
flueverga haspra worlo vaz
menglo verdagram teleesh
Soncha’s hands are engulfed in flame.
Count Feydric rushes at Soncha, hands outstretched.
COUNT FEYDRIC
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!
Count Feydric hits Soncha full force, pushing her backwards.
They move in sync down the hallway towards the floor to
ceiling window. They crash through the oil paper window and
disappear into the gloom. The flaps of the oil paper whip in
the wind.
EXT. CASTLE – NIGHT.
Count Feydric and Soncha free fall towards the moat.
Count Feydric fails wildly, whereas Soncha calmly plummets.
SONCHA
Sorgaaaaaaaaath!
They hit the moat water with a GREAT SPLASH. The water calms
and the storm suddenly abates.
There is a violent CHURNING IN THE WATER. Steam rises and
HISSES.
A fierce wyvern head, followed by a long, serpentine neck
emerge from the broiling water. The wyvern emerges from the
moat with a ROAR, then flies off into the forest.
The moat water is still and there is no sign of Count
Feydric.
TILT UP the Castle wall, changing night to daylight, and
indicate three years of seasons passing by weather (snow,
rain, sun) striking the castle walls.
Morning Glory flowers blossom, vines creep slowly up the
castle walls.
BIRDS CHIRP as they build their nests in the archer’s
windows.
6.
CONTINUED:
SOUNDS OF HORSE PATROLS ENTERING AND LEAVING the castle.
SOUNDS OF FARMER’S MARKET INSIDE CASTLE GROUNDS.
INT. COUNTESS ELISABET’S SECRET TOWER ROOM 3 YEARS LATER -
NIGHT
The room is a witch’s laboratory. The room is brightly lit
and airy. Bottles of coloured liquid and heavy bound books
line the shelves. There are some empty jars and a cauldron.
Countess Elisabet SINGS about determined love conquering all
as she works.
Countess Elisabet consults a book and then adds various
liquids and powders to the bubbling cauldron.
The Midwife watches intently, SINGING encouraging words as
she supervises the spell preparations.
Midwife passes Countess Elisabet a mirror as the song ends.
Countess Elisabet accepts the mirror without looking.
Countess Elisabet closes her eyes and continues with the
spell.
COUNTESS ELISABET
Fewble nora lacta jolabar
zenbak lo fewra kabalen
Countess Elisabet sets the mirror onto the surface of the
liquid in the cauldron.
The mirror sinks on one side, then steadies itself; floating
evenly on the surface.
COUNTESS ELISABET (cont’d)
Mochna zaybiar kolda mer Count
Feydric
The cauldron bubbles furiously around the mirror. Coloured
steam rises, swirls in the air and then dissipates.
In the mirror Count Feydric’s face appears, smiling and
happy.
Countess Elisabet chokes back a sob of joy.
The image distorts and morphs into an image of deep water.
7.
CONTINUED:
Countess Elisabet SOBS as the spell is broken and the mirror
dissolves in the boiling liquid.
COUNTESS ELISABET (cont’d)
I’ll find you, Feydric, I have to
find you.
The midwife steps forward and drapes a shawl around Countess
Elisabet. Countess Elisabet weeps on the midwife’s shoulder.
MIDWIFE
I know of no other means to search
for Count Feydric. I have taught
you all that I know. You must look
to the future, now, look to your
daughter.
Countess Elisabet dries her eyes, and smiles bravely at the
midwife.
Midwife exits.
Countess Elisabet SINGS a song of faithfulness and true love
never ending.
INT. INFORMAL RECEPTION ROOM – DAY.
The Countess Elisabet is seated on a reclining sofa.
Ladies Red, Blonde and Brunette are busy with cross stitch,
tapestry and spinning.
Tatiana plays with her dolls in the corner.
DAVRO, CAPTAIN OF THE GUARDS, flanked by TWO SOLDIERS
standing attentively.
COUNTESS ELISABET
Anything? Any word at all?
CAPTAIN DAVRO
(bowing deeply)
I wish I could bring you good news,
Countess. But after three years…
COUNTESS ELISABET
I know, Captain Davro. I still have
hope where there is none. I wish…
Captain, you may discontinue the
weekly patrols. Just maintain the
border patrols. Only…
8.
CONTINUED:
Countess Elisabet looks across the room at Tatiana (3, soft
brown hair, blue eyes) playing with a cloth child-doll (also
brown hair) and other toys.
COUNTESS ELISABET (cont’d)
Only, I wish the search patrols to
continue on Tatiana’s birthday. I
cannot give up all hope.
Captain Davro bows again. He dismisses the soldiers with a
sharp nod.
The soldiers bow briefly at the waist then exit.
CAPTAIN DAVRO
What of Count Aleksander’s patrols?
Last week he sacked one of our
northern villages. The returning
border patrol was not able to
intervene in time. The men helped
to rebuild the barn that that fool,
I mean, that Count Aleksander
burned.
Countess Elisabet stands and moves to the window. She looks
out over the forest.
COUNTESS ELISABET
My dear brother-in-law always
wanted to be soldier, but my
Feydric was a diplomat. He was able
to keep peace at our borders and
poor Aleksander never got his
chance to soldier.
Countess Elisabet gives Captain Davro a wry look.
CAPTAIN DAVRO
You have had no small part in
keeping that peace for three years,
Countess. The county is prosperous
and the people are happy. Trade
with the surrounding territories
has benefited us more than border
skirmishes ever could have.
COUNTESS ELISABET
Funny for a soldier to say, but you
are right, Aleksander must not be
permitted to wage war against our
own people any longer.
9.
CONTINUED:
(MORE)
Tell him that we are discontinuing
the patrols and reassign his
soldiers to the border patrols. Was
anyone hurt?
CAPTAIN DAVRO
No, a cow was startled into giving
sour milk, and, as I said, the barn
has been rebuilt.
Countess Elisabet picks up Tatiana.
COUNTESS ELISABET
How would you like to take a stroll
in the garden?
TATIANA
(holding up the doll)
Can Brier Rose come too?
COUNTESS ELISABET
Yes, my darling. Brier Rose can
come to the garden.
(to Davro)
Captain, I will leave these matters
with you.
Captain Davro bows again.
CAPTAIN
As you wish, Countess.
Captain Davro exits. Countess Elisabet puts Tatiana down.
COUNTESS ELISABET
What shall we wear outside today,
your excellency?
Tatiana, drawing herself up regally, discards her doll and
pulls up her skirts as if to avoid mud.
TATIANA
My pink dress and my red shoes.
Want sweets and cake.
COUNTESS ELISABET
Little girls as sweet as you don’t
need more. We shall have nanny pack
us a luncheon of breads and fruit,
and maybe, if you are very good,
some honey for your bread.
10.
CONTINUED:
COUNTESS ELISABET (cont’d)
(MORE)
Of course, if you do not wear your
warm clothes, there can be no
picnic. A lady must always dress
for the occasion.
Tatiana pouts and crosses her arms, turning slightly away
from her mother.
TATIANA
I’m not lady, I’m little girl! Want
to wear breaches like cousin Tomas
and ride a horse!
Ladies Red, Blonde and Burnette look alarmed at Tatiana’s
behavior.
Countess Elisabet is painfully aware of their shock.
COUNTESS ELISABET
You are a lady of the court. When
you are older, you will be
Countess, and you will be looked to
to set an example of beauty and
behavior.
(softer)
Tomas is a big boy, and he must
learn different things. I must
teach you now how to be a lady,
lest you never learn, Tatiana.
Tatiana considers this, her hands drop to her sides.
TATIANA
Can I wear my red cloak?
COUNTESS ELISABET
Yes, my darling.
Order restored, the Ladies return to their crafts.
EXT. MARKETPLACE WITHIN CASTLE GROUNDS – DAY
The marketplace is busy with MERCHANTS and PEASANTS doing
their daily business. The crowd is colourful and cheerful.
Several individuals nod or GREET to the Countess.
The merchants and peasants SING about a happy life with
comforts, family and prosperity, including a verse about wise
and benevolent leaders.
Countess Elisabet and Tatiana (wearing her red cloak) make
their way through the marketplace.
11.
CONTINUED:
COUNTESS ELISABET (cont’d)
TWO BODY GUARDS follow at a short distance.
Countess Elisabet acknowledges each person with a smile or
wave.
Countess Elisabet stops to buy some apples from a VENDOR.
VENDOR
For you, Countess, no charge!
Countess Elisabet puts a gold coin on the vendor’s table.
The vendor’s eyes widen as he picks up the coin.
COUNTESS ELISABET
Nonsense, my good man.
VENDOR
Countess, my Lady, this is too
much.
COUNTESS ELISABET
For your family.
People crowd around. The Two Body Guards move in closer and
peacefully keep the people away from the Countess and her
daughter.
Countess Elisabet LAUGHS. She takes her money pouch and hands
it to one of the Body Guards.
COUNTESS ELISABET (cont’d)
See to it that all of today’s
purchases are paid for by me. A
gift to the people. A holiday of
sorts.
The Crowd CHEERS!
Tatiana LAUGHES and CLAPS HER HANDS.
Countess Elisabet takes Tatiana’s hand and uses the
distraction to loose her other Body Guard. They make their
way out the castle gate.
EXT. LANDSCAPED GARDEN OUTSIDE THE CASTLE – DAY
Countess Elisabet and Tatiana walk along the garden path near
the forest edge; followed unobtrusively by TWO GUARDS.
12.
CONTINUED:
Tatiana is thrilled by the small trees, shrubs and many
flower gardens. She tries to peek down the various paths wind
through the landscaped grounds as they walk to the picnic
spot.
Countess Elisabet carries a picnic basket. Tatiana runs ahead
and pulls out some flowers.
COUNTESS ELISABET
Tatiana! Be careful, it is not
ladylike to run!
She returns to her mother’s side, holding up the flowers.
TATIANA
But they’re so pretty and soft,
Mother.
COUNTESS ELISABET
Not as pretty as you, Tatiana.
Countess Elisabet smells the flowers. She bends down to
Tatiana’s eye level. Gently, she caresses her daughter’s
cheek.
COUNTESS ELISABET (cont’d)
I wish I could cast a spell on you
that you would always be pretty and
young.
TATIANA
You have magic?
COUNTESS ELISABET
It is better to leave the flowers
growing in the garden, that way you
can enjoy them for much longer. And
the seeds have time to mature and
bring new flowers for next year.
That’s the only real magic.
TATIANA
You like pretty things very much,
Mommy, don’t you?
COUNTESS ELISABET
Yes, it is nice to have pretty
things.
Countess Elisabet sets the picnic basket down and pulls off
the covering red & white blanket. She places the flowers in
the basket and carefully spreads the blanket on the ground.
13.
CONTINUED:
Countess Elisabet spread the food on the blanket while
Tatiana collects more flowers.
Tatiana brings a second fistful of flowers to the picnic
blanket. Smiling, Countess Elisabet accepts them and places
all of the flowers in the centre of the blanket.
Countess Elisabet WHISTLES to the BIRDS CHIRPING. A ROBIN
responds with BIRDSONG. Tatiana CLAPS her hands and LAUGHS.
TATIANA
Mommy! Mommy! You do have magic,
you sing with birds!
Countess Elisabet smiles and holds her finger out.
The robin flies down from the tree and lands on her finger.
They SING NOTES back and forth.
Tatiana tries to sing along.
More birds join in, woodland animals (squirrels, raccoons,
deer, rabbits etc.) appear at the edge of the clearing,
listening and enjoying the singing.
Countess Elisabet leads Tatiana in a Morris dance as she
sings.
Tatiana tries to dance.
EXT. DRAWBRIDGE – DAY.
An OLD HAG (Soncha in disguise) selling trinkets from a cart
approaches the TWO GATE GUARDS.
Countess Elisabet and Tatiana’s SINGING can be heard very
faintly on the gentle breeze.
The Hag listens for a moment.
HAG (SONCHA)
Might there yet be room in the
market for a poor old woman?
GUARD ONE
You’re starting a bit late in the
day, but I think that there are
still some spaces on the east-side
of the market.
14.
CONTINUED:
HAG (SONCHA)
Thank you my son. Would you accept
my gratitude, a small gift?
The Hag holds up two small pendants, one for each gate guard.
They exchange looks.
HAG (SONCHA) (CONT’D)
For your sweethearts, perhaps?
The two gate guards each accept a pendant. They awkwardly put
them around their necks.
GUARD ONE
Thank you, grandmother. You best
hurry if you are to get a stall.
The Hag directs her cart towards the castle gates and walks
past the gate guards.
She looks carefully over her shoulder at the gate guards, who
are now motionless, each staring into the small orb on their
pendants, transfixed with images only they can see.
The Hag detours away from the entrance to the inside castle
grounds towards the garden where Countess Elisabet and
Tatiana are.
EXT. LANDSCAPED GARDEN OUTSIDE THE CASTLE – DAY
Their song finished, Tatiana hugs her mother.
HAG (SONCHA)
Trinkets! Charms! Pretty ribbons!
Tatiana sees the Hag approaching. She recoils in revulsion.
Tatiana points at the Hag.
TATIANA
Look Mummy, she’s a very ugly
woman.
Countess Elisabet looks over to the Hag. The Hag is angry and
she approaches the mother and daughter.
COUNTESS ELISABET
(whispered)
It’s not proper to say such things,
Tatiana.
15.
CONTINUED:
HAG (SONCHA)
Such an ill-mannered child.
Countess Elisabet stands to face the Hag, Tatiana hides
behind her mother.
COUNTESS ELISABET
I apologize for my daughter, she is
young
The Hag bends to almost eye level with Tatiana and points at
her.
HAG (SONCHA)
Old enough for manners, old enough.
. .
TATIANA
(starting to cry)
Go away! She’s scaring me!
Countess Elisabet clutches Tatiana’s shoulder, trying to make
her quiet.
COUNTESS ELISABET
I have apologized for my small
daughter’s slight. I am Countess
Elisabet. My apology should be good
enough for you. If it is not, I
will see to it that my guards
escort you to the border.
The Hag smiles, MUMBLING, she gestures at Countess Elisabet.
HAG (SONCHA)
I think you’ll find that you will
not be able to call your guards.
Countess Elisabet tries to speak, but is not able to.
Countess Elisabet is frightened and she stands fiercely
between the Hag and Tatiana.
TATIANA
Take it back, make my Mommy speak
again!
HAG (SONCHA)
Eleesh ichtor lorrah scheedo worlo
Vargoz mezerga haspra meik korr vaz
menglo verdarath torgan vezul
The breeze turns to a strong wind.
16.
CONTINUED:
The animals that had been enjoying the singing retreat back
into the safety of the woods.
The wind grows stronger and the Hag’s words are lost in the
WIND WHISTLING THROUGH TREES and the BRANCHES SHAKING AND
SNAPPING.
Tatiana is lifted from the ground, she SCREAMS.
Countess Elisabet can barely stand on her feet, she clutches
at Tatiana’s hand. She falls, loosing her grip on her
daughter.
Countess Elisabet’s hand grasps at Tatiana’s, their fingers
slip from each other.
Tatiana SCREAMS and Elisabet WAILS, as Tatiana disappears
over the treetops.
Countess Elisabet’s sprawls on the grass, crying, her hair
whipping in the wind, her arms outstretched to the sky.
COUNTESS ELISABET
Noooooooooooooooooooo!
Behind her the Hag is triumphant and less stooped. She has no
difficulties standing in the storm that she has caused.
Countess Elisabet struggles to her feet, she stumbles towards
the Hag.
The Hag is surprised the see the Countess approaching her.
COUNTESS ELISABET (cont’d)
Bring back my daughter!
As the Hag backs away, she gestures with her hand, and the
wind focuses on Countess Elisabet, knocking her off of her
feet.
Countess Elisabet continues to crawl towards the Hag.
HAG (SONCHA)
Such a one as that shall never come
to rule.
The Hag turns away from Countess Elisabet, the wind gusts
around her. There is a flash of deep red hair through the
gray.
The wind buffets Countess Elisabet, pining her to the ground.
She loses consciousness.
17.
CONTINUED:
INT. COUNTESS ELISABET’S BEDCHAMBER – NIGHT.
Countess Elisabet is feverish.
The three Ladies from scene one are again around her bed, as
are Aleksander, Soncha and Tomas.
The midwife dips a cloth in a bowl of cool water and drapes
it across Countess Elisabet’s forehead.
Countess Elisabet’s eyes flicker open.
COUNTESS ELISABET
(weakly)
Tatiana?
MIDWIFE
Sleep, my child, rest. Gather your
strength.
Countess Elisabet struggles to sit up, she slumps back into
her bed.
COUNTESS ELISABET
The witch, the witch has stolen
Tatiana, we must find her.
Aleksander steps forward and takes Countess Elisabet’s hand.
ALEKSANDER
My dearest sister, the soldiers
have been searching the woods
around the castle. They will find
her.
Countess Elisabet tries to focus her eyes on Aleksander.
Soncha retreats into the shadowy corner of the room. Tomas
follows her.
COUNTESS ELISABET
Beyond the moat, they must search
the woods beyond. She was taken…
Coughing spasms wrack Countess Elisabet’s body.
The midwife pulls the covers around her, and removes a bed
warmer (a long handle with a “pot” on the end to hold hot
coals) from under the heavy quilt.
18.
MIDWIFE
(to the Ladies)
Send down for more coals. She has
suffered a great shock and she has
caught a chill.
Soncha steps forward to hear the midwife better.
SONCHA
She won’t…she will live?
The midwife looks up sharply, her eyes are piercing, and, for
a moment, Soncha fears the midwife.
MIDWIFE
She will live, Lady Soncha. I will
not lose her.
COUNTESS ELISABET
Lost her, Tatiana, lost…
EXT. PEASANT CABIN IN A WOODED GLADE – DAY.
PIETER (peasant farmer) carries an unconscious Tatiana
PEITER
Varna! A girl fell from the sky!
VARNA (wife) appears in the doorway.
VARNA
Quickly, Pieter, bring her inside.
Varna looks into the sky and crosses herself.
VARNA (cont’d)
Strange things are afoot.
INT. COUNTESS ELISABET’S SECRET TOWER ROOM – NIGHT
Countess Elisabet and the Midwife are in the witch
laboratory.
Near the cauldron is a high stool with Tatiana’s doll, Briar
Rose.
COUNTESS ELISABET
I have mastered the magik you have
taught me.
19.
CONTINUED:
MIDWIFE
I will perform this magik. You are
not ready for a binding spell. You
have learned the basics, what you
need to learn now is the
subtleties, the fine control.
Countess Elisabet is unconvinced and determined to try.
The Widwife gives her a fierce look.
MIDWIFE (cont’d)
A mispronounced syllable, even a
tiny gesture in the wrong place,
can change the whole complexion of
the spell.
Countess Elisabet looks disappointed.
COUNTESS ELISABET
I thought my love for her would
help.
MIDWIFE
It may cloud your mind, magik
skills take much time, and we both
know the urgency driving you.
COUNTESS ELISABET
Yes, it is not just for me that
Tatiana must return, although, it
is enough. If we do not locate
Tatiana soon, Aleksander will
ascend my throne, and everything
Count Feydric worked for will be
lost.
MIFWIFE
Aleksander is not an evil man.
COUNTESS ELISABET
An evil man I could control, but
Aleksander is a foolish man who
thinks he is a great soldier. He is
blinded by dreams of conquest and
glory.
(Worried)
It’s Soncha, that I do not trust.
(Bitterly)
And they have an heir.
20.
CONTINUED:
MIDWIFE
We will know right away if we will
be able to locate her. If the doll
does not move, Tatiana is truly
beyond where my powers can help.
COUNTESS ELISABET
I have lost hope for Count Feydric,
every time I attempt to locate him,
the scrying mirror shows me only
water. I do not understand what it
means.
MIDWIFE
Perhaps another type of divination
will locate Tatiana. You’ve brought
something of her?
COUNTESS ELISABET
Some hair from her brush, and Brier
Rose.
The Midwife nods grimly. She begins to braid the doll’s hair
with Tatiana’s.
MIDWIFE
Bring me the bottles as I ask for
them.
INT. GREAT HALL ONE MONTH LATER – DAY
Soncha and Aleksander (in a uniform) sit on thrones on a
raised dais at the end of the Great Hall.
TWENTY RETAINERS and ADVISERS flank the hall in smaller
chairs.
Tomas (also in a uniform) rides an ill-tempered Shetland pony
in the great hall.
Captain Davro, road grimed and weary, enters with a small
compliment of FOUR BATTLE SCARRED SOLDIERS. Davro salutes
Soncha and Aleksander.
CAPTAIN DAVRO
Count Aleksander, Countess Soncha.
I bring you news.
Captain Darvo bows curtly, almost imperceptibly.
21.
CONTINUED:
Soncha is not pleased. Aleksander is almost bouncing off of
his seat. Too excited, Alexander jumps out of his throne.
COUNT ALEKSANDER
Pox on your reports, how go the
battles? How many villages have we
taken?
CAPTAIN DARVO
We have successfully taken five
villages, Excellency. A sixth was
utterly destroyed by fire.
COUNTESS SONCHA
You do not enjoy being a soldier,
Captain Darvo?
CAPTAIN DARVO
I am a soldier, Countess, but I am
asked to shepherd peasants. There
were no garrisons in those border
villages.
TOMAS
I’m a soldier! Papa, look, I’m a
soldier, too!
Tomas kicks the pony and charges towards a platoon of wooden
toy soldiers. Using a child size sword, he sweeps the toys
off of their “feet.”
The pony is startled by the CLATTERING of the toys, and rears
up.
Tomas falls off the pony and rolls onto the carpeted floor.
Countess Soncha is on her feet instantly, and at Tomas’ side.
She fusses over the crying boy.
COUNT ALEKSANDER
Leave the boy, he must learn to
take a fall now and then. He will
be Count of these lands, someday.
Soncha’s anger flares.
COUNTESS SONCHA
He is a child!
Count Aleksander stands up.
22.
CONTINUED:
Soncha narrows her eyes, and begins to speak. She sees
Captain Davro’s look of shock.
Soncha become demure and acquiesces.
COUNTESS SONCHA (cont’d)
Forgive me, husband. A mother’s
worry for her only son.
Count Aleksander immediately softens.
Tomas dries his eyes and stands up.
Captain Darvo is unable to conceal his disgust, but
Aleksander and Soncha are wholly absorbed by Tomas.
CAPTAIN DARVO
We need to send supplies and fresh
horses, Count Aleksander. We should
also withdraw troops back to the
mountain passes. Our forces are far
flung, and not prepared for a
possible siege.
COUNT ALEKSANDER
Nonsense. Have the men march, the
supplies can catch up to them. We
need to press the advantage now.
Captain Darvo is surprised by the Count’s response.
CAPTAIN DARVO
But, Excellency, we have no central
force, our troops are scattered.
COUNT ALEKSANDER
My troops, Captain, my troops. And
I want them to continue. Send them
forward.
CAPTAIN DARVO
I cannot. The supplies. . .
COUNT ALEKSANDER
(thundering)
Can not or will not, Captain? You
will send the troops or I will send
you to the dungeon.
Captain Darvo considers the threat. Soncha narrows her eyes.
23.
CONTINUED:
CAPTAIN DARVO
I will lead your troops to victory
for you, Excellency.
Captain Darvo bows very slightly and turns sharply. He leads
the soldiers out of the hall.
COUNTESS SONCHA
We have only the matter of Countess
Elisabet to consider.
Captain Darvo pauses and almost re-enters the hall.
The Great Doors are closed by PAGES as he passes out of the
Great Hall.
Count Aleksander yawns, stands up and stretches. He summons
Tomas to him and steps off of the raised dais to exit.
Aleksander waves dismissively with his hand.
COUNT ALEKSANDER
That’s a household matter, and
Soncha, you are in charge of all
household matters from here on. I
have soldiers to lead. Come Tomas,
let’s watch the new soldiers
prepare to march.
Count Aleksander SINGS of battles and military glory as he resets
up Tomas’ toy soldiers, and then knocks them over with
his sword.
Count Aleksander dances with his sword around the hall,
menacing the guards (who are not impressed) and the courtly
ladies (who pretend to be impressed and fearful).
Tomas tries to join in on the song, dancing after his father
in a close approximation.
Count Aleksander scoops up Tomas in his arms and finishes his
song as he strides out of the Great Hall.
Soncha stays on the throne, not at all impressed, her eyes
narrowing.
Tomas looks back over his father’s shoulder, happiness on his
face, until he sees his mother’s sour expression.
TOMAS
Bye Mama, Papa and I are going to
war!
24.
CONTINUED:
Soncha watches them leave, a smile playing on her lips.
SONCHA
(to herself)
And go to war you shall, my
husband.
Soncha turns her attention to the various retainers. She
waves them out of the Great Hall, then exits to behind the
dais.
INT. HALLWAY – DAY.
Soncha stalks down the hallway. BLACK RATS scurry after her.
She presses a brick in the wall and a narrow dark passage
opens.
INT. SONCHA’S SECRET CHAMBER – DAY.
The room is dimly light and has a feeling of a tomb.
The dark chamber is filled with witch paraphernalia. In the
corner of the room, there is a rack of costumes, including
the Hag’s costume from the earlier garden sequence.
A cauldron sits near a shelf of colourful bottles; some of
the bottle contents bubble. A very old spell-book rests on a
pedestal.
Sinister rats scurry around the corners of the room,
CHITTERING AND SQUEAKING.
Soncha enters the room. She brushes a rat off of the spellbook
and opens it.
Soncha SINGS about power and wealth and its acquisition by
any means necessary.
INT. TOWER BED-CHAMBER – DAY.
Countess Elisabet, frailer than before, sits at a loom,
weaving a tapestry.
On a shelf with small piles of weaving threads, sits
Tatiana’s doll, Brier Rose.
On the window sill, some BLUE JAYS watch her intently.
25.
CONTINUED:
In a hole in the wall, a FERRET peers intently, then hunches
across the floor towards Countess Elisabet. It wraps around
her legs, making a CHITTERING sound.
Countess Elisabet smiles and bends down, picking the ferret
up. She pets it, then wraps it around her neck.
Sighing contentedly, the ferret naps.
Countess Elisabet HUMS the song from the garden.
The birds tilt their heads and CHIRP to the humming.
COUNTESS ELISABET
No, not without my Tatiana.
Countess Elisabet weaves a few more rows.
A Blue Jay CHIRPS inquiringly at her.
Countess Elisabet smiles, then walks over to the window. She
SINGS a sad song of loss.
The birds listen, then fly away as the song ends.
EXT. FOREST GLADE, PEASANT CABIN – DAY.
The Blue Jays fly over the trees.
Tatiana, living as the peasant girl, Olga, plays in a small
flower garden on the sunny side of the cabin.
A short distance away, Varna pulls weeds from a vegetable
garden. Tatiana/Olga picks a flower then runs to the woman.
TATIANA/OLGA
Mommy, mommy, look at the pretty
flower.
Varna looks up, she is tired and aged beyond her years from
hard work.
VARNA
Don’t pick the flowers, Olga. They
won’t be able to make seeds. Were
is, Papa?
Tatiana/Olga lowers the flowers. She is on the verge of
crying.
26.
CONTINUED:
VARNA (cont’d)
Don’t cry, Olga. You have to learn
that if you want the flowers to
come back next year, you must not
pick them.
(softer)
I think Papa is in the chicken
coop. If you are very good, he
might let you see the baby chicks.
TATIANA/OLGA
(brightens immediately)
Would he really? Could I pet them?
VARNA
They will peck you.
TATIANA/OLGA
But I won’t hurt them.
VARNA
The chick’s don’t know that, now
hurry, papa is waiting.
Tatiana/Olga hurries away from Varna towards the chicken
coop. As she walks along the edge of the forest, she HUMS the
song from the Castle Garden scene.
INT. TOWER CHAMBER – DAY.
Countess Elisabet watches Brier Rose move about on the floor.
The child-aged doll runs, then stops as if smelling flowers.
The doll runs again after picking flowers.
Countess Elisabet makes a hand gesture and the doll falls
down.
CRYING, she picks the doll up and hides it in a pocket of a
dress in her closet.
She moves to the window and looks out over the forest. She is
leaning against the windowsill.
COUNTESS ELISABET
Tatiana.
Soncha enters the room.
27.
CONTINUED:
SONCHA
You have one hour to gather your
belongings. You’re moving to a
lower level in the tower.
Countess Elisabet turns and faces Soncha.
COUNTESS ELISABET
Why? Why do you hate me so? Had I
treated you so unkindly?
SONCHA
How you did or did not treat me is
not why you are here.
COUNTESS ELISABET
Isn’t it bad enough that I have
lost my husband and child? You had
to take my throne, too?
SONCHA
You know the laws, you cannot hold
an estate without an heir, or if
there are no prospects of one. Your
unwillingness to re-marry precludes
there ever being a legitimate heir.
And now with Tatiana’s
disappearance, you can not control
the Sethel County any longer.
COUNTESS ELISABET
Aleksander would have been content
for me to name Tomas as heir
apparent. It was you who pushed him
to take my throne. Why?
Soncha smiles evilly.
Countess Elisabet steps back in horror, shielding her throat
with her hand. Countess Elisabet recomposes herself and tries
to hide her sudden fear of Soncha.
COUNTESS ELISABET (cont’d)
You would harm your own husband?
SONCHA
Poor, simple, Countess Elisabet. I
would not harm Aleksander. I need
him as a figurehead.
28.
CONTINUED:
(MORE)
Why, he’s already granted me full
control of everything within the
castle grounds, include the care of
his own brother’s wife.
COUNTESS ELISABET
You cannot intend to keep me a
prisoner forever. The people must
miss me.
SONCHA
Not after your conviction for the
murder of the Countess Tatiana.
Countess Elisabet lunges for Soncha.
Soncha jumps out of the room and slams the door.
SONCHA (O.S.) (CONT’D)
As nobility, you will be
imprisoned, but your witch-midwife
will burn on the morrow.
COUNTESS ELISABET
Noooooooo!
Countess Elisabet POUNDS ON THE DOOR.
INT. HALLWAY OUTSIDE COUNTESS ELISABET’S ROOM – DAY.
COUNTESS ELISABET (OS)
I would never hurt my child! She’s
not dead!
SONCHA
(taunting)
The guards have no memory of an old
hag, and no one recalls any
windstorm on that day.
The DOOR POUNDING abruptly stops.
SONCHA (cont’d)
What is known and remembered is
that you distracted everyone and
made your escape from your guards,
with Tatiana and left the castle
grounds.
COUNTESS ELISABET (OS)
You lie, there was a storm!
29.
CONTINUED:
SONCHA (cont’d)
SONCHA
And that bloody shreds of her dress
were found in the woods near where
you picnicked. It is clear that you
brought the child to harm. For what
purpose, only you will know.
Countess Elisabet is KEENING (OS).
COUNTESS ELISABET
Tatiana, my poor child,
nooooooooooooooo.
SONCHA
(smiling coldly)
Be prepared to move within the
hour. Be grateful that it is life
imprisonment, and not your head.
EXT. CASTLE. AGEING FIFTEEN YEARS.
The castle ages fifteen years, grows darker, vines creep up
the sides, as the seasons pass, an increasing number of
troops of soldiers and patrols leave the castle, and fewer
merchants & peasants enter the grounds to the market.
INT. COUNTESS ELISABET’S GROUND FLOOR CELL – DAY.
The small room has only one tiny, barred window. The bottom
of the window is at Countess Elisabet’s eye level and is even
with the outside ground.
The market place can be seen through the window. There are
only a few vendors, and fewer peasants, drably dressed.
EXT. MARKETPLACE. DAY – CONTINUOUS
Countess Soncha, finely dressed, rides through the market on
a splendid horse and ignores all the merchants. She exits.
The Merchants and Peasants SING of lost golden days, and
fading hopes.
A SMALL BOY chases a ball, which bounces across the courtyard
and through the bars of a tiny ground floor window.
A woman’s winkled hand holds out the ball, but the boy turns
in fear, and runs away. The ball drops and bounces into the
marketplace, untouched.
30.
CONTINUED:
INT. COUNTESS ELISABET’S GROUND FLOOR CELL – DAY- CONTINUOUS
A single candle burns, casting barely enough light for the
room to be in a low level gloom; the edges of he room are
shrouded in darkness. Cold and damp are pervasive.
Countess Elisabet’s hair is white, and she looks old beyond
her years. She moves stiffly, but regally, as she continues
to weave on her loom a tapestry of Tatiana’s short life and
her lost hopes as to what may have been for her daughter. The
colors are faded in some places and do not match in others.
A small HEDGEHOG CHIRPS at the window. Countess Elisabet
looks up and smiles.
COUNTESS ELISABET
There you are. I didn’t think you
were coming.
From a pocket in her apron, she produces some bread crumbs.
She moves stiffly to the window and places the crumbs on the
ledge.
The hedgehog sniffs the air and then moves towards the
vegetables. It eats them greedily.
COUNTESS ELISABET (cont’d)
I’ll try to save you some corn
tomorrow, little one.
The hedgehog looks up and listens. Countess Elisabet
carefully slips her fingers under the hedgehog and lifts it.
Instinctively, the hedgehog curls into a ball.
When Countess Elisabet has rested it against her shoulder,
the hedgehog’s head emerges against the warmth of her body.
Countess Elisabet HUMS softly to the hedgehog, her voice is
still sweet, but not as it once was.
INT. CORRIDOR OUTSIDE ELISABET’S CELL – CONTINUOUS
TWO GUARDS lead FOUR YOUNG GIRLS (13 – 15 years, clean,
scared) down the hallway. They disappear around a corner.
A CORGI DOG (Soncha’s pampered pet) trots down the corridor
after them.
31.
Countess Elisabet watches them pass out of sight from between
the bars of her cell.
COUNTESS ELISABET
I see these girls being brought in,
and never out.
COUNTESS ELISABET’S CELL
The hedgehog looks up as if surprised.
COUNTESS ELISABET
There is no other way out. No other
hallways that I know of. Maybe
Soncha has found a secret passage.
My husband, Count Feydric, once
told me that the castle was full of
passages. But that probably does
not mean much to one as small as
you.
Countess Elisabet flips the hedgehog over and tickles it’s
tummy, then rights it again.
COUNTESS ELISABET (cont’d)
One who can sneak through the
smallest cracks in walls, castle
walls are nothing but a place to
hide in winter. What I would give
to be able to go with you.
Soncha (not aged) enters the hallway. She pauses at Countess
Elisabet’s cell.
Countess Elisabet quickly places the hedgehog on the window
sill, and shoos it into the night.
SONCHA
Feeding your dinner to the wild
animals?
COUNTESS ELISABET
The hedgehog is not exactly wild.
SONCHA
Poor Elisabet. You’re quite mad.
Time has not been kind to you.
Friends with wild animals now.
There are rumors in the land that
there is a witch here.
32.
CONTINUED:
(MORE)
The peasants talk about a woman who
can sing the birds down from the
trees.
Countess Elisabet draws herself to her full stature.
COUNTESS ELISABET
You have wrongly imprisoned me. I
have but time on my hands and I
have listened to precious little
but the birds these past fifteen
years. Anyone can learn their
songs.
(pleading)
Please, Soncha, we were sisters
once. I welcomed you and Aleksander
to my court. I rejoiced with you
when Tomas was born. You know me,
you know how long Count Feydric and
I waited for Tatiana. When I lost
him, I had only her. You know in
your true heart that I would have
harmed myself before letting harm
come to her.
(softer)
I don’t want the throne, just let
me leave. No one would recognize me
now, I will leave this land, just
let me go. I cannot harm you.
Soncha is almost moved by the impassioned speech.
SONCHA
Aleksander sends his best, but
regrets that he cannot visit you,
he is leading another raid against
our westerly neighbors. The young
Count Gregor was killed in the last
raid.
Countess Elisabet moves farther back into her cell.
COUNTESS ELISABET
Gregor? Tatiana’s betrothed? He was
a boy.
Soncha smiles evilly.
SONCHA
Eighteen years last summer. Tomas
attended the ball that his father
held for the occasion.
33.
CONTINUED:
SONCHA (cont’d)
Countess Elisabet shakes her head.
COUNTESS ELISABET
Does nothing of Count Feydric’s
diplomacy survive?
Countess Elisabet moves close to the bars.
COUNTESS ELISABET (cont’d)
There was peace! Count Feydric had
negotiated peace and you and
Aleksander have destroyed
everything!
Soncha steps to within Countess Elisabet’s grasp.
SONCHA
Feydric made his brother a laughing
stock of Europe, a pauper dependent
on Feydric for money, food and
shelter.
(bitterly)
He eft Aleksander waiting to be
called to court like a child
wanting to play grown up at Sunday
tea.
(grudging pride)
But that’s different now, now
Aleksander is feared.
COUNTESS ELISABET
Am I to be your revenge on Count
Feydric because of the way you
think he treated Aleksander?
SONCHA
(laughs heartily)
Even I know Aleksander is a useless
fool. But, he gave me what I
wanted, the throne. He is content
to lead his soldiers into war
against his own peasants.
COUNTESS ELISABET
In fifteen years, he must have
become good at soldiering. He
lives, Tomas is not yet Count. Even
down here, I would have heard.
34.
CONTINUED:
SONCHA
(her mirth dies quickly)
Yes, he lives, by luck and the
strategic skills of General Davro.
(stepping away)
I have wasted enough time with you.
I will not release you. Not now or
ever. Do not try my patience, or I
shall have the guards sweep the
grounds for vermin, and then you
will have no friends at all.
Soncha imperiously moves down the hallway to the turn where
the guards and the girls had disappeared earlier.
Countess Elisabet hurries to the window. She looks out into
the gloom, worriedly.
After a moment, the hedgehog reappears. Countess Elisabet
SIGHS in relief.
COUNTESS ELISABET
You have to be careful, my friend.
Countess Elisabet pets the hedgehog’s face with her
fingertip. She lifts the hedgehog from the window sill again
and bring it to her small cot.
Hurrying back to the bars, she looks down the corridor to
make sure that no one is watching. She returns to the cot and
lies down on it.
She reaches for a loose brick in the wall. She pulls the
brick out of the wall and reveals a small chamber. In the
opening is Tatiana’s doll, Brier Rose. The doll has aged from
child to a young woman.
Countess Elisabet purses her lips, raises a finger to her
lips and SHHHHHs the hedgehog.
She lays Brier Rose on the bed, then sits up. Removing her
apron, she lays it on the bed, and Brier Rose on top of it.
After a last sidelong glance into the corridor, she focuses
her attention on the doll. As she speaks, a glittery cloud
forms around the doll, then changes to a whirwind and merges
with the doll.
COUNTESS ELISABET (cont’d)
bethra forgunthar mo aka akdrol
selendra cormith floogar telesh
ramamede hola stroth seprag tog!
35.
CONTINUED:
The doll stands awkwardly. It leans front to back until it
finds it’s centre of gravity. It moves about the apron, as if
in a kitchen preparing dinner, opening cupboards, stirring a
pot, etc.
Countess Elisabet smiles and leans against the wall, content
to watch the doll.
The hedgehog moves close to the doll, sniffing at it, then
cuddles into a fold of Countess Elisabet’s apron to watch the
doll.
Countess Elisabet softly SINGS a song of hope and better
things to come.
INT. PEASANT KITCHEN – NIGHT
Tatiana/Olga moves about the kitchen, making a late supper
for her peasant parents. She SINGS – dueting with Countess
Elisabet.
When the song is over, Tatiana/Olga surveys the set dinner
table.
TATIANA/OLGA
Oh, what it would be like to live
in a castle with servants and fine
clothes and jewels and food served
on silver and gold platters.
Varna smiles at Tatiana/Olga from the doorway.
VARNA
Maybe someday you will meet a
prince, or even the young Count
Tomas. He rides frequently through
the village.
TATIANA/OLGA
(laughing)
Falls frequently from his horse you
mean, Mama.
VARNA
Olga! Do not speak ill of the young
count!
Varna is unable to stay mad, and she laughs.
VARNA (cont’d)
But he is very awkward, isn’t he?
36.
CONTINUED:
Mother and daughter share a laugh.
INT. DUNGEON – NIGHT.
The four girls are huddled in a small cell.
Menacingly, Soncha stands near the bars. She paces in front
of the cell, eyeing the girls.
The two guards stand near the unlocked cell door.
SONCHA
Bring the small one.
Soncha stalks away from the cell.
The SMALLEST GIRL cries out in fear as a guard enters the
cell. She tries to hide behind the other girls, but they move
aside to avoid being chosen instead.
The guard grabs the girl by the upper arm and drags her from
the cell. She tries to hang onto the cell door frame, but her
fingers slip from the smooth bars.
INT. TORTURE CHAMBER – NIGHT.
Soncha has donned a black robe.
Tables filled with alchemic and witchcraft tools, bottles
with various colors of liquid line two walls. A chair with
head, arm and leg restraints dominates the room.
The guard drags the CRYING girl into the room. The guard
picks the girl up and carries her to the chair and straps her
in.
Soncha is untouched by her fear.
SMALL GIRL
No, please, please, please.
SONCHA
Silence!
The guard checks the restraints, and satisfied that they are
properly adjusted, turns and bows to Soncha, and exits.
Soncha turns to the table and mixes two prepared bottles of
liquid. The new bottle bubbles and churns ominously.
37.
CONTINUED:
She brings it to the girl and forces her to drink it. The
girl is unable to struggle, but she SCREAMS IN TERROR.
Soncha upends the bottle down her throat. The girl tries to
struggle against the liquid, but after a mouthful, she sits
still and compliantly.
When the bottle is empty, Soncha places it back on the table.
She moves in front of the girl, and begins to weave patterns
of light in the air.
SONCHA (cont’d)
Nema necra norgu rath
slivregnar borbath unengo
kelma kelnar zulick
A blue aura surrounds the girl, flutters as if resisting,
then forms into a beam from her forehead to Soncha’s.
Soncha’s body jerks as if struck by lightening at the beam’s
contact. The beam vanishes and a blue aura surrounds Soncha.
The aura turns purple, then red and vanishes.
The girl slumps in the chair, dead. Soncha appears more
beautiful and a little bit younger.
INT. GREAT HALL – DAY.
Soncha (not aged) and Aleksander (gray hair, aged 15 years),
seated on the thrones, are receiving FOUR DELEGATES from a
neighboring county.
The Corgi Dog rests on a raised pillow on a Soncha’s dais
level. The dog looks snootily down at Tomas.
Tomas (now 19, average looking, awkward and gangly) sits
arrogantly, a hooded falcon on his arm, on a chair on a lower
dais than his parents, but higher than the retinue of
retainers lining the walls.
HEAD DELEGATE
We are prepared to offer 50 sheep,
150 sacks of grain and 100 gold
coins annually for five years in
exchange for an end to your
soldiers entering our villages and
towns.
ALEKSANDER
General Darvo!
38.
CONTINUED:
Darvo (short hair, grayed at the temples, a scar on his
cheek, carrying a parchment ledger) steps forward. He stands
between the delegation and the thrones. He bows to
Aleksander.
ALEKSANDER (cont’d)
What have our spoils been from this
fine northern county?
GENERAL DARVO
(consulting ledger)
Last year we brought back 200
sheep, 50 servants and 500 gold
bars. We also lost forty soldiers.
Aleksander waves his hand at Davro. Davro steps angrily back
to the line of retainers.
ALEKSANDER
Clearly, sending soldiers is more
profitable than your offer of
tribute.
DELEGATE
Many people starved after your
raiders, I mean, soldiers came. We
need to keep enough grain and
livestock to live, Count
Aleksander, please, be merciful. I
offer all of our surplus, my people
must have enough to feed their
families.
SONCHA
(to Aleksander)
Accept the tribute offered, and
demand that they send eight young
girls as servants each month. Tell
him we will train them for two
years.
Aleksander sits up and regains his authoritarian air.
ALEKSANDER
I will accept your offer if you
also provide eight girls each month
for my wife to train as servants.
Their tutelage will take two years
and we will retain the most
promising as servants here.
The delegates look worriedly at each other.
39.
CONTINUED:
HEAD DELEGATE
We will have to return with an
answer, we are not authorized to
agree to such a condition,
Excellency.
ALEKSANDER
Very well, you have one month to
provide your answer. Delays will
not be tolerated.
HEAD DELEGATE
And there will be no more soldiers
crossing our border until we
return?
ALEKSANDER
Hmmmmm. I agree, no more soldiers
of mine will cross your borders
until you have returned with an
answer.
The Delegates bow and depart.
ALEKSANDER (cont’d)
Of course, the soldiers already
there will remain.
A retainer stands and reads from a parchment.
RETAINER
Next is the matter of a property
line dispute between Goodman
Janowski and Goodman Leopold.
Aleksander slouches down and rolls his eyes upwards.
ALEKSANDER
How did Count Feydric ever bear
this?
EXT. PIETER & VARNA’S CABIN – DAY.
Tatiana/Olga has grown into a beautiful young girl. She is
carefully shaking seeds from the flower seed pods and placing
them into her apron pocket.
Overhead, Tomas’ falcon hunts for prey.
VARNA (OS)
Olllll-ga! Ollll-ga!
40.
CONTINUED:
Tatiana/Olga turns towards the voice.
TATIANA/OLGA
Coming Mama!
Carefully placing the last collected seeds into her apron
pocket, Tatiana/Olga runs around the corner of cabin to the
front door.
THREE OLD WOMEN (Ilona, Dorko and Janos) stand with Varna.
Tatiana/Olga moves to Varna’s side. Varna is hiding her
worry.
VARNA
These ladies have come from the
Countess Soncha. They are offering
young girls the opportunity to
serve the Countess and to learn a
great many skills.
Tatiana/Olga does a graceful but incorrect curtsey to the
three women.
TATIANA/OLGA
I am greatly honoured to be offered
such a chance, but I must say no.
My parents are elderly and they
need my help. I cannot leave Mama
and Papa.
Varna looks with pride her daughter.
VARNA
She is such a good daughter. She
looks out for her Mama and Papa.
She learns quickly, she will be
wonderful.
Tatiana/Olga looks surprised at her mother.
TATIANA/OLGA
You want me to go with them to
Castle Sethej?
Varna takes Tatiana/Olga a few steps away from Soncha’s
henchwomen.
VARNA
It will be a wonderful opportunity
for you.
41.
CONTINUED:
(MORE)
You can become more than what you
can be here, the wife of tiller of
the soil. Those women will teach
you manners and you will learn how
to be a servant in the Castle. You
can learn so much, you can be so
much.
For a moment, Tatiana/Olga is caught up in her mother’s dream
of a better life for her.
VARNA (cont’d)
And you will earn wages, and
someday, you may… who knows what
you may do?
Tatiana/Olga beams with the pride and love from her mother.
TATIANA/OLGA
I hate to leave you Mama, but it
seems I must. I want you to be
proud of me.
Tatiana/Olga moves back to the three henchwomen.
TATIANA/OLGA (cont’d)
I will go with you. I just need a
moment to gather a few belongings.
Tatiana/Olga runs into the cabin.
Varna looks proudly after her.
ILONA
Three gold coins as promised.
Llona holds out three coins.
Varna looks back towards the three women. For a moment, she
is not sure why Ilona is holding out the money. She takes it.
VARNA
This is not for your money, it is
for her future.
Illona and the two henchwomen look smugly at each other.
DORKO
You have made an excellent decision
for your daughter.
42.
CONTINUED:
VARNA (cont’d)
JANOS
She will prosper and thrive at the
castle.
ILONA
She is your only daughter?
Varna is taken somewhat aback.
VARNA
Yes, how many new servants are you
looking for?
The henchwomen cast sidelong glances at each other.
ILONA
Six. We take on eight new girls
each month, many girls find that
they cannot learn the skills or
they become very homesick and
return to their families. Not all
girls are suitable.
Varna looks worried.
JANOS
But Tatiana/Olga is very beautiful
and she seems very bright. I am
sure that she will have no
difficulties at all.
DORKO
No difficulties at all, she seems
like she was born to be in a
castle, she has such a lovely way
about her.
Varna is swayed by their flattery.
JANOS
Do you know of other families in
these woods that may have daughters
that may wish to take advantage of
this opportunity?
VARNA
The Stavros family, they have nine
children, the oldest three are
girls. The eldest is married, but
the two younger girls, Greta and
Uma, are about Olga’s age.
43.
CONTINUED:
The three henchwomen look interestedly at Varna.
JANOS
Where do we find them?
VARNA
There is a path, behind the cabin,
they are about three hours walk.
When you come to the river, take
the left branch, it leads to their
farm.
The henchwomen look especially impatient to leave.
Varna stops speaking when she realizes that they aren’t
listening to her. She puts the money in her apron pocket.
Tatiana/Olga comes out of the cabin.
TATIANA/OLGA
Oh Mama! I can’t believe that I
will get to see the inside of the
Castle! It’s so exciting! Oh Mama,
I haven’t a chance to say goodbye
to Papa!
Tatiana/Olga is torn, she looks hopefully at the women.
ILONA
We cannot wait.
Tatiana/Olga is distressed.
TATIANA/OLGA
Oh, Mama, what shall I do? Papa…
VARNA
Will understand. I will tell him
everything. We will miss you
darling.
Tatiana/Olga and Varna embrace, tearfully.
VARNA (cont’d)
Just cry happy tears, for the
future.
Tatiana/Olga holds her mother tightly for a moment. She lets
go reluctantly and then turns and leaves with the three
henchwomen.
44.
CONTINUED:
EXT. ROAD BESIDE THE FOREST – LATE AFTERNOON.
Two horses pull an open cart heading towards the distant
castle.
Ilona and Dorko are riding in the driver’s seat. Janos sits
in the back with Tatiana/Olga and GRETA AND UMA STAVROS.
Tatiana/Olga watches the scenery, eyes open with wonderment.
The two sisters huddle together, scared of the wide world
around them.
The cart turns off the main road to the road leading to the
castle.
INT. SERVANT’S BARRACKS IN THE CASTLE – LATE AFTERNOON
The room’s walls are stonework. Two tall windows provide the
only natural light.
Tatiana/Olga, the Stavros sisters and SEVEN OTHER GIRLS
stand, semi-soldier style, near bunks in the large dorm-type
room.
The twelve cots each have a small trunk to hold each girl’s
belongings.
Dorko and Janos stand facing the girls.
DORKO
Janos and I will take you to the
servant’s dinner hall in a moment.
You will then come back here for
sleep. Tomorrow, we will assign
each of you to a servant to learn
your daily tasks from.
JANOS
After a month, you may be assigned
to another post or you will be sent
home. If you are kept on, you will
be taught many skills, someday, any
one of you could be the head
housekeeper or even head of the
kitchen.
Janos and Dorko lead the excited girls out.
45.
INT. COUNTESS ELISABET’S CELL – NIGHT.
Countess Elisabet lays, CRYING, on her bed with Brier Rose.
The doll is lying still.
EXT. STABLES – DAY.
GUSTAV (late teens, stable-groom, handsome) WHISTLES as he
forks hay from a pile into the horse troughs.
Starling birds swoop in the air, occasionally landing on the
rafters to watch Gustav.
Glancing over his shoulder, and seeing no one in the
courtyard through the open door, he lifts the rake as if it
was a two-handed sword.
The Starling birds all land to watch him.
Gustav attempts a thrust and parry with it. He makes a couple
of half-decent swings.
The birds CHIRP encouragingly.
GUSTAV
(to imaginary foes)
Take that Sir Blackheart! And this
for you, Sir –
He lunges with the rake. The rake is too long and he
overextends his reach.
The rake tip catches against a beam and Gustav trips over a
bucket of water and falls to the wet hay strewn floor.
The birds TWITTER.
Tatiana/Olga LAUGHS and enters the stable.
TATIANA/OLGA
You were doing quite well for a
while, perhaps there were just too
many brigands for one knight.
Gustav looks up, embarrassed at being caught. He gets up and
brushes himself off and turns around.
Gustav is struck by TATIANA/OLGA’s beauty and cannot speak.
46.
TATIANA/OLGA (cont’d)
Hi. My name is Olga, I’m new.
They’re teaching me to be a
handmaid, but I snuck away. I’d
much rather work with animals than
be stuck inside a drafty old
castle. It’s not at all what I
thought it would be like.
GUSTAV
(tongue tied)
I-I-I thought you were a Lady from
the castle.
TATIANA/OLGA
(laughs)
Oh no! I only arrived yesterday.
Some women came to my parent’s farm
and offered to take me to the
castle and teach me serving skills.
But I’m probably boring you.
GUSTAV
No! I mean, no, of course not. I
just don’t get to meet girls from
the castle, unless they work in the
kitchen. I just meant, you look
like, a Lady.
TATIANA/OLGA
Really?
GUSTAV
My name is Gustav. I work in the
stables. I’m a groom’s apprentice.
DORKO (OS)
Ol-ga! Ol—ga!
TATIANA/OLGA heads back to the door.
TATIANA/OLGA
I better go.
Gustav smiles bravely.
GUSTAV
Perhaps I’ll see you if you work in
the kitchen.
47.
CONTINUED:
TATIANA/OLGA
Yes, I’d like that very much. Maybe
I’ll ask if I can work there.
Tatiana/Olga exits.
Gustav moves to the doorway and watches her cross the
courtyard.
Dorko takes her by the arm and leads her inside the Castle
through the kitchen.
INT. CASTLE HALLWAY – DAY
Tatiana/Olga and Greta Stavros are scrubbing the floor.
A small bluebird appears in the Archer window. The bird
CHIRPS.
Tatiana/Olga sits back and imitates the bird. The bird flies
off.
Tatiana/Olga watches the bird for a moment, then returns to
her scrubbing.
Greta looks startled at Tatiana/Olga.
GRETA STAVROS
You can call birds?
TATIANA/OLGA
If you listen to them long enough,
you can learn to sound like them.
GRETA STAVROS
Sing like a bird again, make it
come back, please?
Tatiana/Olga SINGS a love song about finding your true love.
SONG CONTINUES OVER:
INT. DUNGEON CELL – DAY
Countess Elisabet sits despondently on her cot.
A tray of uneaten food sits on the floor by the door of her
cell. The doll rests on the bed beside Countess Elisabet.
Soncha appears at the bars, the Corgi dog at her heel.
48.
CONTINUED:
Countess Elisabet makes no move to hide the doll, but Soncha
doesn’t see it.
A soldier marches a SCARED GIRL passed the cell.
Countess Elisabet doesn’t look up.
Soncha smiles at Elisabet’s broken spirit.
INT. KITCHEN – EARLY EVENING
Tatiana/Olga hands Gustav two pails of food scraps.
Gustav smiles jauntily as he accepts them.
Dorko frowns disapprovingly over Tatiana/Olga’s shoulder at
the pair.
EXT. COURTYARD – MORNING
Tatiana/Olga carries two pails to the stable.
Tomas watches her from horseback, his falcon perches on his
arm.
INT. STABLES – DAY
Gustav leans on the pitch fork, dreamy eyed.
The STABLE MASTER shoves him on the shoulder.
Guiltily, Gustav forks the hay into the horse troughs.
INT. DORMITORY – NIGHT
Tatiana/Olga lies awake in her cot. Around her, the other
girls sleep. Three cots are empty.
INT. KITCHEN. DAY.
Tatiana/Olga is up to her elbows in soapy water in a tub full
of crockery. A tendril of hair falls from her head kerchief.
She blows it out of the way.
Gustav is peering at Tatiana/Olga from the kitchen window.
Tatiana/Olga pretends not to notice him, and smiles.
49.
CONTINUED:
SONG ENDS.
Tomas is watching the pair from the shadows, a scowl on his
face.
Unaware, Tatiana/Olga starts to hum the Garden Tune as she
watches dishes.
Tomas looks at her more closely. He steps out of the shadows.
Gustav, seeing Tomas, sinks beneath the window ledge.
TOMAS
You, girl, what’s your name?
Tatiana/Olga’s body language is subservient.
TATIANA/OLGA
Olga, sir. How can I serve you,
Count Tomas?
TOMAS
You know who I am?
TATIANA/OLGA
Yes, I’ve seen you ride with the
soldiers.
Tomas swells with pride as he looks imperiously down at
Tatiana/Olga.
Tatiana/Olga’s blank expression, reflecting in Tomas’ brown
eyes, turns to a very mild smirk.
Tomas’ eyes narrow in a flash of peevish anger, which turns
into a cold dread. Tomas takes a step away from Tatiana/Olga.
TOMAS
You should be more respectful of
your betters.
Tomas steps towards her, hand raised to strike her.
Tatiana/Olga cringes away from Tomas.
Gustav rushes in.
Tomas sizes up the stronger boy and sneers. He lowers his
hand.
50.
CONTINUED:
TOMAS (cont’d)
You will regret interfering, stable
boy.
Tomas exits before Tatiana/Olga can react.
GUSTAV
Are you alright?
TATIANA/OLGA
Yes, I’m not sure why he changed
like that. He frightens me.
Tatiana/Olga moves close to Gustav. Instinctively, he hugs
her.
GUSTAV
You should stay away from the young
count, he is… unpredictable.
TATIANA/OLGA
I’m alright.
Tatiana/Olga steps back reluctantly from Gustav.
TATIANA/OLGA (cont’d)
(shyly)
I better finish this, Mistress
Janos will be very cross.
Gustav steps back, smiling.
GUSTAV
Yes, I should be in the stables.
Gustav hesitates.
GUSTAV (cont’d)
Tomorrow’s Sunday.
TATIANA/OLGA
Yes.
GUSTAV
I was thinking, that a picnic, near
the forest, would be a fine thing.
Tatiana/Olga smiles.
TATIANA/OLGA
Yes, it would, what will you be
preparing?
51.
CONTINUED:
Gustav coughs. Tatiana/Olga LAUGHS. Gustav is enchanted.
TATIANA/OLGA (cont’d)
I’m sure that I can find something
for a picnic basket.
Gustav almost bursts with happiness as he strides manfully
from the kitchen.
Tatiana/Olga’s face is troubled as she returns to her chore.
INT. COUNTESS ELISABET’S CELL – DAY
Greta Stavros carries a tray of food into the cell.
Countess Elisabet is near the window, WHISTLING to a Blue
Jay.
Greta Stavros watches with fascination as the Blue Jay hops
down to the ledge to take the bit of bread from Countess
Elisabet’s hand.
GRETA STAVROS
There’s a servant girl, Olga, who
can sing the birds from the trees,
too. Is it magic?
COUNTESS ELISABET
No, its just practice, if you
listen to the birds long enough,
you can learn their songs.
GRETA STAVROS
That’s what Olga said, too!
COUNTESS ELISABET
Olga is a very wise servant woman.
GRETA STAVROS
Olga’s my age, a girl.
COUNTESS ELISABET.
Really? I should like to meet her,
that’s a very wise observation for
one so young.
GRETA STAVROS
She can bring your breakfast. We’re
both in the kitchen this month.
52.
CONTINUED:
COUNTESS ELISABET
Are there many servant girls in the
kitchen?
GRETA STAVROS
There’s eight of us, four were sent
home, we were told they weren’t
working out, but they were hard
workers. I don’t understand why
they are gone.
COUNTESS ELISABET
Sent home?
GRETA STAVROS
The three women who brought us,
said that Countess Soncha was
accepting girls to train to be
servants, if we didn’t work out,
we’d be sent home. But if we did
our chores well, we would get to
learn many skills.
COUNTESS ELISABET
And you’re sure they were sent
home?
GRETA STAVROS
I didn’t see them off, but where
else could they be?
Countess Elisabet glances down the stone hallway.
Greta follows her gaze, but is confused by Countess
Elisabet’s concern.
COUNTESS ELISABET
Of course, where else could they
be.
EXT. MEADOW ON EDGE OF FOREST. DAY.
Tatiana/Olga and Gustav are enjoying a picnic.
Tomas’ falcon flies overhead.
Tatiana/Olga SINGS a romantic ballad of finding your true
love.
Gustav TRIES TO SING with her on the chorus, but he gets the
words wrong.
53.
CONTINUED:
In the distance, Count Aleksander leads a troop of soldiers
away from the castle.
Tatiana/Olga and Gustav dance as they finish the song.
They kiss very tenderly.
INT. CASTLE LIBRARY. DAY.
The room is huge and filled with floor to ceiling bookcases,
holding a vast library. A comfortable reading area with
lounging couches.
Soncha is reading, while Greta Stavros waits in attendance on
her.
The Corgi dog lays on a pillow, an array of meaty treats in
silver bowls around him.
Tomas enters.
TOMAS
Mother, I must speak with you.
SONCHA
Tomas, I’ve told you, I don’t want
you riding in your father’s raids.
Tomas’ eye flit to Greta Stavros.
TOMAS
Servant, fetch some tea from the
kitchen.
Soncha smiles slightly at her son’s imperious behavior.
Greta hesitates and looks to Soncha for guidance.
Soncha waves the girl off.
Greta Stavros moves gracefully and quickly away, her relief
evident on her face.
SONCHA
What is so important?
TOMAS
Tatiana.
SONCHA
Who is she?
54.
CONTINUED:
TOMAS
The lost countess.
SONCHA
How can she be important?
TOMAS
I think she’s the servant girl,
Olga. From the kitchen. She’s the
right age.
SONCHA
Many of the servant girls are the
same age that your poor cousin
would have been, had she lived.
TOMAS
She looks like Aunt Elisabet. And
there’s the song.
SONCHA
What song?
TOMAS
Aunt Elisabet’s song. Olga was
humming it.
SONCHA
Perhaps she heard Elisabet singing?
In the courtyard?
TOMAS
Maybe. I don’t think so. She didn’t
have quiet the right words, and,
well, she just doesn’t seem like a
proper servant.
SONCHA
She bears watching, but I cannot
pay too much attention to servants,
Tomas.
Tomas looks disappointed.
TOMAS
She might be her. Only scraps of a
dress were found. She might have
lived.
Soncha sizes her son up, and finds him acceptable.
55.
CONTINUED:
SONCHA
You could watch her, Tomas. You’d
need to be careful. I need to know
if she is the lost countess. Let me
know everything that you find out.
It’s important.
Tomas’ swells with the importance of his new task.
TOMAS
I will not fail you, mother.
SONCHA
Your future depends on it.
Tomas bows gracelessly to his mother.
WISTFUL ROMANTIC
SONG PLAYS OVER:
INT. STABLES. EARLY EVENING.
Tatiana/Olga and Gustav are sitting in hay, eating a light
dinner of cold meat, cheese and bread.
Tomas spies on them from a horse stall.
The ELDERLY HORSE chews hay, looking at Tomas’ back.
INT. CASTLE HALLWAY. DAY.
Tatiana/Olga washes stone floors, she HUMS AND SINGS as she
works.
Tomas hides behind a suit of armor.
Tatiana/Olga looks covertly over her shoulder at him, and
continues working.
INT. KITCHEN. DAY.
Tatiana/Olga finishes scrubbing pots. She puts together a
tray of cold food. She hides some extra vegetables in the
pocket of her apron.
Tomas enters imperiously and orders her to prepare an extra
plate for himself.
56.
CONTINUED:
Tatiana/Olga leaves the prepared tray and hurries to heat
some food for Tomas.
Greta Stavros enters, sees Tatiana/Olga is detained; she
takes the tray of cold food.
INT. STABLES. EARLY EVENING.
Gustav works in the stables. He hears a sound of someone
entering and looks to see if it’s Tatiana/Olga.
Tomas, hooded falcon on his arm, enters.
Gustav become subservient and moves quickly to saddle a horse
for Tomas.
Tatiana/Olga arrives with a basket, but seeing Tomas, she
exits unnoticed.
INT. KITCHEN. MORNING.
Tatiana/Olga takes a prepared tray from Greta Stavros, and
pockets some raw vegetables in her apron.
EXT. COURTYARD. MORNING.
Tatiana/Olga crosses the busy market.
SONG FINISHES
A CRASH OF HOOFBEATS. Count Aleskander leads a large TROOP
MOUNTED SOLDIERS out of the courtyard and through the gates.
General Darvo, in civilian clothes, bitterly watches them
leave.
Tatiano/Olga crosses in front of him, humming the tune of
Countess Elisabet’s song.
Darvo does a double take at Tatiana/Olga, and starts to
follow her, when he is waylaid by a CHEESE MERCHANT.
INT. COUNTESS ELISABET’S CELL. DAY.
Tatiana/Olga approaches the cell door fearfully.
57.
CONTINUED:
Countess Elisabet rises from her bed and approaches the cell
door, fearful to believe her eyes that this girl is her lost
daughter.
COUNTESS ELISABET
You are Olga?
Tatiana/Olga nods, afraid.
COUNTESS ELISABET (cont’d)
You don’t need to be afraid, I
would never harm you.
TATIANA/OLGA
Aren’t you imprisoned for being a
witch?
COUNTESS ELISABET
No, I am imprisoned for my throne.
TATIANA/OLGA
I have brought your dinner, and
Greta asked me to bring you this.
Tatiana/Olga shifts the tray and fishes the vegetables out of
her apron pocket. She holds them out to Countess Elisabet.
Countess Elisabet hesitates for just a moment, and then her
old, trembling hands, brush Tatiana/Olga’s young fingers as
she gratefully takes the extra food.
Tatiana/Olga slips the tray in the slot at the cell floor.
The hedgehog trundles out from under Countess’ Elisabet’s bed
towards the food tray.
Countess Elisabet puts the raw vegetables in it’s path and
the hedgehog stops to eat.
TATIANA/OLGA (cont’d)
Greta told me that you had a funny
little friend.
COUNTESS ELISABET
It’s a hedgehog, he roams around,
and then he visits me.
TATIANA/OLGA
Do you talk to him?
58.
CONTINUED:
COUNTESS ELISABET
Yes, but he doesn’t answer back.
Will you bring me my dinner again?
TATIANA/OLGA
If I get assigned the job, I may be
transferred out of the kitchen
soon.
COUNTESS ELISABET
This is not a safe place for you.
TATIANA/OLGA
The kitchen? It’s not what I had
hoped for when I came.
COUNTESS ELISABET
The castle is not safe, as much as
I want to see you again, I must
counsel you to flee as soon as
possible, and don’t come back here.
TATIANA/OLGA
But I am treated and paid as well
as can be expected. My parents will
be very disappointed if I run away.
Countess Elisabet steps closer to the bars.
Tatiana/Olga moves an equal distance back. She looks over her
shoulder at the GUARD standing down the hallway.
Countess Elisabet, saddened, moves farther away from the
bars.
COUNTESS ELISABET
Olga, please, do not fear me, it
will break my heart.
TATIANA/OLGA
Why? I am just a servant.
COUNTESS ELISABET
I cannot explain right now, but you
must trust me. It is not safe for
any young girl, you must stay away
from Countess Soncha, for she is a
dark witch.
Tatiana/Olga moves closer to the bars.
59.
CONTINUED:
TATIANA/OLGA
Are you sure?
COUNTESS ELISABET
Yes, I have known the Countess
Soncha for a long time. She can be
most honest with me now, as I can
do nothing to stop her.
Tatiana/Olga looks hard at Countess Elisabet, confused.
TATIANA/OLGA
How can I know that what you say is
the truth?
COUNTESS ELISABET
What have I got to gain by lying? I
will still be here whether you go
or stay. I am guarded all the time,
and I would never allow you to take
any risk to save me.
Tatiana/Olga moves close to the bars.
TATIANA/OLGA
But you are imprisoned for
murdering the young Countess
Tatiana, why would you not harm me?
COUNTESS ELISABET
I would never harm my own daughter,
it was Soncha, disguised as a hag,
who came upon my daughter and I,
while we picnicked.
Tatiana/Olga reacts to the word picnic.
COUNTESS ELISABET (cont’d)
(carefully prodding)
She cast a spell to summon a great
windstorm, and Tatiana was taken
from me. I was unable to save her,
but, now, I can save you. If you
will let me.
Countess Elisabet holds our her hand to Tatiana/Olga.
Tatiana/Olga looks at it carefully, and then places her hands
in Countess Elisabet’s.
60.
CONTINUED:
TATIANA/OLGA
You seem so familiar to me, almost,
like a memory.
Countess Elisabet moves closer to the bars, and slips her
hand over Tatiana/Olga’s hand.
Tatiana/Olga seems to be in a trance.
COUNTESS ELISABET
What is your earliest memory?
TATIANA/OLGA
I remember, my mother, holding me,
I’d had a bad dream.
COUNTESS ELISABET
What was the dream?
TATIANA/OLGA
(trancelike)
I was near the woods, a picnic, I
think. I remember birds singing,
and a lady, a beautiful lady
singing to them.
COUNTESS ELISABET
Go on.
TATIANA/OLGA
And then, an old woman, a mean old
woman, there was an argument, and
then a windstorm. I was pulled into
the air, tossed about, over
treetops, over the birds even.
(frightened)
And then, the ground, rushing up at
me.
(out of the trance)
Then I remember nothing, just
waking in the bed, in the dark, and
my mother with me.
Countess Elisabet rubs Tatiana/Olga’s hand soothingly.
Countess Elisabet SINGS the song from the picnic.
Tatiana/Olga looks quizzically at Countess Elisabet and HUMS
along.
They Both SING a verse together.
61.
CONTINUED:
TATIANA/OLGA (cont’d)
How do you know that song?
COUNTESS ELISABET
Because I taught it to you, that
was no dream, you are Tatiana, the
lost countess, my daughter.
Tatiana/Olga’s trance state ends abruptly.
TATIANA/OLGA
Me? The lost countess? But I’m a
peasant!
Tatiana/Olga steps back from the bars.
COUNTESS ELISABET
No, you are Tatiana, my daughter. I
knew it the moment I saw you. Wait,
I have something for you.
Countess Elisabet goes back to her cot, and pulls Bier Rose
from her hiding place. She crosses back to the bars and hands
the grown up doll to Tatiana/Olga.
Tatiana/Olga takes the doll and looks at it, it’s almost
familiar to her.
COUNTESS ELISABET (cont’d)
It’s your doll, Bier Rose.
TATIANA/OLGA
Bier Rose?
Tatiana/Olga looks closely at the doll.
TATIANA/OLGA (cont’d)
This isn’t right, Bier Rose was a
baby doll, a small child, this is
an adult doll.
Countess Elisabet claps her hands and smiles.
COUNTESS ELISABET
Tatiana, the doll is you, I cast a
spell on it, binding the doll to
you, so I would know that you were
safe.
TATIANA/OLGA
So you are a witch then?
62.
CONTINUED:
COUNTESS ELISABET
Yes, but not a dark one. The spell
stopped working when you came to
the castle as a servant.
(crying with joy)
At first, at first when it stopped,
I thought that you had died, but I
guess that because I could see you,
the spell was completed, don’t you
see, you recognized the doll.
TATIANA/OLGA
I am a countess?
COUNTESS ELISABET
You are my Tatiana!
TATIANA/OLGA
Varna and Pieter are not my
parents, the wind dream, was not a
dream? And you are my mother? I am
a countess.
Countess Elisabet reaches her hands out from the bars,
Tatiana/Olga grasps her hands. They CRY JOYFULLY.
COUNTESS ELISABET
It’s why you must leave, this place
is dangerous for all the servant
girls, but especially for you.
TATIANA/OLGA
But, I’m Tatiana, we must go to
Count Aleksander, he will let you
out, you needn’t be imprisoned!
COUNTESS ELISABET
Soncha wants power, she can never
let me escape, and your life is
worth more than my throne. You must
flee.
TATIANA/OLGA
I cannot let you remain here. I
will find a way to free you,
Mother.
Countess Elisabet touches Tatiana/Olga’s cheek tenderly.
63.
CONTINUED:
COUNTESS ELISABET
Please, Tatiana, you must leave
here.
Tatiana/Olga looks away at the guard. She turns back to her
mother, blushing slightly.
TATIANA/OLGA
There’s a boy…
Countess Elisabet looks wistfully at her daughter.
COUNTESS ELISABET
So much time, and so much lost
between us, I want nothing more
than to be a mother to you, my
Tatiana, perhaps it’s best if you
and this boy…
TATIANA/OLGA
(seeking approval)
Gustav, he works in the stables.
Countess Elisabet smiles.
COUNTESS ELISABET
Perhaps you and Gustav can leave
together.
TATIANA/OLGA
I was thinking that somehow, he
could help me free you.
Tatiana/Olga steps away from the bars.
Countess Elisabet watches her walk away down the corridor.
INT. STABLES, HAYLOFT. – NIGHT
Tatiana/Olga and Gustav sit together in an empty stall.
Gustav sits apart from Tatiana/Olga and looks unhappy.
Gustav’s vocal tone and behavior is more deferential to
Tatiana/Olga’s new found position.
GUSTAV
I’m not sure what to do.
64.
CONTINUED:
TATIANA/OLGA
Tell me what you know about Count
Aleksander. Is he a fair man?
GUSTAV
Not fair enough to turn over his
throne on your word. Besides…
TATIANA/OLGA
I have no proof, just a faint
memory of a picnic and the word of
my mother in jail.
GUSTAV
Count Aleksander left this morning
with a lot of soldiers on a raid.
GROUND LEVEL STABLES
Tomas enters.
He looks around the groom tack room, but Gustav’s cot is
empty.
HAYLOFT
Tatiana/Olga is standing and posing regally.
TATIANA/OLGA
You thought I was a Lady from the
castle when you first met me, isn’t
it funny how you were right?
GROUND LEVEL STABLES
Tomas stops moving and strains to listen.
HAYLOFT
Gustav looks miserably at Tatiana/Olga.
GUSTAV
Olga, I mean, Tatiana, are you sure
that we shouldn’t just run away,
like your mother said?
65.
CONTINUED:
TATIANA/OLGA
I can’t leave her now, and, I don’t
want to leave this. This is where I
belong, were I was meant to be.
(excited)
Varna and Pieter! I can bring them
here, they’d be so happy.
GUSTAV
(hiding his breaking
heart)
Perhaps General Davros, he was
Captain of the Guards for your
father.
GROUND LEVEL STABLES
Tomas, over excited by overhearing their plans, runs to the
door, tripping over the pitchfork.
He scrambles to his feet and exits.
HAYLOFT
Tatiana/Olga and Gustav race to the ladder in time to see
Tomas’ exiting form.
They exchange a look of terror, and then scramble down the
ladder.
EXT. COURTYARD. NIGHT
Tomas runs across the courtyard into the castle.
Tatiana/Olga and Gustav run after him. Gustav grabs
Tatiana/Olga’s arm as Tomas disappears in the entranceway.
Gustav veers them away from the castle and heads down a
street off the courtyard lined with cottages.
Tatiana/Olga, her arm still held by Gustav, has little choice
but to follow.
EXT. COTTAGE STREET. NIGHT
Tatiana/Olga and Gustav jog down the cobbled street of modest
cottages. They stop at a well maintained cottage.
Gustav swallows and approaches the door. He KNOCKS.
66.
CONTINUED:
Tatiana/Olga approaches the door.
Darvo, dressed in civilian peasant clothes, opens the door.
DARVO
Can I help you?
Darvo looks at Gustav.
GUSTAV
Please, sir, you have to help us.
DARVO
What help can I be? I am no longer
a soldier.
TATIANA/OLGA
Because, you were loyal to my
father, Count Feydric.
Darvo steps out of the house to look more closely at the
Tatiana/Olga.
DARVO
Your father? Count Feydric had only
one child, and she died fifteen
years ago.
TATIANA/OLGA
No, I am Tatiana, you must help my
mother, Elisabet, in the dungeon.
Please.
INT. SONCHA’S DRESSING ROOM. NIGHT.
Tomas waits impatiently.
The corgi dog struts into the room, and sits on a large
raised pillow.
EXT. DARVO’S COTTAGE
GUSTAV
There’s no time, Tomas knows, he’ll
be sending guards for Olga, I mean
Tatiana, she’s in danger, please,
General Darvo!
Darvo looks at the pair of them – earnest and desperately
afraid. He looks up the quiet street to the castle.
67.
CONTINUED:
DARVO
Better come inside.
INT. SONCHA’S DRESSING ROOM. AS BEFORE
Soncha, regal in her dressing gown, enters.
Tomas stands at attention, almost bursting with the effort to
be disciplined.
Soncha takes her time to sit.
SONCHA
What is it, Tomas?
TOMAS
The servant girl, Olga, is Tatiana,
she’s planning to over throw you!
Soncha raises her hand.
SONCHA
How?
TOMAS
I heard them say…
SONCHA
Them? Who is helping her?
TOMAS
Some stable boy, but
SONCHA
(laughing)
A peasant girl and a stable boy?
TOMAS
They are going to General Darvo.
Soncha stops laughing.
SONCHA
He won’t be of any use, your father
released him from duties this
morning.
INT. DARVO’S COTTAGE – CONTINUOUS
Darvo steps back from the hearth.
Tatiana/Olga and Gustav sit on the ground.
68.
CONTINUED:
Darvo sized Tatiana/Olga up.
DARVO
You look like the Countess
Elisabet, when she was young, but
what proof do you have?
Tatiana/Olga pulls the doll, Brier Rose, from her apron
pocket.
Darvo takes it. He looks up at Tatiana/Olga.
DARVO (CONT’D)
Where did you get this?
TATIANA/OLGA
I took the Countess Elisabet her
breakfast, we talked. She asked me
many things about my early
memories, and she showed me this
doll. I told her that it couldn’t
be mine because
(crying)
Brier Rose had been a baby doll,
and this was a grown up doll.
DARVO
And the song, I heard you singing
in the courtyard, I thought that I
had misheard you. I never believed
that you were gone, Countess
Tatiana.
GUSTAV
But we have to flee, Olga’s, I
mean, Tatiana’s in danger. Count
Tomas knows, he’ll be telling his
mother…
Darvo stands. He takes the heavy sword from it’s stand in the
corner.
DARVO
Right, we’ll have to free Elisabet.
GUSTAV
The three of us?
69.
CONTINUED:
DARVO
There are many men in these
cottages who remember when Count
Feydric and Countess Elisabet ruled
here. Good men. We’ll round them
up.
Gustava and Tatiana/Olga stand, enthusiastically.
DARVO (CONT’D)
Now, you two will have to enter the
castle and free Countess Elisabet,
while I round up some men.
Shouldn’t need too many, Aleksander
took most of the garrison on a
raid, most of the men left behind
will probably join us. But we’ll
have to move quickly.
Darvo gets up and searches a trunk in the corner.
GUSTAV
How do we free the Countess?
Darvo pulls out a short sword and hands it to Gustav.
DARVO
Use the secret passages.
Gustav and Tatiana/Olga look blankly at each other.
DARVO (CONT’D)
You don’t know the secret passages?
Gustav and Tatiana/Olga shake their heads “no”.
Darvo leans forward.
DARVO (CONT’D)
You go in the west entrance….
EXT. COTTAGE STREET. LATER
Darvo makes his way up the street, knocking on doors and
whispering to the occupants.
Gustav and Tatiana/Olga move quietly towards the castle.
70.
CONTINUED:
INT. SONCHA’S DRESSING ROOM. AS BEFORE
SONCHA
Get your falcon, I have to gt as
message to your father.
TOMAS
Falcons can’t fly at night
SONCHA
Never mind that, get it. Meet me in
my tower chamber.
Tell the Captain of the Guards to be on alert, we need to
arrest that servant girl and anyone who’s with her, and I
only want her alive.
Tomas swallows hard, nods yes, bows and then exits.
EXT. WEST TOWER. CONTINUOUS
Tatiana/Olga and Gustav crawl through some bushes.
Gustav stops. He takes a deep breath.
GUSTAV
Countess…
Tatiana/Olga keeps crawling.
GUSTAV (CONT’D)
Countess..
Tatiana/Olga keeps crawling.
GUSTAV (CONT’D)
Olga.
Tatiana/Olga stops and turns to look back.
TATIANA/OLGA
Sorry, not really used to being
called that.
Gustav closes the gap.
GUSTAV
I need to tell you, before we do
this, because afterwards…
71.
TATIANA/OLGA
We don’t have time, there’ll be
time later, or we’ll be imprisoned
and whatever it is won’t matter.
GUSTAV
It will matter, because, right now,
we’re the same, and after, after we
won’t be.
TATIANA/OLGA
Whatever are you talking about,
Gustav?
GUSTAV
That you’ll always be Olga, the
kitchen servant to me, and I love
you. When you’re countess…
Gustav looks helplessly at Tatiana/Olga.
Tatiana/Olga smiles at him, understanding. Her eyes water.
TATIANA/OLGA
We have to rescue my mother,
Gustav, and, after, I don’t care
about being a countess. I don’t
think I care much for castle life.
Gustav beams.
GUSTAV
Well, we’ve got to rescue Countess
Elisabet. Darvo said that the
entrance should be…
Gustav starts to push on several promising bricks.
A secret door, only tall enough to crawl through, opens up.
Gustav and Tatiana/Olga look at each other in a little
surprise, but also eagerness for the adventure.
Tatiana/Olga pokes her head in.
GUSTAV (cont’d)
Do you want me to go first?
72.
CONTINUED:
TATIANA/OLGA
No, I will, that way, if
something’s wrong, you can pull me
back out. We have to climb down a
bit.
Tatiana/Olga swings her feet into the opening and drops out
of sight.
Gustav waits a breathless moment.
TATIANA/OLGA (OS) (CONT’D)
It’s okay!
Gustav drops a small bundle of torches and a tinder box down
to Tatiana/Olga.
Gustav pulls the bushes a little closer to conceal the
opening.
Gustav follows Tatiana/Olga.
INT. SONCHA’S SECRET CHAMBER – CONTINUOUS
Soncha prepares a spell potion.
Tomas stands fearfully with the hooded falcon on his arm.
Soncha beckons him to bring the bird forward.
Reluctantly, Tomas steps forward as he strokes the falcon’s
chest.
Soncha takes the falcon and places it on a perch.
The falcon waits patiently.
SONCHA
Morgla vorthsas kendu feeklum
Keless meshara loess vonder klein
Soncha drips some of the potion on the falcon.
She quickly sets down the vile and removes the falcon’s hood.
The Falcon moves to fly off the perch, when blue-grey smoke
billows around it thickly.
An Owl emerges from the cloud, which quickly dissipates.
The Owl lands on the perch.
73.
CONTINUED:
Tomas steps back in fear.
Soncha ignores him as she ties a small leather parchment case
to the Owl’s leg.
The Owl hops onto Soncha’s arm.
Soncha moves to the window.
SONCHA (cont’d)
Find Feydric.
The Owl seems to nod and disappears out the window.
Soncha notice’s Tomas’ stricken face.
SONCHA (cont’d)
Don’t worry, he’ll be a falcon
again at sunrise.
Relief floods Tomas’ face.
SONCHA (cont’d)
No, did you alert the Captain of
the Guards? We need to attend to
the other matters.
TOMAS
Yes, mother.
EXT. COURTYARD. CONTINUOUS
Darvo, long sword in hand, stands at the head of a growing
crowd of ex-soldiers, peasants, farmers and merchants.
Some gate guards come halfway towards the crowd from the
castle.
DARVO
We must de-throne Aleksander and
Soncha, who have led us into war
with our neighbours!
Crowd CHEERS, but there are some dissenting voices.
DARVO (CONT’D)
We must seize this opportunity to
return to more prosperous and
peaceful times!
MAN IN CROWD
But who would rule?
74.
CONTINUED:
DARVO
We would restore, Countess
Elisabet!
VOICES IN THE CROWD
That witch?
She murdered Tatiana
Smatterings of Cheering
DARVO
Tatiana lives! I have spoken with
her! She has returned to the
castle, and many of you know her as
the servant, Olga.
VOICES IN CROWD
gasps
Ad libs
cheers
How can that be?
cheers
there was something about her
gasps
DARVO
The garrison is away, we can take
the castle and summon help, but we
must move now!
One of the guards runs into the castle. One moves into the
crowd to join them.
VOICES IN THE CROWD
Take up arms!
To the castle!
Cheering
The crowd begins to move forward.
Darvo pulls a young boy from the crowd.
DARVO
Go to the village, spread the word.
The boy nods and runs towards the gate house.
INT. DUNGEON HALLWAY. CONTINUOUS
Tatiana/Olga, carrying a torch, and Darvo, holding out the
short sword, move through the empty passageway.
They come to a dead end.
75.
CONTINUED:
Tatiana/Olga feels around for the release brick, and a
doorway opens.
SONCHA’S TORTURE CHAMBER.
Tatiana/Olga and Gustav enter.
Greta Stavros sits miserably in a heap in the corner in a
large cage.
TATIANA/OLGA
Greta!
Greta stands, unsteadily, and reaches for Tatiana/Olga.
Tatiana/Olga grabs her. The two embrace.
Greta WEEPS.
GRETA STAVROS
I thought…
TATIANA/OLGA
You’re safe now, we’ll take you
away with us.
GRETA STAVROS
But my sister…
TATIANA/OLGA
Was she brought here?
GRETA STAVROS
No, she’s still in the servant’s
quarters.
GUSTAV
Olga, we can’t stay here. Greta, we
are going to free Countess
Elisabet.
Greta notices the short sword.
GRETA STAVROS
You can’t leave me.
GUSTAV
I didn’t mean that, you can come
with us, or follow that hallway -
it leads to western tower. You can
leave the castle from there.
76.
CONTINUED:
Greta looks at Tatiana/Olga and then to the open secret
entrance.
GRETA STAVROS
I’ll go with you. Countess Elisabet
isn’t far from here, I was taken
passed her cell when the guards
brought me here.
TATIANA/OLGA
Show us the way.
The three exit the torture chamber.
EXT. COURTYARD
Darvo leads the peasants into a revolt against the few
remaining GUARDS.
Some of the guards have joined the revolt.
The peasants fight their way into the castle.
EXT. COUNTRYSIDE. NIGHT
The Owl flies over a forest.
In the distance, there are flickering lights from campfires
and troops bedded down for the night.
INT. HALLWAY OUTSIDE COUNTESS ELISABET’S CELL
A RUNNING GUARD (young) enters the hall.
RUNNING GUARD
A revolt! The peasants are
revolting!
The CELL GUARD (older man) jumps to his feet.
ELISABET’S CELL
Elisabet wakes up. She lies still.
77.
CONTINUED:
HALLWAY OUTSIDE COUNTESS ELISABET’S CELL
CELL GUARD
What? A revolt?
RUNNING GUARD
Darvo is leading a revolt, every
sword is needed.
The cell guard draws his sword.
CELL GUARD
Needed for which side?
The Running Guard stops short.
RUNNING GUARD
To protect the castle, from the
revolt.
ELISABET’S CELL
Elisabet watches the shadow’s on the wall as the cell guard
steps forward and runs the younger man through.
HALLWAY OUTSIDE COUNTESS ELISABET’S CELL
The Running Guard lies dead.
The Cell Guard pulls the ring of keys and moves towards
Elisabet’s cell door.
ELISABET’S CELL
Countess Elisabet gets out of bed, pulling her blanket around
herself.
The Cell Guard looks at her.
CELL GUARD
I never believed that you harmed
the young countess.
Elisabet smiles.
78.
HALLWAY OUTSIDE COUNTESS ELISABET’S CELL
Gustav, Tatiana/Olga and Greta come around the corner.
Gustav waves the short sword menacingly at the Cell Guard.
Greta GASPS when she sees the dead running guard.
GUSTAV
Step away from the cell.
The Cell Guard turns, drawing his sword.
CELL GUARD
Who are you?
GUSTAV
I am Gustav, and we’re here to
rescue the Countess.
The cell door opens and Countess Elisabet steps out.
COUNTESS ELISABET
Thank you, Gustav, we are all
friends here. Lower your swords.
The Cell Guard sheaths his sword, Gustav lowers his.
Tatiana/Olga runs forward and embraces Countess Elisabet.
Countess Elisabet smiles at the Cell Guard.
COUNTESS ELISABET (CONT’D)
You were right, this is Tatiana.
Greta stares at Tatiana/Olga.
GRETA STAVROS
But, Pieter, Varna…
Tatiana/Olga looks a bit sheepish at Greta Stavros.
TATIANA/OLGA
They raised me, they found me when
I was little, and lost. But I am
Tatiana.
Cell Guard looks sweetly at Tatiana/Olga.
79.
CELL GUARD
We’d better get out of here, and
outside of the castle grounds, we
don’t want to get caught in the
melee. How did you get in here?
GUSTAV
Davro told us about a secret
passage, it’s this way.
They start to move down the hall.
COUNTESS ELISABET
I need some clothes, I’ll get them
and change later.
Countess Elisabet heads back into her cell.
Greta Stavros looks at Gustav. Gustav looks at the ground.
Tatiana/Olga watches the cell door and glances down the hall,
over the body of the Running Guard.
TATIANA/OLGA
We should put him in the cell, to
make it look like my mother is
still inside. Gustav, put on his
uniform.
Cell guard smiles. Countess Elisabet appears in the cell
door, holding a bundle of clothes.
CELL GUARD
She takes after the late Count
Feydric – or is he planning to turn
up this night?
Countess Elisabet looks at Tatiana/Olga with a mix of pride
and sadness.
COUNTESS ELISABET
I’m afraid Feydric is truly lost to
us.
Gustav and the Cell Guard drag the body of the running guard
into the cell.
Great, Countess Elisabet and Tatiana/Olga head back to the
torture chamber.
80.
CONTINUED:
INT. SONCHA’S SECRET TOWER CHAMBER.
Soncha watches out the window as the last of the peasant
revolt enters the castle.
INT. INSIDE CASTLE.
Davros and the peasant revolt are beating back the guards.
EXT. COUNTRYSIDE.
Count Aleksander reads a parchment.
The Owl perches on a SENTRY’S arm.
COUNT ALEKSANDER
Captain! Rouse the troops! The
castle is under attack!
EXT. WEST TOWER. CONTINOUS
Cell Guard, Greta Stavros, Tatiana/Olga, Countess Elisabet
and then Gustav emerge from the secret opening.
Tatiana/Olga touches the brick that closes the secret door,
sealing the entrance.
Greta Stavros watches in wonder.
GUSTAV
This way, to the stables!
The party hugs the shadows and makes their way across the
courtyard to the stables.
INT. SONCHA’S SECRET TOWER CHAMBER. CONTINUOUS
Soncha uses a magical spy glass and sees Count Aleksander
leading the troops back to the castle.
INT. GREAT HALL. CONTINUOUS
The last of the defenders falls.
Davros, bloodied from battle, raises his sword and CHEERS.
81.
The Crowd CHEERS.
Tomas slinks in the shadows, pretending to belong to the
crowd, makes his way to the exit and into the courtyard.
DAVROS
We must free the Countess Elisabet
and find Soncha.
CROWD
Ad libs
Long Live Countess Elisabet
Death to Soncha!
Davors waves for silence.
DAVROS
We need to set a watch for Count
Aleksander’s return. And runners to
the surrounding villages.
Davros moves into the crowd, selecting his captains from the
retired soldiers and the guards who joined the peasant side.
DAVROS (cont’d)
Alixi, take 5 men and free all the
prisoners, bring Elisabet back
here.
Domik, take 9 men and search the
towers for Soncha, bring her back
here.
Gregor, you get 4 runners and send
them to the villages, spread the
word.
Viktor, you take 30 men, and set up
sentries, we need to know when
Aleksander returns.
Everyone who is not chosen by these
four, return to your homes, take
some food, and rest. There will be
much work tomorrow.
Davros looks suddenly tired. He moves to the throne dais.
He looks up at Count Aleksander’s standard on the wall.
He looks around, and picks up a spear. Moving to the wall,
Davros hurls the spear so that it cuts the standard’s
support.
The fabric flutters to the ground, as the crowd gives a
MIGHTY CHEER.
82.
CONTINUED:
INT. STABLES. CONTINUOUS
The Cell Guard is loading supplies on a small wagon hitched
with two horses.
Gustav is saddling two more horses.
Countess Elisabet, now dressed, and Tatiana/Olga are keeping
watch at the stable door.
Greta Stavros watches out a side window, sneaking occasional
glances at Tatiana/Olga.
A MIGHTY CHEERING, makes them all stop and come to the stable
entrance.
GUSTAV
Do you think it means that we’ve
won?
CELL GUARD
Only one way to find out.
GUSTAV
Which one of us goes? And, in these
uniforms, or not?
TATIANA/OLGA
Neither, I’ll go, a servant won’t
be noticed much by either side.
I’ll go look and come back.
GRETA STAVROS
No, I’ll go, Olga, I mean, Countess
Tatiana, it’s too dangerous.
Tatiana/Olga steps forward and hugs Greta Stavros.
TATIANA/OLGA
Be safe.
GRETA STAVROS
Wait here, if I’m not back in a
quarter of an hour, then assume
that Soncha’s won and you four
flee.
Countess Elisabet and Tatiana/Olga get in the wagon.
Gustav and Cell Guard wait near their horses.
83.
Greta takes a deep breath, and slips into the darkness.
INT. SONCHA’S SECRET TOWER CHAMBER. CONTINUOUS
Soncha watches as Greta Stavros slips across the courtyard.
She uses her spy glass to see into the stable.
Countess Elisabet and Tatiana/Olga are in the wagon.
The Cell Guard is showing Gustav some sword moves.
Soncha lowers the spy glass and scowls.
She looks into it again and sees Davros sitting on the dais
at the foot of the throne.
THREE OF THE FOUR CHOSEN CAPTAINS are reporting to him.
Soncha moves to her spell book, she scans the pages.
She finds the spell she needs.
She grabs some bottles with vile looking contents from the
shelf.
She mixes several drops of liquid together.
SONCHA
Verna pootah scheli morgot
Sigri moomta verix wevershi
Aleksander and 50 troops
Moomata vershfeld kata voom
A plume of smoke boils from the cauldron and moves out the
window.
EXT. COUNTRYSIDE. CONTINUOUS
Count Aleksander rides his horse at the head of 200 troops.
The castle is in the far distance.
COUNT ALEKSANDER
Captain, the castle is not burning,
nor do I see the campfires of our
enemy.
The CAPTAIN strains to look at the Castle, the better part of
a day’s ride away.
84.
CONTINUED:
CAPTAIN
I don’t see any fires either, Count
Aleksander.
COUNT ALEKSANDER
Who, if not an army, has invaded my
castle?
The Captain looks over his should at the THIRD IN COMMAND.
The Third gives the Captain a worried look.
The Captain swallows and turns back to Count Aleksander.
CAPTAIN
Perhaps, Count Aleksander, it was a
peasant revolt?
COUNT ALEKSANDER
Nonsense, why would the peasants
revolt?
Count Aleksander calls a halt.
COUNT ALEKSANDER (cont’d)
Bring me a parchment, a quill and
that owl.
INT. GREAT HALL. CONTINOUS
Davros paces in front of the thrones. He looks tired and
worried.
The the captains wait with him.
There are a few stragglers from the crowd remaining. They are
pulling down all of the banners in the hall.
Greta Stavros enters.
DAVROS
You, girl, who are you?
Greta Stavros stops.
GRETA STAVROS
Please, sir, I am Greta, a serving
girl in the castle, I only wanted
to know what happened.
85.
CONTINUED:
DAVROS
Why do you not already know? Where
have you been?
GRETA STAVROS
I was imprisoned in the dungeon,
I’ve been hiding.
DAVROS
(suspicious)
Seize her.
Three men grab Greta.
Greta is too surprises to resist.
GRETA STAVROS
Please, I don’t mean any harm.
DAVROS
Does anyone here know this girl?
She may be Soncha in disguise, be
careful.
GRETA STAVROS
Please, no, I’m not Soncha, I am
Greta Stavros, my sister, Uma, is
also a servant here, she can tell
you.
The three men tie her up with some of the fallen banners to
Tomas’ throne.
DAVROS
Someone find this servant, Uma.
INT. STABLES. CONTINUOUS
Countess Elisabet and Tatiana/Olga look sadly at the door.
COUNTESS ELISABET
We cannot wait for Greta, we must
leave.
Tatiana/Olga nods in agreement, silent tears for her friend
slipping down her face.
Gustav gives Tatiana/Olga a soft, comforting look.
Gustav and the Cell Guard mount the horses, and they head out
of the stable.
86.
CONTINUED:
EXT. COURTYARD. CONTINUOUS
Tomas watches from behind some greenery as Gustav and Cell
Guard on horses lead Countess Elisabet and Tatiana/Olga in
the loaded wagon.
In the sky, away from the castle, unnoticed high above, a
large purple fog moves west.
Tomas pulls a pouch from his belt. He opens the pouch and
pour out several small globes, each with a swirling fog
inside them.
Tomas throws one of the globes at the wagon.
The globe strikes the ground, just behind the wagon and there
is a flash of light, a plume of flame and a SHRIEKING SOUND.
The horses rear and Countess Elisabet struggles to keep them
under control.
Gustav and Cell Guard dismount and race back to the wagon to
help.
INT. GREAT HALL. CONTINUOUS
SHRIEKING NOISE FROM OUTSIDE
Everyone except for the tied up Greta Stavros runs out of the
hall.
INT. SONCHA’S SECRET CHAMBER. CONTINUOUS
Soncha races back to the window and sees the wagon commotion.
Her eyes narrow with hatred as she sees Countess Elisabet
regain control of the horses.
Soncha SCREAMS – FURY AND PRIMAL.
Soncha climbs onto the window ledge.
SONCHA
Eichtor meik lorrah scheedo korr
flueverga haspra worlo vaz
menglo verdagram teleesh sorgath
Soncha jumps out the window as the transformation spell
begins.
87.
EXT. COUNTRYSIDE. CONTINUOUS
Count Aleksander sends the Owl into the night sky.
The troops begin to move forward as a column.
The purple fog descends on the troops, and Count Aleksander
and the first 50 men, disappear from the road.
The remaining 150 troops panic, and ride off in all
directions in terror.
EXT. COURTYARD. CONTINUOUS
Davros and his troops pour out of the castle.
Countess Elisabet and Tatiana/Olga dismount from the wagon.
Overhead, the WYVERN circles, breathing fire down onto the
cottages, castle and grounds.
The Wyvern flies low, trying to grab Tatiana/Olga.
Gustav waves the short sword menacingly, getting in between
the Wyvern and Tatiana/Olga.
The Wyvern knocks Gustav down, and the short sword lands
several feet away.
The Wyvern flies higher to circle around for another run.
PEASANTS run out of the cottages. PANDEMONIUM – SCREAMING,
CRYING, ETC.
People try to put out fires, make defences against the Wyvern
attacks.
Tatiana/Olga runs to Gustav.
Countess Elisabet moves to help Tatiana/Olga and the two
women drag him towards the castle.
Tomas runs to hide along the castle wall, in a far corner,
away from the attack.
Davros runs around the courtyard, organizing a defence of
archers.
People scramble for weapons and cover.
88.
The Wyvern flies low to the ground, strafing with fire.
At the Gate, a purple fog appears.
From within the fog, Count Aleksander and 50 troops ride into
the courtyard.
They are disoriented for a few moments until they see the
Wyvern.
COUNT ALEKSANDER
Kill the beast! The man who slays
the beast will get his weight in
gold!
Count Aleksander’s troops hesitate, and then ride into the
courtyard to battle the Wyvern.
The Wyvern swoops again, burning several of the troops and
wooden defences.
Several archers find their mark, and the Wyvern is wounded
with several arrows sticking of it’s side.
Countess Elisabet and Tatiana/Olga drag Gustav inside the
castle.
Davros sees them and runs to the castle.
The Wyvern swoops again, breathing more fire into the
courtyard.
The troops and other defenders fire arrows and other
projectiles at the Wyvern.
INT. CASTLE. CONTINOUS
Countess Elisabet and Tatiana/Olga lay the unconscious Gustav
on the floor.
Tatiana/Olga looks helplessly at Countess Elisabet.
Countess Elisabet pulls Gustav’s shirt open.
Gustav’s shoulder is discolored and swollen.
Darvo enters.
DARVO
Countess Elisabet?
89.
CONTINUED:
Countess Elisabet turns and moves to Darvo. They embrace as
old friends.
COUNTESS ELISABET
General Darvo, I would like to
present my daughter, Countess
Tatiana.
Darvo smiles warmly.
DARVO
As much as I appreciate the
introduction, and to explain that
we have met, I must get you to
safety, considering there’s a
Wyvern outside, trying to destroy
the castle.
COUNTESS ELISABET
It’s not a real Wyvern, it’s
Soncha, and I agree, she must be
destroyed. We are safe enough here.
Darvo bows sharply and exits.
EXT. COURTYARD. CONTINUOUS
The peasants and troops are battered and burned.
The Wyvern is wounded, but unflagging.
Darvo emerges from the castle.
CROWD
Ad libs:
Darvo! Darvo!
Cheering
Panicking sounds
Peasants and troops rally around him.
Davro points and directs the people to take up defensive
positions.
A bucket brigade is quickly organized.
Count Aleksander’s eyes narrow with fury, as he watches his
troops take orders from Darvo.
The Wyvern power dives towards the well in the courtyard.
90.
CONTINUED:
Darvo waves his arm, and a number of ARCHERS let arrows fly.
The arrows bounce off the Wyvern.
Count Aleksander races towards the well, sword drawn.
The Wyvern flies low, setting the well on fire.
Count Aleksander grabs hold of the Wyvern’s leg, and he is
lifted into the air.
EXT. SKY. CONTINUOUS.
The sun is beginning to rise.
Many locations of the castle grounds and surrounding cottages
are on fire.
People scramble to put out the fires.
Count Aleksander clings to the Wyvern for dear life. He
WHIMPERS IN TERROR.
The Wyvern rolls, trying to shake him off.
Count Aleksander maintains his hold – barely.
The Wyvern’s fire breath is weaker, and the Wyvern is showing
signs of tiring.
Count Aleksander almost slips off, and he sees a full view of
the castle and the surrounding lands in far less a glorious
state than when he became count.
The surrounding farm fields are not as lush and the villages
are somewhat shabby.
A look of sorrow passes over Count Aleksander’s face,
replaced by determination.
He gripes the Wyvern’s leg mightily and draws his sword.
The Wyvern begins a power glide to make another pass.
Count Aleksander plunges his sword into the Wyvern’s lower
belly, and drives the blade upwards.
The Wyvern roars and writhes in agony, and with a flash of
light, is transformed back into Soncha.
91.
CONTINUED:
Count Aleksander recoils in shock, and the two free fall
plunge to their deaths in the field outside of the castle
walls.
EXT. COURTYARD. CONTINUOUS
A CHEER erupts from the weary and sooty crowd.
INT. BEDCHAMBER. DAY
A noble bedchamber, rich with furnishings and tapestries.
Gustav is sitting up in bed, having just woken up.
Tatiana/Olga and Countess Elisabet sit in chairs.
GUSTAV
We won?
COUNTESS ELISABET
Yes.
Gustav looks happy and sad at once.
GUSTAV
So, I guess that means you’re a
countess now.
TATIANA
I always was, I just didn’t know
it.
Gustav looks uncomfortable.
COUNTESS ELISABET
Gustav, I know what you must be
feeling, Tatiana has told me that
she loves you and will not marry
another.
Gustav looks shocked.
Tatiana smiles at him.
GUSTAV
But, you have to marry a noble! Not
a peasant like me.
92.
CONTINUED:
COUNTESS ELISABET
Gustav, you have proven yourself to
be brave and loyal. You rescued me
from the dungeons, and saved
Tatiana from the Wyvern.
Countess Elisabet stands. In her hand is a long, thin sword.
She taps Gustav on each shoulder.
COUNTESS ELISABET (cont’d)
For service to the realm, I dub
thee, Sir Gustav of Sethel. A free
man, whom I also bequeath the
northern village of Morova, and the
surrounding farm lands, as
necessary to support it’s occupants
in comfort.
Tatiana beams.
COUNTESS ELISABET (cont’d)
Do you have parents?
GUSTAV
No.
COUNTESS ELISABET
Well, is 500 gold coins enough of a
dowry?
GUSTAV
I love Tatiana, I don’t need a
dowry as an inducement to marry
her.
TATIANA
I love you, too.
Countess Elisabet smiles.
COUNTESS ELISABET
I think you need to rest, I’ll send
in a doctor.
EXT. CHURCH. AFTERNOON.
Tatiana and Gustav are kissing after being wed.
They turn to face the guests.
93.
CONTINUED:
Varna and Peiter are seated with Countess Elisabet in the
first pew.
Tatiana and Gustav walk down the aisle.
Greta and Uma Stavros, both bridesmaids, follow.
EXT. CHURCH YARD. CONTINUOUS
Tatiana and Gustav wave to the assembled PEASANT CROWD.
The courtyard is in high decor, and is in much better repair
and polish than seen before.
The courtyard is packed with a CROWD in all finery.
Countess Elisabet, accompanied by Davros, appears behind
Tatiana and Gustav on the steps of the church.
COUNTESS ELISABET
Ladies and Gentlemen of Sethel, I
wish to present, Count Gustav and
Countess Tatiana of Sethel.
The Crowd CHEERS.
COUNTESS ELISABET (cont’d)
This is truly a happy day for me,
being reunited with my daughter,
and seeing her wed. I have given
careful thought to what I could
give them for a wedding gift, and I
have decided, that I will not be
assuming the throne of Sethel, but
passing it to Tatiana and her
husband.
The Crowd CHEERS.
Tatiana looks at her mother in shock.
Countess Elisabet smiles warmly at her.
The Crowd CHEERS HARDER.
At the back of the crowd, Tomas (dressed as a peasant)
scowls. He slips away, hooded falcon on his arm, towards the
gate.
94.
CONTINUED:
TATIANA
Good folk of Sethel, and our
honoured guests from the
neighbouring counties, for my first
act as countess, I wish to end all
hostilities, and work to restore
the peace and merchant relations
that my father, Count Feydric, had
worked so hard for.
The Crowd CHEERS.
TATIANA (cont’d)
Second, I declare today a holiday,
and in the spirit of my mother,
Countess Elisabet, I wish to pay
for all purchases in the market.
The Crowd CHEERS.
TATIANA (cont’d)
And, last for today, in honour of
my parents, Peiter and Varna, who
raised me, I declare a month’s free
rent on all farm lands, and a
reduction in taxes!
The Crowd CHEERS.
Tatiana and Gustav embrace. They sing a duet of undying love.
An open carriage pulls up to the church steps, and they get
into the carriage.
The crowd parts to let the carriage part, taking the couple
from the Church to the Castle, across the courtyard.
95.
CONTINUED: