Robin Hood: King's Quest (Classic Scripts Book 1) Read online

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  Robin Hood:

  King’s Quest

  Ian Shimwell

  Robin Hood: King’s Quest Copyright ©Ian Shimwell 2012

  ALSO AVAILABLE IN CLASSIC SCRIPTS:

  The Tudor Turmoil

  Contents

  Cast List

  Act One

  Act Two

  Act Three

  Cast List

  ROBIN HOOD

  THE SHERIFF OF NOTTINGHAM

  SIR GUY OF GISBOURNE

  LADY MARION

  MUCH

  LITTLE JOHN

  ALAN A DALE

  WILL SCARLETT

  CATHY

  SQUIRESBY

  MAVRIK

  VILLAGER

  GUARD

  LANDLORD

  CHAIRMAN

  Act One

  (1) (The Council of Nobles in London are gathered in a grand circle inside an opulent building, at least for medieval times. The various dignitaries nod in agreement on the latest motions. The chairman of the gathering is stood up.)

  CHAIRMAN: The great city of London’s Council of Nobles gathering is about to adjourn for the day. Are there any other pressing matters, before we retire?

  (Suddenly, there are three loud taps – and the double-doors creak open.)

  CHAIRMAN: How dare you interrupt..?

  (The CHAIRMAN cuts off mid-sentence. A cloaked figure in scarlet velvet walks towards the nobles. They lose their collective breaths in shock. Still dazed, the nobles stand up, and although they are far from used to it in their lofted positions, they bow eagerly and humbly, completely offering their obedience to the mysterious figure.)

  MAIN TITLES AND OPENING CREDITS

  (2) (The camera pans from the moon, on to the moonlit Sherwood Forest, it briefly stops on a brown tawny owl who seems to be watching over two people, and then homes in on ROBIN and MARION who are stood at the edge of the forest.)

  MARION: Legend can be a funny thing.

  ROBIN: What brought that on, Marion?

  MARION: Oh, I was just thinking – you’ve not heard, have you?

  ROBIN: Apparently not, I have been deep within the forest for most of the day – with the rest of the men, of course.

  MARION: It must have been something important. So, Robin, what have you been doing in the woods today?

  ROBIN: You were about to tell me something first.

  MARION: Oh yes, the rumour comes all the way from London. It’s the talk of Court – and Loxley village.

  ROBIN: Well, what is it then?

  MARION: I’ll tell you… but you tell me about your day first.

  ROBIN: Oh, all right. With the help of Little John, we felled a great oak tree. (We see MUCH strike the tree, and LITTLE JOHN push the tree over. ROBIN, ALAN A DALE and WILL SCARLET look on. In the distance, a young man is looking on. We don’t know it yet, but it is MAVRIK, the Miller’s son – and CATHY’s brother, someone else we haven’t met yet. ROBIN seems to spot him, but says nothing.) But there was something wrong with the tree. (The camera focusses on a dark area, in the centre of the oak.) And strangely Will was overjoyed over this.

  MARION: He was?

  ROBIN: Will Scarlet is confident that he can make a bow out of this strange, unique wood from around the unusual twisted bark, that can fire an arrow accurately and further than ever before…

  MARION: How interesting…

  ROBIN: Now, come on, the rumour – it’s your turn.

  MARION: Well, at first, I thought the tale had originated from one of the story smiths of the village, but my father confirmed the rumour…

  ROBIN: So that means the Sheriff and Gisbourne know of it too.

  MARION: Maybe…

  ROBIN: Marion, please tell me the rumour before one of us dies.

  MARION: As my Lord Loxley commands… A cloaked stranger entered the majestic Council of Nobles of London.

  ROBIN: And was this madman beheaded, or hung?

  MARION: But that’s just it – the powerful and arrogant nobles were humbled completely. They fell to the floor in awe of…

  ROBIN: That can’t be true – but if it is: who could possibly cause such an odd and dramatic reaction?

  (The camera pans to the watching owl, as the question is pondered.)

  (3) (We see a view of the Castle of Nottingham.)

  (Inside the castle, the SHERIFF is relaxing nonchantly, rocking back on his chair with his hands behind his head and his feet placed firmly on his table/desk. There is a knock at the door.)

  SHERIFF: Enter.

  (GISBOURNE enters. Although he briefly looks at the SHERIFF, he casts his eyes downwards, pretending perhaps to himself that his leader is sat in a more respectful manner.)

  SHERIFF: Well, what is it Gisbourne – can’t you see I’m busy?

  GISBOURNE: As always, Sheriff.

  SHERIFF: Are you trying to be funny?

  GISBOURNE: I am here, my lord – because you summoned me.

  SHERIFF: Oh yes. Well, have you discovered what Hood and the rest of his rabble were up to yesterday yet? They disappeared for hours.

  GISBOURNE: I managed to loosen one village's tongue, with the help of a smouldering horseshoe.

  SHERIFF: I love it.

  GISBOURNE: He saw them by the forest ridge.

  SHERIFF: Hmm, that’s further into the forest than those losers normally dare to wander.

  GISBOURNE: But to what they were actually doing..?

  SHERIFF: Find out, Gisbourne.

  GISBOURNE: I am seeking to be on friendly terms with Marion once more. Maybe she will have an idea…

  SHERIFF: Good, you do that.

  (GISBOURNE stands awkwardly where he is.)

  SHERIFF: Well, clear off then.

  GISBOURNE: You have heard the rumour, my lord..? It’s all over Loxley.

  SHERIFF: Yes, yes – they are even talking about it in Court. I’ve never heard anything so ridiculous. A legendary figure humbles the Council of Nobles. Somebody’s idea of a joke.

  GISBOURNE: And according to a travelling dignitary, the velvet cloaked one has been seen more recently near Gatechester.

  SHERIFF: How many times have I told you? Do not listen to idle gossip.

  GISBOURNE: No sir, I mean yes sir.

  SHERIFF: Now, you are dismissed. Go.

  (GISBOURNE hurriedly leaves the room, closing the door behind him.)

  SHERIFF: Hmm, Gatechester. How interesting… A clue, yes.

  (4) (In a clearing in Sherwood Forest, WILL SCARLET and CATHY are concentrating very thoughtfully on a piece of wood. ROBIN and ALAN A DALE walk out of the cave and stop.)

  ALAN A DALE: What are you two doing? And who is she, anyway?

  WILL SCARLET: ‘She’ is Cathy. She was looking for her brother, Mavrik in the forest and stumbled upon us. And before anyone protests, I like her – and she’s agreed to stay with us for a while.

  CATHY: Strangely, I’ve also always been fond of bows, of the and arrow kind.

  ROBIN: She can stay!

  ALAN A DALE: I thought she was looking for her brother. Are you not really bothered you haven’t found him?

  CATHY: It was only a trivial matter – his dinner’s ready, actually. You can call me Cathy, you know.

  ALAN A DALE: (His voice immediately softens.) All right, Cathy. And what are you and Will doing anyway, trying to talk that piece of wood to death?

  CATHY: We are simply discussing the best way forward.

  ROBIN: And Cathy, what is ‘the best way forward’?

  CATHY: We don’t know yet.

  ROBIN: But, can
it do what you said it would do? Will?

  WILL SCARLET: Fire an arrow up to five times further than a conventional bow? Oh yes, I’m sure of it. But we still need to find the right design.

  CATHY: And that is where we disagree.

  WILL SCARLET: (Who pretends to whisper, very loudly.) Very opinionated, this one.

  CATHY: I heard that!

  ALAN A DALE: Where’s Master Much?

  ROBIN: I sent him to Loxley village.

  ALAN A DALE: Does he know where it is?

  ROBIN: Very funny – of course he does. And if he doesn’t, I err… asked Little John to look after him, just in case. Alan, why do you call him, ‘Master Much’?

  ALAN A DALE: Well, he’s always calling you master, isn’t he?

  ROBIN: Hah, I see.

  ALAN A DALE: And why’s he gone to the village? To buy some milk?

  ROBIN: Not quite – but ask him yourself.

  ALAN A DALE: What?

  (ALAN A DALE spins round to see MUCH and LITTLE JOHN grinning at him, menacingly. MUCH then rather rudely points at CATHY.)

  MUCH: Who’s that?

  ROBIN: Err, never mind for now.

  MUCH: Oh, we did as you ordered, master.

  ROBIN: Thank-you, Much.

  LITTLE JOHN: And all is quiet. There is absolutely nothing going on in Loxley village at all.

  ROBIN: But that’s nearly a week now…

  MUCH: There was a couple of the Sheriff’s guards walking through – and Little John wanted to bang their heads together.

  LITTLE JOHN: No, I didn’t.

  MUCH: But I persuaded him not to.

  LITTLE JOHN: No, you didn’t.

  ROBIN: Shh, the important thing is: there are no demands for higher taxes or unjust arrests. I fact, there’s no anything.

  MUCH: But, isn’t that a good thing?

  ROBIN: I doubt it… Could it be the calm before the storm?

  MUCH: Eh?

  ROBIN: I wonder what the Sheriff is up to, this time…

  (5) (Alone, the SHERIFF is sitting at his long table. His eyes staring. The atmospheric music slowly builds up the tension. Deep in thought, he suddenly smiles…)

  (6) (It is late afternoon, and GISBOURNE is stood outside MARION’s home. The door opens, and she appears.)

  MARION: Sir Guy, so what brings you to Knighton Hall at this hour?

  GISBOURNE: You do, Marion.

  MARION: (Who takes a deep breath.) Haven’t we been through this before?

  GISBOURNE: How is your father today?

  MARION: Why do you ask?

  GISBOURNE: He seemed… quiet at court today.

  MARION: Well, he’s fine now. But thank-you for asking.

  GISBOURNE: And it is my personal responsibility to ensure he stays fine.

  MARION: Meaning..?

  GISBOURNE: Robin and his men disappeared for a while from their usual haunts, yesterday. What were they doing?

  MARION: Now, how should I know a thing like that?

  GISBOURNE: Come now, Marion.

  (GISBOURNE tenderly touches, and strokes MARION’s cheek. She, ever so slightly flinches. He withdraws his hand.)

  GISBOURNE: You know how this works: In order for me to protect your father, you need to co-operate, shall we say? Help me to help you.

  MARION: Are you trying to blackmail me?

  GISBOURNE: I would not put it quite so crudely. It is more a case of you scratch my back and, with pleasure, I’ll scratch yours…

  MARION: You wish. All right, I don’t know the details – but I have heard a whisper.

  GISBOURNE: Which is..?

  (After apparent deep thought, MARION comes to a decision.)

  MARION: Robin has found a new weapon that could knock the Sheriff off his perch for good.

  GISBOURNE: (Who richly laughs.) Oh, I doubt that very much…

  (7) (At Nottingham Castle, the SHERIFF is purposefully walking through the courtyard, with GISBOURNE at his heel, struggling to keep up.)

  SHERIFF: A weapon? Hah. I think that Robin Hood (Says ‘Hood’ as an insult.) is spinning you a yarn.

  GISBOURNE: This information comes from a close source.

  (The SHERIFF stops.)

  SHERIFF: I know it comes from Marion, you fool – but he could have quite easily misled her.

  GISBOURNE: You think there is no truth in the story, my lord?

  SHERIFF: You catch on quick, Gisbourne – but I didn’t actually say that…

  (A senior guard walks up to the SHERIFF and GISBOURNE.)

  GISBOURNE: Can’t you see we are talking?

  SQUIRESBY: Sorry sir.

  SHERIFF: Well, what is it Squiresby – now that you have disturbed us?

  SQUIRESBY: I may be talking out of turn here, but did I hear you mention Robin and a weapon?

  GISBOURNE: Have you been eavesdropping, Squiresby?

  SQUIRESBY: No, Sir Guy.

  GISBOURNE: Don’t ‘Sir Guy’ me.

  SQUIRESBY: The breeze must have accidently carried your voices over to me.

  SHERIFF: I advise you to get on with it, while you still can.

  SQUIRESBY: The Miller’s son, Mavrik in Loxley village is openly boasting he knows something about the weapon.

  SHERIFF: Good work, Squiresby. This changes things…

  GISBOURNE: You are dismissed, Squiresby. I should warn you, by the way, it would be very unwise to cross me.

  SQUIRESBY: I will bear that in mind.

  GISBOURNE: Good, now get out of my sight.

  SQUIRESBY: At once, Sir…

  (SQUIRESBY leaves them.)

  GISBOURNE: It’s probably idle chatter from the village, sir. Nothing to take seriously.

  SHERIFF: Oh, but I do, Gisbourne – I do. Let’s entice Robin out of Sherwood Forest with his so-called weapon and see if it really is a threat.

  GISBOURNE: What are you going to do, Sheriff?

  SHERIFF: En masse, my men are going to very publically arrest the babbling fool Mavrik – and hang him at dawn.

  GISBOURNE: Excellent idea, my lord.

  SHERIFF: And amuse ourselves at Hood’s predictable reaction.

  (8) (In Loxley village, there is quite a commotion. There seems to be the SHERIFF’s guards everywhere. A group of them very noisily drag a protesting MAVRIK from his home and dump him on the village green, in front of a smiling SHERIFF and a smouldering GISBOURNE.)

  MAVRIK: What, what have I done? If it’s more taxes you want, it’ll be difficult – but I’ll try to pay, somehow.

  GISBOURNE: Stop grovelling, Mavrik.

  MAVRIK: But, I have done nothing wrong.

  SHERIFF: Yes, you have.

  MAVRIK: What?

  SHERIFF: You have… err milled too much this week.

  MAVRIK: But that’s ridiculous.

  SHERIFF: All right: treason, treachery or thievery. You know, something beginning with ‘t’.

  MAVRIK: I don’t understand.

  SHERIFF: It’s quite simple, really. For your… ‘crime’, you will be safely locked away in my castle, (Then he shouts loudly, so people even on the edge of the forest can hear:) and you will be executed an hour from dawn tomorrow. (Then says normally:) Take him away.

  GISBOURNE: This way.

  (GISBOURNE roughly drags him away.)

  SHERIFF: I trust you heard that, Robin.

  (9) (From the cover of the edge of the woods, ROBIN, LITTLE JOHN and MUCH have been watching the proceedings at the village.)

  LITTLE JOHN: (Who grips his sword.) We should rescue Mavrik now.

  (ROBIN puts his hand on LITTLE JOHN’s shoulder to restrain him.)

  ROBIN: What, with all three of us? Have you seen how many of the Sheriff’s vermin are crawling over Loxley village right now?

  LITTLE JOHN: I know, but why take the Miller’s son now?

  MUCH: And Cathy’s brother.

  LITTLE JOHN: All right, and Cathy’s brother.

  ROBIN: It’s a challenge to us – to me. The Sheriff is obviously bored, and this is his way
of bringing us together.

  MUCH: You are joking, master?

  ROBIN: Yes, Much – I am kind of joking, but ye ole Sheriff of Nottingham is still issuing us with a direct challenge – can we save Mavrik?

  MUCH: But why?

  ROBIN: I wonder… Has he somehow heard about Will’s experimental bow and arrow?

  LITTLE JOHN: And wants to draw it out?

  MUCH: ‘Draw it out’, the bow – good one, Little John.

  (LITTLE JOHN grunts bad-temperedly.)

  ROBIN: Or is it something else?

  LITTLE JOHN: We should storm the castle at night. The Sheriff won’t expect that.

  ROBIN: I’m afraid he would expect and have anticipated that predictable move. I think our best chance would be to rescue Mavrik immediately prior to his execution.

  LITTLE JOHN: That could be risky.

  MUCH: As long as it’s not after his execution.

  LITTLE JOHN: Idiot.

  MUCH: Bully.

  LITTLE JOHN: But all this, Robin, could be a trap.

  ROBIN: I know, but what other choice do we have?

  (MUCH looks troubled as he is thinking hard.)

  ROBIN: What’s wrong, Much?

  MUCH: I’m trying to think of another choice. But, for the life of me, I can’t think of one.

  (ROBIN and LITTLE JOHN exchange glances.)

  (10) (Dusk is fast approaching, and MARION joins GISBOURNE outside the castle grounds.)

  GISBOURNE: I apologize for being vain, Marion – but I could be forgiven for thinking that you are seeking my attention again.

  MARION: My father is at a late meeting with nobles – I have come to collect him.

  GISBOURNE: Then allow me to escort you.

  (They walk into the castle courtyard and immediately halt. They are surprised to see the SHERIFF talking to a different type of guard. As the guard turns his back on the SHERIFF to walk away, the SHERIFF unsheathes his sword and slays the guard brutally through the back. GISBOURNE and MARION rush over to the SHERIFF.)

  GISBOURNE: Was he an enemy, my lord?

  SHERIFF: No, he was a messenger – from London.

  MARION: But, why kill him?

  SHERIFF: He informed me of the unbelievable – a secret that is too dangerous for even him to hold.

  GISBOURNE: Dare I ask what secret?