Blue-Eyed Hag

6 W/6 M (Genderqueer casting also welcome)

 -

Premise: On a distant island, two warring kingdoms are set to patch up their differences with a royal wedding, but a witch and her baby interrupt the ceremony.

ACT I - SCENE 2

(Enter Edith, Audrey and Githa)

EDITH

Is not this a perfect day for wedding, Audrey? Look out from our parapet. The sun radiates. No clouds cataract this blue-eyed sky. Our coming ship will soon break the ocean’s horizon. Then shall our Kytiff and Chauthak houses be aligned.

AUDREY

Indeed, my lady. It is a day fit for dreams. I only wish your daughter could contain herself.

EDITH

What mean you?

AUDREY

She has been singing all week. Her window, she sings. The balcony, she sings. The garden, she sings. Aye me, if the prince is as handsome in life as he is in his image, she’ll never speak a word again. All words shall be songs.

EDITH

We shall soon attest to the prince’s handsomeness. There are many afforded a picture’s beauty who fall short upon actual appearance. There be many. I hope the prince be not one.

AUDREY

And her eagerness. That’s another issue that should be addressed. Tell our lady, the matter, Githa.

GITHA

She already attires herself in her wedding garment.

EDITH

Now? Foolish child. We’ve not yet seen the shadow of the king’s ship. We are six hours from ceremony.

GITHA

I have told her, my lady, but she relishes such delight in her apparel.

EDITH

Bring her to me. If she smudges that dress her wedding will be our funeral. I’ll speak fire and tell her as much. Go to it.

GITHA

Yes, my lady.

(Exit Githa)

AUDREY

To be youthful and to forget oneself reminds me that I am old.

EDITH

Thou has’t no wrinkles to call thyself old, Audrey.

AUDREY

No, but my patience becomes wrinkled on the eagerness of youth. Youth stations itself too far in advance. We that are passed the passions of youth dare not station further ahead, for that way lies the grave, and yet we folly in looking backward too, for that way sadness comes. If this be called middle life, then I think it be old.

EDITH

Aye me. Such misery on what should be our happiest of days. Have I not just painted the sun and sky with our good wishes?

AUDREY

You have. Forgive, my lady. I have been too philosophical of late.

EDITH

And what of this strange woman boarded? Hath she been looked after?

AUDREY

She has.

EDITH

I am delighted in her story. Puts her foot on our white sand, and springs forth a baby. These are delightful omens.

AUDREY

While she sleeps, she holds her child, and her books close as if both fight for intimacy. 

EDITH

Prithee, Audrey. You know my fondness of new infants.

AUDREY

I do. You have often described them as fresh pages in long-awaited books.

EDITH

Go to. In thy stealthiest diligence, creep upon the woman. Do not wake her, for her mind’s rest and body’s retrieval for health is surely needed. But, pry loose her baby, and bring it to me. I would let it delight me with soft memories of dainty smells, and small suckling cherub fingers.

AUDREY

Pardon, my queen. Though I know your intentions harmless, it does seem a slight deviance to take a woman’s baby without waking her.

(Enter Githa and Kendra)

EDITH

There is no fault in admiring, and it shall only be an instant. And now, daughter, what mean you to risk the labour of our craftswomen to tarry thyself in thy special hour, long before thy special hour is due?

KENDRA

We are not so long away, mother.

EDITH

We are at half the day.

KENDRA

And yet it seems so close.

AUDREY

No argument. Your mother gives an order. Should I treat her as if I had a daughter, she’d be in the dungeon till her prince arrives.

KENDRA

Audrey!

EDITH

Thou would’st have been a strict mother, indeed, Audrey.

AUDREY

Give me license, and I’ll teach all children of the realm to behave.

EDITH

To thy task, Audrey. Bring our freshest arrival to delight mine eye. Go to.

AUDREY

I shall.

(Exit Audrey)

KENDRA

Prithee, one more hour, mother. I do practice my walk in this attire to prevent stumbling at ceremony. I’d dare not fall on this, the most perfect of days.

EDITH

We have heard of thy practiced ambling, of thy posing, of thy glass-gazing and singing within all ears. From our parapets to the armory all observe thee in thy wedded attire before thou should’st be seen. Now get thee to thy changing. Githa, gather my voice, my authority and see her behave or my next action will be ruination.

(Enter Godric)

GITHA

Come, my lady. You have heard thy mother. Let us to it.

KENDRA

I shall and will practice my perfected walk these last few steps before I meet the prince.

(Exit Kendra and Githa)

EDITH

And what of thy presence, Godric? Would you like thy turn in chastising my daughter? She may well listen to the bearing of a knight more than we women.

GODRIC

Prithee, my lady I come to tell thee the value of the horizon for a mast doth appear, and we are signaled.

EDITH

They are arrived.

GODRIC

Aye or soon will be. Come to edge of our parapet. Do you see? A small steeple upon the ocean.

EDITH

Ah. Yes. An embryo in a bobbing bottle awaiting entrance to our world. Letter’s preparations, some ten months since and now shortly we are to greet our new partners.

GODRIC

The wind is our good fortune fast, my lady. They’ll break our circumference in an hour’s time.

(Enter Audrey with swaddled baby)

EDITH

Go to, Godric. Ready thy men, and then stand guard. We must make it seem we are well prepared for.

GODRIC

Yes, my lady.

(Exit Godric)

EDITH

Have you glimpsed yet?

AUDREY

I’ve been so quick in the borrow that I have not. I’ll let thy eyes savor before mine, and then I’ll quick and return this little treasure.

EDITH

Come, little one, let me unmask thee, and peer into thy fresh countenance.

(Edith removes cloth from baby’s face)

AUDREY

Is it not such a joy? My lady? My lady?

EDITH

Oh, my.

AUDREY

I like not this turn. What do you see?

EDITH

Oh, keep in thy startled gasp. Do not say.

AUDREY

My lady? Methinks, you turn white on thy own words. What is’t?

EDITH

I’ll not speak of it. Not today. Oh, let not my happiness become deformed with fear.

AUDREY

Tis best we return, my lady. Hand me over.

EDITH

Do not peek upon this face as I have done. Do not. Oh, that I could rewind the time to never have been curious for a glance.

AUDREY

I like not this change. Give me this child, and let’s forget we shared this deed.

(Audrey takes swaddled baby from Edith. Enter Sycorax.)

EDITH

Forget? No. This shall be with me for as long as I live. It strikes at humanity.

SYCORAX

Fools!

AUDREY

She is wakened. This I was afraid of.

SYCORAX

Foul betrayers of womanhood, I curse thee. Oh, that my power was not weakened with wrack and labour, I would have seen thy theft. Oh, I curse thee!

AUDREY

Forgive us, dear lady. We only thought to admire thy precious gift. Here, take comfort back to thy arms. We err taking before thy permission was granted.

(Audrey gives swaddled baby to Sycorax.)

SYCORAX

What I gain in hospitality I lose in privacy. Foolish women, prattle and pry! Oh, pray that vengeance does not sway me more than what my power should allow. You put yourselves in danger to inspect the nest of a spider.

AUDREY

Come, return to sleep with your swaddled comfort, and when you awake apologies will be due.

EDITH

I banish her.

AUDREY

My lady?

SYCORAX

Ha! It is foreseen, thieving royal, for I have rested, and my visions are clear. You speak words echoed long ago.

AUDREY

My lady let not this mother hold the penalty for our own undoing. Analyze thy heart.

EDITH

Hold thy speech, Audrey. You have not experienced such a hell as I have. This woman is not of our world. Our happiness trembles. She must be gone.

AUDREY

My lady-

EDITH

Banished, I say. Be gone before a wedding’s love and a stake’s fire become twins on this day.

AUDREY

Prithee, let us gather our compassion before such rashness settles our decisions.

EDITH

I’ll no more words. Gather her books. The forest shall be her abode.

SYCORAX

And thy foreboding, for now all our futures become clear. For after this day dips dark beyond the sun, I’ll take this castle from under thy feet, and rope thy kingdom with thorns.

EDITH

Go to it, Audrey.

AUDREY

My lady-

EDITH

No more words, or I shall send Godric in the matter, and he shall be far unkinder than thee.

AUDREY

Very well. Come, sad woman. My heart beats unsteady in this measure, but alas I am enforced. I’ll bring thee and thy babe to the edge of our city, and then what comes next, I know not.

SYCORAX

I do. I do, by Setebos, I do. It was written in Algiers.

(Exit Sycorax with baby and Audrey.)

EDITH

Trembling goes my heart with sights so far obscene,

That quivered is my breath where lungs no longer catch,

For if my eyes were shared the world would surely know,

That terrors creep in small with wicked winds that blow,

but now to better thoughts, our peace is there to tether,

and focus not on blemishes, but goodness of the weather.

(Exit Edith)