Dreamland

Sword Play

I’m in a theater, watching a play. It’s about a woman who leaves her lover, a commoner, in order to take up with a wealthy nobleman. The nobleman gives her gowns and jewelry, takes her to balls and dinners with other people of his class. He asks her to marry. She doesn’t love the nobleman as much as her old lover, but she does enjoy the trappings of wealth and power she now has, so she agrees, and a date is set for the wedding.

A jealous Duke from a nearby kingdom hears of the upcoming wedding and challenges the nobleman to a duel for the girl’s hand in marriage. They will fight with swords, to the death. The nobleman agrees, but does not wish to risk his life, so in secret he hires the woman’s old lover to fight in his place. The commoner agrees, thinking this is one way he will be able to get inside the castle walls, and perhaps get a chance to see the woman and win her back.

The day of the duel arrives. The commoner is similar in size and hair color, so by wearing a mask he is able to fight in the nobleman’s place with no one the wiser. The Duke is an excellent swordsman, but the man manages to best him. The Duke is lying on the ground; the crowd is calling for the “nobleman” to kill him. The commoner has no desire to kill the Duke. He spares him his life, tells him to leave and never return to the castle. The grateful Duke hurries away. The audience is not pleased, but they leave, since the fight is over.

The nobleman meets the commoner in the courtyard, and pays him some gold coins for his services. The commoner asks if he may see the woman one last time. The nobleman reluctantly agrees. The two meet; it is obvious that the woman still loves him, but she has given her word to marry the nobleman. They say their good-byes, and the nobleman escorts the commoner towards the castle gate.

The commoner knows the gatekeeper though, and convinces him to let him stay inside the castle, but tell anyone who inquires that he has left. He stealthily makes his way back to the courtyard, hoping for another chance to see his former lover. He hides in the bushes, sees that she is there, but the nobleman is still with her. He listens to their conversation.

The two of them are arguing. The woman has just told the nobleman that she is carrying his child, thinking he will be pleased. The nobleman is not happy with this news, though. He has no interest in children, he wishes only to have the woman to himself. He tells her that he knows a witch who will give her a potion to rid her of the child. The woman is horrified; she does not want to lose her baby. The nobleman tells her she will do as he wishes, or he will deny that the child is his. She will be cast out into the streets as a common whore. She begins to cry, she’s trapped, she doesn’t know what to do.

The commoner can no longer bear to see his former lover treated so badly. He bursts forth from hiding, sword drawn, and challenges the nobleman to fight. The nobleman had sent his guards away earlier, wishing for privacy while trying to convince the woman to abort the child. He realizes he has no other recourse, he must fight the commoner. He draws his sword; a furious battle ensues, with much bold talk by the nobleman. In the end though, the commoner wins, and leaves the nobleman lying on the ground, wounded, and screaming for his guards.

The commoner grabs the woman and the two of them ride off on the nobleman’s horse; the gatekeeper allows them to escape the castle grounds. The woman says she is ashamed for her actions; she would not blame him if he were to abandon her. He says he forgives her for everything and never wants her to leave him. He will marry her and they will move to a faraway kingdom where they will raise the child as their own.