INT. BALLROOM OF THE ROYAL PALACE - NIGHT

Music at high volume.

Althea, dressed in an elvish-style, long white dress, is helping herself to food from a buffet table adorned with a white tablecloth. Meanwhile, a lively crowd is dancing on the floor, among whom we find Lady Isabel. Charles approaches Isabel to dance with her.

As Charles is dancing with Isabel, he talks to her. Isabel looks a bit annoyed by her dance partner.

CHARLES: As I got from lord Tybalt's speech earlier, you're looking for a husband...

ISABEL (she rolls her eyes, bored): And? What do you want?

CHARLES: Offer myself as a husband. Of course, you won't find any better.

ISABEL: Let's see... Tell me, what are your qualities, sir Charles?

CHARLES: You know my name. My fame has reached you...

ISABEL: Your fame has reached me because you are a very mediocre knight who always boasts of his conquests. Should I choose you for this?

CHARLES: No, you shouldn't. But I'm rich. I think I'm handsome. I'm nice. I never lose at gambling, I'm a good dancer, women like me...

ISABEL: I don't.

CHARLES: Besides, I also think I'm smart and clever.

ISABEL: Is that all?

CHARLES: I'm good at something else, if you want to.

Charles winks at her. Isabel makes a disgusted face and stops dancing.

ISABEL: Sir Charles, I think you're gross, slimy and arrogant. And I hope that, in this reign, there are better men than you.

Isabel leaves Charles and starts dancing with Julyan; he's wearing an elegant blue suit with gold inserts.

CHARLES (to himself): She'll come back. They always come back.

On the other side of the room, Althea stands by the wall. She's holding a plate, and she's eating something. Leo approaches her.

LEO: Come dance. I'm not taking no for an answer.

ALTHEA (surprised, she replies quickly and nervously): It sounds amazing!! I don't know how to dance this dance... But it sounds amazing!!

Althea replaces the plate on the buffet table and follows Leo on the dancefloor.

Leo and Althea start dancing. Amaury and Tybalt look at the scene.

AMAURY: Look, the giant whale found a boyfriend, too!

TYBALT: That is Leo De La Reue. He's one of my knights. He's unbearable.

AMAURY: I'm the only one to be unfortunate. I don't understand why your family made me come here. Isabel is dancing with everyone except me...

Amaury looks at Isabel, who is dancing with several gentlemen.

TYBALT: Are you sure that you're the unfortunate one? As a king, I can't decide anything about my life. Look at this party and all of these people. (more)

Tybalt looks at his subjects who are in the room.

TYBALT (CONT'D): It's all planned to make me receive some affection, but they don't even look at me.

AMAURY: Maybe, over time, things will change. These people just need to get to know you.

TYBALT: Maybe I don't want to know them. I'm not interested in wasting my time to reach out to these ungrateful people. They don't want me as a king? I don't want them as subjects. They didn't even applaud my speech before. And they'll pay for it.

AMAURY (laughs): You want to write an edict against those who didn't applaud you?

TYBALT (in a serious tone) Don't joke, Amaury. First of all, there won't be parties in honor of the people anymore.

AMAURY: And if my future girlfriend belonged to the people?

TYBALT: Franky, I don't care. If I notice that they keep disrespecting me, I'll deal with it. There are times when it is wrong to be friendly leaders, if they don't respect you then.

AMAURY (he shrugs): There'll always be people who criticize you. In Parbat, it happens, too!

TYBALT: And it must not happen here! I'm not going to be fooled by anyone. Above all, not by these uncivil subjects. (To himself): I despise you all...

In the meantime, the SOUND OF THE BELLS says it's 10 p.m.

Leo stops dancing and looks at Hervy in an alarmed way. Hervy stops dancing, too.

LEO: The time has come. Hérique is there.

Hérique is standing across the room, leaning against the wall. He's watching the other people dancing without joining them. Isabel, instead, is talking with Muriel and Malie.

Leo and Hervy walk away from the dance floor.

HERVY (with a mournful voice): Do we really have to do this?

LEO (in an overbearing tone): Are you still trying to back down?

HERVY: It will never work out. Let's quit. Plus, we had bought the potion because we were sure that Isabel would have picked us, but apparently, there are other suitors...

LEO: First of all I bought the potion. You did nothing. Second, Charles wants to marry her just for money. Third... Stop being a jerk and have the balls just once.

HERVY: Yes, but what if we get caught? Maybe they'll fire us, or they'll arrest us, or worse, they'll get us killed. Is it worth it? No. Let's not use the poison, and let's see what happens...

LEO: Hervy, listen to me. I've got a plan. It will work. Trust me.

HERVY: Fine. I'll trust you. I trust that we're going to die! Then, don't tell me I didn't warn you!

LEO (he snorts): If the fuckin' Lancelot that you worship had proposed this plan, you would have said that it's bullshit?

HERVY: I would have said it's risky, but he could make it work.

LEO: Good. Screw up Lancelot, then. I could make it work, too. Now... Do you see that door over there? Hérique is standing in front of it. That's Fred's office. You have to make Hérique enter there. Can you do that? I'll deal with Isabel.

HERVY (speaking with a mournful voice again): Fine... I'll try...

Leo moves closer to Isabel, who is still talking with the two tattlers.

LEO: Lady Isabel, may I have the honor to dance with you?

ISABEL (she grimaces, surprised): It is fine.

Leo starts dancing with Isabel while simultaneously he talks to her.

LEO: So, how's the night going? I saw you were dancing with Sir Charles too...

ISABEL: He is a rude social climber, only interested in my money. I refused him.

LEO (he makes a smile): I think he's a climber too. Hervy bet on him.

ISABEL (Makes a disgusted face): Blech. (Changing the subject): You instead... I saw you were dancing with Althea before. You fulfilled the promise.

LEO: Althea? Uh yes... I want to talk to you about this if you have a minute. But I would like our conversation to remain confidential. I don't want to talk about it here, not in front of all these people.

ISABEL: I have guests. I cannot leave.

LEO: It's just for a few minutes...

ISABEL: Fine. If it's just for a few minutes, it's alright. We may go outside.

LEO: We can also go to that room. Leo points at the door of the office of the royal advisor.

ISABEL: Yes. That would be more suitable...

Althea, from a distance, sees Isabel close to Leo. She doesn't look happy about it.

When Leo and Isabel arrive in front of the door of the office, Leo stops.

LEO: Lady Isabel, can you wait out here for a minute?

ISABEL (she snorts): Do you think you became the king? Do I have to call you Lord Leo De La Reue?

LEO: It's just a two-minute thing.

ISABEL (she snorts again): Fine.