SCENE IX
The Princes are rowing the Princesses back across the lake. Alusair’s boat crosses first. Her prince is struggling with the boat this time.
ALUSAIR: What’s wrong? Why are we moving so slowly?
PRINCE #1: I don’t understand it. The boat is much heavier now. I have to try with all my strength just to keep us moving at all.
ALUSAIR: It must have been that last set of reels. You must have overexerted yourself a bit. I know that if I’m not careful I always end up exhausted after a good reel.
Alusair’s Prince does not answer. He merely grunts and rows to the other side, the other two Princesses follow in order of age. All entrances and exits are opposite what they were during the approach to the underground palace.
ALUSAIR: Farewell for now, my sweet Prince!
AURORA: We’ll return tomorrow evening!
ANASTASIA: Thank you again for the dances!
The Princes and Princesses exchange farewells. After some excessive lovey-dovey goodbyes, the Princesses turn and move offstage, as the do so, the curtain falls. The Storytellers step out from behind the curtain.
STORYTELLER #1:As the Princesses made their tired way home…
STORYTELLER #2: Prince Antranig skipped on ahead of them…
STORYTELLER #3: Ran up the stairs and resumed his post in the chair.
STORYTELLER #1: So that by the time the Princesses stumbled in…
STORYTELLER #2: Tired but happy from their night of dancing…
STORYTELLER #3: He was snoring away…
STORYTELLERS (all): As if he had never left the spot.
Curtain opens on the Princesses’ bedroom. The mattress is up once more and the Princesses climb step out from behind it and it lowers back down. From offstage the Prince can be heard snoring.
ALUSAIR: (laughing) Do you hear that?
AURORA: He sounds like a waterfall!
ALUSAIR: We definitely don’t have to worry about this one.
The Princesses begin to take down their hair and each of them removes her dancing shoes and places them at the foot of her bed.
AURORA: How much sleeping potion did you put in his wine Alusair? I’ve never heard any of them snore so loudly before.
ALUSAIR: I gave him the same amount we give everyone. Maybe he just has a weak constitution.
ANASTASIA: (yawning) In any case, he hasn’t moved an inch. Our Princes are safe. Although I can’t shake the feeling that something is going to go horribly horribly wrong.
ALUSAIR: Go to sleep Anastasia. It’s just your imagination.
AURORA: We could all use some rest.
ALUSAIR: (crawling into bed) Truer words were never spoken. Goodnight!
AURORA: (doing likewise). Goodnight.
ANASTASIA: (as her sisters) Goodnight Aurora, Alusair.
AURORA & ALUSAIR: Goodnight Anastasia.
The Curtain falls.
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