EXTERIOR, OF THAT MOST ARBITRARY OF LOCATIONS, THE CASTLE. YES, THAT’S RIGHT, WE’RE DOING IT IN A CASTLE THIS TIME.

OKAY, EXTERIOR BUT ZOOMING IN. GETTING CLOSER. THERE’S A WINDOW WITH RED CURTAINING. THE CURTAINS PULL ASIDE.

OH! INTERIOR, ARBITRARY LOCATION! CASTLE!

her most royal highness, the prince (henceforth, prince): i spake upon you before and yet you have yet to respond satisfacTORily.

magician (henceforth, magician): it’s not my fucking fault. you’re always talking so goddamn weird.

prince: you exist merely to serve my whims. i suggest you begin acting like it or begin making of yourself a puff of smoke.

magician, now producing a wand made from sheepskin, cloth, and myrrh, tapping it a mere once upon his LEFT BIG TOE: it’s literally not even my fault.

MAGICIAN DISAPPEARS. PRINCE IS LEFT TO HER OWN DEVICES.

prince: i can not depth a fathom of what the mistake i just made. my only friend, the dire magician, cast aside as pebbles in a pond by my grievous foolishness. perhaps always getting what you want isn’t good for you.

prince, echoing moderately: i never eat my vegetables yet complain of lacking starch? i give myself as one askance, in mine own perpetuity that is naturally off-balance, though i continue into eternity...

prince, heavy echo, difficult to make out words: my self from others... an arbitrary selection...... voids shaping......... ever and more..... curiosity...... penchant for selfitude.......... i wonder which that i..........*completely indiscernable between reverberations of voice*

MAGICIAN REAPPEARS, TO INTERRUPT THE POOR SWEET PRINCE’S MELODIC REVERIE. ECHOES CEASE.

magician: i accept your implied apology.

prince: joy of angels be upon myself, and all others presented to this room!

MAGICIAN BRIEFLY GLANCES, AND SEES ONLY THE TWO OF THEM.

prince: heaven’s lasting mercies!

SHE - EMBRACES - HIM - TIGHTLY. HE - EMBRACED - SQUIRMS SLIGHTLY.

prince: thusly and nowly reunited, i will never let you away from my breast, my dearest of conjurers. you are my treasure and my forever.

magician: yeah, okay; that makes sense to me. are you happy with my response, now?

prince: good enough!

INTERIOR, ARBITRARY LOCATION! CASTLE!

OKAY, INTERIOR BUT ZOOMING OUT. GETTING FURTHER. THERE’S A WINDOW WITH RED CURTAINING. THE CURTAINS PULL TOGETHER. YOU AND I LOOK DOWNWARD AND SEE THROUGH A ROTUND WINDOW, BELOW THE GROUND LEVEL, THE WORKINGS, THE MACHINATIONS OF ANOTHER CLASS, THE COOKES OF THE KITCHEN AS THEY STEAM AND SMOKE AND SHOUT, CANDLED UNDER WARM LIGHT....