Servant and Bride step towards Leonardo.
Leonardo: I can't help how I feel. This feeling of love that burns through my soul. Calling out to one woman, and that woman only.
Leonardo takes Brides hand.
Leonardo: I know you feel the same way.
Servant: No she does not.
Servant spins Bride off to the side as if still in a dance. Then turns to Leonardo and takes a step with every word she says.
Servant: You loved her, you moved on, you had a wedding which she did attend, she did all those too. But now you confess your love, she does not.
Bride: Stop!
Servant: Spins around. Pause. Fine, I tried but can help no more.
Bride watches Servant leave stage and continues to stare after her.
Leonardo: So you disagree? You still love me? I knew you did.
Bride: I... do.
Leonardo: Forever?
Bride: Forever.
Leonardo: Smiles. Forever.
Both lean in for a kiss but freeze before lips touch and lights go out.
Non-naturalistic scene:
Stage is black and Woodcutters are spread around the stage representing trees in a forest. Moon and Beggar Woman weave in between the other actors followed by two dim spotlights. They meet in the middle of the stage where their spotlights connect into making one.
Woodcutter one: The Moon is awake now.
Woodcutters sway as if there is a big breeze.
Woodcutter two: And it’s looking for you.
Woodcutters sway even harsher as if the breeze is irritated. There is a bang of a drum and all lights go up. At the same time all Forest People gasp.
Moon: I want no shadows. Let my beams find their way into ever corner, among the dark tree trunks let there be whispers of pale light so that tonight there’ll be sweet blood for my cheeks and for the reeds that cluster.
Beggar Woman: Let not a bird waken, let the breeze gather their groans in her skirt and fly with them over the black tree-tops or bury them in the soft mud.
Moon: Let them linger long in dying, that their blood may slip its gentle hissing through my gingers.
Beggar Woman: The whispering river and the whispering trees will smother the shattered flight of their screams.
Moon: The wind is blowing harder now, and double-edged.
Beggar Woman: Quick Plenty of light! We mustn’t let them past the stream.
Moon and Beggar Woman run to the two front corners of the stage. Enter Bride and Leonardo. Have terrified expressions on their faces. They run in between the Woodcutters then run off stage again. Moon and Beggar Woman are still frozen. Woodcutters spread out in to a circle and start walking anti-clockwise. They all start chanting.
Woodcutters:
What is worst?
To hate your decisions and the path you took,
To not be able to change anything since it's out of your hands.
But that's just what you long for, the thought of exception.
Or could it be,
The thought of not caring about your past,
Since that's how you would re-live it, not changing a thing.
Yet that can be hard when everyone disagrees, you can't simply run away from it all,
Like these two lots souls will soon find out.
Round and round they go. Trying to undo time.
Woodcutters continue to walk anti-clockwise but spread out and walk very slowly so the scene inside the circle is still viable. Enter Bride and Leonardo. Spot light goes on them.
Bride: I don't like this. It's too silent.
Woodcutters: Whispering. Silent? It's not silent anymore.
Leonardo: Don't worry, there's nothing to be afraid of. I'm here. And this time I'm here forever.
Bride: Well that better be the truth, I'm risking everything to be here. Not that I would have said no anyway.
Leonardo: I will always be here. Now I have you again I am not letting go.
Bride: I won’t let go either. But we really need to keep moving or they'll find us.
Woodcutters: Whispering. Find you? But they've already found you.
Leonardo: It’s this way come on.
Leonardo takes the Bride's hand and walks over to the stage corner were the Beggar Woman is hiding. The Woodcutters part which lets them cross paths with the Beggar Woman. Woodcutters go back into their starting positions. Lights turn red.
Beggar Woman: Why hello there. May I help you?
Leonardo: What a helpful woman, just our luck. We seek cover, do you know of such a place?
Beggar Woman: I know just what you need. Follow me.
All follow The Beggar Woman through the Woodcutters to the other side of the stage.
Beggar Woman: Just under those branches.
Leonardo: I cannot thank you enough.
Woodcutters: Whispering, as if they're the breeze. They did not see this coming, thought they’d gotten lucky.
Beggar Woman: It's my pleasure.
Woodcutters: But we know the truth.
Leonardo and the Bride walk through the branches which represent an arch to death. The Moon is waiting for them on the other side. Just as they are under the arch they freeze and look at each other then all lights go out and there is a bang of a drum.
