.... and the winner for the best play in English of the Jocs Florals goes to Astrid Pascual. Congratulations. This is her play.
The crabby princess
Once upon a time, in a far away
village, there was a princess who everyone was afraid of. Nobody faired to
speak with her due to her bad humor. Her father was desperate because he was
very old and he failed to found a husband who dared to married her.
The princess Catherin was at her
palace in Niama interviewing a knight:
KNIGHT OF BELMORT (with the best
enthusiasm he can): my dear princess, your eyes are like the sun, I have come
from a very far away village in order to make you fall in love with me.
PRINCESS CATHERIN (with a bored
face): Oh, very nice but why didn’t you try to pass next to a hairdresser while
you were coming here to see me? You hair is a mess!
KNIGHT OF BELMORT (offended and
lying): Oh, no worry, I’ll have my hair cut if you want. I’m completely in love
with you, I’m going to do whatever you want.
PRINCESS CATHERIN (rudely): even
if you cut your hair you will be as stupid as I see you are! Could someone
eject this man from here?!?!
(Dragon Mark comes immediately)
DRAGON MARK: my dear princess,
don’t you like this gentleman? He looks awesome!
PRINCESS CATHERIN (furious): I’ve
said DRIVE OUT THIS MEN FROM MY VIEW!!!
DRAGON MARK (scared): okay, knight
of Belmort, would you like to accompany me?
KNIGHT OF BELMORT (happier than
said): yes Sir, it’s a relief I don’t have to marry this woman.
KING OF NIAMA (desperate): dear
daughter, you should try to be nicer with your suitors.
PRINCESS CATHERIN: It’s just that
this is very boring. Furthermore, they wouldn’t like to marry me and I won’t
like to marry any of these stupid knights neither. I cannot be kind with them,
I cannot be kind with anyone. I don’t like this people, I don’t like anything of
Niama, I would like to leave from here!
KING OF NIAMA (horrified): don’t
say that honey, I don’t know what I’ll do if I lose you!
(The dragon Mark enters running)
DRAGON MARK: my princess, my
princess!
PRINCESS CATHERIN: what’s going
on Mark?
DRAGON MARK: there’s another
knight I have catch for you!
PRINCESS CATHERIN (frustrated):
come on, this is a nightmare!
KINGHT OF GRUIN: a nightmare? No
beautiful princes, I have come to marry with you and have a happy life next to
you.
PRINCESS CATHERIN: yes, this is
what all say. Well, the fact is that I don’t want to marry you!
KINGHT OF GRUIN: you don’t know
what you are saying, we could be bought together looking at the sunset in cosy
evenings, don’t you imagine! What a happy live could it be!
PRINCESS CATHERIN: what a sickish
man! For me this live would be the worse anyone could have. I don’t like the
people like you.
KINGHT OF GRUIN (offended): come
on, I am one of your last opportunities to marry with, your dragon has no more
knights to catch.
PRINCESS CATHERIN: I don’t care,
I don’t want to marry anyone, I’m much better alone! So could you get out of my
palace?!?!
(The dragon Mark escorts the
Knight of Gruin to the exit. Suddenly another knight comes into the palace)
PRINCESS CATHERIN: Oh no! Another
Knight! You don’t have to come unwillingly, I won’t marry any Knight my dragon
brings to the palace.
THE NEW KNIGHT: I have come to
talk with you willingly, so listen to me.
PRINCESS CATHERIN: Oh, so you
have come to talk but not marry me?
THE NEW KNIGHT: I have come to
talk to you and to listen to you while others don’t do it. I know you are fed
up of this visits made by knights from all over the country. So would you like
to go with me outside of the palace?
(Princess Catherin and the new knight
are going outside when the dragon Mark stops the knight from carrying away the
princess)
DRANGON MARK: where do you think
you are going?
PRICESS CATHERIN: get out of our
way Mark, I want to go outside this palace, I don’t care if this man is stupid
or not, I need a bite of air.
DRAGON MARK: whatever you want,
but your dad won’t be happy with that.
(Princess Catherin and the new
knight are in the garden’s palace together)
THE NEW KNIGHT: so, how do you
feel now in the garden?
PRINCESS CATHERIN (cutting):
better than staying inside, but do not get your hopes up, I don’t even know who
you are.
THE NEW KNIGHT: I’m Mathew, I
know you from ancient times although you don’t remember.
PRINCESS CATHERIN: and why do you
think I would like to speak with you?
KNIGHT MATHEW (with a smile):
because you are going to fall in love with me.
PRINCESS CATHERIN (sarcastic):
yes, surely.
KNIGHT MATHEW: why are you so
rude with the people in this country, your dad, your dragon and your suitors?
PRINCESS CATHERIN: well, in fact
they are not my suitors, they come unwillingly because they are afraid of my
dragon, what tells me they are not as brave as a knight is suppose to be and I
am rude with the people in this country because I don’t like them.
KNIGHT MATHEW: I see… You are
pissed off with them. They have made you something.
PRINCESS CATHERIN: how do you
know it?!
KNIGHT MATHEW (smiling): well, I
know it.
PRINCESS CATHERING: yes, it was
some time ago when I was thirteen years old, they told my parents I was old
enough to not be playing here, in these garden, with one of my best friends. So
they force me to pass my youth in the palace, alone, learning how to be a good
queen while other children of my age used to play. I had to say bye to my best
friend and forget him sadly. Now I don’t even remember his name.
KNIGHT MATHEW: Oh, what a sad
story, I feel sorry for you.
PRINCESS CATHERIN: don’t be, it’s
just that after what they have done to me I cannot be kind with them. How could
you be kind with someone who has not been kind with you, who has broken your
childhood?
KNIGHT MATHEW: believe it or not,
this made you the same pain as it made to me. I couldn’t have been able to be
kind with them neither, but I know everyone can commit mistakes and that maybe
they did it in order to ensure a good future for you.
PRINCESS CATHERIN: yes, maybe
they were worried of me, of my future as the queen of Niama, maybe they did it
for a good reason. But, wait a minute, how did it made you the same pain as it
did to me....? Oh! Now I see it! You were my best friend! That’s why you knew
they did something but to me, that’s why you tell me at first that you knew me!
Yes, I now remember, my best friend’s name was Mathew!!!
KNIGHT MATHEW: yes Catherin, I
still remember when we used to meet in this garden, how fun did we have!
(Princess Catherin and Knight
Mathew get a heartwarming hug)
PRINCESS CATHERIN (crying): Oh
Mathew! It’s a lot of time I don’t see you!
KINGHT MATHEW: yes, don’t you
remember anything of us?
PRINCESS CATHERIN: you were my
eternal love, we were cast for one and other!
KING MATHEW: yes, since we were
separated I have been trying to see you again, but people of the country didn’t
let me. I had to leave the realm and now that I am twenty and that I have heart
your dragon is trying to catch suitors, I have immediately come to talk with
you and make you remember everything.
(Dragon Mark goes to the garden)
DRAGON MARK (furious): hey! What
have you done! My princess to crying!
PRINCESS CATHERIN: No Mark! I
have found my love, my Knight and my husband. Tell my dear father we are going
to marry as soon as we can.
(Princess
Catherin and Knight Mathew kiss)
THE END The playwright
