CHESSBOARD REGIME.

know your enemy!

( muffled shouting resounds in the throne room as the guards bring in jeremiah baker, who is struggling and sweating and judging from the black eye, has tried to fight back with three armed men. )

BAKER:
who are you? why have you taken me?! let go!

( the queen is sitting on her throne, decked out in jewellery and her crown, of course. standing to her right is the duke edward durwand, who is glaring at jeremiah. )

QUEEN FLORENCE:
my, this one talks quite a lot.

DUKE DURWAND:
he's giving me a headache.

BAKER:
this isn't proper—i have nothing! i have no riches and no name—what could you possibly—

QUEEN FLORENCE:
guards, that is quite enough. let go of him.

( the guards salute, and they throw jeremiah to the ground in front of the queen. )

BAKER:
a-ah!

QUEEN FLORENCE:
jeremiah baker, i presume?

BAKER:
[ looking up, still on his knees ] y-your majesty?

DUKE DURWAND:
her majesty asked you a question.

QUEEN FLORENCE:
lord durwand, there is no need for that. this is a pleasant conversation.

DUKE DURWAND:
of course. i apologize, my queen.

BAKER:
yes—i, yes, your majesty. i am jeremiah...

QUEEN FLORENCE:
hm ... do you know why you're here today?

BAKER:
i—i'm not sure, my queen, i don't—

QUEEN FLORENCE:
oh? my dear child, you were born in cordelia, weren't you?

BAKER:
o-of course, your majesty—i've lived here my whole life, i—

QUEEN FLORENCE:
do you know how many problems you've caused for me?

BAKER:
i—i don't quite understa—

DUKE DURWAND:
a journalist, aren't you?

BAKER:
[ standing up, excited ] i—yes, your grace! only recently have i started to write newspaper articles, and my—the article about the chain of murders, the one who resembled the tactics of jack the ripper—well, it is—it is my most successful article.

QUEEN FLORENCE:
you've read the laws, haven't you, dear boy?

BAKER:
of course, my queen!

QUEEN FLORENCE:
and it's only proper that you abide to the law enstating you not create problems for the royal family through media purposes.

BAKER:
p-problems? there's no way my article could've caused problems unless—unless it was the royal family w-who—

QUEEN FLORENCE:
by this time next week, mr. baker, you will executed under the reason of going against the crown.

BAKER:
i—i didn't do anything—