31 Plays in 31 Days, #22 - "Protect Him"

[breakinglight11]

This scene is a followup to this one, the first time Morna and Diana clash over the best way to protect Aidan through the dangers of the revolution. I'm trying to keep their perspectives consistent in the way that they each want to take care of him but have different ideas of what the best way to do that is.

This comes from the idea that they offered an amnesty to former Roman soldiers for their service to the empire if they defect and join the rebellion instead. But, because I wanted to in some way preserve the idea that Aidan encounters old abusers in this struggle, Bernie suggested that we embody that in one of those defected soldiers rather than one of the big bads. This scene would come after Morna makes a decision about what to do the first time that happens.


Day #22 - Protect Him
from Adonis
by Phoebe Roberts

DIANA, once a Roman general, now commanding a slave rebellion
MORNA, formerly a slave, now the rebellion’s mastermind
~~~

Diana hurls down the bloody helmet of the centurion.

DIANA: What have you done?

Beat.

MORNA: What I promised I’d do. Protected him.

DIANA: We offered them amnesty. You agreed to it!

MORNA: For their allegiance to Rome! Not that. Never that.

DIANA: We need them. Do you think we can win this without the legions? They won’t fight for us if you punish them all!

MORNA: You’re right. If I killed every Roman rapist, the stones of this city would echo.

Diana bristles.

DIANA: Brave words from she who whores him out to serve her own ends.

Morna flinches.

MORNA: Unless we win, he will never be safe! And we cannot do it without him. His position is too vulnerable to bear that on top of all.

DIANA: You put him there!

MORNA: Yes! So damned if I’m not going to do what I have to in order to protect him.

DIANA: Do you think I love him less than you?

Morna’s sternness finally breaks.

MORNA: Then how can you countenance what they did?

DIANA: I am doing what I must to win.

MORNA: And so am I.

Diana turns away and struggles to pull herself together.

DIANA: No one must know that you did this.

MORNA: It will not come out.

DIANA: Keep it that way. If there is even the rumor that the amnesty will not hold, we will lose all of them.

Morna looks down, conceding.

DIANA: And no more of this.

MORNA: What if it happens again?

DIANA: Then we will deal with it. The two of us, not just you.

They regard each other. At last Morna nods.