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[knocking] Hello?
[door opens]
[awkward pause]
[affectionate but nervous] Hello there, you.
[door closes]
Thank you for seeing me.
[pause]
Hmm?
I’m in town for a conference, actually.
Security policy.
It’s politically easier if we hold it here.
Further away from the palace and the capitol and all that.
It eases tensions.
[pause]
Oh, yes. They’re out there.
Since the peace agreement, I need bodyguards 24/7.
[regretfully] The war will never be over for some people.
I’ve actually got panic buttons . . . hidden in my clothes.
If you can believe that!
If I click . . . they’ll come running.
But . . . I asked them to wait outside.
I wanted to talk to you.
Alone.
I . . . hope you don’t mind.
[pause]
Seriously, thank you for seeing me.
I know it must be hard for you.
But . . . I’m here to apologize.
For how I hurt you.
[pause]
[flustered] Oh! Don’t worry about that.
[pause]
Please . . . please don’t.
[pause]
[disappointed] Well, if you insist.
It’s “your highness” the first time.
Then after that, “ma’am” is fine.
But . . . you don’t need to.
No one will know!
And . . .
I’d give anything . . .
To hear you say my name.
My real name.
[pause]
Thank you.
You don’t know what that means to me.
[pause]
When they made me a queen . . .
I agreed to it . . . because it would end the war.
There had been so much death.
[pause]
Too many heroes.
[pause]
Like your brother.
[long pause]
Thank you again for coming to the ceremony.
Accepting the medal on his behalf.
I know how painful that was for you.
I saw it all over your face.
I wanted so badly to comfort you.
Like I used to.
When we were together.
When we were young . . . and in love.
And there was no war.
No killing.
Just two lost people . . . who had found each other.
I wanted to take you in my arms and . . .
[pause]
[heavy sigh]
[pause]
I didn’t want to be a queen.
But we had to stop all the death.
The madness.
And I was the only one . . . all the factions would accept.
[long pause]
I know.
[pause]
Thank you.
[pause]
But I didn’t realize . . . how lonely it would be.
I’m not a person to anybody now.
Well . . . to my mom, I guess.
But to everyone else?
I’m a queen.
A thing.
All my friends . . . even my closest friends.
From the movement.
From the war.
The ones who survived, anyway.
They’re not friends any more.
Not really.
They can’t be.
The other factions are watching constantly.
I can’t be seen to favor my old allies.
It would endanger the peace.
And . . . I don’t think they look at me the same way they did, anyway.
[bitter] Even my brothers.
Suddenly they’re famous!
They have it all!
Everyone wants to know them!
And that’s all they care about now.
I try to talk to them, and . . .
They just flatter me and kiss up to me.
Their own sister!
They only want to stay on my good side.
So they don’t lose their precious fame.
They even do it to our mom.
Because they know I’m close to her.
They never really talk to me.
[pause]
Nobody does.
[pause]
I’m a screen . . . and people project whatever they want onto me.
Some of them worship me.
Some of them despise me.
Most of them just want to get something out of me.
But none of them knows me.
Even my own brothers don’t know me any more.
[pause]
I’m sorry!
This isn’t what I came here for.
I just . . .
[pause]
I saw your face.
I heard your voice.
I heard you say my name.
And . . .
Suddenly I knew.
How alone I’ve been.
[pause]
No, no, it’s not okay.
I hurt you.
I know that now.
It took me so long to realize it.
How wrong I was.
I hurt you so awfully.
Because I only cared about my own pain.
I only did what would serve myself.
[long pause]
No, it’s true.
I was selfish and small.
I’ve come to realize that.
I came here to apologize.
And what do I do instead?
I talk about my own pain!
[long pause]
That’s kind of you to say.
[pause]
Being a queen . . . really teaches you your limits.
Every day, I make decisions . . . that affect millions of people.
Their safety.
Their prosperity.
Their happiness.
Life and death.
Every.
Single.
Day.
All depending on me.
Day . . . after day . . . after day.
It never ends.
It never gets easier.
[pause]
Sometimes I get to take a day off.
And you know what that gets me?
Twice as many awful decisions to make the next day.
[pause]
It makes you see how little you really know.
How little any of us can really do.
On our own.
[pause]
Back when the crisis began . . .
At first I didn’t expect much.
I just did my best to help people.
To find some fair and just way to resolve the conflict.
And . . . people noticed that.
And they started to ask my opinion about things.
And then they wanted me to run things.
I started to have real power.
And . . . I let it all go to my head.
[pause]
I was such a fool.
I thought I was so big.
I thought I was going to change the world.
And I let that come between us.
[pause]
Through it all . . . you were so good to me.
You supported me.
In your own way, you . . . helped me do the job.
And I . . .
I didn’t care about your needs the way I should have.
The way you always cared about mine.
I didn’t see how I was pushing you away.
Until it was too late.
And . . .
I didn’t realize how much of my power . . .
Came from us.
Came from having you beside me.
Your support.
Your insight.
[pause]
Since I became a queen . . .
It’s been so . . .
Humbling.
To find out how much I don’t know.
How impossible it all really is.
[pause]
[vulnerable] I’m so lonely.
[pause]
And the more I think about you . . .
About how it ended . . .
The more I realize how wrong I was.
The more I realize how good you were to me.
[pause]
I’m so sorry.
For everything.
[long pause]
Thank you.
That’s much more kind than I deserve.
[long pause]
[hesitant] Do you . . .
[pause]
[hardly daring to believe] You do?
[pause]
Really?
[pause]
And . . . you haven’t . . .
[pause]
Neither have I.
[pause]
Look, I wish I had the luxury of doing this properly.
It’s important that I respect you.
It’s important that I not just . . .
Try to manipulate you.
The way everyone else does to me.
But . . . I’m a queen.
I don’t have the luxury of a private life.
Or of taking the time to do this right.
I can’t just . . . ask you out for coffee.
And say, “let’s take it slow.”
“Let’s see how it goes.”
[pause]
The brute fact is that I need you.
A lot is riding on me now.
Millions of people.
Every day.
And I need you.
[pause]
I can’t rule without you beside me.
[pause]
So . . .
[deep breath in and out]
I brought you a gift.
[pause]
[suddenly shy] Do you remember . . .
How I used to . . . draw little hearts?
On your hand?
[pause]
[soft laugh]
[wistful] Yeah.
One heart to show my love for you.
One to promise my faithfulness.
And one to look forward in hope.
[pause]
It feels like so long ago.
But really . . . it wasn’t.
It hasn’t been all that long.
Hearts don’t fade that quickly.
Not yours.
I know that.
And definitely not mine.
[pause]
Here.
I want to give you this.
[pause]
Yes, it’s a pen.
But not just any pen.
This is the pen I signed the peace accords with.
The . . . pen that made me queen.
[pause]
Do you remember Russell?
[pause]
Yes, him.
He got a huge payout.
From the business settlement in the accords.
He offered me millions for this pen.
Millions!
So he could hang it on his wall.
And impress people with it.
I laughed in his face.
[pause]
I want to give it to you.
I want to give my reign to you.
I don’t want to own my crown.
I want to share it.
[pause]
[affectionate] But . . . there’s something I need to do first.
[pause]
[sparkling] Give me your hand and find out!
[pause]
It’s so warm!
Just like I remember.
[kiss]
Strong . . . but gentle.
[kiss]
The only hands I ever trusted . . . with my heart.
[kiss]
Now then.
This . . . is for the love I still feel for you.
[kiss]
A love I never stopped feeling.
Not for one single day.
And this . . . is for my faithfulness to you.
[kiss]
Which has never changed . . . and never will.
And this . . .
[kiss]
This is for hope.
[kiss]
A hope I never let go of.
[kiss]
A hope that I’m putting in your hands.
[kiss]
Along with this pen.
And my heart.
And my reign.
If you’ll have them.
[pause]
Would you . . .
Maybe . . .
Consider . . .
. . . letting me cook you dinner some time?
[amused] . . . and, I guess, see how it goes?
[pause]
[playfully pretending to be offended] Yes, I’d cook it myself!
Just because I’m a queen . . . doesn’t mean I’ve forgotten how to do things!
I used to cook for you all the time.
You loved it!
Maybe . . . we could relive those times?
For one night?
As a starting point?
[pause]
No, you wouldn’t have to come to the palace.
[happy laughter]
That would be a long way to go for dinner!
[pause]
[suddenly intimate] This is strictly confidential, but . . .
I’m actually planning to stay here in town for a while.
After the security conference is over.
I’ve got a cozy little place set up.
I go stay there a bit whenever I’m in the area.
A sort of . . . secret home away from home.
Way outside the city . . . where no one would look for it.
[romantic] Where no one would look for . . . us.
[pause]
I’ll make you your favorite.
[romantic] I still remember how.
Don’t you worry!
[pause]
I could send my car to get you.
[pause]
Tomorrow evening, maybe?
Pick you up at five?
[long pause]
[joy] Thank you!
Thank you so much.
You will not regret it.
I’m going to treat you right this time.
I’m going to remember that I need you.
And . . . [laughing] I’m going to feed you well, too!
Although I don’t promise to cook it myself every night.
[lots of laughter]
Hey, queens are busy!
You’ll see!
If I have a little help around the house . . . that goes with the job.
[pause]
Oh, you think so?
Well, I guess that’s just another reason I need you.
[contented sigh]
Thank you.
For forgiving me.
For giving me another chance.
And for holding my heart in your hands.
[pause]
I know it will always be safe there.