Death of Enzo of Sardinia
Enzo of Sardinia, the captured king, sits alone in his prison cell in Bologna, reflecting on his lost kingdom and the life he once led. The guards outside remain vigilant, aware of his noble status bu
Setting
A cold stone cell in the upper floors of the Palazzo Re Enzo, Bologna. The room is small with high, narrow windows that let in faint moonlight. The walls are thick, damp stone, and the only entrance is a heavy wooden door reinforced with iron bands.
Characters
Enzo of Sardinia
primary
A tall, gaunt man in his late 40s with a regal bearing despite his emaciated state. His once-dark hair is now streaked with grey and falls in unkempt waves to his shoulders. A thick beard, also greying, covers his hollowed cheeks. His piercing blue eyes, though weary, still hold the fire of a king. His hands, though calloused from years of confinement, are long-fingered and elegant.
Guard Captain
secondary
A grizzled veteran in his late forties, with a broad frame hardened by years of combat. His face bears a prominent scar across his left cheek, and his short-cropped hair is streaked with grey. His dark eyes are sharp and vigilant, reflecting a lifetime of discipline.
Young Guard
background
A young man in his early twenties, with a lean but strong build. His face is smooth, barely touched by the first signs of a beard. His hands are calloused but not yet hardened by years of labor, and his stance betrays his inexperience.
Dialog
Enzo of Sardinia
The moon tonight... it shines as it did over Cagliari. Tell me, Captain, do they still speak of me there?
Guard Captain
The Commune keeps its business, and you keep to your cell. That is the way of things.
Enzo of Sardinia
Regnum perdidi... yet they could not take the blood from my veins. A king remains, even in chains.
Guard Captain
Chain mail rusts. Men forget. Twenty-three winters have passed since banners flew for you.
Enzo of Sardinia
Then let them remember this - no tower in Bologna is so high as my father's palace in Palermo. Time cannot unbuild that.