The room is dark and the air is still. There are large barrels of wine from various decades. The corners are spotted with cobwebs.
The Bottlery, Inside Castle
king
the princess
I am the Princess. My father is the Queen. My mother is dead and my father is about to marry a horrible woman.
Is it really necessary? It is really quite grim down here. It is, indeed. Soon you'll be expected to drink wine at the royal feasts. Last month when your mother served you some you turned your nose up at it. That's not acceptable. In your role, you must learn to at least sip wine. Mother is gone now, and how I wish I had sipped from her wine. To bring this up at such a time has very much dullen my shine, King.  I realize that. But there is no alternative. And please, call me Father.  You will be my father as long as you stay unmarried to the wretched woman! She truly is a mare, father. I'm shaken to my core by her presence. You've made your opinion very well known to me and everyone else in the kingdom. I have no intention to marry her. Yet. Oh whew! Here I was acting proper as a sort of butter up, yikes! Okay crack this wine open, your girl's thirsty! That's my girl! And apparently you do have a thirst for wine. Please, join me in a bottle- or two! Get this ghastly thing off for a start. Now which one has the highest percentage. Only the highest percentage for this future queen! Yes, yes... well, in that case perhaps we should bring out the spirits and the shotglasses. I'm so happy. For one now that I can relax, and two, how easy it was to convince you not to marry. I thought you were serious with her? She's problematic to my monarchy. I do care for her, but you hate her and your opinion is not alone. Everyone in the kingdom seems to want her head. 