(The plot: Ancient Troy is on the eve of being invaded and conquered by an invading army of Greeks, in the year, approximately, 1250 BCE.)

Characters:-

AENAEZHTHRA: A young Trojan woman, disguised as a helmeted male soldier.

TAZHREEN: A young Trojan helmeted male soldier.

(An open field. Tazhreen enters. Tired. He removes his sword belt, and puts it with the sword on the ground. He does likewise with his helmet. He sits on the ground. After a few seconds, Aenaezhthra enters, sword drawn. He sees her and scrambles for his sword. She leaps to him and sticks the point of her sword into the ground in front of him. He moves away from his sword.)

AENAEZHTHRA: Uh-uh. I don't want to hurt you.

TAZHREEN: Hey, buddy, we are on the same side. I have nothing of value.

AENAEZHTHRA: I know. I've been watching you for hours. You’re just a minor errand fellow. A few times a week. Your errands cannot be important, even in these times of an imminent Greek invasion. Else they would have sent more than one of you. Better armed.

TAZHREEN: What are you talking about? From the looks of your uniform, you are as unimportant than I am. Why all the secrecy on your part? Even if you are spying for the Greeks it must be clear to you that you are wasting time spying on me.

AENAEZHTHRA: I am not spying for the Greeks, lucky for you. (She moves back a few steps.) Either we fight, and when I disarm you, you do as I say. Or, I fail to disarm you, and you kill me.

TAZHREEN: That is so ridiculous! I am already unarmed! And I am not about to fight you! We know the Greek invaders are on their way, if they haven’t already landed. Why are you insisting on fighting me?

AENAEZHTHRA: I'm a robber. A Trojan robber. There are “WANTED” posters of my face. If you take me in, you will be rewarded and I will be hanged. (He is motionless in bewilderment for a few seconds before bursting out laughing.)

TAZHREEN: You, a criminal on the run, have been spying on me for hours and you still think I have something of value that’s worth being stolen by you?

AENAEZHTHRA: It is not things I want from you. It’s a partnership.

But you are a soldier, and I am a robber. I reasoned that the only way I will be able to persuade you to partner with me, is by defeating you in combat, and then offering you your life in exchange for a partnership.

TAZHREEN: (They stare at each other in tense silence for a few seconds.) I won't be disloyal to Troy. When those Greeks arrive I want to be here to fight for Troy.

AENAEZHTHRA: I don't want to be here when those Greeks arrive because neither thy nor our Trojans will care that I live. (A few seconds of silence.)

TAZHREEN: (Resigned, quietly.) All right, then, we fight. (She steps away to allow him to pick up his sword. They face each other, swords poised for combat.) Might the better soldier win.

AENAEZHTHRA: It pleases me that in either instance the winner will be Trojan.

TAZHREEN: If I win?

AENAEZHTHRA: Kill me or take me in to be hanged or let me go to find someone else to accept partnership with me. (They regard each other in silence for a few seconds. They fight. She is obviously more skilled with the sword than he is. She toys with him before deftly disarming him.) You want to try for two out of three? (He sulks.)

TAZHREEN: Just get on with it. What is the partnership you have in mind? If it's betrayal of Troy, I won't do it. Kill me now.

AENAEZHTHRA: Sit. (He sits on the ground. She remains standing.) Our prince Paris has shamed Troy by stealing a Greek King's wife, Helen. The Greeks have a moral right and obligation to make a righteous war against Troy in order to rescue that Greek royal queen.

TAZHREEN: That cannot be the whole story. I'm a peasant; and you are a peasant and a thief. Neither you nor I can know the ways of royalty. It's enough for me that the whole royal family of Troy, hundreds of them, are in full support of prince Paris and this kingdom of Troy. We will drive the Greeks back. We cannot be defeated. God Poseidon himself built the walls of Troy and have made it the mightiest City in the whole world for thousands of years. (He stares at her grimly. She looks at him calmly and steadily before speaking quietly.)

AENAEZHTHRA: Not the whole royal family. (An angry look crosses his face, but he checks it quickly as he remembers.)

TAZHREEN: Princess Cassandra is a nut! Even her parents, King Priam and Queen Hecuba of Troy, refuse to let her near them. Her prophecies are just revenge tactics. She frightens nobody in Troy. She keeps claiming god Apollo gives her the gift of prophecy, but the priests in the temples of Apollo say god Apollo gives no signs that he has anything to do with mad princess Cassandra.(He glares at her in what he obviously thinks is a victory. She continues quietly.)

AENAEZHTHRA: Princess Cassandra has a secret organization. She is giving ten pieces of gold to each of every married couple who secretly leaves Troy before the Greeks arrive. She is sending them to the country of Parthia. The King of Parthia has been gently trying to persuade King Priam to send that Greek princess, Helen, whom prince Paris kidnapped, back to her husband-king and their children. If the Greeks don't get here soon enough, Priam might just make war on Parthia.

TAZHREEN: Serves Parthia right. What's all this got to do with me?

AENAEZHTHRA: Ten gold pieces will buy you magnificent armour and weapons against the Greeks. (He looks at her, not comprehending. It comes to him.)

TAZHREEN: You want me to take the money but not go to Parthia?

AENAEZHTHRA: I want you to take your wife to Parthia, and leave her there alone if you want to return to fight for Troy, in magnificent armour.

TAZHREEN: That would be dishonoring princess Cassandra. Taking her money on false pretences.

AENAEZHTHRA: So? She's a nut, remember? Take her money to help yourself defend Troy, heroically, thereby proving princess Cassandra's prophecies of Troy's fall to the Greeks are the empty ravings of a nut. (He looks at her, but is trying to work his thinking through the complications she is presenting. He speaks, somewhat weakly without full conviction.)

TAZHREEN: What about a wife? I don't have one. (She removes her helmet, and shakes her long hair loose. He stares at her in utter confusion.)