QUEEN OF SWORDS SYNOPSIS
111 THE RETURN

WRITTEN BY: Scott Craft
DIRECTED BY: Paolo Bartzman

An old love of Marta's, Leonardo, comes to Santa Helena with a conman friend who wants to score one last hit before retiring.

DAY

Two men arrive at the shore of Alto California talking about where Santa Helena is. One of the men has something to take care of.

NIGHT

The man who needed to take care of something ducks under the windows as he runs alongside the Alvarado house. He goes inside. Marta, in her nightgown and just ready to drink some wine, is startled by the intruder.

Tessa wakes up with a jolt from the sound of a breaking wine glass on the tile floor. She rushes to the sound to see the intruder holding Marta as she straddles his body, kissing him.

MORNING

The intruder and Marta are eating breakfast. They kiss as Tessa enters. Marta and the man go outside and Tessa as smiles. Marta folds the sheet outside as Tessa prods for answers about who he was.

Marta tells Tessa that 10 years ago, she was in love with him, but he left 9 years. Tessa realized that Marta didn't go with him because she felt responsible for a 12 year old girl.

LATER

Marta and Leonardo are going into town in the wagon as he tells her about the wonders of the world and the thrill of traveling. There's a ship waiting to take them away from there. He gives her a necklace with a bird and wants her to come with him.

HIDALGOS

Tessa talks to Don Hidalgo. He's worried about having to pay more taxes but Tessa seems more concerned about putting a comb in her hair. She tells him she'll think about the tax situation.

CANTINA

Pietro and Leonardo are at the cantina. Pietro wants to rob the area. Leonardo is done with all that. He's going to start a new life with Marta. Pietro reminds him that he saved Leonardo's life and he just needs help with one more job. (Always a bad sign :-) A soldier sees him with a pouch that he tries to hide in his shirt and accuses him of stealing. Pietro and Leonardo take off, guards give chase. Pietro hits a guard on the head with a shovel, killing him. They get away on horseback.

ALVARADOS

Tessa suggests to Marta that there is room in the south pasture for a hacienda... hint, hint. She tells Tessa that Leonardo is leaving town, but she is staying there. Tessa tells her not to miss her chance with him again, not because of her. Pietro and Leonardo come riding up and Leonardo tells Marta to pack her things, they have to leave now. Marta hides them in the house.

SANTA HELENA

Hidalgo is meeting with Montoya. Montoya tells the Don that they must pay more taxes for more services.

ALVARADOS

Soldiers come looking for Leonardo and Pietro, charging them with murder. They're found. Pietro is killed and Marta stops the guard from shooting Leonardo in the back when he tries to escape. They're both arrested.

SANTA HELENA

In Montoya's courtyard, he is practicing archery when Tessa comes, concerned about Marta's arrest and was shocked by what happened at her hacienda. Montoya tells her that Leonardo is a murdering thief who spent five years in a prison in Spain, but he agrees to let her see Marta. When Montoya asks her if she and the other landholders were thinking of paying the extra tax, she evades the question by telling him that Don Hidalgo mentioned something about it, but couldn't remember what.

JAIL

Marta tries to convince Tessa that Pietro killed the guard, not Leonardo. He was in prison only for stealing a loaf of bread. The Queen must free them. Tessa is torn. If the Queen does aid in their escape, Marta will have to run for the rest of her life. As Tessa, she could convince Montoya to free Marta, but couldn't do anything for Leonardo. Marta is adamant that she will not leave Leonardo.

COUNTRYSIDE

Don Hidalgo is on his buggy when two banditos chase him. Hidalgo's buggy is overturned, throwing Hidalgo out and twisting his ankle. He is robbed.

MONTOYA'S OFFICE

Vera pleads with Montoya to keep the Don's safe after what happened to her husband. He would be happy to, with more money to raise a fitting garrison.

CELLAR

The Queen is dressed and ready to go, when Vera comes. She takes her clothes off and puts on a robe to talk to her. Vera asks Tessa to pay the tax as the Alvarado name is respected, thinking that the other Dons will follow her lead, concerned about her husband's safety.

JAIL

Marta and Leonardo talk. She wanted to have children with him, grow old with him, with someone she loves. He tells her to forget about him. Their love is cursed and he's a dead man. The Queen arrives and rescues them, they are both now fugitives.

SQUARE

As the three of them are escaping on horseback, Leonardo falls onto a guard who had Marta's back in the sight of his gun. The Queen makes Marta leave with her. Leonardo is already caught.

COUNTRY

Tessa tells Marta to stay at the ruins while she goes back for Leonardo. Marta gives her ring to Tessa to give to Leonardo.

MONTOYA'S COURTYARD

Don Hidalgo, with a cane, talks again to Montoya about security. Montoya once again says that he needs more money. Don Hidalgo belittles him, that it's all about money. There is more to the Dons words, making Montoya think that the Don thinks that Montoya set that up. Montoya tells the Don that he can keep the extra tax, friendship is more important. (Yeah, right <g>)

JAIL

Montoya talks with Leonardo in the jail, as Tessa eavesdrops outside. Montoya has a proposition for him.

COUNTRYSIDE

Don Gaspar and Vera are riding in their carriage in the distance. Montoya tells Leonardo that he will shoot the Don and then he is free to go, as long as he never sets foot in Santa Helena again. Leonardo raises the gun as the Hidalgos come into view. He turns and fires the gun at Montoya. It doesn't fire. Montoya grabs it from him. "Do you really think I would give you a loaded gun?" He tells his soldiers to kill Leonardo, as he had escaped, as well as Hidalgo. The Queen comes, sword fight between Queen and Montoya.

Queen and Leonardo ride away. She gives him Marta's ring and tells him that she's hiding at the ruins.

Guards come to tell Montoya that they have found Marta and have her.

RUINS

Marta's hands are tied as one guard patrols and another is around a large rock. The Queen knocks out the two guards as Leonardo takes the knife and cuts Marta free. They hug. He needs to leave, she will go with them. She just needs a moment alone with the Queen.

MARTA: Your cousins thought you were a barbarian, but I knew different.
TESSA: I love you, Marta.

They hug. Tessa tells her that she can take care of herself. Why? Because she was raised by a gypsy. They have to leave, soldiers are coming. Tessa yells for them to go when Marta hesitates.

The Queen rides and yells for Montoya so that Marta and Leonardo can escape in another direction. Marta takes one last look at Tessa as the Queen rides away, guards following her. She ties a rope to a tree trunk and hooks the other end on the clothes of a guard on horseback that she rode up behind. He falls off his horse. She rides between two other soldiers and unhooks their saddles, they fall. She rides up and jumps on the back of Montoya's horse, holds a knife to his throat. He stops. She tells him to forget about the taxes and if anything happens to Leonardo or Marta, Don Hidalgo will find out that Montoya had planned to shoot him. Montoya dismounts and Tessa rides off on his horse, leaving the Queen of Swords card behind.

ALVARADOS

Tessa comes back from her morning ride and is surprised by the presence of Marta. This is her home, she belongs with Tessa. And, she still has her bird necklace.

THE END

Synopsis by:
JoLayne
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Jo's Obsessions
http://www.geocities.com/enyajo