“Have you ever heard the story of the Spartan King?”
[The voice of Jasper Redgrave is smooth and calm as he sits before us in his throne.]
“As the story goes, the Spartan King received word of an oncoming invasion from the Persian Army upon his land, looking to overtake his Kingdom.”
“Thousands of men were to invade upon Sparta looking to overthrow his leadership and take his Kingdom for their own.”
“But the King wasn’t prepared to give up his Kingdom. In fact, he would die for his land.”
“And so he gathered three hundred of his finest men. He told them that help would be shortly behind them, but they would need to man the front lines and hold their own against thousands.”
“Together, he said, the three hundred of them would be able to hold the line and protect their Kingdom from the Persians.”
“He gave them hope. He promised to protect them. He promised to fight with all of his heart against the odds. He promised to die for his land, should it be.”
“That wouldn’t be the case. The Spartan King and his men did not cower. They did not allow the odds that were stacked against them to deter them from protecting the Kingdom.”
[Jasper shifts in his throne.]
“The Spartan King stood with three hundred men, and I stand alone.”
“Yet our stories are not so different.”
“This week at Vendetta, I will stand in my respective corner of that ring and the odds will truly be stacked against me.”
“Three of the hungriest dogs in all of Arcadia will be there licking their chops, looking to dethrone their new King.”
“Each of them would love nothing more than to slay me in front of all of Arcadia.”
“But just like the Spartan King and his men, I will not cower.”
[Jasper stands from his seat and slowly crosses the room where he opens the double door leading out to the balcony overlooking this level of Arcadia.]
[A smile crosses his face.]
“Arcadia is my Kingdom.”
“I’m prepared to die for what’s mine.”
“The three of you may come for my head. You may want to overthrow my rule and take my Kingdom as your own.”
“But I be damned if I let that happen.”
[Jasper turns to us, his look stern.]
“At Vendetta, I’m prepared to fight for my Kingdom. I know that the target has never been more clearly painted on my back.”
“I know that the three of them will work together to try to dethrone the King.”
“But I will stand against all odds.”
“And I will defy them.”
[He smirks.]
“I may stand here before you as one man, but come Vendetta, I will fight with the heart of three hundred warriors.”
“Because this is MY Kingdom.”
“This is Arcadia!”
“This is my Sparta!”
“And just like the Spartan King, my reign is far from being over.”
[Redgrave storms back into The Gallery leaving us with a view of Arcadia below.]
[Fade.]