Queen’s Misfortune- Script
Pitch
How far would you go to climb a social ladder? For Mia there is no limits when it comes to achieving her goals. A spoiled princess makes enemies everywhere she goes, which leads to a curse being thrown upon her by mother of the prince she loves, but is this enough to teach her a lesson?
200 words synopsis
Mia is a daughter of the King of Poland, and her family is very well off. However, one day her father makes a decision for the family to move to France due to some war conflicts nearby. She started her debut in a society of the wrong foot and made enemies with people with high social status. Despite that she ended up getting married to a king and having a happy family. However, her happiness doesn’t last long due to a curse of misfortune. Her husband left her, and people didn’t want her to get into political matter. She ended up as abandoned Queen with no duties, completely useless. In the end she decides to try to get rid of the curse by using her status to do something good for this country. Building schools for poor girls to get education makes her feel fulfilled in life and brings her peace.
Page 1
Introduction of the main character Mia Hazel and her family in form of paintings and family portraits. This should take up 2/3 of the page.
Mia-The house of Hazel became a noble family when my father was selected by magnates to be a King of a country located in the East.
Mia-After becoming a lower rank royalty my parents were blessed with two beautiful girls Mia and Anna who dreamed of saving their family from a downfall.
Mia-That was until this one unfortunate day…
The lats 1/3 of this page should be an establishing shot of the Polish castle with garden and a fountain in the front of the house that belonged to King Stanislaw Leszczynski (Called Stanely Hazel in this story) around 1970.
Mia-I’m Mia Hazel and my journey began at this very castle in the East owned by my dear father who happened to be the king of this land.
Page 2
King Stanley Hazel sends his family on a journey to another country to keep them safe from war conflicts.
Panel 1- King enters the room and tells his family to get ready at once.
Stanley- Catherine! Girls! You must leave at once; the carriage is waiting.
Panel 2- Mia her sister Anna and mother Catherine sitting at the table with tea and sweets while interrupted by the shocking announcement.
Stanley- You will be sent West; it is not safe for you to stay here in the East anymore.
Catherine- If that’s what you wish. Let’s go girls.
Panel 3- Anna stands up as she is feed up with running from danger.
Anna- What is it this time? Another assassin was sent after us? Why can’t we live normal lives?
Catherine- Darling I know being a daughter of a king is not easy, but…
Panel 4- Stanley’s face expressions changes from focused to angry as he speaks to his daughter Anna.
Stanley- There has been a conflict with a neighbourhood kingdom.
Stanley- Unfortunately, this time I cannot stop it, this war was inevitable.
Panel 5- Girls and their mother getting into the carriage, point of view of their father looking down from a window of their mansion.
Page 3
On this page Mia, Anna and Catherine run into trouble on their way to a kingdom located in west, so they find a shelter in a bakery in a small nearby village.
Panel 1- Mia, Anna and their mother Catherine travel in their carriage. Mia looking out the window and thinks about her older sister’s frustration. Mia and her mother are sitting next to each other; looking out the window.
Mia- My elder sister is 18 and with no marriage prospects due to our difficult situation. Is this what my future is going to look like as well?
Panel 2- Catherine looks out the window and sees someone has been following them for a while. She tells a coachman to stop at the nearby village.
Catherine- We are being followed, stop at the closest village! (she screamed to the coachman)
Panel 3- The carriage stops in front of a bakery. It is raining outside. Catherine knocks on the door of the bakery and asks women there to help her hide from bad men that are after them.
Catherine- We need to hide, quickly girls!
Catherine- Please, you must help us! We are being followed.
Bakery owner- Come in quickly!
Panel 4- Mia hiding in the bread oven, soaked form the rain, covered in soot and terrified.
Mia- I’m so cold and scared. I wish we chose to travel to a safer kingdom earlier. (thoughts)
panel 5- Catherine and Anna hiding in a food storage behind barrels and boxes. Anna is coughing as she already caught a cold.
Catherine- Hold on a little longer sweetie.
Bakery owner- It is safe to come out Madam, they are gone.
Panel 6- Catherine hugs both of her daughters and realizing Anna feels very warm due to a fever.
Catherine- Anna feels feverish.
Bakery owner- I will prepare a bed.
Page 4
This page includes verry dramatic event of Anna dying of fever and Mia becoming the only daughter and hope of Hazel family.
Panel 1- Mia and Anna are lying in bed. Catherine puts cold towel on Anna’s forehead as she is feverish. Two girls chat before going to sleep.
Anna- One day I will marry a prince, so that we won’t need to run anymore. I will live in a castle and have all the pretty dresses I want.
Mia- I will marry prince too, and I will have way more pretty dresses than you Anna.
Panel 2- Mia sleeps, she hears sobbing and slowly opening her eyes.
Panel 3- Through Mia’s half opened eyes, we see her sister lying next to her cold, pale and breathless. Her mother holds her sister’s hand and cry.
Mia-Mom? What happened?
Catherine- MY BABY! (Sobbing)
Panel 4- Mia’s father who already heard the news arrived to personally collect them and escort to the kingdom in the West. He stands in the doorway while Catherine and Mia are crying next to Anna’s dead body.
Stanley- I forbid you two from speaking of what happened here today or mentioning her name ever again.
Stanley- Let’s go, we need to get to the kingdom in the West before the sunset.
Panel 5- Catherine holding Mia in her arms and crying. They all leave the village.
Catherine- You’re our only hope Mia. You will have to work very hard from now for your and your sister’s dream.
Page 5
A splash page of Mia dressed up in a nice dress standing in front of a castle in the west kingdom.
Mia- After my sister passed my father send me aboard to study foreign language and etiquette. As only daughter of the house of Hazel it was my duty to marry well and strengthen my position in a society. More importantly to fulfil a dream that I promised to my dear sister.
Page 6
On this page Mia is entering the royal ball and meets the prince for the first time. The Prince quickly fall in love with Mia who is the most beautiful lady attending the party.
Panel 1- Establishing shot of the ballroom filled with quests in long dresses and elegant suits. Down the long stairway there is plenty space to dance, above there is a giant chandelier with shiny crystals lighting up the room. On the sides of the room there are tables filled with drinks and food.
Mia- I am done with running. Today, I will do whatever it takes to make our lives the way we dreamed about it ever since we were kids Anna. (thoughts)
Panel 2- Mia entering the room and taking glass of champagne from a waiter. Meanwhile a man she never seen before approaching her to introduce himself.
Strange man- It’s rare to see such a rare beauty in a place like this. Welcome to a royal palace, I am a Duke of …. (Mia cuts him of in half of his sentence)
Mia- Oh, spare me your introduction. I am here to attend to more important matters.
Panel 3- View from behind Mia and the Duke looking at the crowd of girls surrounding the Prince Louis.
Strange man (Duke)- I wonder what that may be…
Mia- It’s Prince Louis of West. Now, it’s my chance. You got this Mia. (Thoughts)
Panel 4- Mia introduces herself with much elegance, bowing gently to the Prince.
Mia- Welcome your grace. I am Princess Mia from House of Hazel from the East. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you Prince Louis.
Prince Louis- It is indeed a pleasure to meet such a rare beauty.
Prince- Would you care to dance my Lady.
Panel 6- Mia and the Prince dance together. Mia is the most beautiful quest of this party, so the prince decided to make sure she will be his by inviting her to see his mother, the Queen.
Prince- You seem like an extraordinary lady, well taught another language and manners. I would love to introduce you to my mother.
Mia- It would be my pleasure your majesty.
Page 7
Panel 1- Mia bows to the queen, while the prince is holding her hand to indicate she is the one to the Queen who is sitting in a throne with a cat on her lap.
Prince- Mother this is Mia Hazel from the East.
Panel 2- One of the Queen’s pets, a cat biting and scratching Mia’s long dress.
Mia- It’s a pleasure to meet your highness.
Mia- However, it’s a pity that you don’t clearly lack manners when it comes to welcoming your quests. You should have your servants to look after your savage pets.
Panel 3- View of a crowd of whispering people.
Whispering people- How dare she?
-Oh my.
-What a disaster
Panel 4- The atmosphere became quiet tense, so the prince decides to break through the silence and whispering by making a toast. Everyone seems to be shocked at his decision.
Prince- Beatuiful and feisty, this is going to be interesting. (Thoughts)
Prince- Hmh, as you may know the purpose of this royal ball was to assure the future of the kingdom. Today, I met someone very special, and I hope she would do me the honour of ruling this kingdom along my side. Mia…
Mia- It would be great honour to be by your side your majesty.
Panel 5- A The queen walks to the exit. While she passes Mia, she whispers to her and gives her a bad look. The words she whispers meant to curse Mia by wishing her a great misfortune for humiliating the Queen.
The Queen- Know this, all my enemies are destined to regrate it soon or later. I wish a great misfortune falls upon as the new Queen.
Mia- Huh, a curse?!
Page 8
This page shows some flashbacks to what happened to Mia since the day of the first meeting with a Prince and the Queen. Starting from panel 3 it’s Mia’s present time where she is a Queen and the curse starting to take an effect.
Panel 1- Although Mia and Prince Louis get married happily; she keeps thinking about the day she meets the Queen and the curse. This panel shows a royal wedding with a carriage going throw the city full of people cheering and throwing flower petals.
Mia- Some time has passed and there was no sign of the curse. (thoughts)
Panel 2- The prince carries Mia through the doorway to the chamber.
Mia-we got married and had many children to ascend the throne. (thoughts)
Panel 3- Mia walking through the hall passing by a painting of a royal family (Mia, Prince, and their children in the painting).
Mia-However, despite fulfilling my role to the royal family I didn’t feel like living a dream me and my sister wanted. (thoughts)
Mia- Since all my children are occupied by studies and other duties, I had no choice but finding something I can do as a Queen.
Panel 4- Mia walking through the hallway to a meeting room. She hears whispers from behinds the door.
Panel 5- Politics and other important people sitting at a large table ready to discuss matters of the kingdom, but when Mia joined the table, everything went silent. One of the elders spoke to her in name of all the present attendance of this meeting.
The elder- With all due respect your highness we don’t think you should bother yourself with such a trivial matter as politics.
Panel 6- Angry Mia heads to the Prince’s office to talk to him.
Mia- How dare they neglect their Queen. I refuse believe there is any curse, this must be his influence.
We will see about that.
Page 9
Panel 1- Desperate Mia storms out of the room and heads to the prince’s office to speak to him about her royal duties, but instead she witnesses something shocking.
Mia- Your majesty I need to speak with you…
Panel 2- Mia walks into prince’s office and catch him cheating with another noble women. This could be shown as a reflection in Mia’s eye.
Mia- what? Who?...
Panel 3- She walks up to him with ager and lifts her hand up to slap him.
Mia- HOW DARE YOU!
Panel 4- He catches her hand middle way and reminds her why she is here.
Prince- Don’t forget who you are. A princess from a family with no wealth.
Mia- Ugh.
Panel 5- He comes very closely to her face and with a scary, angry look on his face he gives her a warning. Mia clenches her teeth and stares him in the eyes.
Prince- You’re lucky to be chosen as my Queen, know your place!
Panel 6- Mia upset and traumatized by what she witnessed slowly drag her legs through the hall going to her room. She things turned out to be. Mia in this panel should look tired and crying.
Mia- What did I do wrong?
-Maybe the curse was real after all…
Page 10
Panel 1- Mia cries in her room in bed.
Mia- I’m sorry Anna, that’s not how I imagined our dream life. I ended up as a useless Queen with no duties.
Panel 2- She grabs a framed picture of her family form a bedside table.
Mia- is this the misfortune that I was destined to meet?
Panel 3- She stares at her family painting (her father, mother, and sister) and talks to her sister’s picture.
Mia stares into a blank space, her face looks very tired, eyes red from crying, eyebags from stress and exhaustion.
Mia- Would it be any different if my dear sister become the Queen instead?
Panel 4-Mia standing next to a window and stares at the city.
Mia- I tried to live up to everyone’s dreams, yet they don’t respect me or see me as their Queen. What would Anna do?
Panel 5- Suddenly, Mia’s eyes lit up as she thought about a great idea.
Mia- I fulfilled my duties yet I haven’t done anything for the people of this kingdom nor myself. Of course!
Panel 6- Mia runs through the castle to the meeting room with a paper in her hand.
Mia- I know what to do now.
Page 11
Panel 1- She put down a agreement papers on the table in front of everyone and declared what she wants to be done.
Mia- I am the Queen of this country and as the Queen I want best for this kingdom. Therefore, I order a school for less fortunate women to be built so that everyone can have equal chance for education and better life.
Panel 2- The Prince sitting at the table in the meeting room among elders staring at him.
Prince- Uh, since a Queen clearly does not have any important duties and likes to bother us all here… You may proceed with your little project. Now leave.
Panel 3- Mia runs down the stairs towards the exit of the castle where one of her servants is already waiting for her to help her out with her little project. She looks much happier and full of life.
Mia- There is no time to waste Harry, we are heading out right away.
Harry the servant- Yes, my lady.
Panel 4- Harry and Mia walk towards a building site where they organized people to renovate old building to become a school for girls. Mia is holding plans written on paper.
Mia- As a Queen I would like to give all young ladies the same opportunity to educate, so that they can marry well and have happy lives.
Panel 5- Mia walks through the interior. Inside the school there is plenty of bookshelves, tables, chairs, and space to practice.
Harry- This is indeed a perfect study space for young ladies.
Panel 6- Mia looks at the finished project. The school is finished and lots of people gathered around to see the Queen announcing the opening of new school. It’s a very elegant school with a statue of Queen Mia next to it.
Mia- I always did everything people expected of me as daughter, wife, or mother, but I never had a chance to do something I wanted to do for my people as a Queen.
Harry- Well that makes a nice change.
Page 12
Panel 1- Establishing shot of the school and the people gathering around to see it.
Panel 2- Mia cutting a bow and makes announcement.
I am happy to gift a new academy for all the young ladies of this kingdom.
Panel 3- People cheering for the queen.
Crowd of people- LONG LIVE QUEEN MIA!
Mia- We did it Anna, I hope you can rest in peace now.