| “ | Today was the joyous day of their engagement. It was as if they had completely forgotten that I was meant to be their crown princess. | ” |
"The Talk of the Empire (1)" is the first released episode of Your Throne by SAM. On the day of the royal engagement, Medea Solon vows to take revenge on Psyche Callista for stealing the seat of crown princess from her.
Synopsis[]
The Empire of Vasilios rejoices at the union between the first heir to the throne, Eros Orna Vasilios, and daughter of the Callista House, Psyche Callista. On the day of the royal engagement, Medea Solon stands amongst the crowds of cheering citizens, bitter with rage that the seat of crown princess was stolen from her.
Draped in fine silks of white and gold, the royal couple greets the adoring crowd before departing in the royal carriage. Whispers of Psyche Callista's triumph over Medea Solon float among the villagers. Despite losing to Medea in the competition, Psyche secured the seat of crown princess against all odds, and the House of Solon was soon accused of plotting an assassination attempt on a member of the imperial family. A man with a mustache confides with an acquaintance that he believes the crown prince falsely accused the House of Solon to be with Lady Psyche. As his acquaintance protests, the man further states that Lady Medea, whose temper precedes her, will have difficulty finding a new suitor after the royal family decreed the House of Solon as traitors. Before he can continue, the man looks up and is startled to see Medea walking by, a terrifying expression on her face.
In sharp contrast to the royal couple, Medea is clothed in various shades of dark purple. The sun casts dark shadows across her face as she glares at the mustached man for his less-than-friendly commentary. A young servant loudly assures Medea that she has little time to deal with remarks from such lowly vermin. Medea coldly tells the man that she will remember him before boarding her carriage. As the horses pull the carriage away, the mustached man collapses to the ground with relief, having narrowly avoided Medea's wrath. His acquaintance warns him that her silence weighs far more than a thousand words.
Several days later, a body washes up on the banks of the river. Though rumors claim that the man accidentally slipped and fell into the water, villagers cannot help but notice how strange it is that the corpse's tongue has been cut out.
At the duke's manor, Medea and her brother hurry to their mother's chambers as news of her ailing health reach them. As they enter the room, Medea watches as her father, Thesion Solon, inquires the doctor about his wife's condition. Hesitantly, the doctor informs the duke that due to having poor health since birth, the duchess appears to have weakened during imprisonment. As the doctor explains that she may not live until the end of the year, the duke abruptly bursts out in rage. He upturns the furniture in fury as his children and servants attempt to assuage his anger.
Later in the day, Medea lounges in the foyer, drinking tea as maids tend to her. She silently ruminates on how things have become a mess since Psyche appeared in her life. The maids offer to teach Psyche a lesson by sending a spy to the resort where the royal couple is vacationing. Medea declines, explaining that unlike the mustached man in the town square, Psyche is soon to be the crown princess. Targeting her will only further incriminate Medea in the prince's eyes. Despite this, Medea can still feel her anger burning, refusing to subside.
At a resort near the ocean, Psyche Callista and Eros Orna Vasilios walk along the coast, watching as the water casts flickers of light reflected from the sun. Psyche holds her hat in place as the sea breeze blows her hair, tied in braids, across her face. They approach a local vendor, observing the various trinkets on display. Psyche quietly confides with Eros that she wishes to send Lady Medea a gift. Surprised, Eros reminds her that Medea has done nothing but harass Psyche since the competition. Psyche assures him that Medea is waiting for her to make amends. The vendor offers her a special item handcrafted by rare minerals, noting that it is popular among tourists because of its color. Observing the trinket, Eros lets out a laugh and encourages Psyche to buy it. As Psyche stares at him in confusion, Eros muses that he is curious how Lady Medea will react.
Back at the duke's manor, a royal messenger delivers the gift to Medea. A maid exclaims with indignation as he explains that it is Psyche's wish that he observes Medea's reaction. Medea calmly agrees, reminding her maid that she cannot refuse the orders of the future crown princess. She opens the box and peers at its contents. With an unperturbed expression, she promises to send a reply to Psyche soon. The messenger bows and exits the room.
As soon as he is out of earshot, Medea grabs a lamp and smashes it to the ground in a fit of fury. Her maids cry out in shock, attempting to calm her, as she screams in frustration. Medea stops, catching her breath, as her hand bleeds from the shards of glass that have cut into her palm. A delicate ring with embedded cobalt gems rolls out of the box, its vibrant color gleaming against the dark carpet. Enraged, Medea curses Psyche for daring to send such a gift to mock her, as if a cheap trinket can make up for cheating during the crown princess contest. As she pulls herself together, Medea declares that she will accept the challenge.
At the count's manor, Psyche stands in front of a mirror as a nanny fusses over her. A servant enters the room, delivering a bouquet of red lilies and a letter sent from the House of Solon. In Medea's letter, she claims that the scent of the flowers helps with sleep and suggests Psyche to place them at her bedside. Medea then invites Psyche to have tea to catch up. Overwhelmed with joy, Psyche quickly orders to send an invite as soon as possible.
On the day of their meeting, Medea and Psyche convene at the count's manor. Psyche apologizes for arranging a hasty date, explaining that she needs to visit the Temple the next day. Waving aside the apology, Medea presents a set of tea and sugar cubes that she brought to share. As she adds sugar to the tea, Medea explains that the spice will enrich the flavor. Psyche praises Medea for her vast knowledge and drinks the tea, commenting on its fragrance. Maids of the count manor whisper in the shadows, watching in disbelief at the two women holding a normal conversation after their public strife. As one maid admits that she was worried Medea was plotting something, her coworker quickly shushes her. Medea calmly notes that Psyche is beloved by her servants because she treats them like family. As Psyche thanks her, Medea coldly explains that it is not a compliment. She curtly states that she will punish the maids that speak ill of her. As Psyche scrambles to defend her servants, a knight intervenes and suggests that Medea should leave so Psyche can prepare for the temple visit. Observing him, Medea concludes that he must be Psyche's favorite knight and willingly leaves, claiming she does not wish to stay after such mistreatment.
As the knight watches Medea's carriage leave the grounds of the count's manor, a maid informs him that she heard Psyche sobbing in her chambers. The maid hesitantly peeks into the room and is shocked to see Psyche collapsed on the floor. Servants burst through the doors and help Psyche into her bed. As she draws ragged breaths, her face ashen, the knight warns the other servants against calling a regular doctor. He explains that if the public learns of Psyche's illness, Medea shall replace her at the Temple on the day of the Yearly Prayer. Vowing to bring a doctor himself, the knight tells the servants to watch over Psyche and leaves.
The knight rides through the forest on horseback, wondering why Medea would poison Psyche. He cannot fathom how Medea managed to slip in the poison, since he checked the flowers and tea for tampering. His horse suddenly slows to a stop and throws the knight to the ground. As his horse gallops away into the darkness, the knight looks up to see Medea standing over him, her white dress gleaming eerily in the moonlight. Terror seizes him as he notes the ominous dark splotches on her dress and the bloody sword in her hand. Medea muses that he unfortunately survived the fall. Before he can inquire any further, Medea stabs him in the chest with the sword. As blood drips to the earthy ground, Medea vows that Psyche will soon understand the agony of losing everything.
Characters[]
Characters are listed in order of appearance. Character first appearances are bolded.
- Eros Orna Vasilios
- Psyche Callista
- Medea Solon
- Duke Solon
- Duchess Solon
- Psyche's knight
- Psyche's Maid
Trivia[]
- It was common practice in medieval Europe to cut out tongues of blasphemers and criminals as a cruel form of punishment or torture.[1]
- Red lilies signify passion and love. They are often used to convey messages of affection to loved ones.[2]
Gallery[]
References[]
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