“Oh Ismarus, what have you done! What have you done!” the chorus sang on the sideline of the stage. On the stage, Tegrios lay with an arrow stabbed in his chest.

A few feet from dying Tegrios, stood Ismarus, singing,

“You reap, what you sow! You reap, what you sow!

Holding close to your bosom, the seeds of a bloody row;

Throwing away, what came off you,

Turning a blind eye to the fairest of hue.”

From the other side of the stage, a dozen young girls in white tunic entered the stage in a queue, circling dying Tegrios. Two of them held the crown, carrying it off the stage, implying Tegrios was no more. The rest of the angels helped Tegrios off the stage, helping him in his flight to heaven.

When the enactment, depicting the tragic death of Tegrios, was over, the audience exploded in a loud applause. At the forefront of the dignitaries were Eumoplus and Phyllis. The usurper and his queen joined the audience in order to boost the spirit of the actors and the actresses.

“I did not understand the last part of the song,” Eumoplus whispered to Phyllis.

Vaguely, Phyllis had deciphered the subtle meaning of the last part of the song. However, she thought she could be wrong. Hence, she downplayed what she had been thinking.

“It’s just a tool of entertainment, the meaning is of little relevance,” she explained to her husband. “What’s more important is the fine enactment of the heinous crime which was committed,” she added.

With a cheerful face, Eumoplus nodded to express his satisfaction. He wanted to show the nobilities the ugly face of Ismarus, and the actors and actresses did a splendid job in depicting the villain through this enactment. Undoubtedly, it was a great night of feast and entertainment. Hundreds of invited guests watched with utter disgust, the sad circumstances which led to Tegrios’ demise.

Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.

One by one, the invited guests came before Eumoplus and Phyllis who had been reclining on their respective couches, praising them for the steps taken to ensure justice. All agreed that Ismarus had to be brought to justice, at any cost.

With the gold wine goblets in their hands, the usurper and his queen cheered at the spirit of the invitees, in return praising them for their sympathy and support. At one point, every single guest began dancing around the monarch and his queen. They sipped wine, and showered their sovereign and his consort with flowers. The party continued till midnight when almost all of them were thoroughly intoxicated.

The strange thing is, none of the hosts lost their senses. Albeit they had the wine goblets in their hands, only after a few sips, they stopped drinking. The comments of the guests, the conversations overheard, their attitude, were of prime interest to the hosts. That Tegrios died at the hands of his own wicked son, Eumoplus wanted this to sink into the hearts of those who attended the function.

The actors and actresses had been given prior directions, and they performed accordingly. Only the song sung by the wicked prince, was not planned by Phyllis. The artist managing the re-enactment of the tragic incident, added this part for aesthetic purpose, at least that’s what Phyllis thought. However, unwittingly he exposed a bitter truth which preceded the tragic demise of the late king. Tegrios was indeed misguided by his counselors, and among them, Eumoplus played the most dominant role.

Once, the guests had all left the great hall-room, Phyllis burst out into a giggle, before surrendering herself in the arms of her sovereign.

“How did you like the play?” Phyllis asked her husband.

“A great work of art. Is this how a man’s reputation is ruined?” Eumoplus asked his queen.

“Of course. Remember, you are not who you really are. You are what your subjects think of you. In the corridors of power, perception is everything. Physically, you may be the weakest of all, but if you can make people believe you are strong, you are strong. Despite having a physique like Hercules, if you are perceived as weak, you will be treated like one. That’s the reality of our existence. Therefore, you have to be very careful about your image, my dear husband. And remember, no one is going to build the image of Hercules for you. You have to do it. I have just shown you how to do it. Ordinary subjects love illusions, they take it for real. If you can give them what they love, they will do anything for you.”