“Innocents? What of the innocents the Ruler of the Astral Winds has slaughtered, Your Majesty? What of the life of your countrymen? Surely the sacrifice of a small number of individuals is worth it for the well-being of the whole - would you not cut off your finger if it meant saving your life? And as ruler, is it not your duty to be above the morals of mortal men and make such decisions? Do you not, in many ways, already decide who lives and dies? Which soldiers you send to the front line in battle? If a man were to see two people drowning simultaneously, and could only save one, does he not, in a way, condemn the other to death by choosing to save one? And yet, no one would declare such a man to be a murderer, only that he was right to choose to save at least one person. And this is not an equivalent deal we speak of, Your Majesty, by the suffering of a few, great prosperity will be granted to millions who will be free of the Ruler of the Astral Wind’s tyranny. Men will sing of your deeds - of how you defeated the great conqueror for centuries to come,” the Spirit of Darkness said.
“You seek to destroy me,” King Faussius said, though there was now hesitation in his voice as he measured the weight of the Darkness’s words.
“No, I seek to help you save your country,” the Darkness said. “Dawn soon approaches, and I will be gone then - make your mind up quickly, Your Majesty.”
“I… I cannot do this,” King Faussius finally said, sporting a tormented expression.
“I see that your heart is still weak, Your Majesty,” the Darkness said. “It is an unworthy offering for one such as I. I will return in three night’’ time to speak with you again, Your Majesty. Ruminate upon my words carefully, and I hope that one with wisdom such as you will eventually see the reason of my words.”
The shadow disappeared, and King Faussius walked to the center of the stage again.
“I see no way out of this quagmire, but how can I slaughter those subjects who so lovingly look towards their king for protection? No, I must find another way…”
The scene changed and the narrator spoke. “The next day, King Faussius III was approached by a messenger.”
“You Majesty,” a woman said. “The Queen wishes to speak with you regarding an urgent matter.”
“Ah - can it not wait? My mind is troubled as of late - tell her this,” King Faussius said. The actor had his face buried in his hands.
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“I think you will want to hear this, Your Majesty,” the woman said before bowing and heading out.
The scene changed again to that of a different royal bedroom, and there was a woman wearing a tiara who I guessed was the queen. I had missed part of the initial play, so as a consequence I didn’t know who some of the actors were.
“What is it that you called for me?” King Faussius asked, a hint of anger unmistakable in his voice.
“Ah, Your Grace, you would have absolutely wanted to hear this news from my own mouth,” the queen answered. “We are soon going to be welcoming your heir.”
I think the actor who was playing King Faussius, at this moment, was trying to convey sudden shock and then joy - but he really overplayed it to the point that I had to stop myself from bursting out into laughter. It nearly took me out of the play.
“What wonderful news!” he said.
The scene shifted again, now showing King Faussius pacing around in his bedroom.
The narrator spoke again. “For many hours did King Faussius deliberate on what the Darkness had said. The news that his wife was about to bear his child only further muddled his mind. The envoy of the Ruler of the Astral Winds later told him that his master would not wait forever for an answer. And finally, when the time that the Spirit of Darkness had said would come, came, and the king had his answer.”
The shadow once again appeared in the room. “I sense you have changed, Your Majesty. Your heart - it has been steeled and become hardened and strong. Excellent! Now it is a home worthy of one such as I.”
“You speak as if you already know my answer,” King Faussius said.
“Do I not?”
King Faussius shook his head. “Alright - fiend, though I may end up regretting this for a hundred years, I cannot deny the reality of my situation compels me to take action. I freely give my heart to you, the Spirit of Darkness.”
The shadow vanished, and the narrator said, “And so, King Faussius III gave his heart to the Darkness.”
Another scene played between the king and the envoy, in which the king asked to meet with the Ruler of the Astral Winds alone in order to discuss terms.
The envoy hemmed and hawed at the request, but ultimately the Ruler of the Astral Winds agreed on a date one month in advance.
In the meantime, King Faussius made the demonic grimoire he needed.
“And so,” the narrator said, “King Faussius was told by the Darkness that this grimoire required the slaughter of a hundred innocents. After some thought, he had found a worthy target.”
The scenery shifted again, this time cardboard cutouts of huts were propped up and people who I guessed were supposed to be peasants were miming farming with prop tools.
“He chose the village of Pali. It had the appropriate number of residents, was in a secluded place a ways away from the other villages in the area, and did not contribute much to the kingdom. Its loss and the loss of its people was considered acceptable,” the narrator said.
Soldiers burst onto stage, wielding weapons, and forming a tight circle around the now-cowering villagers. King Faussius walked onto the stage and began striking them down.