Episode 18

"**Check!**" is the eighteenth released episode of *Your Throne* by SAM. After returning from the brink of death, Medea reconciles with Psyche. As Psyche explains the true nature of her hidden divinity, Medea formulates a plan to kill Eros.

## Synopsis

Medea clutches her throat and coughs violently as she sits up from the garden ground. Returning from the brink of death feels much longer that she anticipated. She blinks up at the starry night sky, wondering if it is still the night of the imperial banquet. She turns towards Helio and Psyche to ask what occurred since she lost consciousness but falters at the sight of them trembling from head to toe, their faces contorted with restrained relief. Sighing, she gestures for them to come forward. Helio and Psyche throw themselves at Medea without hesitation, knocking her backwards onto the grass. Helio quivers silently, burying his face in her shoulder. Medea reaches out and strokes his hair gently and, after a moment of hesitation, pats Psyche on the head as well.

After a brief period of time, Psyche and Helio pull themselves together. Psyche removes a lace glove and holds up the hand that Helio stabbed with his dagger. Golden light materializes from thin air, surrounding the wound. The gash heals itself, leaving only a bloody residue in its place. Psyche explains that she possesses divinity, an ability that allows her to heal herself and those within vicinity. There are limits to her power, however, and she is unable to heal fatal wounds, such as the poison that afflicted Medea. As far as Psyche is aware of, she is the only person within the empire who possesses such abilities.

Listening carefully, Helio suggests that the unaccounted variable that allowed Psyche to heal Medea must be the necklace. After Psyche embraced Medea, the necklace began to radiate golden light. Medea agrees with his deduction, concluding that the necklace is most likely a sacred relic, similar to the cross that Psyche wore on the day of the Yearly Prayer. Holy objects are rare within the Vasilios Empire, so scarce that most are hidden deeply underneath the Temple, safe from prying eyes. Medea suddenly recalls that Eros's head knight behaved strangely before her death. She originally assumed that she was surprised by "Psyche's" swordsmanship, but in her final moments, she grabbed onto the necklace in anguish.

In a flashback, Eros faced his secret order of elite knights in a darkened room, away from the imperial banquet. With a deranged expression on his face, he ordered his knights to lure "Psyche" out into the imperial gardens and murder her. Eros confided with his knights that Psyche Callista was blessed by the guardian deity of Vasilios and born with divine powers. Her ability to regenerate and heal wounds made her difficult to kill, despite her weak stature. Eros encouraged his knights to overcome this obstacle by torturing "Psyche" past the limits of her powers until she could no longer heal. Once she was dead, a golden light would shine from her heart. The necklace that he gave her before the start of the banquet would absorb that light, removing the divinity from Psyche's body. Aside from Psyche, only members of the imperial family were capable of using this power.

In present time, Medea holds the necklace in her palm and looks at Psyche with a cool gaze. In a ruthlessly cold voice, Medea explains that she received the necklace as a gift from Eros, Psyche's beloved. A cold sense of dread washes over Psyche as she struggles to find her voice. Though she considered the possibility that Eros was the mastermind behind the assassination attempt, she desperately wished to be proven wrong. Medea's words cut Psyche's heart like a steel knife. Feeling bile rising in the back of her throat, Psyche clamps one hand over her mouth and turns away, her expression crumpling with agony. Medea takes Psyche's hand, assuring her that she empathizes with the confusion that Psyche is experiencing. The following words that come out of Medea's mouth are so cruel that Psyche, with fresh tears in her eyes, throws her a frightened glance. Medea stands up quietly as Psyche attempts to find her voice. Though Psyche wishes to defend Eros, words fail her as she looks at the trail of dead bodies in the garden.

Medea watches as Psyche silently crouches on the grassy floor, unable to speak. Medea decides that this will be Psyche's first step forward to growing. She then turns around and approaches Helio. With the sharp edge of a steel blade, Medea slices her hand and watches as blood spurts forward from the fresh gash across her palm. Almost instantly, golden light envelops her hand, healing the wound. With this, Medea determines Psyche's explanation as truth. She silently concludes that this ability is most likely the reason why Psyche was kept hidden in the count's manor for fifteen years. If she accidentally healed a person's wound, her divinity would be exposed. Medea informs Helio that she needs to put some distance between herself and Psyche. Since there is a limit to Psyche's powers, Medea cannot return to the imperial palace without any wounds. Helio nods silently and watches as Medea contemplates on how to proceed. An hour has yet to pass since she returned from the brink of death. Helio cannot understand how she can prepare herself for the next battle so quickly. Not noticing his discomfort, Medea instructs Helio to return to the banquet immediately after finishing the preparations. He bows in compliance, silently wishing to never again see Medea shed blood.

At the imperial palace, several nobles scream at the sight of a figure entering the royal ballroom. Blood stains the once colorful carpet as Medea limps forward, covered in wounds. Fear and alarm sweeps through the crowds of nobles, the merry festivities forgotten. Medea wonders how Eros, who sent five skilled knights to murder Psyche, will react once he realizes that the plan he invested so much time and effort into has failed. She recalls the vow she made to Psyche back in the gardens: *I will kill Eros.* With feigned tears rolling down her bloody face, Medea approaches the crown prince. Eros turns around and drops his wine glass in shock, his expression contorting with horror at the sight of his living fiancée.

## Characters

*Characters are listed in order of appearance. Character first appearances are **bolded**.*

* Medea Solon
* Psyche Callista
* Helio Niccolo
* Eros's knight (flashback)
* Eros Orna Vasilios

## Gallery

Medea struggles to breathe after regaining consciousness.Psyche demonstrates her divine power.Eros's face twists into a disturbing smile as he orders his knights to kill "Psyche."Medea explains that the necklace was a gift from Eros.Helio watches as Medea once again sheds blood.Medea, pretending to be Psyche, returns to the imperial banquet covered in wounds.