Episode 2

"**The Talk of the Empire (2)**" is the second released episode of *Your Throne* by SAM. As Medea kills the pursuing knight, she plots the next step in her revenge against Psyche. On the day of the Yearly Prayer, Psyche prepares to visit the Temple to pray for the welfare of the Vasilios Empire.

## Synopsis

The moon shines brightly against the night sky as Medea watches the knight fall to the ground, fatally wounded by her sword. She pulls out a crystal vial from her pocket, explaining that she added a drug to the sugar cubes she served Psyche along with the tea. Mixed with the odor of the red lilies Psyche keeps at her bedside, the drug becomes poisonous. Medea chuckles to herself, amused that she is explaining her revenge to a corpse.

Helio Niccolo emerges from the shadows, his burgundy cloak billowing around his tall, lean frame. Nonchalantly, he notes how suspiciously easy it was for them to kill Psyche's knights. He observes the fallen knight, expressing his surprise that the knight was unarmed. Dismissing his comment, Medea checks to make sure the preparations are ready for the next step of their plan. As Helio curiously inquires whether Psyche will die, Medea assures him that she plans to have Psyche recover.

The next morning, Psyche struggles to finish her breakfast at the count's manor. Observing her wan complexion, Count Callista encourages her to eat more to recover. He explains his concern that Psyche will faint on the way to the Temple. Psyche complies and finishes eating with effort. She retreats to her chambers and changes into robes of white and gold. Carefully, she arranges her expression into a smile and bids the servants goodbye before departing. The moment she leaves, her servants begin to fret, worried about her condition after she received news about the missing knight. One maid volunteers to watch over Psyche at the Temple, claiming to know of a shortcut through the forest. A servant with auburn hair proposes to accompany the maid on her journey. As they ride through the forest, the maid protests that she does not need his help. The servant reminds the maid that the forest is too dangerous to venture alone. Since the knight knew the lands well, the knight was unlikely to get lost in the woods. As the servant concludes that the knight must have died, the maid catches sight of a figure in the middle of the road. As they approach, the maid and servant notice the figure, Helio, holding the knight's cloak.

At the Temple, the Pope of Vasilios presents the sacred relic that is worn on the day of the Yearly Prayer. Carefully, he places it around Psyche's neck, informing her that the fate of Vasilios is now in her hands. The observing crowd cheers in her honor. The pope announces that to avoid corrupting the holy grounds, no one other than Psyche is allowed to enter the Temple. At the back entrance, a priest, his face hidden by his deep hood, hands Medea a gold key. He warns her that he is going against his priesthood by allowing her to sneak into the Temple. Scoffing, Medea remarks that it is because she understands his predicament that she is willing to pardon him for obscuring his identity. The priest admits that he is only willing to aid her because Helio gave her a good recommendation. Medea opens the door and sees a row of stairs descending into darkness. The priest informs her that she will find what she seeks at the bottom. Medea takes a lit lantern and begins to descend the dark stairs.

Back at the forest, Helio strikes down the servant with his sword. With a gash down the length of his face, the servant is taken aback by how strong Helio is despite his sheltered appearance. Unable to move, the servant warns the maid to run. Wordlessly, the maid steps over the servant and approaches Helio. As she relieves Helio of the knight's cloak, the servant realizes that she was a traitor. Infuriated, he demands to know why she is betraying Lady Psyche after everything the count's family has done for them. Irritated by the servant's incessant chatter, Helio kills him. The maid quietly repeats to herself that she did not want the servant's company.

Inside the Temple, Psyche kneels in front of a fountain and prays. A statue of a female deity holding a mirror above a cherub stands in the midst of the water. Medea approaches from behind, removing her cloak. Noticing Psyche's unsurprised expression, Medea muses out loud that Psyche must have expected this. Unfazed, Psyche quietly inquires the whereabouts of her knight. Before Medea can make an excuse, however, Psyche shoves her against the edge of the fountain. Tears stream down her face as she asks why Medea resents her. Psyche protests that Medea does not love the crown prince and only desires the throne. Medea coolly remarks on Psyche's naiveté, declaring that it is childish of Psyche to value love over ruling an entire kingdom. As Medea expresses her pity for the people of Vasilios, she suddenly falls backward. Psyche screams as Medea plunges into the depths of the seemingly bottomless fountain.

As Medea plummets further into the water, she realizes she can breathe. She glances back up at the gleaming surface of the water and deduces that there must be a divine power at work. Determined, she prays to the guardian deity of Vasilios, pleading to have the chance to rule instead of Psyche. Psyche appears in front of her, holding her breath as she grabs Medea's sinking body. Medea grips Psyche's shoulders and prays to have everything of Psyche's before fainting.

Medea slowly regains consciousness and finds herself lying in an unfamiliar chamber with servants fussing over her. Groggy and confused, she asks to know where she is. Medea becomes perplexed as the servants, whose faces she does not recognize, begin to sob uncontrollably. One maid wipes her tears with a handkerchief, addressing Medea as Lady Psyche and lamenting over her continuous misfortunes. Instinctively, Medea springs out of the bed and dashes towards a nearby mirror. Gaping at her reflection, Medea realizes that she now inhabits Psyche's physical body.

     Before she can react, the Crown Prince bursts into the chamber. His face ashen with concern, Eros hastens towards Medea. He grasps her hand, expressing his relief that she is unharmed. He pulls her into his arms and vows that Lady Medea will be sentenced to death for attacking Psyche and ruining the Yearly Prayer. Realizing that she has gained everything she prayed for, Medea contorts Psyche's face into a maniacal smile.

## Characters

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

* Medea Solon
* Psyche's knight
* **Helio Niccolo**
* Psyche Callista
* **Count Callista**
* Psyche's Maid
* Pope of Vasilios
* Eros Orna Vasilios

## Trivia

* MZ composed an original song, *La Roue de Fortune*, that debuted in the original Korean version of this episode.
* In medieval Europe, many monarchs were forced to share their reigning power with the Catholic church, as citizens placed heavy emphasis on religious practices to ensure prosperity in the kingdoms.
* The poisoning incident alludes to Euripides's version of the Greek mythological tale, where the legendary hero Jason abandoned his wife, Medea, in favor of a young princess. Medea sent the princess a dress laced with poison as revenge, killing the young girl.
* The statue of the cherub in the Temple of Vasilios alludes to Eros, the god of lust and desire in Greek mythology.
* From this point of the story, Medea and Psyche's souls have switched. Medea now inhabits Psyche's body, and Psyche inhabits Medea's. Future episodes will refer to each character based on their souls rather than physical appearance.

## Music

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## Gallery

Helio appears in the forest.Slowly recovering from the poison, Psyche eats her breakfast.Helio is spotted in the woods.The sacred relic.Psyche's servant is struck down by Helio.Psyche prays at the fountain within the Temple.Psyche asks Medea if it is wrong to be in love.Psyche saves Medea.Medea looks into the mirror and realizes she now inhabits Psyche’s body.Eros promises to have Medea executed for her crime.Medea realizes she got everything she wanted.
## References

1. ↑ Church and state in medieval Europe - Wikipedia
2. ↑ Wikipedia - Medea
3. ↑ Cherubs and cupids angels of love - Learn Religions