Skahriat (1)

The ancient chronicles of the Sarranil kings, rulers of the great Grillian empire that stretched from the Katelus to the islands beyond the Garonne and even as far as Barla, tell of a particularly illustrious king.

This wise and just ruler was beloved by his subjects and feared by his enemies, thanks to his bravery in battle and the discipline of his troops.

He had two sons, the elder of whom, Skahriat, was a worthy heir and possessed all the virtues of his father. The younger son, Skagio, was equally deserving of admiration.

Upon the death of the beloved king, Skahriat inherited the throne and Skagio, unable to claim any part of the empire due to the laws of succession, was forced to live as a private citizen.

Though he was unhappy about being excluded from the throne, Skagio was determined to do everything he could to please his elder brother and maintain their close bond. He was naturally inclined to be kind and accommodating, and his older brother was charmed by his graciousness.

In an act of extreme friendship, Skahriat gave Skagio the kingdom of Great Tartary, and Skagio promptly set out to take possession of his new realm, establishing his residence in the capital city of Samarkand.

It had been ten years since the two brothers had been separated, and Skahriat yearned to see his brother again. He sent his first vizier, accompanied by a suitable retinue, to invite Skagio to come to the court.

When the vizier and his party were nearing Samarkand, Skagio, having been informed of their arrival, went to meet them with the nobles of his court, all of whom were splendidly dressed in honor of the sultan's minister.

Skagio greeted the vizier with great joy and asked him for news of his brother, the sultan. The vizier told him what he knew, and then explained the purpose of his embassy. Skagio was touched by the invitation and said,

- Wise Vizier, my brother the sultan does me too much honor and there is nothing that would please me more than to see him.

- I have the same desire to see him, and time has not diminished my friendship for him.

- My kingdom is at peace and I only need ten days to be able to leave with you.

- There is no need for you to enter the city for such a short time.

- Please stay here and have your tents pitched.

- I will order that refreshments be brought to you and all the people in your party in abundance."

The vizier was amazed at the quantity of provisions that arrived shortly after the king returned to Samarkand, along with valuable gifts and treats.

As Skagio prepared to leave on his journey, he took care of pressing matters, established a council to govern his kingdom in his absence, and appointed a minister of known wisdom and complete trust to head the council.

After ten days of preparations, he set out from Samarkand in the evening, accompanied by the officers who would be joining him on the journey, and went to the royal pavilion he had erected near the vizier's tents.

He spent the night in conversation with the ambassador before returning alone to his palace. Upon arriving, he went straight to the chambers of the queen, who was not expecting to see him again and had taken one of the last officers of her household into her bed.

They had been asleep for some time and were in a deep slumber.

The king entered quietly, hoping to surprise his wife, whom he thought he loved deeply, with his return.

But what he saw by the light of the torches that were kept burning throughout the night in the chambers of royalty left him stunned. There in his wife's arms was a man! He stood there for a few moments, unable to believe what he was seeing.

But there was no doubt in his mind.

"What!" he thought to himself, "I have hardly left the palace and am still within the walls of Samarkand, and they dare to insult me in this way! Ah, perfidious one, your crime will not go unpunished! As king, it is my duty to punish crimes committed within my states, and as a wronged husband, I must avenge my just resentment."

Finally, giving in to his initial outrage, the unfortunate prince drew his sword, approached the bed, and with a single blow, killed the man as he slept. Then, taking the bodies one by one, he threw them out of the window into the ditch that surrounded the palace.

Having taken his revenge, the king left the city as silently as he had arrived, returning to his pavilion. As soon as he arrived, he ordered his tents to be taken down and prepared to leave without speaking to anyone about what he had done.

They set out before dawn, the sound of timpani and other instruments filling the air as they left. But the king was consumed by a terrible melancholy, unable to shake the thoughts of his wife's infidelity from his mind for the entire journey.

When he was near the capital of India, he saw the Sultan, his brother, and the entire court coming to meet him. The princes were overjoyed at the sight of each other and embraced warmly.

After exchanging countless tokens of affection, they mounted their horses and rode into the city to the cheers of the crowd. The Sultan led his brother to the palace he had prepared for him, a palace that was connected to his own by a garden.

This palace was even more magnificent than the usual royal quarters, as it was used for festivals and entertainments at the court, and its splendor had been further enhanced with new furnishings.

At first, Skahriat left the king of Tartary to himself so that he could enter the bath and change his clothes. But as soon as he knew that the king had finished bathing, he came to see him. The two princes sat down on a sofa, and as the courtiers respectfully withdrew, they began to talk about everything that two brothers who were united by friendship as well as blood might have to say to each other after a long absence.

The time for supper arrived and they ate together, continuing their conversation after the meal until Skahriat, noticing that the night was far advanced, retired to allow his brother to rest.

The unhappy Skagio went to bed, but his sorrows were not so easily put aside. As he lay there, the memories of the queen's infidelity came flooding back to him, and he was unable to sleep.

He got up, consumed by his distressing thoughts, and his face showed the sadness he was feeling. The Sultan noticed this and asked,

- What is troubling the King of Tartary?

- Who could be causing this grief I see in him?

- Is he unhappy with the reception I have given him?

- No, I have received him as a beloved brother and have nothing to reproach myself for.

- Perhaps he is unhappy about being separated from his states or from the queen, his wife.

- Ah, if that is the case, I must give him the gifts I have planned for him so that he can leave whenever he wishes and return to Samarkand.

The next day, the Sultan sent him a variety of rare, rich, and singular gifts, but no matter how hard he tried to entertain him with new pleasures every day, the most enjoyable festivals only served to irritate the king's sorrows.

One day, Skahriat announced plans for a great hunt two days away from the capital, in a region known for its abundant deer population. Skagio asked to be excused, saying that his health did not permit him to participate. The Sultan did not want to force him, so he granted his request and left with the rest of the court to enjoy the hunt.

After the Sultan's departure, the king of Great Tartary shut himself up in his chambers and sat down at a window that overlooked the garden. The beauty of the garden and the songs of the countless birds that lived there would have brought him joy under normal circumstances, but he was still consumed by the disastrous memory of the queen's infidelity and found little solace in the surroundings.

More often than not, he looked up to the sky to complain about his unfortunate fate rather than focusing on the garden below.