Ismarus

Chapter One

Around 300 BC, the region of ancient Thrace had several small kingdoms. These kingdoms fought against almost all great empires of the time. At different periods, they came under the reign of the Persians, the Greeks, and the Romans. Not much is known about these kingdoms. From what we know, these people were fiercely independent, bitterly resenting foreign domination. Their language, culture, and customs were for most part lost over time. Eventually, the region came under the rule of the Roman Empire. The Romans drove them out or turned them into slaves. One such monarch of this volatile region was Tegrios, the king of Odrysia.

The long dinner table had every item a glutton would ever dream of. Various types of roasted meat, broths, fruits, fruit extracts, the best vintage wine of the land, especially made breads and cakes, adorned the table before the guests. It was not any special occasion. For quite some time, Tegrios did not have dinner with his favorite nephew. His nephew Eumoplus had returned from a long journey to a distant land. Tegrios wanted to honor his nephew in presence of the nobilities. Quite a large number of the feudal lords and their wives had been invited. They praised Eumoplus for successfully representing Tegrios to the monarch of the distant kingdom. Had it not been for the diplomatic skills of Eumoplus, the monarch of that rich land would not have cared to accept Tegrios' hands in friendship. At least, that is what Tegrios believed. Albeit Tegrios' son Ismarus had also travelled with the entourage, it was later reported that during the visit his role was rather dormant. When Tegrios asked Ismarus, why he remained so passive, he said he could not find any good reason to involve himself as his cousin had been doing everything which needed to be done. He further added, forming alliance with such a distant kingdom seemed pointless. Ismarus was quite aware, the idea had sprung up from his cousin's head. Hence, he did not openly oppose the idea. However, throughout the visit, he remained aloof, allowing Eumoplus to interact with the host on behalf of Tegrios. Tegrios was not too happy with his son's explanation. Nonetheless, he suppressed his displeasure in presence of the guests.

During the feast, an unpleasant occurrence marred the festive mood of the occasion. Ismarus had a pet cat. While Eumoplus had been sharing his recent travel experience with Tegrios, from underneath the table, the cat jumped onto the table, grabbing a piece of roast meat from Eumoplus' plate. Eumoplus hated pet animals. Particularly pet cats. By the time Tegrios pointed his finger at the culprit, it had gobbled up a chunk of the roast meat. Eumoplus joined the loud laughter which followed. While doing so, stood up from his seat, stabbed the cat in its loin with his dagger, instantly killing the poor animal. The sheer exercise of cruelty thundered across the table, silencing those who had been laughing only a few seconds back. The expression on their faces told Eumoplus of their disapproval. However, Tegrios seemed pleased by his nephew's decisive nature. He remarked, if Eumoplus had been the crown prince, he would have made an excellent king. Calysto, the queen, and her son left the feast. Before stepping out of the hall room, she glared at Eumoplus, expressing her utter disgust for what he had done.

The king of Odrysia was fond of hunting. Upon arrival of the summer, along with his entourage, the king would set out for hunting. Often he would spend months roaming the forests with his men, handing over the business of running the kingdom to his son. The king loved his nephew as he loved his own. Consequently, Eumoplus was always seen next to the king during his hunting expeditions, giving him company as well as advice.

Tegrios never suspected his beloved nephew of harboring malice towards his son. Eumoplus was very careful not to reveal his hatred for Ismarus. Creating friction between the king and his son was always his hidden agenda. Ismarus would try to dissuade the king from doing what he felt was wrong, while the king's nephew encouraged him in his foolishness, praising the king when it was obvious to all, the king was wrong. Hence, often the king would become furious at his son. But eventually, his fatherly love won over his anger and frustrations.