ATHENS
(The Three kings traveled to Athens. The Journey was quite small and they reached the city within four days. It was the day meant for the funeral of King Aegeus. The whole city has gathered at the temple of Athena at Acropolis. The corpse was kept in the temple and preserved.
The Kings reached there and entered the temple whereas the remaining soldiers stood outside the temple. Egan along with Icarus and Cicero moved towards the altar and saw Adrian sitting near his father's corpse holding his cold hands. His face looked so tired and his eyes were filled with sorrowful tears. Egan moved near him. Adrian didn't notice him while he continuously stared his father's face with worry.)
Egan:
He was a good king!
(Adrian looks back and finds Egan standing near him. His eyes melted and hugged him.)
Adrian:
I miss him so much!
Egan:
I know how it feels to lose a father.
Control your tears.
Adrian:
I'm not ready to accept this.
Egan:
But you have to.
Adrian:
Why? (sobbing)
(Arno comes near and pats him...)
Arno:
Don't cry, please!
Egan:
And you are?
Adrian:
Arno!
He's my.....friend!
Egan:
Good to see you, Arno.
Arno:
It's my pleasure to see you too, my lord!
Can I have a moment with you?
Egan:
Sure!
(Cicero and Icarus came and consoled Adrian while Egan moved to some distance with Arno.)
Arno:
My lord!
Prince Adrian has told me about you.
He said to me that you are a person that he respects next to his father.
He's broken now. He says that he is not ready for the throne.
Egan:
Yeah, I get it.
Arno:
When his father was sick he took care of him so much as no son would've done.
He needs a push.
He is the hope of Athens.
Egan:
Yes, he is.
When my father died I was broken too.
Then someone so important to me came near, holding my hands...
She said 'You have to stay strong. You are our hope'
Those words boosted me.
Because the words uttered by the person who is close to our heart is powerful.
I can feel it.
Arno:
Feel...what?
Egan:
There is something between you both, isn't it?
Arno:
It was.
Egan:
Did he dump you?
Arno:
No.
He was afraid he'd be a bad example for the people.
Egan:
All is fair in love and war.
You said he's broken!
You are his medicine. Only you can fix him up, not me.
(He moved towards Adrian...)
Egan:
Adrian!
It's time to bid farewell.
(With sorrow and an unready heart he nods his head)
(The corpse was brought out. The people shouted with grief. The soldiers controlled the crowd. Egan, Adrian, Cicero, Arno, and other soldiers carried the coffin. Icarus and the Spartan army cleared the pathway in front. The Sun hid behind the clouds as it was not ready to accept the fall of a great king. The coffin was brought to a new building erected right to the temple on Mount Acropolis.)
(The body was brought inside the building and rituals were performed for burial. Arno was holding Adrian's hands firmly.)
Adrian:
Why did the gods took him away from me?
(sobs intensely)
(So, Arno isolated Adrian and made him sit near a pillar.)
Arno:
Look, Adrian,
I know you are not ready to accept this.
But you must do it.
I know it sounds ridiculous but, this is the truth!
This is the way the world works.
We might not be ready to move on at certain circumstances, but the world keeps moving forward.
You need to get up from this.
I want to see the Adrian I loved.
The Adrian who takes everything positively and always moves forward.
(holding his hands) Will I see him?
(Adrian thinks for some moments. Arno tries to stand up while Adrian pulls Arno towards him and kisses him so passionately. Egan notices everything from a gap between the pillars and smiles...)
Adrian:
I promise you!
You will see the Adrian you loved!!
(The moment came for the burial of the great king.)
(Adrian came forward and...)
Adrian:
I miss him terribly.
I was not ready to move on.
Not ready to accept it.
He used to say this.
I am his hope, the hope of the people.
So, I don't want to break his trust
The people believe in me. I'm their future.
The future of Athens.
I will rule in a way my Dad will be proud to have me as his son.
(Egan recites the same situation he faced when he lost his Dad.)
(Finally, King Aegeus's body was buried.)
Adrian:
(in a low voice) Farewell Dad!
(The sky started to drizzle while the body was buried. Egan remembers each and every moment at Olympia during his Dad's burial. And the sun of Olympia set down and the people were allowed to see their buried king. Adrian along with all the royal members moved to the palace while Cicero made his way to Alexandria bidding farewell to others.)
THE ROYAL PALACE, ATHENS
(The Royal people entered the palace. Egan also made his move in. Suddenly, he saw a soldier run towards Adrian. Egan stopped him and.)
Egan:
Why are rushing like this?
Soldier:
Camp!....camp!!
Adrian:
What camp?
(Icarus who moved a further forward came near them as they noticed their talk)
Egan:
What camp?
Soldier:
It looks like an army camp. They had a flag with a b..
Egan:
Bird!
Icarus:
What?
The Persians are here?
Egan:
(with a fearful low voice)
They are!