King Guglielmo Orders Gherbino’s Execution

King Guglielmo II of Sicily orders Gerbino’s execution after a diplomatic protest makes the prince’s attack on a Tunisian ship a matter of royal faith and justice. The beheading seals the lovers’ tragic end and shows the king placing his pledged word above the preservation of his own line.

Causes and Background

Gerbino’s execution follows the destruction of a ship sent by the King of Tunis. Gerbino had attacked it in an attempt to rescue the king’s daughter, but the Tunisian passengers killed her and cast her into the sea; Gerbino then boarded the burning vessel and killed many of its occupants. He recovered the woman’s body, mourned her, and buried her on Ustica before returning to Sicily.

The King of Tunis responded by sending ambassadors dressed in black to King Guglielmo II of Sicily. They complained that the attack violated the pledge of faith between the rulers and recounted how the encounter had unfolded. Their appeal transformed Gerbino’s private and violent pursuit of the woman into a public breach for which the king was expected to answer.

The King’s Decision

King Guglielmo II of Sicily was angered by the complaint, but saw no way to deny the justice being sought. His barons all tried to change his mind with their pleas. He nevertheless had Gerbino seized and condemned him to death, refusing to let appeals from his own court outweigh the obligation imposed by the pledge.

The king’s choice is presented as a deliberate exchange: he would rather remain without posterity than be regarded as a ruler who had broken faith. The account does not soften the consequence of that principle. The king’s commitment to his word requires him to condemn Gerbino even though the decision extinguishes his own succession.

Execution and Aftermath

King Guglielmo II of Sicily had Gerbino beheaded in his presence. The narrated account places the execution after the diplomatic protest and the unsuccessful intercession of the barons, making the king’s direct witness to the beheading the final act of his judgment.

The lovers’ deaths follow within days of one another: the woman dies aboard the ship, and Gerbino is executed by royal order. Neither lives to enjoy the love that drew him into the attack. Their story ends not with rescue or reconciliation but with a burial on Ustica and a beheading before the king.

Narrative Significance

The episode makes royal fidelity costly in the starkest possible way. King Guglielmo II of Sicily preserves his reputation for honoring a pledge by sacrificing the heir whose actions have placed that pledge in jeopardy. The narrative leaves both sides of the choice visible: the king’s resolve is framed as fidelity to his word, while its consequence is the death of Gerbino and the lovers’ unfulfilled future.