ACT 1
The forest
 
The beautiful orphan Eteri’s lives unhappily together with her stepmother and stepsister. She pastures the cow by the forest brook and dreams about someone, who’d save her from such life and bring her good fortune and happiness. The hunters’ voices hears from the wood and very soon they approaches. The prince Abesalom is among them. He falls in love with a beautiful girl and asks to marry him.  In spite of his vows, Etery refuses the proposal; as a simple village girl, she fears of the possibility of being a temporary entertaining for the prince.
 
But as she returnes at home to her stepmother, she changes her mind. Believing in the sincerity of Absalom's feelings she accepts to marry him and promises eternal love.
The happy prince and Eteri goes to the King’s palace to wed. Only Abesalom’s friend and vizier Murman doesn’t share common joy: also falls in love with Etery.
Murman decides to earn her for any price.
 
Palace of King Abio

It is a wedding feast in the king’s palace. Dancing, singing and the toasts changes one another. Abesalom doesn’t see Murman among the guests and asks about him. Murman appears. He brings a beautiful and rare present; nobody knows, that the gift is bewitched. Murman has received it from devil and gave his on soul instead. As soon as Eteri touches it, she’ll get ill and no one but Murman will be able to rescue her.
The bride takes the gift. Its evil power begins acting.
 

ACT 2

Abesalom mourns his disaster in solitude; his happiness has been ended with a terrible misfortune. Without Eteri even the Sun doesn’t shine for him. The distressed gentlewomen take out ill Eteri, who is “yellow as a Consolida”. Her condition gets harder and harder. The King, Quinn, courtiers and Eteri begs Abesalom, to let her out; and as Eteri herself also asks it, Abesalom sadly agrees. Murman takes her.
 

ACT 3
The environs of Murman’s castle
 
Eteri is surrounded by the common love and respect in Murman’s “crystal castle”, but she still is not happy. Murman is called in the king’s palace. Abesalom asks him to tell him how does Eteri feel. The vizier proudly states, that she is very well and Murman himself is extremely happy. Parted from his love the prince falls ill and sends Murman for nine springs’ water of immortality.
 
The Quinn Natela, hoping, that her son may get better if he meets Eteri, goes to the Murman’s castle and asks Eteri to visit Abesalom. Heartbroken Eteri rejects and calls prince a perjurer. After that, princess Marikh tries to concert her. At least Eteri goes to the palace but it’s too late. Although Abesalom is happy to see her, he is extremely weakened and dies.  Etery does not wish to live without her love and stabs herself to death.