What are you thinking about !

Chapter 01 ,,,,

Scene 1

Location: Prince Kael’s balcony, where the cool breeze of spring whispers across the evening sky.

Artha was standing on the balcony, leaning against the railing. She gazed at Hulayen (the capital of Theomov) with her eyes, lost in thought.

Artha (thinking): Two years... It’s been two years since I came here. Funny how the nights change, but the weight of time still lingers.

Suddenly, the door creaks open.

Artha (hearing the sound but not turning around): Two years, and now... I’m the most precious person to the Crown Prince .

Crown Prince Kael enters the room quietly, noticing his wife standing lost in thought by the balcony. He grabs a soft shawl, approaches her, and gently wraps it around her shoulders.

Kael: "What’s on your mind, love?"

Artha: "Can you guess?"

Kael (smiling): "The empire’s people?"

Artha (shakes her head, smiling): "No."

Kael: "Our family, then?"

Artha: "Close..."

Kael: "Ah, the children and me?"

Artha: "Half right."

Kael (grinning): "Me, then?"

Artha (nodding with a playful smile): "Mm-hm. Right."

Kael (smiling like an idiot): "What exactly are you thinking about me?"

Artha turns, her gaze meeting Kael’s, as he instinctively places his hands on her waist.

Artha: "Why don’t you tell me what you think I’m thinking about?"

Kael: "I’d rather hear it from you..."

Artha (playfully): "Have a guess."

Kael (thinking hard, brow furrowed): What could it be?

Artha (teasingly running her fingers along his Adam's apple): "Think hard , my prince ."

Kael (exhaling with a slight chuckle): "Don't mess around , love ."

Artha: "I’ll stop... but only if you have an answer."

Kael: "Give me a moment..."

Suddenly, a light flickers in Kael’s eyes as a realization dawns on him. At the exact same moment, Artha smiles, knowing that he’s figured it out.

Kael and Artha(at the same time): "You’re ( I'm) thinking about the first time we met."

Both laugh together, the memory drawing them even closer.

FLASHBACK :

The world blurs as the memory pulls them back to that pivotal moment.( Where the story starts )

Scene 2: Flashback (Two Years Ago)

Location: Slave Market of Hulayen – Spring House, where men and women from across the world are sold as slaves.

Inside a dimly lit room of Spring House, a girl is roughly shoved to the ground by a group of men. Her fiery eyes flash with defiance as she glares at her captors.

The Girl (thinking): You’ll regret this.

The slavers pay her little attention, too busy issuing orders to the guards stationed at every corner of outside of the room, making sure she is well-guarded.

Merchant Nior (the main seller): "Ma'am Fiona, keep this girl safe and sound. With her looks, she’ll fetch the highest price."

Ma'am Fiona (grinning, approaching the girl, crouching down, and placing her thumb under the girl’s chin) : "She will. Such an angelic appearance... Perfect for the highest bid."

The girl jerks her head back, her voice low but filled with command.

The Girl : "Do not touch me. If you’re going to sell me for profit, you’d better show me some respect."

Ma'am Fiona (startled, eyes widening in amusement): "Well, you are different from the rest! You’re brave... bold enough to stare reality in the face."

The Girl (voice steady, eyes unwavering): "I’m more aware of reality than you think. I’ve walked on roads of fire and ice."

Ma'am Fiona (rising to her feet, still intrigued): "Very well. Very, very well."

She turns to look at Merchant Nior with a slight smirk.

Ma'am Fiona : "Leave her to me. I’ll take care of everything."

Merchant Nior: "Good. I’ll be outside preparing for the auction. Make sure she’s ready before it starts."

As they leave her, the girl silently watches their retreating figures, her mind racing with thoughts of escape.

The Girl (thinking) : "I need to run. Whatever lies ahead is my fate, but I will not break for these lowlifes. I’ll take whatever destiny throws at me, but I will not surrender."

Unbeknownst to her, fate had already begun weaving its intricate plan, setting her on a path far beyond her imagination. While she schemed to escape, destiny had already decided her course.

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