Why fight against the fate ?

Scene 11

Location: Parlour Road

Kael and Karlus arrived at Parlour Road, still searching for Prince Noah with no luck.

Kael (impatiently): "Where is he!? where !? Didn’t you say he’d be surrounded by women?"

Karlus (scanning the area): "I did say that, but I’m not—wait, found him! There, by the bench!"

Kael squinted in the direction Karlus was pointing. There, lounging comfortably on a bench, Noah was surrounded by a group of girls, clearly enjoying their attention.

Kael (angrily): "That little shit! Left me in that mess, and now he’s sitting there having fun? I’ll show him what fun looks like."

Karlus (quickly): "Hey, wait! Why do you always act so rashly? Hold on!"

But Kael wasn’t listening. His frustration had already boiled over. He stormed toward Noah, his expression fiery.

Noah, seeing his brother approaching with rage in his eyes, immediately panicked. He tried to slip away, but it was too late—Kael had already caught up to him.

Kael (grabbing Noah’s collar): "So, this is where you’ve been having fun, huh?"

Noah (nervously, with a forced laugh): "Heh... brother, what are you doing here? Didn’t you have fun where I left you?" (sweat beading on his forehead)

Kael (dangerously calm): "Fun? I should throw you off the Clock Tower for that."

Noah (trying to play it off): "Come on, don’t joke around! I know you wouldn’t do that." (lightly smacking Kael’s robe)

Kael (stepping closer): "You really want to test that theory?"

As Kael took another step, Karlus intervened, placing a firm hand on his shoulder.

Karlus (calming him): "Easy, easy. Don’t forget—we’re trying to find that girl."

Kael shot Karlus a furious glare, but the mention of the girl softened him. He let go of Noah’s collar, taking a deep breath to calm himself.

Noah (still confused): "Girl !? which girl —what girl?"

Karlus (mocking): "Your brother’s heart got stolen, and now we’re tracking down the thief."

Noah blinked in surprise, looking from Karlus to Kael.

Noah (genuinely curious): "Details, please."

Scene 12

Location: Prison Room of Spring House

The guards laid Astraea on the bed in the prison room. The space didn’t resemble a prison—on the surface, it looked more like a girl’s bedroom, with soft bedding and delicate furnishings that masked the grim reality.

Word of Astraea’s capture quickly reached Maam Fiona. She stormed into the room, expecting to find a defiant girl, but instead, she saw Astraea unconscious on the bed. A hint of surprise flickered in her eyes as she approached.

Maam Fiona (smiling, gently brushing hair away from Astraea’s face): "So, you’re here at last. No matter how much you tried to escape, you can’t outrun fate." (she tucks Astraea’s hair behind her ear)

As she tucked the hair away, Maam Fiona’s hand felt something wet. Her smile faltered as she pressed on the damp spot, pulling back to see blood on her fingers. Her expression darkened instantly.

Maam Fiona (standing upright, fury seething in her voice): "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE, YOU FOOLS? SOMEONE, GET THE DOCTOR HERE NOW!"

Guard (nervously): "Ma'am, we didn’t mean to harm her—"

Maam Fiona (glaring at the guards): "THEN WHY IS SHE BLEEDING?"

Guard: "She... she fought us, ma'am. One of us hit her... in the back of the head."

Without warning, Maam Fiona slapped the guard hard across the face, the sharp sound echoing through the room. His cheek immediately began to swell.

Maam Fiona (furiously): "Who told you to strike her? If she fought, you should’ve let her tire herself out! Then, you could’ve taken her without this mess!"

Guard (still trembling): "Ma'am, she’s not just a girl—she fought like a warrior. Look at what she did to us."

Maam Fiona glanced at the guards, noticing the bruises and wounds that covered their bodies. Her eyes narrowed, but she said nothing more to them.

Maam Fiona (pointing to the door): "GET OUT."

Moments later, the doctor knocked and entered with permission. He quickly moved to Astraea’s side, examining her head wound with a practiced eye.

Doctor: "She was struck in a sensitive area. If the blow was deep enough, there’s a chance she might lose her memory. But if it wasn’t too severe, she should regain consciousness in a few hours. She’ll recover in a few days with rest. Here, give her this medicine—it will help."

Maam Fiona nodded, taking the bottle from him. After the doctor left, she sat beside Astraea, her expression softening as she looked at the girl lying so still, a stark contrast to the fierce fighter the guards described.

Maam Fiona (softly, almost to herself): "Why struggle against a fate that was decided long before you even knew it?"

She sat there in silence, watching Astraea’s still form, as if waiting for the answer that would never come.

...****************...

Scene 13

Location: Parlour Road

Karlus quickly summarized the entire situation to Noah, explaining Kael’s urgency and asking for his help.

Noah (leaning back, humming thoughtfully): "Hmm… this is quite a serious matter."

Kael and Karlus exchanged glances, noticing Noah’s sudden seriousness.

Kael (impatiently): "What’s there to think about? Either help us or say you can’t."

Karlus (calming Kael): "Be patient, my friend. Let him think it through."

Kael (grumbling): "He’s testing my patience."

Noah continued staring at Kael, lost in thought with a mischievous smile creeping onto his face.

Noah (smiling to himself, thinking ): "This is the first time I’ve seen my brother so worked up… over a girl, no less. Who is this nymph that’s driving him crazy?"

Kael: "Noah? Noah! NOAH!"

Noah jolted out of his thoughts, noticing his brother’s rising frustration.

Noah (grinning): "Brother, don’t shout. You should thank me. If I hadn’t left you, would you have met this nymph?"

Kael (side-eyeing Noah): "Stop spewing nonsense. I met her on Fabric Lane, not where you abandoned me. If I’d stayed there, I’d never have seen her."

Noah (trying to defend himself): "You’re wrong! If I hadn’t taken you that way, you wouldn’t have—"

Before he could finish, Kael pulled out a dagger and placed it against Noah’s neck, silencing him instantly.

Noah (sweating nervously): "Bro-brother, what are you doing? I’m your own brother! Same parents, remember?"

Kael (frustrated): "Can you help us or not? Yes or no?"

Noah, feeling the heat of his brother’s anger, looked toward Karlus for help, but Karlus subtly shook his head, signaling there was nothing he could do.

Noah (defeated, smiling nervously): "I-I can help. Definitely."

Kael (deadpan): "Stop smiling like that or your face will split apart."

Noah immediately stopped smiling.

Karlus (leaning forward): "So, Prince Noah, what’s your plan?"

Kael stared intently at Noah, and the pressure made Noah feel the weight of their stares as he began to explain.

Noah: "There’s a place called Spring House. It’s a well-known brothel. Every year, they hold an auction where men and women are sold as slaves. If they aren’t sold, the house keeps them to… please the nobles."

Kael (disgusted): "This kind of filth is happening within our empire, and we’re doing nothing about it? What a disgrace."

Karlus (calmly): "It’s not just this empire’s rule. All four empires allow it—it’s an ancient tradition."

Kael (waving it off): "That’s not important. What matters is how I can get into Spring House."

Noah: "Since you’ve been away for ten years, no one knows your face. It’ll be hard for you to enter directly."

Karlus (thoughtfully): "So, what do we do?"

Noah (grinning): "I have an idea. Listen closely… here’s what you need to do…"

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