PART 7 :-
AGAINST THE SYSTEM
Iras perspective :-
My lady, I know you love that boy, but please don't choose theGolden Cage. Don't sacrifice your dream.
"I refuse both of them. I will attend the academy as a member of the Machimoi Group."
What?! My lady, do you not know the consequences of your words? I know you want to fight, but a battle you cannot win is meaningless.
"My lady, take your words back, or you may be considered a criminal!"
"For refusing the council's decision, you are hereby declared a criminal. For now, you will be sent to jail, and after the trial, your fate will be decided."
What have you done, my lady?! Now you are going to lose everything, and I am standing here like a statue, unable to do anything.
"Being known as a criminal is better than accepting others' decisions against my will. That is why I invoke the Veto[*] under my rights by the Royal Blood Law. I challenge both the council's decision and my clan for the sake of my freedom."
Everyone was shocked. No one had ever imagined that my lady would go against the system. She looked so confident. Did that boy make you this strong? You are fighting against all your fears and weaknesses!
"Are you bluffing? Don't you know that only males have the right to file a Veto and challenge the council for their free will?"
"I don't think so. Nowhere is it written that only men have this right. Under the Royal Blood Law System, Rule 36-C of the Veto states that those who do not possess free will and refuse to be controlled by their clans may challenge their respective clans for their freedom. And Rule 36-D states that those who disagree with the council's decision may file a Veto and challenge the council."
My lady, you had already decided what you were going to do! I am surprised, but seeing you like this gives me hope.
"No woman has ever challenged the Council of Scribes before."
"There is always a first time for everything."
"Do you know the consequences? If you lose, it will be worse than the Golden Cage. You may even be forced to undergo the Purity Test.And I hope you have read the punishment section as well, where it states what will happen if a person loses the Veto."
"Yes, I know that, Father."
"Then it is decided. We will give you a date for your trial. On that day, you must prove your innocence and explain why you deserve freedom. If you succeed in proving yourself before the council, then your clan will no longer have the right to decide or question any of your choices."
You know you cannot win against the system, yet you still chose to fight. You have truly grown, my lady.
"Thank you."
"You may leave now."
I could hardly believe my own eyes. I never thought I would see another woman besides Madam fight for her rights. My lady's mother and Madam are both gone, yet their will still lives on. I am happy that my lady listened to her heart and followed the emotions of love, just like Madam, instead of repeating the same mistake her mother made.
I promised that I would protect your daughter, but it seems she does not wish to be protected. She wants to fight on her own. I must make you stronger—stronger than me—so that you will never need anyone's help.
........
*[ Veto :- A cold, powerful word for a single person "stopping" the system's decision.]
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PART 8 :-
TENTION AND WORRY
Dex perspective :-
"Hey, Bond, isn't this strange?"
"What?"
"Mini hasn't come for three days in a row."
"You know what she is facing right now. I think she wants to settle the matter once and for all."
"Yeah, but the academy rules say that a student can't skip three classes in a row without a serious reason."
"So, what do you think?"
"I think maybe she is in danger and might need our help."
"Look, Bright, we are not powerful enough, nor do we have the authority to go against a high-ranking clan, okay? It would be better if we didn't interfere."
"I think Bond is right. Maybe our involvement would only make the matter worse. And besides, don't forget that you are cursed. If you get too involved with her right now, her family might use that as a reason to go against her."
"Everyone, focus on my words now," the Shaman said as he began the class.
"As all of you now know how to use Aura, today we will move on to the next part of Furusiyya, where you will learn how to transfer your Aura into your weapon and make your attacks more effective than normal strikes."
"Now, watch me carefully—"
He held a sword and slashed a wooden puppet.
"This is a normal attack. As you can see, I didn't use any Aura or Hekha in it. But if I coat the sword with Aura and then attack the puppet—"
He transferred his Aura into the blade differently from how we had done before, and with a single slash, he destroyed ten puppets in the blink of an eye. His Aura control was completely different from ours—it was more accurate and refined, as if he knew exactly how much Aura was needed.
"We will teach you how to use every type of weapon, but eventually, you must choose one to specialize in—an axe, a sword, a bow, or something else. You all have time to decide which weapon suits you best."
........
Bond perspective :-
"Wait. You boys can't enter the palace without the Head's permission."
"We are in the same group as the princess. She hasn't attended classes for the past three days, so we came to give her the makeup notes."
"Sorry, but we received orders not to let anyone enter the palace unless our master grants permission."
"How can we get permission?"
"You should speak with our master's secretary."
"See? I told you they would never allow us."
"Why are you boys here?"
It's that lady. She helped us when Bright was unconscious.
"Oye, Aunty Iras—how are you?"
"How dare you call me 'Aunty'?! I'm in my thirties!"
(She is actually in her fifties.)
She became furious.
"Well, you don't look like it."
I hit Bright on the head.
"Never ask a woman about her age, you idiot."
"Tell me, why are you people here?"
"We want to see Mini. We haven't met her for three whole days. We're worried. Is she okay? Nothing happened to her, right? How is she doing—"
"Wait, wait… uff, you talk too much. She is alright for now."
"Oh… that's a relief."
"What do you mean by 'for now'?" I asked.
"Well, she went against the system and filed a Veto."
"What is a Veto?"
"Sometimes, when people disagree with the decisions their leaders make for them, they can challenge those decisions. But if they fail… the consequences are worse than anything you can imagine."
"Hey, we just want to meet her. Please help us. At least let Bright see her."
"I'm sorry, but I don't have the authority to allow that. And if you meet her at such a heated moment, others may misunderstand the situation, which could cause her even greater trouble."
"Why would meeting a friend cause trouble?!"
"You boys are still children. The reality of this society is far darker than you think."
"She's not in a good position, is she? And right now, she needs her friends."
"I'm sorry, but you all need to leave before this causes more problems."
"I'm leaving for now, but remember this—I won't leave her side no matter what. I will never abandon my friend."
We left the palace grounds. Looks like Bright is in an angry mood.
........
PART 9 :-
CONFESSION OF TRUE FEELING
Bond perspective :-
"What's the matter? You look so angry. Is it because you couldn't see her?"
"Isn't it obvious? I haven't seen her for three days straight."
"Why are you so frustrated? She's just a friend."
"Yeah, yeah… she's just a friend."
He sat on the bed and started giggling.
"Hey—why did you accept her friendship?"
"Who was my first friend?"
"It was me."
"Did I need a reason to become your friend back then? I had no one for years, and then I met you. Finally, I had a friend with whom I could share anything. She's the first person who asked me to be her friend."
He stop talking for a minute and started talking again.
"I don't understand why people think you always need a reason to help others, make friends, follow your dreams, or love someone…"
"You love her, don't you?!"
"Ahh… yeah. The moment I saw her, I fell for her. She felt familiar to me, like I had known her for a long time. Whenever she talks to me or looks at me, my heart beats so fast."
He spoke softly, looking almost like a sad little child.
"Is that so… I see."
[In Bond's memory]
"Do you really want to be his friend, or is this just for your amusement? Why do you want to be in the same group as him? Why would a princess want to be friends with a cursed boy? Is this some kind of prank or joke?"
"Why do you want to know? Who are you to him?"
"Look, both of us have dark pasts and painful lives—especially Bright. He truly needs friends, but real friends. He saved my life, and I won't let anyone break his heart or betray him. And if you are thinking about doing that, then I promise I'll make you pay for it."
"I see… so he saved you too, huh? He has always been like that."
"But you know, I met him long before you did."
She told him everything.
"So, you see, I have loved him for a very long time. I want to stay by his side for the rest of my life. That is my dream. I want to be with him, and I don't want to repeat the same mistake as before."
"Are you telling the truth? Because if you are, then you have my word that no matter what happens to me, I will always stand beside both of you and support your love."
"Is that a promise?" she asked with hopeful eyes.
"Yeah. A lifelong promise."
[In present time.]
"Hey! Say something."
"What am I supposed to say?!"
"Well, you went completely silent after hearing about my feelings. At least scold me."
"Why should I? She's a good person—intelligent, kind, and honestly, you really need someone who has at least some common sense."
"Don't make this a joke. I'm serious about her."
"And I'm not joking either. It's true that she's a princess, while you're just a commoner living under people's hatred."
"I know that. I'm cursed, and she's like the moon—something impossible to reach. She's out of my league. And I don't even know whether she likes me or not…"
"You know what I think? She cares about you. She stands up for you. And she truly accepts you as her friend. I don't know what her feelings are, but I do know one thing—you are important to her. Because if you weren't, she would never fight against her family just to stay by your side. Isn't that enough!?"
"You really think so?!"
"Obviously. And you know what? I'll always be there for you whenever you need me."
"I know you'll support me no matter what. But that only matters if I'm able to meet her."
"Okay, okay, we'll think about that later. Right now, I'm hungry."
"Why do I have to cook dinner all the time? You haven't cooked for a whole week now."
"Because you cook really well."
"Hey, that's not fair."
"Okay, then I'll wash the dishes."
........