ACT 9 - THE WINDS OF CHANGE

12 December 1020

Maria had a serious face while saying: the legendary symbol of healing...., added to the other demanding emblems..., all functioning at the same time puts a strain on Sara, far more than her body can handle..., and if it's continues like this... Sara... will die...

The room feel in complete silence after Maria's explanation, leaving drake and Sophia in concerned as they kept looking at each other with sweaty faces...

Elizabeth noticed the sweaty faces and said with a slight smile: Maria, you shouldn't go over board and drop the worst scenario on the parents...

Maria put a red shy face while sweating, she kept bowing down while saying "s-s-sorry!!! drake-sama, Sophia-sama!!! i didn't mean to scare you!!! oh... and I'm so sorry, Elizabeth-sama!!!".

Drake had a sweaty face while Sophia felt her legs shaking, she lifted her hand and said with a tired voice "h-huh...? i... i... it's... o-okay..., Maria..., (nervous laugh) he... hehe...

Elizabeth kept looks at drake's direction and smiled while saying: the reason why I didn't let you know earlier is that.... we were working on a cure..., a cure that would hopefully help Sara recover...

Drake opened his eyes while Sophia put a wide surprised grin, Elizabeth smiled as she continued: the cure is in the final stages of production, couple more days and it would be prepared... until then I want you to cheer her up and compensate for the past 3 years (looks at them with a big smile), is it a big task to ask...?

Drake couldn't hide his happiness and the urge to smile, suddenly, he put a wide excited smile on his face and asks "so... you're telling me that she's going to be okay... in a couple of days....?".

Sophia smiled back at Elizabeth "I can't thank you enough....", but Elizabeth just put a soft smile while saying "she's my grandchild, Sophia..., I don't need a reason to help her..." , Sebastian started smoking a new cigar while Sophia jumped on drake and hugged him with happy tears on her face...

Suddenly, she started beating him up with an angry teary face "I've lived the past 3 years in pain..., so you better repay me with something good!!", drake smiled and said "hehe, you want something good, huh?", leaving Sophia with a red annoyed face "hey, don't put it like that, you stupid!!", and the two started arguing while drake continued laughing...

Sebastian looked at his mother and said " so...., everything is coming back to be normal.... huh?", drake held his wife's hands and stopped for a sec, he started thinking then he said "I want to make things right again...., let's make up for all the pain we caused her and make her future bright... are you with me!?".

Sophia kept looking at him while smiling, and suddenly... a vein popped on her forehead as she said angrily "who's...we....??",

Drake starts sweating while laughing nervously nervously: hehe... uhh... Sophia?

Sophia kept smiling and suddenly she hit him on the head and said angrily "you caused her pain... then you have to make up for it...!"

Everyone in the room watched drake getting beaten up, he stayed on the ground and looked at Sebastian and said "hehe, my brother will have my back, am I right?", Sebastian looked at him while smoking and said with a cold voice "you're on your own in this..., brother".

Drake: how rude of you..., (gets up and smiles) but you're right..., I'm the reason in all of this..., so it's my duty to make up for all this wasted time... tomorrow it is.... Can't wait!!

Sophia and Elizabeth keeps watching him while smiling....

- 12 December 1020

In late night, a scared voice can be heard saying "....please answer me.... why...? why aren't looking at my face? W-Why do you always turn away? Was it because I'm w-weak...? was I a bad daughter?".

Suddenly... the voice started shaking "W-wait.... where are you going? Please papa, w-wait.... Please, (the voice getting tired) huf.... huf, don't leave me papa! s-Sara.... Sara... will become stronger, Sara will become even stronger than papa, Sara will make papa proud so please don't leave her, papaaaaaa....!!"

A gentle voice called Sara while grabbing her reaching arm: "I'm here, I'm here baby!"

Sara opened her eyes fast, hoping that hopefully.... It's him..., just maybe..., but... it was her mother calling with a gentle voice..., Sara looked both terrified and disappointed from her nightmare, she looked at her mother for a bit and tried to hide it by smiling, but Sophia kept looking at Sara's face and then hugged her,

Suddenly the mother said "if you need any help... baby, then... never hesitate..., I'm always here for you, Sara...", Sara started tearing up while in her mother's arms, Sophia took place on Sara's bed and sat by her side...

She looked at Sara and said with a cheered voice "now, tell me... about your time away from the kokkina matia..., about the outside world..., how was it?!!", Sara smiled while wiping her tears off and started telling her story about the beautiful land she spent the last two years in....

- The throne room:

At this time, and in the other side of the castle, jezebel started checking around the castle before going to sleep, she passed by the throne room and stopped for a bit when she heard some weird mumbling coming from inside it, she got in and kept looking around, but there's nothing...

As soon as she turned around to leave the room, someone yelled behind her "NO!! NO!! NOT LIKE THAT!!!!", a loud noise that made the calm jezebel jump from surprise, she felt her heart pounding as it was about to jump out of her chest....,

After a bit, she turned the lights on and she put a surprised face..., it' was drake, she kept looking at him for a bit and asked "d-drake-sama..., what are you doing in the dark... room?!!", drake looked at her with a sweaty nervous face and said "oh, jezebel, I... I didn't see you coming..., oh this? I'm just doing.... Some.... Research.... (nervous laugh) hehehe...".

Jezebel seemed unconvinced, so drake let a deep sigh "I'm training okay...? Is that what you wanted to hear?", jezebel asks "training? Is there anything I can help with?", drake jumped out of his throne toward her and grabbed her hands, jezebel's face cheeks became red while looking at drake's face with his eyes sparkling,

He smiled while saying "you... will help me? I knew that I can count on you all the time..., well you see, I'm.... I.... well... uhh..., you see... (he looks at her) I'm trying to... to apologize....", jezebel's eyes widened up, she put a serious face while giving him a thumbs up and said "you've came to the right place, drake-sama...", and the two spends the whole night preparing for drake's big day...

- After many hours:

The sun started rising and sneaking its rays into the dark throne room..., jezebel looked at drake with proud tired eyes and said "you are ready....", drake started breathing heavily "I've never thought that It would be this hard...", jezebel smiled "taking responsibility was never an easy task... now... go... my dear student...".

Drake smiled in her face and said "I will not fail you, Jez!! Thank you", she hid her red face and waved her hand "just go already...", drake got up on his feet and started running toward Sara's room..., jezebel keeps looking at him thinking "he called me Jez..., huh...?".

Drake stood in front of the room's door and keeps staring at the door knob angrily..., he reached his hand but stopped mid-way as he started imagining all the possible scenarios and outcomes:

Sara's reaction when she sees him, he imagined her disgusted face as she says "humph, what kind of father would cuts relations with his daughter..., get lost... coward", his own imagination discouraged him, but he tried to overcome it and reached his hand again, but still the same outcome, he just couldn't open the door..

Drake stood in front of the door for some time, he kept looking at the door knob with a sweaty shocked face as his eyes started shaking, suddenly he said with breathless voice "huh...? i.... i can't open... the door...!!".

- Somewhere in England:

A beautiful, starry night, as all the lights in the city are getting turned off one by one, but at the palace very far away from the town, lights are always off, and the sunlight is never allowed.

In a dark quiet throne room, a deep voice said calmly: "his plan will never fail, why? You may ask... it's because no matter how many years it would take, 10, 100, or even a 1000 year, his plan is destined to succeed, his plan is... absolute..., him..., the mighty... shall arise again soon from the ashes of his foes, and lead all of the creations to perfection..., and that day... is already upon us, is that right?", another voice answers "hehehe..., yes!! because we've already found him...".