POWER DUO

Michael and Juli proceeded outside the cottage with Simeria, only to be met with a blast of shock. They stared in amazement at the rainforest around them, filled with cottages and water pumps. It was like a mini-civilization, unlike anything they had encountered before, since they had both been cloistered in royalty.

Simeria smiled at the two as she gestured for them to follow her. They walked around, seeing different maids from the royal house of Scotland, but Michael was still sad because he hadn't seen who he wanted to until he heard a voice, "Hello, Michael, I see you have grown." 

Michael stared at the muscular lady in front of him as tears fell from his eyes. He ran up to her, leaving Juli's side, and hugged her tightly. "Master," he whispered in his teary voice, "Master, Uncle Drake is dead. All my family is dead, Mary is dead, Father is dead. They are all dead. Even my personal guard is dead. Why? They are all dead. I've been fighting to survive from the day I was born, Master. I know I am not born royalty, but even so, why is it when it's my turn to be a royal, everyone dies? It's not fair."

The lady hugged Michael while patting his head. "Michael, my boy, tough times make strong men and warriors. And you see that girl behind you? She has also gone through a lot. As my student, you shouldn't cry in front of another girl except me." But as the lady spoke, Michael held her tighter, like a child holding his mother. The lady he was holding was the closest thing he had to a mother after Mary.

Michael finally released his grip, which made Juli pity him, for they were both similar—they both had to watch all their loved ones die. It wasn't fair; they were just kids who wanted to grow up and be happy.

Michael looked at Juli and smiled, even with the tears in his eyes. He walked up to her, "We shall avenge our family, Juli, and I will make sure you become the queen you deserve to be. I will be your light and the one to take you from the position of a slave to the position of a queen." Michael declared.

"Well, Michael, currently you have to devise a plan to get into the palace and commit the coup as fast as possible," Simeria advised.

Michael looked at all the maids around and smiled. "You all are going to have to leave this place at the same time to go and get food resources in the palace in the loudest way possible." The maids looked at Michael like he was mad because that was suicide since the current monarch had control of all the guards and citizens.

"That's when I come in," Juli said with a smile. "Elara wants me, and the moment the news goes out that I am in Scotland, Elara will do anything to get here or send the whole Britannian force to come and kill me." The maids were shocked at how their fellow lady could think like their honored Michael.

"Now, while that is happening, I will go and kill the king with my master," Michael added. "That works, right, guys?" They all nodded as they went to prepare. Michael called Juli to a private location.

"Michael, I know that isn't your master. You would never cry like that in front of me. Even when your uncle died, you didn't cry like that," Juli observed.

Michael smiled. "Ten points for your observance, Juli. Anyway, take this black powder. They have a lot of it in my kingdom, and I stole some. This is big enough to cause a massive explosion that should kill them all at once, but to hide it, I'm going to tear a sack in your skin." Michael took Juli's knife, about to open her skin but hesitated. Juli, knowing they didn't have time for hesitation, took the knife from his hands, cut open a sac in her side, and pushed the black powder sack inside. Then they moved.

They reunited with the maids, who were still pretending to be on Michael's side, and departed to the palace. On the way, they saw citizens; the nation looked like a wasteland. Everyone was sad and dull. Juli and the maids took the city while Michael and his fake master took the forest.

After three hours, they arrived at the top of a mountain. Calculating his jump correctly, Michael should be able to land inside the castle; if not, he would die by missing the window and falling into the water below.

"Michael, let me go firs—" But Michael didn't let her finish. He ran forward and took the jump, staying in the air for a few seconds before smashing into the window. The fake master believed Michael hadn't figured her out, so she took the jump. The moment she was about to land on the window, Michael took an iron pile and smacked her skull, sending her down into the water like a missile. If she survived the smack, she would die from the fall; if not, the alligators would finish the job. 

Now, Michael was in the palace. He knew everywhere in the palace; after all, it was his palace. He went to a hidden room that only he should know of and took four daggers with his name embedded in them while also taking flint, more black powder, and other essentials, packing them in a sack.

Juli, on the other hand, was with the maids as they approached the massive doors of the Scotland palace. The maids brought out weapons and smiled, including Simeria. "So gullible," they said as they walked towards Juli with their weapons. Juli looked at them with eyes full of trauma, torture, and darkness—no epitome of joy in them. 

"Die," Juli whispered as she tore open her stomach's side, bringing out the black powder with lightning speed. She lit a flint and threw the whole sack on the women, jumping back with all the force she could muster. The moment the sack made impact with the ground, a massive boom was heard in the distance as a massive explosion took place. The force launched Juli high into the sky. Though she bled from the front of her arms, she was generally quite fine. She saw a window, which Michael had told her to stretch her hand onto if she was close to it. Trusting Michael, she stretched her hand, and a hand came through the window and grabbed her. She smiled as she saw Michael's face, even though she was in pain from the blast. Michael dragged her into the room, and they sat on the floor, panting.

"Stage one complete," Michael said.