The village square was busy like always. But today there was a lot more confusion. At the center, a shaky stage had been set up. Villagers whispered, trying to figure out what was happening.
Zane leaned against a stack of firewood. Lyra balanced a basket of carrots on her head. And Darius stood still, staring at the stage.
Talia stood nearby. Arms crossed. Glaring at the group. She was still annoyed about the chores from the days before. “If I have to plant one more potato, swing a pickaxe, or chop wood like some kind of peasant… ugh!”
Lyra grinned. “Aw, Sparkles, you’re so good at farming! Who else can plant and harvest at the same time?”
“I am not a potato farmer!” Talia snapped. “And that wasn’t harvesting! It was... just a fluke!”
Zane snorted.
Talia’s eyes locked on him, sharp as daggers. “If you have something to say, spit it out!”
“Oh, I’ve got plenty,” Zane said, grinning. “But let’s start with the flour.”
Talia blinked. “What flour?”
“The flour you borrowed.” Zane pointed at her like he was in court. “You never gave it back. No flour, no biscuits.”
Lyra gasped. “Wait. You took the flour? Talia, I trusted you! How could you betray the biscuits?!”
“I-I didn’t take your stupid flour!” Talia’s face turned red. “As if I’d do something so ridiculous!”
“Uh-huh.” Zane raised an eyebrow. “That’s exactly what someone who stole flour would say.”
“Ugh! You’re impossible!” Talia threw her hands up. “Why do I even bother with you guys? Just shut up and listen!”
The villagers got quiet as Talia stomped onto the stage, her robes flapping around her. She took a deep breath, scanning the crowd. “I have an announcement.”
Lyra raised her hand. “Is this about the flour?”
“It is NOT about the flour!” Talia yelled. She cleared her throat. “I’ve been watching your progress. Even with all your mistakes, this village is almost functional. Sort of.”
The villagers exchanged looks, not sure whether to feel proud or insulted.
“Almost functional?” Zane repeated, shaking his head. “Wow, Sparkles, don’t go overboard with the praise.”
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“Sh-shut up!” Talia snapped. “The point is, you’ve rebuilt enough to get the kingdom’s attention. And as your Lord, I—”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Zane interrupted, raising his hand. “You’re our Lord? Since when?”
“Since always!” Talia replied. “I’ve been spying on this village undercover.”
Lyra tilted her head. “Undercover? With those glowing robes?”
Talia hesitated. “Wh-what about them?”
“They’re glowing. Like, all the time,” Lyra said. “We thought you were some kind of magical fashion model.”
Talia’s face turned bright red. “I-I was blending in! You didn’t suspect a thing!”
Zane chuckled. “Yeah, because nothing says ‘I’m a normal villager’ like a walking light show.”
“Enough!” Talia stomped her foot. “I’m here to tell you that your tax exemption is officially canceled.”
A collective gasp went through the crowd.
Zane scratched his head. “Wait, we didn’t have to pay taxes?”
Lyra’s eyes went wide. “We could’ve been saving money this whole time? What have we been doing?!”
Talia rubbed her forehead. “You weren’t saving anything because you didn’t have anything! This village was so small and useless, it wasn’t worth taxing. Until now.”
“Ouch,” Zane said. “Way to boost morale.”
“D-don’t get me wrong!” Talia stammered, her voice cracking a bit. “This place is still a mess. But it’s a productive mess. You’ve rebuilt enough to get the kingdom’s attention. And that means responsibility.”
Lyra raised her hand again. “But isn’t taxing us just going to make everything harder? Like, we’re already eating carrots for breakfast. And lunch. And dinner.”
“Then eat fewer carrots, you vegetable peasant!” Talia snapped, her voice hitting a high pitch.
“Oh, sure. I’ll just switch to invisible food. Got any tips on cooking nothing?” Lyra asked.
But before Talia could respond, Darius stepped forward. “What will these taxes do?”
Talia crossed her arms. “They’ll make sure the village follows the rules. And if you refuse...” Her smirk turned sharp. “I’ll come back. And trust me, you don’t want that.”
Zane’s grin got wider. “Why? So you can steal more flour?”
“I-I did not steal your flour!” Talia said, her voice cracking again. “One month. That’s how long you have. Pay your taxes or face the consequences! Got it?!”
The villagers froze, stunned.
Talia spun around, robes flaring as she walked away.
“Well,” Zane finally said, breaking the silence. “That was... sparkly.”
Lyra laughed. “She’s really getting into this ‘villain’ role, huh? I bet she practices those lines in front of a mirror.”
Darius nodded. “Her methods are not subtle, but her authority is clear.”
Granny hobbled forward, face pale. “We don’t have the money to pay those taxes.”
Zane’s smile faded. “Wait. What happens if we don’t pay?”
“They’ll take the village,” Granny said, voice trembling. “They’ll force us out.”
A heavy silence fell over the square.
Zane sighed. “So... what are we supposed to do? We can’t just make money appear out of nowhere.”
Darius stepped forward, eyes calm but determined. “We fight. For our home.”
Lyra grinned, raising her carrots like a weapon. “And for our biscuits!”
Zane groaned. “Oh, great. A rebellion. Nothing ever goes wrong with those, right?”
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