Forbidden Love✧⁠*⁠。

Episode 23

The quiet of the evening was shattered as Perth and Freen stumbled into their house. Their mother, Ariya, was just setting the table when she turned and gasped at the sight of her son. Perth’s face was bruised, a small cut bled above his eyebrow, and his lip was swollen. Freen was clutching his arm, guiding him carefully inside.

"Oh my god, what happened?" Ariya exclaimed, rushing to Perth’s side. Her eyes filled with worry as she took in his injuries.

"sit down, Perth" Freen said softly, helping her brother to sit on a chair at the dining table. She hurried to the basin, soaked a small towel in water, and wrung it out. Returning to Perth’s side, she sit on the chair beside him and began dabbing the bruises gently, her movements tender, her jaw tight with anger.

Ariya sit beside them, her gaze bouncing between her children, still trying to comprehend what could have happened. Finally, Freen looked up, her voice low but steady. "The king instructed his guards to beat Perth… because we didn’t want to leave without seeing Santa and Becky."

Ariya’s face went pale, her mouth dropping open. "What?" she breathed, barely able to believe what she was hearing. "Are you serious? King Adun… the same king that every villager respects, that people look up to… he would do something like this?" Her voice trembled, a mixture of anger and disbelief.

Before Freen could answer, the door opened, and three figures rushed inside. Satang, Gemini, and Mark had saw Perth and freen earlier and then the decided to go straight to Perth's house, Their faces filled with worry when they saw Perth’s injuries.

"Perth! Are you okay?" Satang asked, his voice thick with concern as he took in Perth’s bruised face and the blood drying on his skin.

Perth nodded, wincing slightly as he moved. "I’m fine. Just… hurt a little bit."

Satang’s brows shot up, a flash of anger crossing his face. "This is not a little bit, Perth! Look at you. What the fuck just  happened?"

Gemini stand beside Freen, inspecting Perth’s face with worry. "Tell us everything," he said softly

Freen took a deep breath, steadying herself. "The king ordered the guards to beat Perth… because we refused to leave when he told us to go. We just wanted to make sure Santa and Becky were okay."

"What the actual fuck?" Mark said, his voice rising in disbelief. He clenched his fists, frustration simmering in his gaze. "Satang and Gemini told me Santa and Becky got escorted back to the castle yesterday by royal guards, And now this? What’s going on with the king and queen?"

They were all quiet for a moment, struggling to make sense of it. The weight of what had happened hung heavily over them, a sense of helplessness filling the room.

Then suddenly, the faint sound of hooves approached, breaking the silence. All eyes turned toward the door, where a lone figure on horseback emerged from the evening shadows. As he dismounted, the group could see it was Prince Pond, his face set with quiet determination.

Satang blinked in surprise. "Prince Pond? What are you doing here? And… how did you even know where Perth lives?"

Pond’s expression was tense as he approached them. "I followed Perth. I saw… what happened earlier," he said, his voice filled with a mix of frustration and sympathy as he looked at Perth’s bruised face.

Freen narrowed her eyes, her voice shaking slightly with anger. "I don’t understand. What’s wrong with the king? Why would he do something like this? Santa and Becky are his own children."

Pond sighed deeply, running a hand through his hair. "King Adun has always been strict with Santa and Becky… ever since they were young. Both of them… they have always longed for freedom. They’re wild at heart, always searching for something beyond the walls of the castle." He paused, a shadow of sadness in his eyes. "But the king believes their duty comes before all else, even their happiness."