[Montage: 

The development of Mrs. Poppy’s home

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Week 1:

Everyone gathers the materials for the home per Caelia’s plan including wood, stone, cutting materials, etc. Then, wood is cut, foundation is laid, garden is set, debris is removed from the site. Week One was for clearing land and clearing doubts. 

[Panel: Caelia, in rolled sleeves, uses a chalk stick to outline the footprint of the future cottage.]

CAELIA (calls out, to everyone):

“We’ll dig the post holes here! Be careful near the east side — it slopes!”

[Panel: Cassian kneels beside her, checking soil levels with a handmade plumb line. Villagers begin arriving with tools, shovels, and wooden beams.]

CASSIAN (smiling):

“You sure about this, Lady Ardent? It’s going to take all month.”

CAELIA (smirk):

“Good thing I’m stubborn.”

[Panel: Caelia laughs with a group of village children as they help carry buckets of water. One slips and splashes her with mud, Caelia’s face filled with disgust for a split moment but then immediately smiling.]

[Panel: Cassian watches, eyebrows raised in amusement.]

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Week 2:

The home’s foundation is set and the home is slowly coming together with one wooden beam at a time.

[Panel: Wooden beams rise, hammers strike nails. Cassian holds up a frame while Caelia aligns it with a level. Villagers are doing the same on the other sides of the home.]

CASSIAN:

“Miss Empress Engineer, you’re getting good at this.”

CAELIA:

“I always have been, Mr. Butler.”

CASSIAN (scoffs):

“Unironically, I do follow every one of your orders like a butler.”

CAELIA:

“Hey, no one is forcing you!”

CASSIAN (sarcastically):
“Ha! You’d butcher my hands if I don’t!”

CAELIA (sneering):
“.... That is true! So get to work, Mr. Butler!”

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Week 3: 

With all the help from the villagers under (mostly) Caelia’s orders, the framework of the home was finished and the roof went up with cheering from everyone once completed. 

Floors are installed, insulation installed, water was piped, and townsfolk haul in other appliances for the home.

Caelia and Cassian are in the garden, building a bench and freshening up the garden. Townsfolk snickering amongst themselves from inside the framework home while admiring Caelia and Cassian working together.

TOWNSFOLK 1 (admiring the almost finished home):

“I can’t believe this house came together so fast!”

TOWNSFOLK 2:

“Yeah! It’s with everyone’s hard work that this came all together!” 

TOWNSFOLK 1 (looking outside at Caelia and Cassian building a bench for the garden):

“They really do make a great team, those two.”

TOWNSFOLK 2:

“They’re always together, do you think…”

TOWNSFOLK 1:

“Caelia is in the running for becoming the next empress, I’m not sure if they’re together or not. But they’re planning on doing a lot for Kingsley, I hope they continue to work together.”

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Week 4:

The home is about finished. It is a quaint home with a huge garden in the backyard. Everyone is adding the finishing touches in the home, decorating it to fit Mrs. Poppy’s minimalistic lifestyle. Curtains are hung, a small bookshelf is filled, cutlery is organized in the kitchen. 

Cassian is inside the home, helping the townsfolk bring in the bigger furniture like tables and chairs.

Caelia is outside teaching a young boy how to build a simple birdhouse. The boy glued the wood pieces together to build a structure, and admired it as if he found newfound passion.

CAELIA (clapping):

“Good Job Ceasar! You built that!”

CEASAR (beaming):

“Thanks, Miss Caelia!”

CAELIA (motioning to a nearby branch):

“Do you wanna hang it up over here?”

CEASAR (nods):

“Yes!”

[Panel: Caelia and Ceasar walk to the tree branch and Caelia lifts Ceasar up to place the birdhouse. Caesar rejoicing at the tiny birdhouse that completes the garden setting.]]

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[Scene: Sunny morning, air is a little bit colder. With the house completed, it was time for Mrs. Poppy to finally arrive to her new home. Everyone who helped out is in front of the house, waiting for her arrival. Caelia is seen visibly nervous.]

CAELIA - INNER MONOLOGUE:

The time has finally come… I really hope Mrs. Poppy likes it. Everyone has worked so hard on it. 

[Caelia’s hands start to fidget, an old habit of hers that carried over into this life. Cassian, next to Caelia, notices her hands clamming up.]

CASSIAN (leaning over, whispers closely to Caelia’s ears):

“Caelia, Mrs. Poppy will love this house. You have nothing to worry about.”

CAELIA - INNER MONOLOGUE:

[blushing]

TOO CLOSE, TOO CLOSE!

TOWNSFOLK 1 (pointing at an upcoming carriage): 

“The carriage is here! Mrs. Poppy is here!”

[A small carriage arrives at the home, right in front of Cassian and Caelia, greeted by many townsfolk who are here to celebrate Mrs. Poppy’s return.]

[Mrs. Poppy slowly gets out of the carriage, accompanied by townsfolk who are helping her out.]

MRS. POPPY (seeing Caelia and Cassian right in front of her):
“My Dears!” 

CAELIA (already feeling tears well up in her eyes): 

“Mrs. Poppy! Welcome home!”

[Cassian holds Mrs. Poppy’s hand and guides her to the newly renovated home. The small home glistens in the daylight covered by many flowers. Mrs. Poppy is in awe, so much so that she looks at it as if it is her messiah.] 

MRS. POPPY: 

“My dears… you built this? This looks absolutely incredible…”

CAELIA: 

“A lot of people in the village helped. This is everyone’s project for you Mrs. Poppy!”

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[Montage: Caelia and Cassian showing Mrs. Poppy the inside of the home which was decorated and filled with modern appliances. Caelia made sure to point at every detail and specified who did the work to give everyone credit.]

[The last thing that was shown was the vast garden filled with beautiful grown flowers and sprouting flowers. Mrs. Poppy is shocked in awe of all the colors in her backyard, feeling a sort of company that she had missed for a long time.]

MRS. POPPY (in tears):

“This is way too much, how did someone like me deserve any of this?”

CAELIA:

“Mrs. Poppy, you are well loved in this community and everyone worked together to make this happen! I hope you can find solace in your new home.”

[Mrs. Poppy hugs Caelia.]

MRS. POPPY (crying):

“Thank you again, Lady Ardent. Thank you, thank you, thank you! I’m sure Isaac was the one who brought you guys to me.” 

[Caelia hugs back, crying along with Mrs. Poppy. Cassian smiling looking at the scene.]

CAELIA - INNER MONOLOGUE:

Hopefully this time, nothing happens. I want Mrs. Poppy to live the life how she wants, comfortably. 

This project was very hard for sure but… it all paid off. I and everyone here worked so hard to bring this into fruition. 

To see Mrs. Poppy so happy and finding motivation to live makes me feel a feeling I had never felt before, not even in my previous life. 

Even if I’m not Norma Lee anymore… Even if I’m destined to die again… This makes my inevitable death seem less scary. I’m content with my life right now. 

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[Scene: Everyone is gathered at the front of Mrs. Poppy’s home, Cassian and Caelia preparing to leave to go onto their next project.]

MRS. POPPY:

“Thank you guys again for building my home. I’m sad to see you guys go.”

CAELIA:

“We will miss you too Mrs. Poppy! Don’t be afraid to contact us about anything at all! This for sure is not goodbye, we will always visit.” 

CASSIAN (to Caelia):

“You’re acting like we are gonna go across the country. We literally will be in the next block over at the elementary school.”

CAELIA (sneering):

“Way to ruin a mood, Mr. Butler.”

CASSIAN (annoyed):

“When are you gonna drop that? I basically am your butler.”

CAELIA:

“That’s your own volition, not mine!” 

[Mrs. Poppy looks at the duo bickering with one another and smiles.]

TOWNSFOLK 1 (butts in):

“No one can defy the potential next empress!”

[Caelia is taken aback for a second.] 

CAELIA - INNER MONOLOGUE:

Right. Caelia Ardent is potentially the next empress but I don’t really want to be an empress! I even said that to the king and queen, maybe they understand I don’t want anything to do with that.

But the original Caelia however…

[Caelia is bothered, the paradoxical realization that her life isn’t really her own.]

MRS. POPPY (noticing, gently smiles):

“Caelia, I hope you can find yourself back in Kingsley even after the events that are happening at the palace.” 

CAELIA - INNER MONOLOGUE:

I don’t really want to participate in the palace events. But I’m not sure if I necessarily have a choice. 

I’d much rather work with Cassian like this for the rest of my life if I could.

Wait.

What did I just think?

CAELIA (grabbing Mrs. Poppy’s hands to distract from her inner thoughts):

“F-For sure, Mrs. Poppy! No matter what happens, I will always be back! If I’m not here, I’ll always send letters!”

MRS. POPPY (joking):

“If the letters ever make it here, haha! Letters have a hard time getting around here.”

CAELIA - INNER MONOLOGUE:

Really? But, letters come within a day’s notice at the castle… hmm. 

CAELIA:

“Then I will always visit. I promise.” 

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[Scene: Caelia and Cassian say their final goodbyes to Mrs. Poppy and the villagers. They go into the carriage, on their way back to the playground.]