[Scene: Earlier the same day, in the classroom. The kids are all in their seats as the teacher assigns them another assignment.]

TEACHER:

“Now everyone, we are gonna do the same assignment as last month where we drew or wrote what we wanted for the playground!”

KID (raised his hand):

“But what if we want the same thing as last time?”

TEACHER:

“Well.. if you wrote something last time, maybe this time draw it! Or if you drew it last time, then write it this time!”

[Caelia and Cassian make rounds around the room, observing what the kids are drawing.]

[Caelia stumbles across the three boys who are still collaborating on their work but decided that they wanted to change their initial requests.]

ELRIC:

“Lady Caelia! Look, look, look!”

[Elric displays the collaborative work to Caelia’s face. Pointing at irregular shapes that are not coherent to anything that exists in real life.]

ELRIC (boasting):

“We made a new drawing! Do you like it? It has a swing AND a slide.”

CAELIA (impressed):

“O-oh wow!!! What happened to the teleporter?” 

DORIAN:

“That’s stupid Caelia! We are more mature now and we understand that teleporters don’t exist!”

CAELIA - INNER MONOLOGUE:

The teleporter idea was just a month ago…

Mature??

QUINN:

“Do you think we did better on the drawing?”

CAELIA:

“Uh… sure!”

CAELIA - INNER MONOLOGUE:

They’re still inconsistent shapes??? 

I mean, I guess this slope here is a slide… 

And this one is a swing…

QUINN:

“We asked Aline to help us draw! She’s actually really cool!”

[Caelia looks over to where Aline sits and Aline is talking to the other people that sit around her, smiling. Caelia feels warm seeing Aline finally talk to the other kids.]

CAELIA - INNER MONOLOGUE:

Ah.. I’m glad Aline is finally opening up.

[Cassian walks over to Caelia with a stack of papers.]

CASSIAN (to Caelia):

“Hey, Caelia. I think we should wrap up this activity and start brainstorming. We don’t have much time.”

CAELIA:

“Alright, yeah maybe we should start soon.”

——

[Scene: Later the same day, Caelia and Cassian were in one of the rooms at the small school with all the drawings of the kids made sprawled out on the table. They were discussing each of the updated drawings and passages that the kids made.” 

CAELIA (laughing, mocking):

“A-And then, Dorian says, “that’s a stupid idea, Caelia! We are mature now!” AHAHA. These kids are so cute!”

CASSIAN (laughs):

“Were they the ones that put in an ice cream maker in the playground?”

CAELIA:

“YES!”

[Caelia and Cassian laugh together as they admire the kids being cute.]

CAELIA (breaking the laugh):

“Alright, alright. Let’s get down to business.” 

[Caelia whips out Aline’s drawing.]

CAELIA:

“I think we should reference Aline’s design. It’s the most detailed and she made sure to include what everyone wanted in the playground.”

CASSIAN:

“I agree. I think her design is the most simple too. Definitely something that the two of us could build pretty quick.”

[Caelia ponders to herself.]

CASSIAN:

“What are you thinking?”

CAELIA:

“I was wondering if we should add something else to the playground?

Aline’s design is great but we definitely have enough room for something else.”

CASSIAN:

“Hmm… maybe. I think it depends. Maybe we can scale some of the details of the structure? Maybe make two slides instead of one?”

CAELIA:

“But wouldn’t that mean we would have to scale almost everything else to make it structurally stable? Cause look, if we add another slide, the rest of the structure would not be able to withstand it.”

CASSIAN:

“Wouldn’t that be better anyways because there’s so many kids?”

CAELIA:

“Well, you gotta assume that some kids prefer different rides over others. And in this structure, there’s only so much you can do! There’s a slide, swing, and monkey bars. Another thing about kids is that they get sick of things really fast! I think we should add another structure for them to play on!”

CASSIAN:

“Like the same structure?”

CAELIA:

“No, I think we can build something else altogether.”

[Caelia starts to critically think. She went deep into her childhood as Norma to figure out what this playground is missing.]

CAELIA:

“Oh! How about a merry-go-round?”

CASSIAN (confused):

“A merry-go- what?”

CAELIA:

“You know!! Like those things where kids hop on and they spin around?”

CASSIAN:

“Caelia, I’m not sure what you are talking about, but that doesn’t sound like fun. In fact, it sounds dangerous.” 

[Caelia frantically pulls out a piece of scrap paper and sketches a simple merry go round from memory.]

CAELIA (pointing at her drawing):

“You know!!! Like these? And the kids spin around??”

CASSIAN (studying her drawing, unconvinced):

“Yeah, I’m not buying it, Caelia. I’m not sure what this is.”

CAELIA - INNER MONOLOGUE:

Merry-go-rounds don’t exist in this universe?? 

They were one of the only enjoyments I had in my childhood.

When my parents used to take me to the playground, that’s all I ever stayed on.

And when it became dusk time, I would be glued onto the merry-go-round, not wanting to leave.

That was one of the few fond memories I had of my family.

Thinking of those times makes me wonder how they are doing.

But I’m not quite sure if they’re even mourning my disappearance right now.

And to that, I must continue on.

CAELIA (reminiscing):

“I used to love riding on these when I was younger. Even with its dangerous nature, they’re not actually that dangerous.”

CASSIAN:

“I’m not sure if we should build it if they’re not that dangerous.”

CAELIA:

“They’re only as dangerous as the kids riding it make it out to be. You can even argue that about any of the elements in the original structure. This  group of kids are good, so I think it’s safe if we put a merry-go-round.

Of course, if you agree.”

CASSIAN:

“To be honest Caelia, I’m not too convinced but I trust you. So I think we should try.” 

CAELIA (beaming):

“Really?? Yay!” 

[Caelia rips out another sheet of paper.]

CAELIA (determined):

“Alright, let me sketch out another drawing for you and I’ll walk through the math.”

——-

[Scene: Caelia elegantly starts sketching the merry-go-round, ensuring that it is to scale and that there was no room for confusion. 

With every stroke, she meticulously captures every detail, only focusing on the drawing.

Cassian watches her work in awe.]

CASSIAN - INNER MONOLOGUE:

She pays attention to every detail.

Ensuring that this structure will be safe for the kids.

All while making sure the kids will be happy with our end product and have fun with it.

CAELIA (talking to herself while drawing):

“Alright so, it’s made out of two parts…

Angles here…

Pegs here…

Rails over here…

CASSIAN - INNER MONOLOGUE:

This girl is so odd.

She was well known to be the most selfish person in the entire kingdom.

But after all this time working with her and right now seeing her work next to me, she is one of the most kind and intelligent people I have ever met.

[Cassian remembers when they first met and saw all of the technical drawings Caelia had made of the pulley system at the palace.]

And also strong. 

[Cassian remembers how Caelia ran into the burning building to save Mrs. Poppy.]

And very beautiful.

[Cassian remembers how peaceful Caelia looked after he put a lily flower behind her ear as she was sleeping.]

She really doesn’t give herself enough credit.

I want to continue working with her for as long as I can.

[Cassian smiles to himself]

CAELIA:

“Alright! I finished the drawing. Not sure if the math works out, but let me explain it to you.”

[Caelia looks over at Cassian and to her surprise, Cassian was already looking at her and smiling.]

CASSIAN (smiling):

“Alright, can you explain it to me?”

CAELIA (blushes):

“Y-Yes! 

So, out of memory, I think this is made with a circle with a hole  in the middle, basically.

Then another piece of wood with a peg at the center will be under it and that’s what causes this top circle to spin. 

We can grease these disks using oil.

Then, on this top disc, we can have seats or rails for the kids to stand on.

And the way that this moves is through energy, when one kid pushes the rails, it causes the mechanism to spin.

Does that make sense?”

CASSIAN:

“Hmm… it does. But won’t the kids feel dizzy if they’re spinning around it too much?”

CAELIA:

“That is part of the fun aha!”

CASSIAN:

“It’s fun to feel dizzy?”

CAELIA (smiling):

“Trust me, it is! Once we finish making it, we can ride it and you’ll see!”

CASSIAN:

“Alright Miss Empress Engineer.”

CAELIA:

“Alright, Cass! Let’s get started!”

CASSIAN:

“Cass?”

CAELIA:

“You like that nickname?”

CASSIAN:

“Not really, but I guess you can call me that.”

CAELIA (pouts):

“Boo! I won’t call you that if you don’t like it.” 

CASSIAN:

“Do you have a nickname?”

[Caelia pauses for a second.]

CAELIA:

“… I know it’s weird but could you call me Norma?”

CAELIA - INNER MONOLOGUE:

That’s not too weird of an ask, right?

Maybe it will help me feel like I’m living my life as my own. 

CASSIAN:

“Norma? Alright. 

Let’s go finalize the sketches, Norma.”

[Caelia’s heart stops beating for a second. Her face instantly becoming red.]

CAELIA (nervous):

“N-Nevermind. Please call me Caelia.” 

CASSIAN:

“Where did Norma come from?”

CAELIA (smiles):

“… I just really like the name, that’s all. But it doesn’t fit right? It’s okay, just call me Caelia.”

CASSIAN:

“Caelia or Norma, doesn’t matter to me. You’re you.”

[Caelia looks at Cassian’s face. There isn’t a single ounce of fabrication in his expression.]

[Caelia swallows.]

CAELIA (blushes);

“Let’s get started on the final sketches.”

———

[Scene: A couple days later, many kingdoms away, in a faraway land in the jungle.]

[A tall man with blonde hair and blue eyes receives a scroll. He opens the scroll and looks at the sender of the letter.]

???:

“Dad?”

[He frantically reads the letter.]

[Theo,

How are you? Everhart misses you very much. 

We look forward to your arrival every day.

We are glad to hear that your journey is going well. 

Hopefully you bring some riches back into Everhart.

Annalise is doing well. You should write back to her, she’s deeply worried about you…]

THEODORIC:

“Aw man, did my letter not send?

I hope she’s doing well. I should write to her.”

[…I wanted to mention some strange happenings going on over here…]

THEODORIC (confused):

“Strange?”

[…Caelia Ardent has left the castle and has found a new passion in engineering…]

THEODORIC (shocked):

“… engineering…?

PFFFT HA!

There’s no way. 

She would never get her hands dirty.”

[… She has helped the people in Kingsley by building homes and structures for them to live a better life…]

THEODORIC - INNER MONOLOGUE:

… absolutely not. She’s probably doing it to make herself look better.

[… You’re probably thinking “absolutely not! She’s probably doing it to make herself look better…]

…. I guess my dad knows me best.

[… But she has stopped the antics with Annalise.

She has even told your mother and I that she does not want to be empress anymore and wants to continue building, can you even believe it?

Anyways, we miss you. Come back home safe.

Love, 

Your Father.]

No way… Caelia in philanthropy? And she said she doesn’t want to be empress anymore?

This has got to be some sort of joke.

[Theo rolls the scroll back up and places it in his satchel.]

This excavation is going well. I need to see Caelia’s antics for myself.

——-

[End of Chapter 11 - Part 2]