(Arthur POV)
It all happened in a blur. One moment, Thorne Silverleaf was spewing accusations, and the next, he was scurrying away with his tail between his legs. As the dust settled, I found myself face to face with Caedan Aegis.
Camera flashes popped like miniature lightning bolts around us. I glanced at Firfel, making a mental note to thank her later, before turning to Caedan.
"Thank you," I said, genuinely grateful for his intervention.
Caedan waved it off with a warm smile. "No, no. If anyone should be thanking anyone, it's me thanking you." He paused, his eyes twinkling. "Your film tonight... it truly satisfied my hunger for great cinema. You've created something remarkable, Arthur."
He clapped me on the shoulder, his voice taking on a more serious tone. "I'll be honest, I had my doubts initially, like many others. But tonight? You proved us all wrong. And I'm delighted to have been proven wrong."
I felt a surge of warmth towards Caedan. No wonder he was a legend in the industry - he was not only insightful but genuinely kind and supportive.
As the cameras continued to flash, capturing this moment between the 'infamous prince' and the legendary critic, I bowed slightly. "It's an honor to receive such high praise from the legendary Caedan Aegis."
Caedan chuckled, waving his hand dismissively. "Oh, stop it. I'm just an old critic, that's all."
Then, to my surprise, he turned to Firfel and gave her a knowing nod. "And I see you have good taste in women, too. Congratulations." With that, he turned and walked away, leaving me slightly bewildered.
What did he mean by that? I glanced at Firfel, suddenly aware of how this might look. We weren't... were we? No, we definitely weren't there. Yet.
Shaking off my confusion, I addressed the eager reporters. "Alright, everyone, we'll be taking our leave now. It's been a long day, and we could all use some rest."
As we made our way through the parting crowd, I turned to Firfel. "Hey, thanks for having my back there."
Firfel shook her head, a small smile playing on her lips. "Don't mention it. That reporter was just looking for trouble. After seeing how hard you've worked on this film, I couldn't just stand by." She paused, her eyes meeting mine. "Actually, I should be thanking you for bringing me into this masterpiece of a project."
I felt a warmth spread through my chest that had nothing to do with my unusual eye-changing ability. As we headed back to our hotel, I couldn't help but feel that something had shifted between us. Whatever it was, I was looking forward to seeing where it might lead.
***
Two days had flown by since the premiere. Firfel, Imkrag, and Kurt had long since returned to the Morningstar Kingdom, but I'd stuck around in the Moonlight Kingdom. There was still fallout from the "Lord of the Rings" effect to deal with, not to mention potential distributors to wrangle.
Not that staying was a hardship. Thanks to the portal stone I'd hidden in a cheap house I'd bought in the city, I could pop back to Ferland City anytime I needed. Gotta love magical shortcuts.
As I made my way to the restaurant, I couldn't help but notice the impact "Lord of the Rings" was having. It had become the darling of the Moonlight Film Festival, and enterprising folks - especially the dwarves - were already cashing in. Handcrafted figurines of Gollum, Frodo, and Aragorn were popping up all over the place.
My mind was still buzzing with possibilities as I entered the restaurant, quickly spotting Kyle Love and Fart Lava at a corner table.
"So, gentlemen," I said as I approached, curiosity getting the better of me, "how's progress? Kyle, did we secure enough cinemas for the film?"
As I took a seat, I noticed an exchange of glances between Kyle and Fart. There was a tension in the air that hadn't been there before.
"What's the matter?" I asked, my earlier optimism fading.
Kyle was quiet for a moment, his expression grim. "We've run into some... complications with the distribution."
I felt my stomach drop. "What kind of complications?"
Kyle sighed, running a hand through his hair. "We've hit a dead end. Titan Pictures is trying to meddle with the distribution."
My blood ran cold. Titan Pictures. The name alone was enough to make even the most seasoned filmmakers break out in a cold sweat. One of the biggest studios in the world, based right here in the Evros Continent. If they were involved, this could get messy.
I leaned back in my chair, trying to process what I was hearing. "Okay, let me get this straight. What's Titan Pictures' angle here?"
Fart cleared his throat, looking uncomfortable. "It's like this, Mr. Morningstar. Titan Pictures is putting the squeeze on Love Pictures Entertainment. They want to buy out Kyle's licensing contract."
"Why?" I asked, though I had a sinking feeling I already knew the answer.
"So they can renegotiate with you directly," Fart continued. "They want to control the distribution across the Evros Continent."
Kyle nodded grimly. "And they're not being subtle about it. They've threatened to block our access to major cinemas around the Moonlight Kingdom if I don't play ball."
I felt a surge of anger mixed with disbelief. "They're going to these lengths for film distribution? What's got them so desperate to get their hands on my film's rights?"
Fart sighed, rubbing his temples. "Apparently, one of their executives got a look at your film, and well... you can guess the rest."
I nodded, understanding dawning. They'd seen the potential, and now they wanted a piece of the pie. Or rather, the whole damn bakery.
Kyle leaned forward, his expression pained. "Mr. Morningstar, I want you to know I really don't want to sell the distribution rights. But if I don't..." He trailed off, then continued reluctantly, "Titan Pictures is threatening to use their media connections to boycott your film. And with their ability to block access to major cinemas... I'm starting to wonder if we have a choice."
I sat back, feeling the weight of the situation. I'd naively thought that after the "Lord of the Rings" premiere, everything would fall into place like it did with "The Demonfather". Clearly, I'd underestimated the cutthroat nature of the industry.
After mulling it over for a moment, I leaned forward, decision made. "Don't sell it, Mr. Love," I said firmly, then added with a wry smile, "I've got a feeling that once they get their hands on those rights, they'll squeeze every last penny out of it, leaving me with scraps."
Kyle's eyebrows shot up. "Are you certain about this, Mr. Morningstar? It's a big risk we'd be taking."
I nodded, feeling more confident by the second. "I'm sure. Look, a little setback isn't going to kill us. Remember 'The Demonfather'? It faced boycotts, got blocked from major cinemas, and still, look at how that box office turned out."
Fart leaned in, his expression grave. "With all due respect, Mr. Morningstar, this is a different situation. 'The Demonfather' caught everyone off guard. Nobody expected it to blow up like it did, so the boycotts and blocks weren't as... aggressive. But now?" He shook his head. "Titan Pictures knows what they're dealing with. They'll pull out all the stops, team up with their partners. They're not going to underestimate you this time."
"He's got a point," Kyle chimed in, his eyes clouded with worry. "You're not flying under the radar anymore. They know what you're capable of now."
I couldn't help but smile, feeling a surge of confidence despite the grim faces before me. "Gentlemen," I said, leaning forward, "a truly great film will shine through, no matter how many stones of accusation are thrown at it."
I could see the doubt in their eyes, but I wasn't intimidated by Titan Pictures or their threats. In fact, a part of me was almost looking forward to their attempts to bring us down.
"Look," I continued, "where there's sugar, there are ants, right? No matter how well you hide it or how far away you put it, the ants will find it eventually."
Kyle and Fart exchanged confused glances, clearly not following my train of thought.
I chuckled, deciding to spell it out for them. "Our film, 'Lord of the Rings,' is the sugar. The filmgoers are the ants. No matter what Titan Pictures does, if people want to see our film, they'll find a way."
I could see understanding dawning in their eyes, but the worry hadn't completely faded.
"In fact," I added, warming to my theme, "their attempts to boycott us might actually work in our favor. Bad publicity is still publicity, after all. They might end up drawing more attention to our film than we ever could on our own."
Fart shook his head, looking bewildered. "You really think their efforts to bring us down could actually help us?"
I nodded, feeling more certain by the second. "Of course. People love an underdog story. The more they try to suppress us, the more curious people will become about what all the fuss is about."
I could see that Kyle and Fart were still worried, and I understood their concern. They hadn't yet seen firsthand how the machinations of big studios could backfire, inadvertently boosting the very film they were trying to squash.
"Trust me," I said, meeting their eyes in turn. "I've been the underdog my whole life. Sometimes, that's the best position to be in. We're going to ride this wave, gentlemen, and come out stronger on the other side."