**Chapter 4: Bounties and Betrayals**
Thaddeus woke up on the cold stone floor of the tavern, blood trickling from his nose. His entire face throbbed with pain, but worse was the insult to his pride. He stumbled to his feet, screaming in outrage.
"I AM THADDEUS WELLINGHAM-ST CLAIR OF THE 22ND BRANCH OF THE ROYAL FAMILY! HOW DARE A PEASANT BRAT AND HIS LITTLE WHORE DISRESPECT ME LIKE THAT!"
His voice echoed through the room, drawing the stares of patrons and city police who had gathered in response to the chaos. His eyes burned with fury as he turned to Lucian, who stood silently beside him, seemingly unfazed by his master's outburst.
"What were their names?!" Thaddeus spat, wiping blood from his face with the back of his hand.
"Kael and Clara, I believe, sir," Lucian responded, his voice measured, careful.
The city police approached, attending to Thaddeus' wounds with a detached professionalism. Thaddeus glared at them, pushing one of the officers aside as they tried to touch him. He growled, "I want sketches of those two drawn up immediately!"
Lucian remained composed, observing Thaddeus with an emotionless expression. The officers quickly scribbled down descriptions of Kael and Clara, and Thaddeus, still seething, continued barking orders.
"I want a 10-gold bounty on that boy's head," he sneered. "Kill him on sight! And as for the girl, bring her to me alive. I'll pay 15 gold for her, and I want her untouched. Understand?"
Lucian couldn't suppress a shudder at Thaddeus' sinister emphasis on the last word. It wasn't hard to imagine the disgusting fate that awaited Clara if she were caught. But Lucian kept his face neutral. This wasn't the time for rebellion.
"Lucian!" Thaddeus barked, snapping Lucian out of his thoughts. "Find them. If you catch them first, the reward will stay in my pocket where it belongs. You're my property, after all."
"Understood, sir," Lucian replied, bowing slightly.
As he left the tavern, Lucian's mind began to race. It was clear that Kael and Clara weren't from Ancoca or Asahi; their clothing was too plain, and Clara's demeanor, while polite, lacked the airs of high society. That left two possibilities: the Maria district, which was a full day's travel, or Sena, a mere ninety minutes by foot and much quicker by carriage. The deduction was easy: they were from Sena.
---
**At Clara's Home**
Kael and Clara were back at their small home on the outskirts of Sena, but the atmosphere was far from peaceful.
"Do you realize what you've done?!" Clara shouted, pacing back and forth in a panic.
Kael sat on a chair, his jaw clenched, frustration simmering beneath the surface. "I couldn't just stand there and let him sell you to some creep like that!"
Clara stopped in her tracks and stared at him. "And now what? They'll come after us, Kael! We have to leave... now!"
Before either could say another word, there was a knock at the door. The sound sent a jolt of fear through them both. Kael motioned for Clara to stay back as he crept toward the door, his fists clenched, ready for a fight. He yanked the door open.
Lucian stood in the doorway, his calm eyes meeting Kael's tense expression.
"What the hell do you want?" Kael snapped, his fists tightening further, his body radiating a palpable intensity that Lucian could feel in the air around him.
Lucian raised his hands in a gesture of peace. "Relax. I'm not here to fight."
Kael narrowed his eyes but didn't lower his guard. "Then why are you here?"
Lucian glanced around, ensuring no one else was within earshot. "You need to leave the city. Now."
Clara, who had been watching from the back of the room, furrowed her brow in confusion. "Why would you help us?"
Lucian exhaled deeply. "It may not seem like it, but I'm a slave too. I envy what you did back there. I've never had the courage to stand up to him myself." He paused, his expression darkening. "There's a 10-gold bounty on your head, Kael, dead or alive. And 15 gold for you, Clara, alive. A battalion of military police is heading this way as we speak. You have less than twenty minutes before they arrive."
"A *battalion*?" Kael and Clara exclaimed together, their faces pale with shock.
Lucian nodded grimly. "That means there's a lieutenant with them. You won't stand a chance if you stay here."
---
**On the Road to Clara's House**
Meanwhile, Dorian had been making his way toward Clara's home when he was stopped by the very battalion Lucian had mentioned. A lieutenant, smug and imposing, stepped forward, accompanied by several deputies.
"Dorian of the Territorial Expansion Unit," the lieutenant said, his voice dripping with arrogance. "I hear you're familiar with these suspects, Kael and Clara."
Dorian eyed the man cautiously. "I know them. What of it?"
The lieutenant smirked. "Harboring criminals is a federal offense, you know."
"I don't know what they did," Dorian replied, his tone calm but firm. "And I've got nothing to do with it."
The lieutenant's smile widened. "I don't believe you." He stepped closer, lowering his voice. "How about a duel? If you win, I'll make you a city police officer right here and now. But if you lose... you go back to being a slave."
Dorian's blood boiled. The offer was a farce, he knew that much. No commoner had ever become a police officer, and the lieutenant surely had no intention of honoring his word. But the challenge—fighting a lieutenant—was too tempting to refuse.
"Fine," Dorian growled, "let's settle this."
---
**Back at Clara's Home**
Kael and Clara were frantically packing their belongings when Kael suddenly stopped, turning to Lucian.
"You're a slave, right?" Kael asked, his voice steady. "Why don't you come with us?"
Lucian blinked in surprise. The offer, so simple yet so profound, struck him harder than any blow Thaddeus had ever dealt. The thought of freedom had been nothing more than a distant dream, one he had long since given up on. But here it was, laid out before him.
Before Lucian could respond, a loud knock echoed through the house. The police had arrived. One of the officers stood outside, holding Dorian's bloodied, unconscious body.
"What did you do to him?!" Kael roared, his aura flaring with rage.
The lieutenant, standing behind the officer, smirked. "This boy... has potential."
Kael didn't wait for more words. In a blur of motion, he was upon the officer holding Dorian, his fist connecting with bone. The man crumpled to the ground, incapacitated in an instant. Kael hoisted Dorian over his shoulder and bolted, Lucian and Clara following close behind.
The lieutenant, unfazed, turned his attention to Clara. "Forget the boy," he muttered to his men. "The girl is worth more."
---
**At the Forest Edge**
Kael, Clara, and Lucian had made it to the outskirts of the forest near Sena. Clara dropped to her knees beside Dorian, her hands trembling as she began to heal his wounds. Slowly, Dorian stirred, his eyes opening in confusion.
"W-What... what happened?" he mumbled.
Clara didn't answer, her focus entirely on his injuries. Kael stood nearby, his fists still clenched, his mind racing.
They had escaped, but for how long?
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