Love and Revolt

Chapter 18 - Caught in a vulture's circle

The three of them circled around the room like vultures, desperate for any scrap of information that could explain Quinn's sudden change of heart. Erika furrowed her brow, James rubbed his temples, and Felicity chewed nervously on her lip.

"Maybe she's blinded by Prince Alexander's charm," Erika suggested. "I mean, he is a prince, after all."

James snorted. "Charm? More like a bloated sense of entitlement. The man thinks he can do whatever he wants, even if it means raising taxes on the poor to fund his military campaigns."

Felicity nodded in agreement. "Yeah, and Quinn always seemed so passionate about helping the people of Thalassia. It doesn't make sense for her to suddenly abandon that cause just because of some fancy title."

James threw up his hands in frustration. "I give up. Maybe Quinn just doesn't care about Thalassia anymore. Maybe she's moved on and we're the only ones still clinging to the past."

Erika shot him a withering look. "Don't be ridiculous, James. Quinn cares about Thalassia just as much as we do. We just have to figure out what's going on with her and why she said yes to Prince Alexander."

They continued their heated debate for several more minutes, each one growing more frustrated and perplexed by the minute. But no matter how much they argued or how many theories they came up with, they just couldn't seem to make sense of Quinn's decision.

James's frustration was palpable as he paced back and forth in the room, his arms crossed tightly over his chest. "I don't understand why we're wasting our time on this," he muttered. "Quinn has made her choice. Let her be happy with Prince Alexander and let's focus on rebuilding our own economy."

Erika shot him an incredulous look. "Are you kidding me? We can't just give up on Thalassia like that. We need Quinn's help to make things right again."

"Every time we try to involve ourselves in political affairs, things go awry," James countered. "We end up with riots, chaos, and nothing to show for it. It's time to accept that we're better off on our own."

Felicity chimed in, her voice trembling with anxiety. "But Quinn isn't herself. I saw it in her eyes when we congratulated her. There's something going on, something we don't know about."

Erika nodded in agreement, her eyes searching the room for any sign of a solution. "We can't just abandon Quinn now. We need to keep trying, keep pushing until we find out what's really going on."

James shook his head, his expression grim. "I'm sorry, but I can't do this anymore. I won't risk Thalassia's future on a whim. Quinn has made her choice, and we have to accept it."

James slumped down onto his bed, letting out a frustrated sigh. He couldn't help but feel like they were back at square one, trying to rebuild Thalassia's economy without Quinn's help. Nimbus, their loyal dog, jumped onto the bed next to him, sensing his frustration.

Erika, Felicity, and Nimbus soon followed, settling down onto their own beds in their rooms. They were all exhausted from the day's events, and it wasn't long before the girls drifted off to sleep. James, however, lay awake, his mind still racing with thoughts about the future of Thalassia.

As the night wore on, Erika stirred in her sleep, the events of the day still weighing heavily on her mind. Erika lay in bed, tossing and turning, unable to shake off her worries about Quinn. She knew she had to see her friend and find out the truth about why she had said yes to Prince Alexander's proposal.

With a deep sigh, Erika got out of bed and crept quietly out of her house, careful not to wake her sleeping family. The night air was crisp and cold, and Erika wrapped her cloak tightly around herself as she set out on the journey to the palace.