Dominance of Veiled Hearts

The grand hall of the prince's palace was huge and intimidating, with tall ceilings and pillars that seemed to go on forever. Tuk walked in, trying to keep his breathing steady. The prince sat on his throne, staring at Tuk with cold eyes that seemed to see right through him.

Tuk swallowed hard, feeling the weight of the prince's expectations pressing down on him. The scroll in question was clutched tightly in his hand—a seemingly innocuous piece of parchment that had caused him endless headaches for the past month.

When faced with danger, humor was Tuk's shield—a way to deflect the sharpness of reality. Nothing goes wrong if you mix some truth with lies.

The prince's voice broke the silence like a knife. "Historian Tuk," he said calmly, but there was a hint of danger in his tone, "it has been a month. You assured me that this scroll would be decoded by now. And yet, I see no results."

Sweat trickled down Tuk's back. He had to be careful. He didn't know the prince well, but he was sure this was not a man to mess with, especially when it came to the scrolls. She can't change the past, but she could try to save herself now.

"Your Highness," Tuk started, forcing a smile onto his face, "I must admit that I was overly optimistic in my initial assessment. You see, when I first looked at the scroll, I thought it was written in a dialect I was familiar with. But the more I studied it, the harder it became. This job needs someone really smart."

The prince raised an eyebrow, not looking impressed. "So, you're saying you're not skilled enough to do it?"

Yes, exactly, you crazy man! she thought, but she quickly put on a shocked face and mimicked the polite gestures Leon always used. "Oh, no, Your Highness!" she said, her hands moving in an overly respectful sweep. "I can do it, but I need more time. The words in this scroll are tricky. Take this symbol ☥, for example—it looks like it means 'person,' but it could also mean 'fire,' or 'a cross with rope.' Deciding which one is right takes time."

The prince's eyes narrowed, looking like a predator losing patience. "And how much time will this take?"

Tuk paused, trying to come up with a safe answer. "Well, Your Highness, with how complex it is, I'd say… several months per word."

"Per word?" The prince's voice was suddenly turned into a dangerously soft tone, like the calm before a storm.

Tuk nodded quickly. "Yes, per word. But that way, we can be really sure the translation is right. We don't want to rush and get it wrong, do we? You know what they say, haste makes waste, and waste is… not great."

The prince's stare was unreadable, and the silence was so heavy Tuk's heart raced. He needed to change the prince's focus. A smile crept onto his face.

"And, Your Highness," Tuk added with a grin, "if I rushed and got it wrong, who knows what might happen? We could end up with a purple dinosaur instead of a dragon! And while everyone loves Barney, I don't think anyone here is ready for a sing-along."

The prince's eyes narrowed, and the room fell silent. "Barney?" he said, looking confused. Tuk felt the tension grow and quickly explained.

"Uh, yes, Your Highness," Tuk stammered, "Barney is… a friendly purple dinosaur who likes to sing and play. Lots of hugs, not much fire."

Why did I even bring up Barney?! Tuk thought, blaming his niece for putting that in his head. The prince stared at him with a mix of confusion and something else. Then, Tuk saw the tiniest twitch at the corner of the prince's mouth, like he was fighting back a smile.

"Historian Tuk," the prince said at last, his voice cool but with a touch of humor, "you're lucky I find your… creativity… entertaining. I'll give you more time. But be warned: my patience has limits. If you fail, not even purple dinosaurs will save you."

Tuk bowed deeply, hiding his sigh of relief. "Thank you, Your Highness. I promise to work hard on this scroll. Maybe I'll even find a way to make the dragon a little less… cuddly."

The prince waved him away, and Tuk left the hall. As he walked out, he chuckled. He had escaped the prince's anger for now. With any luck, he'd figure out the scroll's meaning before his next close call. Tuk felt relief, and the next she knew she was mingling with the warrior.