You are lost in the trance / Of another Arabian night (dumb duck trio)

[lifesa_witch]

The plan seemed simple - perhaps too simple, but then, these were simple ducks.

The Sultan was well known for many things, but as far as the nefarious twins were concerned, the only important things to know about the wise and respected Sultan was that he was 1) rich and 2) alone. No one knew for sure why he'd never taken a wife, a concubine, or a harem. But he was getting up there in years, and surely he longed for the pleasures of the flesh. What man didn't?

And there could be no one more pleasurable than the Spell twins!

Poe was the one to memorize the Sultan's walks and pathways, whereas Magica laid the foundation of the trap in the marketplace. On one bright, humid day, the plan was set into motion.

"Dirty little street rat!"

The sound of a slap pierced through the normally busy marketplace. A young maiden fell to the ground, clutching her sore cheek, and her identical brother was there within seconds to hold and console her. An older man ranted and berated at them, shaking his knife at them, calling them every name under the same... as Magica knew he would.

In any other circumstance, Magica would have defended herself, and Poe would have hacked at the remains. But the play for the day? A pair of helpless, sniveling, yet incredibly beautiful victims. Woe is them. whoever could save them now?

Comments

[richestduck]

And there it was. Just as he'd suspected.

"Thank you but no." Scrooge stepped away from the balcony. "Excuse me. We both have long days tomorrow, so we should both make our way to bed."

[nevermore_a_duck]

... Wait, what? Dismissed already? He hadn't even used his best innuendos!

"W-wait, did I say something to offend you? I just - I don't understand!"

[richestduck]

Scrooge gave Poe a bland stare. "Do you think you and your sister are the first to attempt to become my concubines? It was obvious from the very first day."

[nevermore_a_duck]

Poe's temper was nothing compared to Magica's... but that didn't mean he didn't have one.

"Then why the hell are we still here? You're a man! You must have some desires! There's no way we're not good enough for you!"

[richestduck]

"You're still on staff because both of you are quite gifted in your areas. As for why you're still in the palace, that's up to you. You both could've resigned your positions at any time."

Scrooge sighed.

"As for what I want, it doesn't matter. The kingdom comes first."

[nevermore_a_duck]

Now Scrooge was just talking nonsense!

"In what world does having nightly pleasures cause a kingdom to fall?" Poe snapped, becoming more incensed. "You're Sultan, but you're still a man! Anyone expecting perfection from you should have their head examined - no one is perfect! Not even me and my sister!" As incredulous as that was!

[richestduck]

Scrooge looked at Poe before walking back to the balcony rail. He gestured to the surrounding countryside. "Tell me what you see."

[nevermore_a_duck]

Where was this going? With a grumble, Poe just made a hand-waving gesture. "I see the kingdom, what else am I supposed to see?"

[richestduck]

"It's what you don't see that's most important: You don't see the kingdom ravaged by war. When I took the throne, our neighbors were gearing up for invasion. It was a war we were destined to lose."

Outnumbered and surrounded on all sides by greedy foes. Not to mention the greedy foes that lurked openly in the court.

"I've spent my whole reign doing everything I could to make it so our people could sleep in peace. My desires must always come second to my people, every request I make of them must be very carefully considered to ensure I don't place more on them than they can give.

"By the time my day is done, I'm far too tired to even think about what you and your sister are offering."

[nevermore_a_duck]

Poe clicked his tongue, pushing himself away from the balcony. "I just find it hard to believe that it must consume you every single day - that not once can you retire early. That mindset will kill you long before any invaders have a chance."

All this, and for what? Real gratitude didn't exist, nor did real loyalty. If it meant keeping their own skins safe, Poe would bet many of those citizens and servants sleeping peacefully would throw Scrooge into the fire. No one would thank him the way he deserved to be thanked. In the end, the only person you should care about is yourself.

"If you really think we can't survive if you don't exhaust yourself every hour of the day, then we might as well surrender the moment you die."

[richestduck]

"I'm not so arrogant as to think this kingdom will fall if I don't exhaust myself," Scrooge said with a snort. "I work so hard because I take joy in watching those beneath me prosper. So that way when I do fall, the kingdom will still thrive. You all are building the foundation of your own prosperity; I'm just the first line of defense against those who'd try to take it away from you while you shore up your own defenses."

[nevermore_a_duck]

And yet he chose to exhaust himself anyway. And what utter drivel - joy of those prospering beneath him. It wasn't real. It couldn't be. No one was that selfless or stupid.

Bitter now at everything and everyone, Poe turned away from Scrooge. "First line of defense... maybe some of those sleepy citizens don't deserve to be defended." And he wasn't just talking about the irritable merchant.

[richestduck]

"I would've thought you'd understand given all you do for your sister."

Scrooge walked past Poe, heading inside.

"Goodnight, Poe."

[nevermore_a_duck]

Poe watched him, but allowed one more biting remark to leave his lips.

"I learned the idea of selling ourselves from somewhere, your highness." His kingdom wasn't perfect, far from it. The idea of seducing Scrooge may have been his - but the concept of trading away a life for goods was unwillingly given to him long ago.

With that, he stormed off in the opposite direction.

[richestduck]

"I know. And I'm trying to fix that," Scrooge murmured as he retreated to his own chambers.

His heart felt heavy as the weight on his shoulders grew all the more.

[lifesa_witch]

The next day, Poe was in a bad mood, though he denied it and refused to talk about it. This had sort of a reverse effect on his sister - her own bitterness and anger instantly vanished, replaced with worry and concern for her brother. Normally they told each other everything, so him keeping secrets was both foreign and painful to her.

It would mark the first time she actually sought other people out to talk to them, if only to ask if they knew what happened with Poe. But they had no clue, so her worries only grew.

[richestduck]

Scrooge had a habit of periodically strolling through the gardens or going down to the stables to spend some time with the animals. These were the only real breaks he allowed himself. Honestly, it was so...calming, soothing. It made him wonder if he'd have been happier among the gardeners or the stable boys.

Everyone had their place, but his had been determined since birth. The least he could do was make it easier for others to make their own choices.

[lifesa_witch]

By now, Magica had earned the "right" to mostly work by herself. So when she spotted Scrooge in the gardens, it was one of those rare opportunities when they were both alone! It was a perfect time to seduce him!

... Except she still couldn't help but worry about her brother. Sure, it was highly doubtful someone as high up on the totem pole as the Sultan would know, or care, about Poe's woes, but it was still worth a try.

After trying and failing to slap some dirt off her dress, she shrugged it off and headed his way. "Your highness! I need to ask you something!" No polite tones or overly dramatic actions. Just Magica, plan and simple.

[richestduck]

Scrooge looked up at her, pausing as she approached. There was always something refreshing when someone approached him without the pomp and circumstance of royalty. As if he were just one more person in the kingdom.

Which he was. Just a more prominent one.

"Good day, Magica. What seems to be the issue?"

[lifesa_witch]

"My brother is the issue." She put a hand on her hip, eyebrow raised. "All day he's been in an awful mood, but he won't talk to me about it. Last night before we went to bed, he was perfectly normal. Do you have any idea what this could be about?"

[richestduck]

"I do: He and I spoke last night. He wasn't happy when I rejected his offer of you two joining me in my bed. He liked my explanation for why even less," Scrooge said. "Please give him my apologies."

[lifesa_witch]

She tilted her head a bit. Sure, that was enough reason to be annoyed, but... to have that mood last a whole day? Besides, Poe should have been ready to bounce back with a new plan.

"You apologize when you do something wrong. Do you feel you did something wrong to him?"

[richestduck]

"I'm sorry that I upset him but I'm afraid that I can't give him what he wants." He glanced up as he saw one of the guards approaching with a note in his hand. "Excuse me, but it looks like I'm going to have to cut my walk short.

"Thank you for all your hard work."

[lifesa_witch]

Nope, not good enough for her. "If you're going to dismiss my concerns, I at least get to see what for."

So she yoinked the note out of the guard's hand to read it for herself.

[richestduck]

The guard reached out his hand with the intent to grab Magica. However, Scrooge grabbed his wrist.

"It's fine. Leave it be."

The note was a request (more like demand) for a meeting with the Lady Medusa regarding her property being seized. The note was quite irate, filled with expletive after expletive.

Lady Medusa ran a series of whorehouses. While prostitution wasn't illegal, it was supposed to have regulations to ensure that the men and women employed in such places were there of their own volition and treated well. Prostitutes had to be of a certain age and couldn't be slaves given slavery was illegal in Scrooge's kingdom. Lady Medusa had skirted the lines of legality for years, but it seemed she'd finally slipped up enough that Scrooge's agents had probable cause to seize her venues for a more thorough investigation.