INT. SCHOOL AUDITORIUM - DAY


    (After hearing the shocking revelation of her life, Aurora walks to her friends breathing heavily, and sweating in disbelief)


    RILEY: oh here she comes


    AURORA: guys, I.. I.. I guess...


    ANDREW: are you okay? You are wheezing like you are eighty. Did you run a marathon just now?


    AARON: and you are sweating also


    AURORA: guy... strange... some...


    DAPHNE: we don''t speak your language right now, Aurora


    AURORA: I am cold


    RILEY: are you going to lie to us? Have you forgotten who we are?


    AURORA: I don''t understand what just happened. It''s like a dream, an imagination. It''s scary... wait... it makes sense. Mom was right.


    AARON: alright, we are taking you home, Aurora


    ANDREW: yeah, you need rest


    RILEY: let''s go guys


    INT. EMPIRE - COURTROOM - DAY


    (Walker scolds everyone deeply concerned about the Emperor and Empress)


    WALKER: were you all sleeping? Didn''t you notice anything at all? I hope they are fine


    (Jax and Caleb enter, shaking their heads negatively)


    WALKER: this is what I was scared of. I knew she wouldn''t come. Angela must have poisoned her mind so badly


    (Walker paces around the courtroo, contemplating a solution)


    JAX: we can try to show her some evidence


    WALKER: like what?


    CALEB: the resemblance between herself and her mother


    WALKER: that won''t even come close to bringing her back to the palace. People can have a resemblance without being related


    JAX: we will think of a way out of this, sire


    WALKER: I hope so


    INT. ANGELA''S HOUSE - SITTING ROOM - LATER


    (Angela finishes packing as Aaron, Andrew, Riley and Daphne enter with Aurora. Angela rushes to hug Aurora upon seeing her distressed condition)


    ANGELA: oh my God, what is wrong with her? What did you do to her? Who did she meet up with today?


    RILEY: we didn''t do anything, and we have no idea what happened. She stepped out for a moment, but she came back like this


    ANDREW: we tried to figure out what was wrong, but she was speaking in... definitely not our language


    ANGELA: you can leave now; she will be fine


    AARON: take care, Aurora


    DAPHNE: we are going to miss you


    (Andrew, Aaron, Daphne and Riley exit while Angela sits Aurora down)


    ANGELA: what happened, honey? Why the weird behaviour? You are getting me all worked up


    AURORA: they... it was... they came for me


    ANGELA: who came for you?


    AURORA: the Emperor and Empress! They sent some... he said... I was the Empress


    ANGELA: what? How low will they stoop?


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    AURORA: I don''t know, mom, but what I do know is that they have been kidnapped


    ANGELA: oh no, that''s so sad


    AURORA: mom, this is no time for sarcasm. Don''t you care about your brother? We have to help them before leaving


    ANGELA: are you out of your mind? Are you aware of what you are saying? We can''t go there


    AURORA: why? We should go there to show support. This is your brother we are talking about


    ANGELA: he is not my brother anymore


    (Aurora rises in anger and disbelief)


    AURORA: what are you still afraid of? The people you are scared of have been kidnapped. Is there more to it, mom?


    ANGELA: you are starting to annoy me now, Aurora. I''ve packed our things so no need to pack anymore. Let''s go before we miss our flight


    AURORA: I am not going anywhere until we go to the palace to show support


    ANGELA: why are you so stubborn like your mother?... Me


    AURORA: for the record, you aren''t stubborn, and you said it as if you were referring to a third person. Mom, is there more to the story?


    ANGELA: you aren''t going, right? Fine, we are staying, but we are not going to the palace


    AURORA: ugh, it is pointless arguing with you. I am going out


    ANGELA: but you just got back. Where are you going to?


    AURORA: none of your business


    (Aurora walks out on Angela angrily, slamming the door)


    CUT TO:


    EXT. CITY STREET - MORNING


    (Aurora and her friends are walking and having a conversation)


    RILEY: we are so happy you didn''t leave. We planned on attending the same university, but you moving would have destroyed the plan drastically


    AURORA: I know, right? What was I even thinking agreeing with mom?


    ANDREW: she wants the best for you, Aurora, no matter how she upsets you


    AARON: Andrew is right. My mom can be controlling some times. She is the definition of a perfectionist. I am not allowed to wear multiple colors, and I am not allowed to wear sneakers


    DAPHNE: that''s tough, bro


    RILEY: well, I got my aunt to always support me when I get in a fight with my mom. It seems all moms are the same. They want the best for their kids


    AURORA: mom is an extremist


    (The conversation continues until Daphne and Riley receive a text)


    RILEY: (screams) I got in


    DAPHNE: me too


    ALL: (in unison) congratulations girls


    RILEY: did you apply already?


    AURORA: yeah, I am waiting to be accepted


    ANDREW: me too


    AARON: me three


    (The friends bursts out laughing when Aaron''s phone rings)


    AARON: mom is calling; I have to go, guys


    ANDREW: I have to babysit my younger brother


    RILEY: I have to share this news with Auntie


    DAPHNE: we will see you later, Aurora


    (The friends exit, leaving Aurora behind in sadness and thoughts)


    AURORA: mom is definitely hiding something from...


    (Before she could finish her sentence, two bodyguards from the previous morning approach her)


    AURORA: you again? What do you want? Are you stalking me?


    JAX: we have proof


    (Caleb takes a photo from his pocket and shows it to Aurora)


    CALEB: this is your real family. Your mother''s sister was jealous of her so she kidnapped you and turned the palace into emptiness


    JAX: the Empire is empty without its Empress


    AURORA: I have this same photo but mom explained everything to me


    CALEB: she lied, Empress


    JAX: are you familiar with the word "flower"?


    AURORA: no


    JAX: your mother addresses you as her flower


    AURORA: my mom addresses me by my name, Aurora


    CALEB: well, we did our best, Jax. Let''s go tell sire that the Empress is adamant, just like her mother...


    (Upon hearing Caleb''s last words, Aurora thinks for a moment)


    AURORA: what do you mean adamant like my mother?


    JAX: your mother, the former Empress, is so stubborn


    AURORA: mom made mention of that earlier. She.. if I come with you, do you promise to bring me back? Do not even dare kidnap me


    CALEB: we will be executed for kidnapping our Empress


    JAX: we give you our word


    CUT TO:


    INT. EMPIRE - DAY


    (Aurora is awed by everything she is seeing, looking around and admiring everything until she gets inside the palace)


    AURORA: I have a question, but you have to be honest with me


    JAX: at your service, Empress Flower


    AURORA: is this heaven''s secret quarters? The view is mesmerizing


    (Her admiration of the Empire is cut short by Walker, who enters, looking so happy to see Aurora)


    WALKER: you came! Thank you so much for coming, Empress Flower


    AURORA: good day, sir, my name is Aurora


    WALKER: alright Empress Aurora, welcome to your Empire. I am Walker, the guardian of the Empire. I''d love to show you around if you are up for it


    AURORA: sure, I''d love that


    WALKER: then come with me, Empress


    (After some minutes of walking around the palace, Aurora falls in love with the Empire)


    AURORA: this is amazing. The Flower pendant is for me?


    WALKER: of course, your majesty


    AURORA: I think mom has a similar pendant as that


    WALKER: your mother put the pendant on your neck when you were little. I guess your aunty removed it so that you wouldn''t be found easily


    AURORA: she is not my aunty; she is my mom


    WALKER: whatever you say, Empress Flower... I mean, Aurora


    AURORA: I have to head home now; mom must be worried about me


    WALKER: sure, but you know your ways around here if you''d like to visit sometime


    AURORA: you guys are messing up my head. My mom is a good person; she is my mother not my aunty, and she didn''t kidnap me


    WALKER: I don''t want to upset you, Empress, but everything is true. Angela is not a good person


    AURORA: I don''t remember telling you my mother''s name. How did you know?


    WALKER: I know because she was living in the palace. She is your mother''s sister


    AURORA: wait... why do you keep saying my mother''s sister? Mom said she was related to the king


    WALKER: she would lie to keep you away from the truth


    AURORA: alright, I''m out of here


    WALKER: Jax and Caleb will escort you home, but I have to warn you. No matter what, Empress, do not tell your mom about this


    AURORA: why not?


    WALKER: she might get angry and end up hurting you


    AURORA: my mother wouldn''t dream of hurting me


    WALKER: that''s what you think. Jax, Caleb


    (Jax and Caleb enter)


    WALKER: take the Empress home; ensure she is safe


    AURORA: thank you


    (Jax and Caleb exit with Aurora)


    FADE OUT