Rule of The Crimson Rose | Chapter 3

The palace shimmered with ceremonial splendor, banners draped from high arches and chandeliers casting fractured light across polished floors. Music swelled faintly in the distance as nobles and dignitaries gathered in anticipation.

Tinker entered with Rompo ↗ at her side—willing in body, if not in spirit.

“I've gotten him to come, this ceremony,” said Tinker.

Rompo leaned toward her, fury simmering beneath the surface:

“BLACKMAIL'S A canine, ISN'T SHE?”

Tinker shot him a sidelong glance, her excitement barely contained:

“You're lucky. I wish I was a... Hmm... Maybe you, Rompo, have a point. I'm better as a lover than a jester. Could get me exiled...”

Rompo dragged a hand down his face:

“I hate my life.”

A hush rippled through the grand hall as Zandar rose, robes sweeping behind him. His smile was broad, almost theatrical:

“I choose ROMPO as my jester. He's kind of unintentionally funny. Even his name is hilarious!”

A wave of laughter followed.

Tinker leaned closer to Rompo, her voice bright with triumph:

“It's good to accept blessings from the government, ROMPO.”

Rompo stiffened, panic flickering across his features:

“If I'm not funny, he'll banish me! I like not having to pay plane fare just to see my family!”

Tinker replies “He can still fire you as his jester.”

Rompo just gave up and said “alright, then.”

He stood rigidly, staring ahead as if bracing for impact:

“I feel like I'm being pushed about by the plot.”

A brief silence lingered between them.

“That's the point. We'd have forced you otherwise,” said Tinker.

“okay, then,” said a stunned Rompo; stunned by how callously she said that. No tact whatsoever.

Zandar’s laughter cut through the tension as he turned toward Tinker:

“Be kind to my jester, dear.”

Tinker inclined her head smoothly:

“very well.”

The ceremony resumed around them, music rising once more—while Rompo stood at the center of it all, newly appointed and utterly uncertain of his fate.

The current Time period is still the year 2,102 Anno Domini.

The next evening...

The Crimson Rose waltz down the stairs calmly. He didn't want to stir anyone up or make a scene, he had just gotten out of planning a strategy to overthrow the Demon Prince of Persia, which is now known as Iran.

What country is Persia today? Persia began in the Iranian peninsula and encompassed the areas of present-day Iran, Egypt, and Turkey as well as parts of Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Stealing the role meant taking over 5 troubled Countries as the prince of Persia was over those areas.

Inside of the knight's WAR ROOM at the dawn of DAY...

MALIK, serious & pacing, told Darius that "We should be setting up our defenses. I don’t know how we’re going to take Persia, but we have to somehow gain control of the princes and kings."

DARIUS nods, determined.

They move over into the COMMAND CENTER as the conversation between Malik and the other knights out around him steeps into the NIGHT.

MALIK, firm & focused, spoke: "Round up some of the guards and security camera footage. Ask them what they saw. Ask the other guards while on patrol what they saw and be suited up to make sure that if an attack occurs, you're ready."

DARIUS nods confidently.

MALIK, serious & resolute, explains that "Countries retaliate. We need to make sure that our innocents don't pay the price for a demon's ambition."

They are merely two knights on duty. It was their job to plan out ways to overthrow other countries, defend the civilians, etc.

however, Darius just realized what Malik said about the Rosen King: "A demon's Ambition? Whatever do you mean?"

DARIUS was shaken up a bit, then asked "What do you mean by Demon, Malik?"

Malik paused, then said, lying but serious in his tone: "I'm Not Questioning."

He is questioning his religion to the Rose.

Darius looked him up and down in fear.

DARIUS vented "I don't know what new religion you're cooking up or what religion you are ascribing to, but you cannot abandon the Crimson Rose! Our Red Rose!"

MALIK then began to speak honestly, saying with utter resolution: "The Red Rose is sadistic."

DARIUS was infuriated, hesitantly screaming: "His problem is you! People like you!"

Not wanting to argue because the army needed unity to overthrow Persia...

DARIUS paused for 5 seconds of thoughts, then tried to calm down: "Let us not argue anymore. We must unify if we are going to overthrow the Spiritual Prince of Persia."

Meanwhile, there was a "rat" in the country outside of the room they were conspiring in. This "rat" was Bleep.

Bleep sweats as he listens intently, he's being the "rat" out of fear. The demonic Prince of Persia threatened his life and the life of his Nephilim rescuer, Master Oyoda.

Oyoda was a man that found him as a homeless man begging on the streets of the Rosen Kingdom, injured, and took him to the castle to make him a knight, but when Oyoda foolishly lies about his skill only to find that he can't fight in the middle of a demonstration of his skills to the Rosen King, Bleep is made a councilman under the Rosen King who gets a desk job.

God had not stopped the usage of Bleep as a "rat" because The Crimson Rose King was using Persia & Greece as stepping stones to practice taking over Israel Spiritually by killing or imprisoning Michael The Archangel.

Bleep listened as Master Oyoda walked past him saying "Why, hello, Bleep!"

Oyoda was a calm, chill old man who was popular growing up for looking like a Chibi, Disney, Pixar Baby. It was due to his short stature, being 2 feet tall, with a bulbous, large, disney-like head and big eyes.

Master Oyoda had long, white hair like that of an ancient Japanese man. His ears were pointed like that of an elf, but it was the type of pointed ears that were short like a Christmas elf's ears.

Oyoda was 78-years-old, born in A.D. (Anno Domini) 2024.

Bleep replied "Um.. Uh- I- Okay, um- I- Um- I... Hi, Master Oyoda!"

Oyoda told him "You know, I'll be meeting back up with the king. King Crimson Rose needs someone to help him strategize ruling the Rosen Kingdom."

Clothing lined with roses, Master Oyoda's Japanese kimono has the patterns of roses combined with real roses and fake roses aligning well with his get up, trailing the back of his kimono.

Oyoda is half-Angel, Half-French. Oyoda had long, light brownish hair when he was young, but you wouldn't know if you saw him today with his grey strands along his white hair. His hair used to appear strawberry blond like Anna from Frozen's hair, but lighter... Just like Oyoda's mother's hair.

Oyoda's name is pronounced "OY! Yoda!"

Oyoda's name used to be "Alexander" as his mother named him after herself, but the Crimson Rose King renamed him to shape his identity into the master knight he needed him to be.

Meanwhile...

Standing alone, Rompo thought over how he'd make the prime minister laugh. His face was funny looking, and so was his voice as his voice did not sound like he looked whatsoever. He was 23 with the voice of a 78-year-old goblin who smoked ever since he was nine.

It's not that bad, but still... He had the voice of a goblin.

Rompo went back inside of his apartment in The Rosen Kingdom and sat down. He accidentally left his door unlocked, so...

Tinker entered the room in an excited poise she usually kept during her duties.

TINKER: "I've met an immigrant from out the spire."

She said it with a brightness that did not match the heaviness gathering in the room.

ROMPO: "From what country? Now I'm not going to be racist, I'm just saying that the culture of that country does affect how they behave in the Kingdom. You don't want someone that hates women to marry you and end up trying to oppress you because you decided that you want a job and an education for the kids."

His voice was stern, measured, as though he were already bracing for the answer.

TINKER: "I have chosen a man from Pakistan."

The word chosen hung in the air, Sadness flickered across his face as Shock rolled up in Rompo's chest. He couldn't believe what he heard. While most people had nothing against people from Pakistan, there were practices tied to certain regions and traditions that made many wary.

In some places, women were oppressed. In some communities, people were treated harshly for having a different religion. Families sometimes refused marriages into cultures they believed carried deeply sexist traits, fearing long-term harm to their daughters and sisters.

Even Tinker had once shared that ideology. She had said that if any of her relatives tried to marry into a severely sexist group—whether from parts of Venezuela, Mexico, India, China, or anywhere else—she would refuse to support the marriage. She had always drawn that line clearly.

ROMPO: "You can't- you can't marry into that culture as a non-muslim woman."

Anger sharpened his tone.

TINKER: "He has accepted the rule of the Crimson Rose and has become one of us and a member of our society."

Her anger rose to meet his.

ROMPO: "Am I supposed to ignore the honor killings that erupt over something very small?"

Concern edged his voice, though it remained firm.

ROMPO: "Am I supposed to ignore the kidnapping of Pakistani Christian girls and Hindu girls, the forced conversions, and a police system so absorbed in that culture that they will genuinely trick someone into signing papers saying they do not have to look for her?"

ROMPO: "Am I supposed to ignore a culture where girls are coerced into saying they have fully converted?"

ROMPO: "Am I supposed to ignore the fact that it takes extensive legal records just to get these children back—these girls who were raped, abused, kidnapped, and held in random strangers' homes with their kidnappers' families consenting to it?"

Each question came heavier than the last.

ROMPO: "I do not understand what it is with you."

ROMPO: "Not only that, but I remember you decided to be with this man from this culture where they systemically kidnap women they want to marry."

ROMPO: "I thought you had been kidnapped."

ROMPO: "Then you tell me you weren’t, and I’m left wondering—so you’re telling me you desired that?"

ROMPO: "Why would you want someone like that? Obviously, there is sexism. This one was from Africa."

ROMPO: "Then you got another man from a similar type of culture from another country in Asia who had the same belief—kidnap someone you want to be your wife."

ROMPO: "What? You married a backward person on purpose?"

Silence pressed in around them.

TINKER: "First, I would like to address that those first two complaints about my previous lovers, Jameson from Africa and Taiwani from…"

Anger trembled beneath her words.

TINKER: "I forgot where he was from… are not relevant, because that is not how they got into a relationship with me."

Her voice faltered awkwardly.

TINKER: "While Jameson was not aware that it was wrong to kidnap a woman, I only recently found out that he once kidnapped someone and tried to force her to marry him back in his home country and committed gang rape with his friend James."

Sadness replaced the anger.

TINKER: "Okay, you were right. That was very valid. That was valid. That was very valid."

Anxiety tightened her expression.

TINKER: "But the next lover, the one from Asia, had not done anything like that. Unless you are saying otherwise, it is not relevant. It is not relevant to this case."

Rompo stared at her, frustration rising again.

ROMPO: "This is a poor decision because it’s not like he would have to initially kidnap you for you to instantly know that he was a bad person."

ROMPO: "This is someone from a culture that devalues women and says that they are like animals."

ROMPO: "How, then, are you going to marry someone from a culture that devalues women and says they are like animals?"

ROMPO: "You would only find out how he truly thinks of you after the courtship phase."

Tinker stood rigid, her jaw tight, her eyes flashing with restrained irritation.

TINKER: "I don't think that making racist statements and claims is going to be productive because, most likely, he loves me."

Her voice wavered only slightly, but she pressed on.

TINKER: "The only reason that domestic violence happens in that culture is because they teach that women aren't as valuable and because they arrange marriages between two relatives, producing children who are mentally ill."

She crossed her arms, lifting her chin as if daring him to interrupt.

TINKER: "But this man wants me, not two wives or three, even though that's legal here."

A beat passed.

TINKER: "He wants me."

Annoyance radiated from her, sharp and defensive.

Rompo stepped closer, his frustration no longer contained.

ROMPO: "I just want you to think through this relationship and see that maybe this isn't the safest relationship!"

His voice rose, anger tightening every syllable.

Tinker’s eyes flared.

TINKER: "The main issue with you is that you're like all the others! Just because his culture tells him to do something wrong doesn't mean that he agrees with it!"

The words came fast, heated, edged with fury.

Rompo inhaled slowly, forcing himself to steady.

ROMPO: "Okay, I will be clear with you."

His tone lowered, but it did not soften.

ROMPO: "There are people in those cultures who do try to improve things, so I can’t say they are all like that."

ROMPO: "But I’m going to be straight here: you dated a man from India who literally physically abused you."

Tinker flinched, but he continued.

ROMPO: "This man was no exception."

ROMPO: "Back in his home country, the government had illegalized honor killings, so he was supposed to go and arrest the person who killed his sister."

ROMPO: "It wasn’t really him—his cousins killed his sister for not standing in a video at his birthday party when he danced."

ROMPO: "His father had asked them to do that, and the boy was devastated and called the police to protect his sisters."

Rompo’s expression hardened.

ROMPO: "Only your ex-boyfriend did nothing. He decided it was an honor killing and thought of it as fine, acceptable, and honorable."

Silence thickened.

ROMPO: "I told you that in that culture they think like that, and I told you it was a terrible idea to go out with him because of that—at least without background-checking him and asking him questions to see if he really thought like those other people."

ROMPO: "But no, you thought that because he joined the Crimson Rose, which already has sadistic leaders, somehow he was going to be better."

Annoyance bled through his final words.

Tinker’s face tightened, anger flashing again.

TINKER: "I don't purposefully choose these types of men; it just happens!"

Her voice cracked with frustration, her gaze intense.

Rompo shook his head, disbelief and exasperation mingling.

ROMPO: "Yes, but as we can see there is a strong pattern that when you date men from cultures that actively encourage hatred and despisement of people for dumb reasons... They enact that!"

Rompo doesn't despise people for their race, he simply doesn't want her to date her new lover, Ahmed, because Rompo had learned of how some cultures operate... Not all cultures are purely beautiful; Some have truly horrible aspects. This is why Rompo doesn't want Tinker to marry Ahmed; The Pakistani people do have extreme sexism against women nestling in their midst.

Ahmed was waiting for her outside. He was perplexed by the beauty. So many gorgeous roses clouded his eyes. The smaller moon was showing up so close for some reason while the sun lie in the back.

Tinker went outside for the man she truly loved. She then passionately kissed him. Rompo didn't really care that she was with him because of any romance towards her — As he was not in love with her whatsoever.

To Be continued...