Elsewhere, in the house of Glomgold, another's destiny was also beginning to take shape.
Young Scrooge McDuck had spent the better part of his life as a slave, after being ripped from his parents and sisters as a child in accordance with the slavery laws that dictated once he and his younger sisters were old enough to work, they were to be sold off in the slave market.
He had been passed around for a few years until he was bought by Goldie Glomgold just three years ago.
Scrooge was very fortunate; despite his cursed bloodline guaranteeing that he be would be treated harsher than other slaves, he still had his innocence. His first owner hadn't sought to use him that way or breed him, although that had made him a more desirable commodity when said first owner died and he was sold back to the slave market.
Then Goldie appeared in his life. She bought him, outbidding many other noble women by an obscene amount and he found himself at her side as her personal slave.
Goldie was surprisingly good to him, never punishing him too harshly and sometimes even showing him a little kindness by treating the wounds her husband left on his body when he punished him or used him as a punching bag to vent his frustrations. Over time, Scrooge began to fall in love with her and was certain she loved him as well.
She had confided in Scrooge that the marriage had been arranged and she was not happy. Goldie was easily smarter and tougher than her husband but because she barely had any magical ability she had to go through with the marriage and divorce was not an option, mainly because Flintheart would never allow it.
Flintheart was possessive and insanely jealous, in fact Flintheart was just plain insane most of the time.
Scrooge felt bad for him in a way though; Goldie had never given him any pleasure, even on their wedding night she hadn't slept with him and the fool just continued to believe her every excuse.
On one hand he was an idiot, but on the other; he looked like a desperate man so in love with a woman who didn't love him that he would do anything, even suffer never having any intimate contact with her, to keep her at his side.
Nevertheless, Scrooge did have a selfish streak and Goldie still being a virgin herself made fantasies of somehow being able to run away with her all the sweeter.
Scrooge was actually daydreaming about Goldie, relaxing under a tree in the courtyard, when he heard her calling him from the house. He quickly got up and ran to the kitchen door where she stood, waiting.
Lady Glomgold stood, in her golden gown, her beautiful blonde hair hanging about her shoulders in soft curls and her emerald eyes glinting with a certain slyness.
"You called mistress?" Scrooge asked, kneeling before her as Flintheart had demanded he do in the past, though his eyes had briefly run over her in affectionate admiration.
Goldie looked at her slave. She knew he was a McDuck and that made him particularly desirable as a slave, but she couldn't deny he was desirable in other ways; despite the rags he wore he was still very handsome, more so than many of the Noblemen she had met.
The rags hid little of his muscle and physique, well chiseled from all the manual labor a slave's life brings. Just barely an adult but in some ways still an innocent child. What she had planned for him was almost a pity.
"Scrooge, Flintheart needs someone to deliver something to some friend of his and you're the only slave is this house who has half a brain so I want you to handle it," "Of course, mistress," Scrooge replied obediently. Goldie smiled. "Good boy. Now bear in mind that this is apparently very important and there may be something for you afterwards,"
Scrooge couldn't fully read the look in Goldie's eyes but with how pleased she looked he thought he might have an idea what she was thinking and the thought gave him shivers.
That evening Scrooge was carrying a parcel into the city; the Glomgold house was situated on a large plot of land just beyond the limits of Crown City and so he often made the journey into the city with his mistress or on errands like the one he was carrying out on this particular evening.
The city streets were very quiet and still and even slaves like Scrooge knew why; Magica DeSpell was being crowned as the new queen this eve and almost everyone was at the castle attending the coronation ball.
It seemed almost eerie how a city that was normally so busy and loud was so silent and still. Even so Scrooge carried on to the pub where he was to meet Flintheart's friend.
As he approached the pub Scrooge could see a figure standing beside one the building's windows; a wiry old duck wearing a maroon tunic as Goldie had described. "That must him…" Scrooge muttered to himself as he approached.
"Begging your pardon sir but are you Gadwhal?" Scrooge timidly asked the man.
"Yeah, and if I wasn't you'd have your tongue cut out for speaking without permission, slave boy. Have you got it?" Gadwhal sneered.
"Yes, here is the parcel from my master Glomgold," Scrooge handed over the package.
"Stop where you are!" a voice boomed. Scrooge and Gadwhal both jumped and turned to see a royal guard approaching them. "What do you have there?" the guard demanded, pointing at the parcel.
"N-nothing sir, just some herbs and roots for me potions," Gadwhal stammered as the guard took the parcel.
"We'll see…" he said, opening the brown paper wrapping and then opening the wooden box inside. Inside the box were several pale green plants, Scrooge recognized them as Smeeroots, illegal potion ingredients. "This is illegal contraband! You're both under arrest!" The guard stated, waving his hand and chanting some words quickly, causing shackles to appear on both of their legs and wrists.
Gadwhal had attempted to run only fall on his face when guard shackled him, the chains severely restricting his movements.
Scrooge was scared, he'd had no idea that he was delivering Smeeroots and even less idea what terrible fate awaited him in the dungeons, criminals were punished harshly and him being a slave and a McDuck on top of that, meant he could expect no mercy, his life may be brutally wrenched from him within days or hours.
"Stop! The slave boy had no knowledge of what he was carrying!"
Scrooge's entire body flooded with relief when he heard Goldie's voice; he was so relieved that she was there and seemingly protecting him that he failed to wonder why she was there to begin with.
"Oh? And how's that?" The tall, imposing guard asked.
Goldie looked him firmly in the eye, dropping the hood of her cloak from her head so he could better see whom he was speaking to in the light of the magical torches that lined the city's streets.
"He is my slave and it was my husband who sent him on this errand, I thought something seemed wrong so I followed him here," She explained.
"Well, then it would seem the royal guard will have to have a word with Flintheart then, doesn't it?"
The cold and eerily calm voice belonged to a tall duck dressed in royal finery, his clothes made of the finest silks and dyed a deep blue, the color of the night sky. His dark eyes were unreadable beyond an odd combination of curiosity and boredom. He brushed a few wayward strands of black hair from his face as everyone bowed before him.
"Y-you highness! What brings you out here if I may ask, I would assume you would be at the ball," Th guard stammered in surprise to see the prince.
"I'm regretfully late in acquiring a coronation gift for my beloved sister, so my intention is to do just that; but I'm curious about this little scene," He replied, eyes darting from one person to another as he took in the situation, then settling on the open box of Smeeroots. "Ah, I see; a delivery of illegal materials, that's what this is all about,"
"I'm afraid my husband has been obtaining these things and passing them to his associates," Goldie explained, then she glanced at Scrooge. "This slave had no knowledge of what he carried and has been quite diligent in his work, it'd be a shame to throw him into the dungeons, perhaps you could have mercy on him?" She asked carefully.
Poe looked Scrooge over, sizing him up, then suddenly he was right in Scrooge's face, grabbing his right arm somewhat forcefully and examining the mark on it, a small patch of discolored skin in somewhat of a pear shape, almost completely hidden beneath his feathers, the mark that proved he had the cursed blood of McDuck in his veins.
"A McDuck… intriguing. You're right Lady Glomgold; it would be nothing less than a waste to leave him to die in the dungeons…" There was a hint of slyness to his words and in his eyes as he looked to the guard and then to Goldie, as though he knew something no one else did. "He'll not be arrested this eve; rather, I believe he'll make a wonderful coronation gift,"
"As you wish sire, but what of my trouble making husband?" Goldie asked, not making any attempt to argue, only continuing to show the utmost respect to the prince.
"He will join his friend here in the dungeons for the distribution of illegal goods and be punished in accordance with his crime," Poe said with a tone of authority.
The next thing Scrooge knew the shackles on his feet were gone and Prince Poe now held a chain connected to the shackles on his wrists, yanking it as he turned away. "Come McDuck, I can't be away from the palace any longer," He commanded.
Scrooge looked back one last time at Goldie and saw her mouth the words 'Sorry Scroogie' and in that moment he realized what had actually happened… Goldie had planned the whole thing; most likely she had framed her husband and sold Scrooge in exchange for the prince allowing her to get away with it, in exchange for freedom from her unwanted husband.