Running From fate

Chapter 2

The realization hit her like a slap to the face. Leave the kingdom? And the area? Where would she go? Is there even anywhere else to go? What if it's all just wilderness? Zenobia guessed she would have to find out, and she guessed that Keithan and Shoftiel were coming with her. After their lying stunt they stand no chance of staying alive here for very long.

"Do you see what I'm trying to tell you now?" Keithan asked patiently, and all Zenobia could do to reply was nod slowly.

Kraseon wasn't like many other kingdoms, people were free to come and go as they wished, so getting out of the kingdom wouldn't be too difficult. No, leaving wouldn't be the challenge, settling in somewhere new is what would be the difficult part. Or maybe there was a chance, maybe they could all stay in Kraseon and live undercover. If this was only about her own life, she wouldn't mind that idea, but with Shoftiel and Keithan at stake, no, leaving was the only option.

"Let's get packing then." Was all Zenobia said before she walked out of the room. She had to get out, she yelled at Keithan for an idea that seemed downright outrageous to her, but then she realized herself that it was now the only option. She hated being proven wrong, but at least she was proven wrong in the best case scenario, rather than during her public execution. Yes, a public execution, they wouldn't just chop her head off, they would humiliate her in front of everyone before she died. If only there were a way to fix all of this. A way to let them all live happy lives. Maybe in the future.

"Ma'am?" It was one of her servants, they insisted on working for her and were desperate for jobs, so she let them so they could at least support their families.

"Yes?" Zenobia responded calmly.

"I heard yelling, and came to see if everything was alright." The servant, a young woman whom Zenobia forgot the name of, seemed taken aback by something.

"Look, everything you heard was true." Zenobia started and held out money to the servant. "Don't tell anyone, and tell the other servants who overheard to do the same. Your own lives will be at stake should anyone know you associated with me." She felt bad about this, about all the people she has now put in danger. But the servant nodded, took the money, and walked away. Only a few things could be worse than her current situation, but she knew she couldn't let them get worse. For the sake of her friends. For the sake of the servants. For the sake of anyone who has ever spoken to her. And for the sake of her family. Family that's dead now, dead and their killers were still out there. No, she couldn't leave Kraseon, not yet. She had lives to avenge. She strolled back to the study, assuming Keithan and Shoftiel were still there, and she was right.

"Change of plans. We're staying." Zenobia said with a wicked grin.

"Staying?! You just admitted that staying would be the death of us!" Keithan has clearly had enough of this, he just wanted to be safe and out of the kingdom. And she couldn't blame him, really.

"Oh, no, Keithan. We're staying. And better yet, we're letting the world know our names." She was still grinning even when Shoftiel shrieked.

"We can't! That would be suicide!" The first words she had heard from Shoftiel for a while.

"For normal people it would. For people who haven't broken the law and survived multiple times before, it would. But for Zenobia Adamaris, for Zenobia Adamaris," she said, laughing slightly, "it's a child's game." Keithan slapped her, lightly, not wanting to hurt her, but hard enough to attempt to knock some sense into her.

"And what about us? Keithan Mellors and Shoftiel Retsu? People who didn't know they were friends with the most wanted criminal in the region? It's suicide for us." Keithan was concerned, not for himself, and not for Shoftiel, but for Zenobia.

"Well, you're both lucky that I have experience. Look, Keithan. It's dangerous, I understand that. And neither of you have to come with me, neither of you have to help me. But I have family to avenge. I can't run away from Kraseon. I'm an orphan, I have nowhere else. You, you have family out there. I have nothing." Keithan suddenly realized Zenobia's motive for this insane plan.

"Then let's avenge that family of yours. Let's remind them how much they meant to you. Let's give them this last bit of respect. Let's make the world right again. And if we die in the process? Well, then we'll be martyrs, won't we now?" Keithan was grinning at this point, and Shoftiel was beaming.

"Let's be the heroes this world needs." Then they all put their hands together and said quietly, so no one would overhear.

"Let's rule the world. No running away. Let's come out as who we are, and show the world what we can do. Let's be the last ray of sunlight in this world. If one goes down, we all go down. We're our own form of family and we're not losing each other." Shoftiel started jumping up and down while squealing with excitement while Keithan chuckled. Zenobia however, just smiled while envisioning their future. It was most likely death, but if they survived this, if they made things right. That, that was the future Zenobia was envisioning, a future of light in a world of darkness.

"Tomorrow. After a full night's rest, we start planning. You two are gonna stay here for a while since out on the streets won't be too safe." Zenobia explained tiredly, suddenly being hit with fatigue. Shoftiel and Keithan only nodded with agreement and Shoftiel led Keithan to the guest rooms, since she had stayed the night a few times while Keithan had never set foot on the property.

Once they were gone, Zenobia slumped into a chair and thought for hours on end, despite how tired she was. Yes, tomorrow everything would begin. Perhaps there was such a thing as a happily ever after, Zenobia supposed they would be finding that out soon.