Free Reign

Chapter One

"Zoe!" Pin called after the girl on the horse, to no avail. She was already too far away to hear, not that she would have any sort of response beyond stunned silence. 

Pin had done a lot of stupid things in the past (ie. stealing horse sedatives, keeping said horse sedatives in hoodie pocket, giving away said hoodie to a random American girl, etc.) but this took the cake. Zoe glared behind her, where Pin stood on the beach. He looked as though he were yelling something. For a brief moment, she considered turning back. But no. Pin was... how could she put this lightly... an absolute idiot. What was he thinking? Proposing?  Zoe was 17. Not even a legal adult. She was three weeks out from getting her driver's license, let alone a marriage license.

Raven slowed to a stop, and Zoe jumped off in classic horse girl fashion. "What do I do?" she asked Raven. 

The horse, being a horse, had no reply. 

"I know! Pony squad! They'll know what to do. Thanks, Raven. You're the only one I can really count on, aren't you?" Zoe sighed. 

Raven... did not respond. He... was a horse.

Zoe jumped up onto the horse and patted his side. She fed him a mint, which he gulped down with gusto. "Where would I be without you?" she wondered, leaning down to hug Raven. 

"America, probably."

Zoe sat up, startled at the sight of the figure standing in front of her. "Mia?"

"Mia?" the figure repeated mockingly. "Duh. What are you doing out here?"

"I could ask the same of you," Zoe retorted.

Mia's eyes narrowed. "But you won't. And besides, I asked first."

"Fine. I was out riding with Pin, and he... he proposed."

"Proposed marriage?"

Zoe sneered. "What else would he propose? A fight to the death? He's not that dumb." Though right now... she wasn't quite sure about that.

Mia stared in shock. She took a step back, an expression of pure disbelief across her face. "You're-you're getting married?"

"Yes- I mean no. I mean- I don't know. I didn't actually, you know, respond. I just sort of hopped on Raven and ran away." 

Mia looked at her in horror. "You didn't say yes?"

"What? No. I'm 17," Zoe scoffed.

"But-but he's a duke. You'd be a duchess! How could you say no to being a duchess?" Mia looked at Zoe as if she was the most insane person in the world. In reality, the most insane person in the world was Mia. 

"I mean, I guess it would be cool. It's not like being a duchess actually gets me anything though." Zoe twirled her hair skeptically because obviously, that's a thing you can do. 

"Zoe, this is England. Royalty is everything. One time, I lied to airport security and said I was the long lost daughter of Princess Diana, and that Susie was my maid. They gave us free first class seats, no questions asked." Mia flipped her hair dramatically. "You'd be a fool to say no. Well, even more of a fool than you already are."

Zoe nodded. "I guess that makes sense. I mean, even if it doesn't work out, it's a cool story for two truths and a lie, right?" She grabbed Raven's reins. "Come on, boy. Let's go plan a wedding! Thanks, Mia!" The girl on the horse galloped away, kicking up sand and ruining Mia's outfit, hair, and general happiness. 

"Zoe! Zoe, wait!" Mia yelled, "You're supposed to ignore my obviously terrible advice! This is way too big of a life decision to change your mind about entirely in like thirty seconds! Zoe!" She threw up her arms in exasperation. "You know what, whatever. I'm too busy to prevent some dumb American from ruining her life," she shrugged. "Her problem now." And with that, Mia walked off, and the only traces of the two girls' incredibly dumb conversation was a few sets of footprints in the sand and a lifetime of regret and murders.