Rising from the Ashes

Chapter 36

The walk to the village was long, quiet, slightly awkward, and very beautiful. The paths leading to the villages back home are cracked and forgotten about. Here the cobblestone is well kept and cared for. Even outside of the kingdom walls, there is nature at every turn and most of it is magical. Elenora can feel the magic beat through the lands as if it were her own body. It's everywhere and Elenora cannot help but fall in love just a little. "You think my father was a better ruler." King Stavros is not one for beating around the bush it would seem. The question came out of nowhere and so Elenora had no time to prepare for a good answer.

Elenora chooses honesty instead "I do think he was a better ruler." Elenora confirms. It is not what the king had wanted to hear and it is written clearly on his face. Elenora merely shrugs and continues "There was a time I had loved you. I was proud to say you were my king and I had dreamed of meeting you." Elenora had dreamed of telling him. She had dreamed that he might swoop in and save her. It had not happened. She had saved herself. "I had hoped I might meet you. I had hoped that Vermont -"

"Vito." King Stavros corrects, his voice hard

Elenora stares at him for a good moment. He is angry. At her? No. He must be mad at Vito. Is he like her? Does he think about all Vito had stolen from him? Does he think about the way things might have been if Vito had not? Does he think about the lost possibilities? "It doesn't matter what name he lives under now. All that matters is what he has taken. I thought you might save me King Stavros, but that never happened. I saved myself and then the man I thought you were crumbled before I could truly realize what was happening. I was forced to see that the loving, kind, patient king who never turns a blind eye had looked away as rogues were getting tortured."

"Rogues are insane Muriel." King Stavros shoves his hands deep into his fancy pants and turns away from her. It pisses her off though Elenora does not dare let it show. Instead she grabs his arm and forces him to face her. To look at her. To see.

"Some are." Elenora admits "Most are." She is quick to correct. She has not forgotten the rogues she came across just as she has not forgotten the packs and all they had done "But most were driven to insanity. Rogues become rogues for three reasons: King Stavros. They betrayed their pack and so they were banished. This is what people believe to be the most common reason. It is not. They left their pack because they prefer to be alone. Rare but it happens." Elenora pauses just long enough to make sure he is paying attention. He will not turn away from this truth. He will not turn a blind eye "And the third reason is because they chose to run rather than take the abuse. They saved themselves because nobody else saw them. Then as soon as they turned rogue they were forced to realize they only prolonged their suffering-"

"Muriel-"

"I am not done King Stavros." Elenora steps back and shoves her own hands in her pockets. She focuses her glare on the cobblestone instead of on him "They ran from the abuse only to get hunted by packs as if they were prey. Who cares if it is against the law? Who cares if the king said not to hunt them down because the king had already proven the word of a rogue means nothing. To report a pack is to be sentenced to death and so let the grand hunt begin. Bonus points if you manage to force yourself on the dirty little rogues you find. If you beat them to death nobody will bat an eye, in fact, you will be celebrated." Elenora forces herself to look up and in her head she chants do not cry. Crying is for the weak and vulnerable and Elenora is none of those things. She cannot afford to be. "And so they become insane King Stavros because it becomes so much easier to survive if you fall into a different reality. Insanity becomes a gift." Elenora forces herself to straighten up before she smiles up at the king and continues on.

All eyes are on her as she walks down the path. The street is silent and Elenora cannot decide if it is good or bad. "I was wrong and I am sorry it hurt you Muriel." The king whispers and for a moment Elenora dares to think things might be different. Maybe he will change. Maybe he might help the rogues except if Elenora allows herself to hope she is also allowing herself to get hurt as soon as he proves her wrong once again.