It is your destiny - book two of the You can't run forever series.

Chapter 10 - Modern times ahead

"How have you been?" I asked Johnson. "Good, you?" He replied, hunching his shoulders slightly. "Toby does that too" I pointed out, "he must have inherited that trait from you". Johnson turned to face me and stare me in the eyes. "Not everything is inherited Lady Cassandra" he said. We were quiet for a moment. There wasn't really much to talk about, I'd been gone for too long. "I see it hasn't taken you long to stop calling me Your Majesty" I joked. Johnson turned back to his steering wheel. "Yes, I'm sorry about that, but truthfully I don't think you were cut out for being a queen" he said honestly. I felt shocked. "I may not be your reigning sovereign anymore, Johnson, but I am still nobility, if the new queen will let me be". I turned to stare out of the window bitterly. Johnson patted me on the hand, consolingly. "It's not that bad, most queen's would banish you to the other side of this country, but the new Queen hasn't punished anyone" he said. I panicked. "What about the rebel royalty? I hope their still not lurking around?" I said jumping upwards, and hitting my head on the roof. "Most of them are dead, but the remaining few are locked away in secure dungeons, did you know they found factories full of merewade all over our country? they were hidden in the most unlikeliest of places" Johnson gossiped. "I did" I said proudly, I would never forget how I put a stop to the illegal production of that evil, malicious drug. "The new queen was really onto it, she sent troops to forcefully shut it down, days after she came into power" I could hear the pride in Johnson's voice. I felt powerless. Now she takes all my unspoken achievements and turns them into her own? I thought that maybe she was a poor little weak minded people pleaser, who was only doing it because she was elected, but apparently even puppets have minds of their own. "No one ever told me what she looked like" I said to Johnson. "Really? she's quite recognisable, with icy blue hair and grey eyes" he said surprised. I suddenly felt worried. She sounded just like one of those rebels that the country was supposed to be rid of. "She changes her contact lense colour based on the mood she wants to set for the country" Johnson continued. "She sounds like a political shape-shifter" I remarked, "changing her appearance so that if something goes wrong she  could just run away and no one would recognise her". Johnson chuckled " I don't know how it's your problem, but if any of the locals heard you bad mouthing the queen they would tear you to shreds, they love her to bits". "She's that amazing, huh?" I muttered, "Why do you have so much reason to love her?". Johnson gave me a surprised stare. "I thought it was obvious, she did more for the country in two days then you did in your whole reign as a queen, and she gives all people who work below her, extra benefits, she's changed a lot of traditions I must say" he replied. "It's only because she doesn't know how the monarchy or should I say constitutional monarchy now, works" I said with as much sarcasm as I could muster. "You really don't know do you?" said Johnson turning into the palace main driveway. "She's been there all along". 

She's been there all along. The little hint that Johnson gave me, attached itself to the corner of my thoughts. Who could 'she' be? It could be a palace servant, but none of them were that bold, and if they had expressed a liking for politics they would participate in the annual 'My voice' debates, held all over the country. Unless, they were sneaky and sly, and in league with the rebels.. I walked up to the front of the palace. I wondered why there were so many security guards walking the perimeter. I tried to awkwardly sneak past one, and was caught by the wrist. "Miss... we need to scan you before you can enter" the big burly guard seized me by the wrist and dragged me to a built in machine, waiting by the door. "What's that?" I asked anxiously. "It's a scanner for all non royalty" he replied, shoving me through the door frame. "Hey!" I complained once I had composed myself. I tried to hold my tongue but this big guy was getting on my nerves. The machine beeped three times. "Ok, you're clear to go" said the man, picking up a small receipt the machine had printed out. "Que... Lady Cassandra of exiled?" the man looked at me anxiously. "Oh great, now they had my last name changed to 'of exiled'? how long is that going to last?" I said sarcastically, walking towards my old room. "Until you get married" said the guard walking off, "and umm just so you know that's one of the queen's many dressing rooms". I sighed inwardly. Now I had to marry someone and find a new room. I really hated the new queen. Johnson had promised to leave my bags wherever my new room was so I headed towards the kitchen. I saw a blonde head in a army style suit walking down one of the corridors leading away from my old room. I decided to surprise him. "Hey! wanna get married?" I yelled down the corridor, running after him.