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With a pleading expression, Lawrence spoke with a strained voice; “Shasta, Please: come with us. Even if by some crazy chance you succeed, they’ll kill you the second that they get the chance. They have to.”

Shasta smiled at him; “So you’re not worried that the new Queen of Ruscovic is going to kill Alcon’s next King? Won’t your Senators be upset with you for marrying someone so crazy?”

“Like I could give two shits about any of that right now! I love you, Shasta. I want us to spend our lives together-at least mine. If you go back, you’ll die,” Lawrence replied with torrid emotions in his eyes.

He was torn between what was right, and what was right for his family. Ruscovic would survive no matter what, but Alcon was still his childhood home. As much as he hated it: the world in general would be a better place without his older brother in it, but..

“The world would be a cold, terrible place without you, love. I can’t even imagine it.. Please come with us.”

Shasta took in a deep breath as she shook her head in the negative; “You may not be able to imagine things, but I know what kind of a place Alcon will turn into if Marco becomes king. Commoners and Fae alike will become slaves for a wage that they can’t even live off of. The people that own the lands will squeeze them dry without your father’s protection..”

“All the hard work and reform that your father and Tidas have done will be wiped out overnight. Do you honestly think that your father’s laws will stay? Or that Marco will let Tidas’ schools and charities stand?”

As Shasta’s questions stung at his conscience, Lawrence replied; “None of that is my concern! You are My wife, and the Queen of Ruscovic. You’re too valuable to more people than just me-”

.....

“I told you what I heard, and you heard Benzo and Norvis yourself. Don’t you realize what Doctor Gohan, Marie, the Highlanders, Dragonhorn, and the Fae Representatives all have in common?! What You have in common with them?!” Shasta yelled, startling the children.

After Maevis and the nanny had calmed them, she fluttered over to tell Shasta and Lawrence; “We all support Tidas and Skye. I bet that’s why the prince is ‘detaining’ everyone associated with them. If Magnus really is dying, then Marco would want to eliminate any threats to his future rule now, by establishing his hold on the kingdom before Tidas and Skye return.”

“Why would he think Tidas is a threat?! He’s never been interested in ruling! And he has always been loyal to the crown,” Lawrence replied defensively.

Shasta crossed her arms over her chest as she spoke; “He is loyal to your father and the people. You know that.. I know why you don’t want to accept this.. I’ll never understand how hard choosing between your brothers must be. So I’m going to take the choice out of your hands.”

Lawrence instantly flailed his arms out of frustration as he yelled; “What choice?! If you go back, best case scenario is that they lock you away forever. Worst case is that the guards kill you! If you’re really going back to try and stop him, then you Will Die, Shasta! They Have to execute you whether you succeed or not! Please: come with us!”

“Momma Nooo! You can’t die! Not you too!” Victor screamed as he ran towards his parents with tears in his eyes, and his arms open.

Anna mimicked her brother as she ran, and cried out; “Nooo! You’re Our Momma now! That’s what you said! You Said It! You did!”

Victor and Anna attached themselves to Shasta’s legs as she bent over, and tried to comfort them. They were too young to understand what was happening now, and what would happen to their grandfather’s kingdom once their uncle took over. All they understood was that they were about to lose another beloved parent.

Shasta’s heart ached for them, but she couldn’t help but think of the children living in the orphanage when she looked at them. Victor and Anna had an entire kingdom that treasured them, but if she left: no one would be there to protect the parent-less children.. To protect the people.

Something was clearly wrong with Zas, and with Tidas and Skye gone for at least the next few months.. ‘I’m all that’s left of the Pillars.. It’s my duty to protect the people. Magnus trusted me to protect them, and Tidas shouldn’t have to be the one to kill his brother.. I’ve lived a good life. I just wish I could’ve been with my family for a little while longer..’

When Shasta had detached the children and bent her knees to come down to their level, they’d instantly attached themselves to her neck. As she hugged them tightly, Shasta forced the tears back, and cleared her throat..

“I know that you two are scared.. You know how scared you feel right now? Well, there’s a whole lotta people who are gonna be just as scared as you are. And it’s my job to make them feel safe again. Just like it’s your dad’s, and mine, and your nanny’s to keep you safe.”

Anna sniffled as she looked into Shasta’s eyes; “If it’s your job too, then why you goin’?”

Victor looked at Shasta with the same anxious expression as his sister; “Don’t go, Momma. Even Daddy says not to go! Please don’t go!”

Shasta swallowed hard as she forced her tears back; “I promise that you two will see me again, okay? I just have something important to do, then I’ll never leave Ruscovic again. Can you accept that?”

Anna and Victor exchanged leery looks, then Victor replied; “Do you really promise to come home?”

Shasta exhaled a shaky breath as she answered; “Yes.. I promise.”

Lawrence turned and stifled an angry scoff as he gritted his teeth. He knew that Shasta had just lied to their children, and that it would devastate them if something happened to her. As he looked around to make sure that no one was coming still, Lawrence fought an internal war.

They had been on the roadside for a good ten minutes or so, and the chances of getting caught rose with every passing moment. Lawrence knew that he could most likely guilt Shasta into going to Ruscovic if he told the children the truth. But that would delay their departure while causing a huge scene at the same time.

As he argued with himself over the situation, Maevis chimed in; “Whatever you’re going to choose, you need to do it quickly. I can see several people heading this way, but I can’t tell if they’re soldiers or not. I don’t think they are, but we don’t need witnesses to your direction regardless.”

After Shasta squeezed the children a final time, she stood up and locked eyes with Lawrence. Worry and sorrow were written all over his features, making the already searing pain in her heart intensify. They were finally together, and now they were being torn apart..

As she walked the few feet over to him, Shasta realized that this was most likely the last time that she would see the love of her life. She had loved him from afar for years, and they had finally married.. Ready to spend the rest of Lawrence’s life together, and now she would most likely die before him.

Tears filled Shasta’s eyes as she wrapped her arms around her husband, and said; “I don’t want this, but there’s no one else.. I have to do something, Lawrence. He’s going to cause so much pain and death: I can feel it. I don’t want the children growing up in a world like that. If I don’t stop him now, I feel like we’ll lose everything..”

Lawrence inhaled a shaky breath; “If I lose you, I will lose my everything..”

As they put their foreheads together, Shasta replied; “Not everything, love... Take care of Victor and Anna. Don’t let them hate. I don’t want their lives tainted like mine was.. Remind them how happy they made me by calling me their Momma.. And how proud I was to be theirs, as short as it was.”

Lawrence couldn’t stop the tears from escaping as Maevis called out a final warning, and helped the children and nanny climb onto the reindeer. With all the love for her he had in him: Lawrence kissed Shasta until she was gasping for air, then whispered; “Come back to us, love.. We’ll always be waiting for you.”

Shasta didn’t even realize that tears were streaming down her cheeks as she kissed Lawrence a final time. The children were still crying, but they weren’t calling out for Shasta anymore. The nanny was doing her best to console them, but also explained how important it was that no one know who they were.

Shasta stood and watched as Lawrence mounted the reindeer behind Victor, hugged him, then rode off into a wooded area. She hunched over and cried as several people passed by, and tried to avoid eye contact with her. Wrapped in a cloak from the stables, no one could see Shasta’s features, and wrote her off as a crazy person.

A little while after the travelers had passed by, Maevis came down from the sky, and asked Shasta if she was okay. Huffing angrily as she turned towards the massive walls surrounding the capital, Shasta hopped up onto her feet. She glared in the direction of the palace, then let out a low, predatory growl..

“You’re going after Nicolas, right?” Shasta asked.

After a quick nod of agreement from Maevis, Shasta added; “I think I can make you a sufficient diversion, but I’ll need the help of a Brownie or two. Do you think there’s any still in the palace?”

Maevis smirked; “You can bet your fuzzy arse there is. That family’s been there since the palace was built. No way they’re abandoning it, no matter what anyone short of Celestia herself says.”

Shasta cracked her knuckles as she said; “Good.. Once we figure out where Marco is in the palace, with the Brownies’ help: we can coordinate and time our movements. After I make a move, it’ll distract practically everyone in the palace. That’ll give you the perfect opportunity to save Nic.”

After Shasta had tied the second horse’s reins to hers, Maevis asked; “And what about you? Who’s gonna save you?”

Shasta froze after she had mounted her horse, and replied; “No one.. Whether I kill Marco or not, I’m dead. So instead of hoping or praying for my safety, pray for my success.”

Maevis frowned at Shasta as she started to trot forward, and said; “Why do you value your life so little?”

Shasta shrugged as she answered; “It’s not that I think my life holds little value.. It’s just that my family’s survival means more to me than my own. As long as I know that Lawrence, Victor, and Anna are safe: I’ll do anything to keep them that way.”

As Maevis fluttered into the air out of sight, she called down to Shasta; “I think they will All be crushed if you don’t return to them alive.”

Shasta sighed heavily as she kicked the horse into a steady trot, and replied; “Better to break their hearts for a little while than risk them seeing war..”