Royal Shadow

[RavenMist]

Isabella looks away and sighs, "It was back when we were attacked. I was with my maid of the time. We were attacked before the guards had time to get to us. A man with a dagger came at us. She stepped in front and was stabbed and then he attacked me." She murmurs, "She tried to save my life, and she did." She whispers. Her mind races over the events, "The guards managed to get us to this room, holding off other men. There were medics and doctors with us in the room, but they wouldn't save her. They attended to my wound first, they wouldn't listen to me as I screamed for them to help her." She mutters, "My mother had died before then, my maid was the closest person to me." She adds, "She died alone as they helped me, no one cared about her and it was my fault." She murmurs softly, a small tear falling down her face.

 

[Hellfire]

Shadow quickly shakes his head. "It was not your fault." He said, angry at the idea. "They attended to you first because they were forced to. You didn't force them, so it wasn't your fault." Shadow heard footsteps coming down the hall. He watched the door as Darren dragged Nathan through.

 

[RavenMist]

Isabella wipes her face, "You won't change my mind on this matter Shadow. I can only blame myself." She murmurs, watching Darren and Nathan. Nathan stares at her the same expression. He could remember the event of the room, he'd been told too. She stands up and looks around slowly.

 

[Hellfire]

"Thanks for forgetting me." Nathan commented in a cheery tone. He looked around the room with a grim expression. "And of all the places in this house, you decided to bring me here."


Darren sighed, uncuffing Nathan. "Cause any trouble and you are mine." He warned Nathan. Hathan rubbed his wrist, looking at Isabella.


"You need to keep your dogs on a shorter leash." He said as he looked from Darren to Shadow.

 

[RavenMist]

Isabella narrows her eyes at Nathan, "This is the only safe place. And for what it's worth, this room shouldn't be anywhere as bad for you as it is me. I was the one dying beside my maid who no one would save." She snapped, rubbing her temples and sighing, her eyes sore from crying already, "Next time something like that happens, if it happens, the maid and the innocent people are saved first. And that's an order, for you all." She says coldly.

 

[Hellfire]

Darren and Shadow both nodded, Nathan only gave a snort in response. They could hear gunfire, and small expolsions. "That would be the other guild." Shadow commented, looking around. "Now would be a good time to leave. We can hid out in a more secure place, I have a few hideouts within the city that might work."

 

[RavenMist]

She nods, "I have a map of the tunnels that we can exit to get out of here, one leads straight to the slums." She says, pointing to the area on the map and moving toward the other door that would be exit.

 

[Hellfire]

"If we can go directly to the slums that would be even better." Shadow said, smiling.


"The slums." Natha said witha short laugh. "I am not going tothat filthy hive of vermin." His voice was a low growl.


"Would you rather stay here and die." Darren asked. Nathan hung his head in defeat.


"Fine, but I am out of thereas soon as possible."

 

[RavenMist]

Isabella narrows her eyes, "Well no royals will be staying in the city when I and if i decide to let them go." She says sternly, "Quite frankly, I don't think you're in any sort of position to start dictating where you'll be going." She says, walking off into the tunnel.

 

[Hellfire]

Nathan frowned at her but said nothing. They followed her down the tunnel. Shadow walked slightly behind Isabella. Darren and Nathan argued quietly behind him. "The slums are a bit crazy, we will probably run into trouble." Shadow warned as they walked.

 

[RavenMist]

"There's always trouble, everywhere we go there'll be trouble." She murmurs, "I'm used to danger," she adds, continuing to walk until she arrives at the exit of the tunnel, behind the door was the slums.

 

[Hellfire]

Shadow breathed in deeply, he gave a contented sigh. Nathan coughed. He looked around at the slums. He frowned deeply.


"This way." Shadow said as he recognized where they were.

 

[RavenMist]

Isabella looks around and nods, slowly after Shadow. She looks around slower, her eyes gazing from one place to another, reminding herself of even more things that need addressing, "What's the average people are paying to live where they do? What's the rent and tax like?" She murmurs softly.

 

[Hellfire]

Darren walked up beside Isabella. "Most have to pay 75% of their pay checks as rent, and then tax depends from person to person. Can be as low as 3%, or as high as 15%." He frowned in thought. "Of course, if you don't have a home, therefore not having rent, then you have to pay 80% in taxes."

 

[RavenMist]

Isabella frowns, "That's a lot. What if they couldn't pay?" She murmurs softly, though she doubted she wanted to hear it. She keep close to shadow, her mind racing.

 

[Hellfire]

"They are either evicted, killed, or sent into the badlands." Darren said quietly. "All are the same as death in the slums for most."


Shadow took them of the main road. He unlocked a door and led them inside. It was a large open warehouse.

 

[RavenMist]

She nods slowly, taking in the information slowly. She enters the building and looks around, slowly, "I'll lower the taxes, it's at a silly amount." She mutters, my to herself now. She continues to mutter under her breath, the words becoming almost inaudible. Her mind continues to race, struggling to think about one thing at a time. She knew it was probably evident to the other how badly everything was getting to her.

 

[Hellfire]

"You can relax while you are here." Shadow says, looking at Isabella for a moment. "You all could use the rest." Shadow disappears into what appears to be the garage.


"He is right. It is not going to get any easier from here, rest will not come often." Darren said, walking towards a room with some cots in it.

 

[RavenMist]

Even with the words of relaxation, she didn't stop thinking. She continues to pace around for some time. Her mind else where, her hand throbs, still hurting but healing nonetheless. She glances around after a moment before sitting down, even then she figdetd, her hands playing with a rock on the floor. She began to hug softly.

 

[Hellfire]

Nathan wandered towards Isabella. He sat down a small distance from her. He didn't seem to want to bother her. He yawned slightly, rubbing his eyes. He closed his eyes, leaning forward slightly. He sat sat up quickly as he realized he was falling asleep.

 

[RavenMist]

Isabella looks up after a moment, looking at Nathan, "Sleep for awhile if you like." She says quietly, "We're safe here, safer than anywhere else anyway." She mumbles quietly.

 

[Hellfire]

Nathan looks up at her. "You may feel safe in this place, but I don't." Hathan said, looking around the room. "I doubt I would be able to really fall asleep even if I wanted to."

 

[RavenMist]

"Did I say I felt safe?" She snaps suddenly, "If anything, no it's not safe. Hell I don't trust any of you but I don't have much of a choice. I've not felt safe for so long now that I don't know any different. When I did feel safe I found I couldn't trust people that I felt safe around." She says, urging herself not to cry. She bites her lip, "So do me a favour and suck it up." She murmurs quietly.

 

[Hellfire]

Nathan snorted, closing his eyes. "Life is cruel Bella, everyone has it rough." His tone was slightly harsh. He smiled. "If life was easy and predictable it would be no fun." He opened his eyes and looked up at Isabella. He notices that she is on the edge of tears.


"I'm sorry Bella." He said quietly. "I know it isn't much, but it is really all I can give you. I am not the best person in the world, in fact I am probably low on the bar." He was quiet for a moment. "You are a good person, and people like me take advantage of that. I will not take advantage of you though." He closed his eyes again, leaning on his folded arms.

 

[RavenMist]

Isabella's jaw clenchs, "People only care about themselves." She murmurs, "I just want to be able to sit at home again with some one to tell me that everything is fine. I want to sit there in front of a damn fire and smile for once." She murmurs, "But I can't do that. Because I don't even have anyone to reassure me. Everyone just lies and makes me think they care about me before they fuck everything up." She says softly, "I'm supposed to be some better ruler and yet as well as battling rebels and guilds. I'm having to come to terms that in the end everyone is only helping me in order to help themselves." She says, a single tear falling.