I slam my basket of food down on the counter, giving Billy, a balding, sort of sassy, middle-aged man that creepily fantasises about the local slut a startled jump. He starts checking my things through and sliding them into the mandatory organic bags that were enforced by the government.

"How's it goin' E?" Billy asks, his voice is scratchy, a bit like those creepy old guys in movies. "I heard they're finally doing it today."

"Doing what?" I scowl in my best, Jessica Jones impersonation. It's heard for a seventeen year-old girl like me to manage but I do so quite well.

"Y'know." Billy winks at me. I don't get it. He winks again, slower.

"Oh that's right, that's today?" My voice hitched, at the end.

I had no idea what he was talking about.

"Yeah," Billy said, getting excited, "they're having a royal gathering tonight, so the guard is going to be divided, then they'll attack from the three entrances, either driving the remainders underground or into the wilderness, and then, the rest of us, common folk will have our own voice and rule!"

Billy, for a secret rebel, was not the one to be telling your secret plans too.

A dull feeling had begun layering in the pit of my stomach. I licked my lips in anxiety. I knew of these plans, I just didn't know they'd happen so soon. Sure, she'd come to me to tell me that this'd happen, but tonight-

"E?"

"Yes?" I shot out of my thoughts.

"Are you okay? You seemed to drift off for some time there." Billy laughed lightly to himself.

"I-I'm fine." I managed. "What will you be doing with the store after it happens tonight?"

"Missus says I'll be owning all these types of stores in the land!" Billy crowed, "can you imagine that E? Me, a businessman!"

"Would I be able to take over the store?" I asked, thinking. My current job was with a manager that supported the reigning monarchy. Once, or if, this all happened, he'd be taken down as a traitor of the new law, it wouldn't look good to be aligned with him, well, not that I cared about anyone's opinions, just that, it'd make my life easier if people weren't suspecting of me.

Lahey!

"... Sure, I don't know why not." I heard the end of Billy's reply.

"Thanks!" I waved, sweeping up my groceries, and pushing out the door. I scrolled through my contacts, heart hammering, looking for Lahey's contact as I unlocked the door to my apartment. Lahey ❤️❤️😘.

I pressed the contact, balancing the phone on my shoulder and shoving it under my ear. "C'mon Lahey, pick up!"

"... Hello?"

"Lahey, it's me, oh my goodness, you need to-"

"... Just kidding," a laugh, "sorry I can't be at the phone right now, please just send a text message or try again later, ciao!"

"Dammit Lahey." I scowled, dropping the groceries onto the counter. I looked for another contact, shoving the phone to my ear again.

"Hello?" I asked tentatively as the ringing stopped, the call was picked up.

"Funny how you call me right now."

"Whatever you're doing," I spoke evenly, slowly, "don't."

"Who said I was doing anything?" An innocent-sounding voice purred.

"Word on the street." I scowled.

"When ever has word on the street been reliable?" The other voice asked.

"Don't do it."

The other voice laughed. "Be assured, I'm not, not soon at least."

The phone call ended, I angrily slammed the phone into the couch, screeching. I have anger management issues, I swear. I moaned, rubbing my face and falling onto the couch. Predicting the fall of the reign of the monarchy was no easy task, but I could try.

My phone rung.

"Booty, booty, rockin' everywhere."

I rolled over, snatching it up, I couldn't have anyone hear that in a rebellion.

"Hello?" It was Lahey.

I sat up urgently.

"Lahey!" I cried in relief.

"Where are you? You just took off! Did you know that Samson's here? Apparently he was with you! Where are you? Where did you go? Erica!"

"Lahey, listen to me." I said suddenly, unsure, but I'd rather be safe than sorry. "You need to go home, pack up your things, and..." I winced, aware of how insane it sounded. "And get out of here, there's going to be an attack on the palace, on the royal family, and I think you're included."

"What?" Lahey laughed. "What are you going on about? An attack? I'm sure we'd know if there was going to be an attack on the Royal family of all people."

"Lahey please." My voice was strained, "you have to run, go to Durmont, get out of the kingdom." Durmont was a mostly uninhabitable land that was outside of Istreavway's walls. One could go West to Finland, or East, to Russsia, or even South to the Baltic States. However, Istreavenmore, Istreavway's Captital city was arguably, the Northenmost point in the civilised world. Durmont, higher, however, an extremely uncivilised, third world, district.

"Erica, honestly, it'll be fine, stop listening to Crazy Bill and go back to that therapy place you really like."

"Lahey." I spoke harshly, trying, it was my last chance. "Get out of here, you'll be killed."

"Erica, stop being ridiculous, Istreavway is one of the most stable countries in the world!"

"With the largest range recorded between billionaires and poverty stricken families!" I argued back.

"It has one of the highest satisfaction rates in the world!"

"Among the highest tax class, Lahey, don't you read the fine print?!" I cried in exasperation.

"Erica, you're being paranoid, it'll be fine." Lahey spoke sternly, ending the call with a click.

"Argh!" I cried, hurtling my phone at the wall, embedding the device into the plaster. "I'm trying to save your life." I sobbed, falling onto the couch, my hair strewn around me. It was barely midday, and I was tired enough to sleep.

I dozed off.