Chapter 2…Keenan

He sat parked on the side of an old abandon forestry road watching her sleep. She looked younger and less stressed when she slept. He could remember the day he first met her, how her hair fell from her bun in messy wisps and made her face glow, the way the light in her eyes would brighten whenever she spoke. He loved her as much as anyone could love another, but that probably wasn't good in this situation. As they were driving away from his house that night he had to give her a drug to calm her down but she stayed awake long enough to tell him she loved him before she went under. Keenan didn't know what to do; he knew it was bad, he knew he couldn't love her if he was her guardian. He had to protect her, he had to keep her safe, but he couldn't love her; that was the rules. She hadn't woken up yet and he was actually starting to worry he had given her too much but she was still breathing so that was good.

"Jenny?" he spoke softly into her ear "Jenny wake up."

She shifted slightly and lifted her head, "Where are we Keenan?" she said groggily

"We're safe that's all that matters."

"Where will we go? God, I can't believe that happened." She started to panic

"Calm down, its ok, I've got it all planned out." He said soothingly and started the car. He turned towards her when they reached the main road,

"Jenny, last night, before you went to sleep…"

"No! You mean before you drugged me! How could you do that to me Keenan?"

"You weren't coping well, it just calmed you down and you feel better now, don't you?" he said calmly

"Yeah I feel fine now but you had no right to do that."

Keenan gave up all other attempts at conversation after that.

They drove in silence for a while until he slowed down and turned onto another small dirt road.

"Where are we?" asked Jenny

"I grew up here. We're safe now." He replied

"You grew up in the middle of nowhere somewhere out in the bush?" Jenny said with amusement

"You'll see." He said with a smile.

They drove for a while through the forest with Jenny getting more and more curious every minute. Finally they came to a tall silver gate with security guard.

"You needed a security guard?" she asked worriedly

Keenan laughed then replied "No, it's really just for show."

"Oh, okay then." She laughed

They drove up to the guard and Keenan flashed some fancy looking ID card and without even looking around, saying a word or touching a button the gate opened.

"That was spooky." Said Jenny

"It's considered normal around here." Replied Keenan

"Where exactly do you live Keenan?" Jenny asked in wonder, she had never seen a place like it. As they drove through the gate she stared out her window at the buildings that were so perfectly blended into the back drop of the bush they could barely be seen. Keenan watched her and stopped the car outside of a large building in the centre of the village. He ran around to Jenny's side of the car and helped her out.

"This is my home." He said as he watched her to catch her reaction

"It's beautiful." She said studying the building in front of her. A small bald man came rushing from the open door at the entrance of the building.

"Keenan!" he yelled clearly angry, "We expected you two hours ago!" Keenan just shrugged and gave the man a sympathetic smile.

"We got lost uncle Bazz." He lied

"That's no excuse for keeping us waiting." He said more calmly now. Keenan could see Jenny was confused so he gave her a light tug on the arm and lead her inside. She hadn't said a word since the little baled man came out.

"Jen, this is my dad's brother, uncle Bazz." He introduced them

"Hi." Said Jenny softly

"So you're the famous girl we've been looking for." He said looking her up and down. She gave Keenan a look as if to say who is this, but just said

"I have to go, but I'll meet you later for dinner. Okay?" he asked and gave her his most charming smile, he saw her relax a little as he left to find his mother. Jenny didn't know his mother lived here, she thought she lived at the beach somewhere. But in truth she had never left the place and had lived here her whole life. Keenan knew where she would be, in the drawing room, it was her place of refuge and as a child all memories of his mother where in that room. He knocked slightly before opening the door and sticking his head through.

"Mum?" he asked, "It's me, Keenan." He heard a rustle from the corner of the room behind some paintings.

"Keenan?" came a soft voice, "Come in." for as long as he could remember his mum had been a beautiful young woman who everyone looked up to but as he rounded the corner he saw none of that. He stared, shocked, at the figure laying on the soft bed near a window.

"Mum?" he breathed

"It's ok Keenan" she soothed. He tried to remember her flawless skin from the past instead of the scared, bruised and trembling woman who sat before him.

"What happened?" he asked, tears in his eyes

"There was an attack about two weeks ago, they came and took Melissa." Her voice catching at the name. Melissa had been Keenan's best friend since they were little, she was a servant girl and he was the queen's son but they never left each other's side throughout their childhood.

"I'm dying son." She whispered, breaking his thoughts, "They need a new leader."

He stared at her in shock, "How?" he said bewildered

"I need a new heart, mine is failing."

"But you can't die!" He said, "Who will rule them?" he said gesturing to the village outside the window.

"That would be you." Keenan turned to face the new voice; he hadn't even heard anyone enter. "You are the only heir left after your sister died." Keenan stared up at a man he had only seen a few times in his life.

"What do mean?" Keenan asked "What about Jenny?"

"She will return to Gertrude the slave handler." Said the man, Keenan recognised him but couldn't give a name.

"No!" he yelled, "I love her, she can't be a slave!"

"Keenan there's no other choice, you brought her back to us, back to her home, but she has no family. You know the rules" croaked his mother. He couldn't believe it; he had risked his life for almost two years protecting the girl he loved before he could bring her back to her real home, now she would be branded a slave and he could never love her. He ran from the room, his mother's voice calling him back, fading as he got further from the room. When he had calmed more, he decided to find Jenny and explain to her what was happening. As he walked towards the kitchen, Keenan could hear laughter, Kenny's voice and another, one he knew all too well. He burst through the door into the kitchen to find Jenny sitting on a stool and Finn telling her about he had met Keenan. They both turned as he entered, the smile never leaving Jenny's face.

"Keenan, Finn was just telling me all about you." She said

"All that bad stuff I bet." Said Keenan smiling, "Hey Finn, long time no see." He gave Finn a hand shake. He had known Finn for a few years before he left to find Jenny. Finn was different from anyone who lived in the village, he was found on the side of the road unconscious one day and an old farmer carried him back here. No one knows anything more about him though. "So how did you two meet?" he asked a little disappointed he couldn't talk to Jenny alone.

"We actually met on the first day of school this year." Said Jenny

"How did you know where we were?" he asked suspiciously

"I was just around." Finn said defensively

"Whatever." Keenan said, he would question Finn later when Jenny wasn't around. "Jenny I need to talk to you, alone." He said

"Okay, I get it." Said Finn, "See you later Jenny, Keenan." And he left them in peace.

"You have some explaining to do." Jenny said after Finn left

"I no. I have to tell you something Jenny, my mum doesn't live at the beach, and she's actually upstairs. And she's the queen." He said in a rush, "I'm the prince and she's dying so soon I will be king and rule over the village." He said this more so he could believe it rather than her. Jenny sat in silence for a while before Keenan started talking again. "You have no family here and so they are forcing you to become a slave."

"What?" she said in alarm

"Jenny I know is a shock but you just have to trust me okay?" she nodded and he went on, "You know how we were going to run away, well now is our only chance. I don't want to be king and I don't want you to be a slave. I love you Jenny." Keenan couldn't believe he had just said that to her but she just looked at him for a second then said "Keenan I love you." She smiled and kissed him.