Zoe's part of the story was before the revolution. She had become disenchanted by the abuse of power and decadence of her social class. She was no teenager actually but a young woman nevertheless . She travelled many places and held a home and parlour full of artists writers and revolutionaries far away from her strict, conservative husband. He petitioned the zar to freeze her immense fortune , which was her own not their shared, to force her home. When that did not work he tried to kidnap her ... he wanted to lock her in an asylum or convent thankfully she was smart and always got away ...