Of Blades and Secrets

The True Treasure

"Helle?''

Hellaya smiled at her mother as she swept the door open. "Hello Maman."

Her mother's answering smile was nothing short of comforting. "Oh, sweet darling. Lianne look, Helle has come."

"Helle?" came her little sister's voice as she crept towards the door, "Helle! Oh!" Lianne barreled into her, practically flinging herself onto her elder sister.

Hellaya laughed as Lianne's weight settled into her. "Li-Li!" she exclaimed, "You are getting much too heavy for me now."

"You're getting heavy too, did you know?"

"Hmph," Hellaya feigned a look of mock offence. "Such cheek, and only at eleven years old! I shall throw you out onto the streets!" Hellaya grinned as Lianne giggled. She loved visiting her family, even if they were not hers by blood. And as her little sister tugged on her arm, a blissful sort of warmth filled the inside of her chest.

~

"Tell me the story again." seated on the wooden floor of her family's house, Hellaya glanced up at her father. "Please?"

"Very well, little Helle," her father conceded. Lianne clapped her hands together.

"We used to live near the woods, you know. Nowhere near the palace. It was just your mother and I, in our humble cottage. Life was hard, but it was peaceful. And happy," Hellaya's father added hastily.

"Then one day we heard screams from the woods. I didn't dare go to look, you know, we were quite frightened. There were soldiers combing the area mere hours after we heard the shrieks, the next day, the woods were rather normal again. I did not intend to look still, but your mother, oh, she was brave and curious. She still is, just like you, Helle."

Hellaya couldn't see how she was brave, but she thought better of commenting.

"Your mother was the one who found you, hidden amongst the tall grass, very far into the woods. You were beautiful even then, and since we didn't have any children at that time, we decide to take you in. We raised you for three years all by ourselves. Even then, we loved you very much. This way, our life passed on. Then, on the day when the royal family were to take their annual parade throughout the city, your mother and I decided to take you to see it. We, too, had not seen it in two years.

"I remember trying to find a place near the front so you could get a good view, when the queen spotted you. She had three guards had come towards us, then lead us to a carriage. We remained there for the whole duration of the parade. And when we finally reached the palace, the king and queen pulled us aside and explained what they wanted with you."

"To make me the Lady of Loré?" Hellaya wrapped an arm around Lianne, who had now sidled up to her.

"Yes. The Lady of our fair nation. They offered to give you a place in the palace but they did not make the same offer for us. Instead, they offered us this house," her father continued, looking up at the walls. "It is quite an upgrade from our little cottage, I must say. We have lived like this ever since."

"So you don't know who left me in the woods? And surely my beauty cannot have been the only reason to proclaim me a lady?"

Her father gave her a wary look. "Hellaya, this is something I've explained to you numerous times. Your mother and I don't know who put you in the woods, nor do we know their reasons for doing so. As for the reasons behind your ladyship, it was the only reason the royal family had offered. I remember a young Princess Cyrene being delighted to see you." Hellaya's father rose and ruflled her hair. "And now, little Helle," he continued, "It is time to take Lianne up to bed."

Hellaya found that Lianne truly was asleep, small snores escaping her. Hellaya nudged her small figure. "Li-Li, come. Let us take you to bed," she whispered in her little sister's ear. A faint murmur was all she got in response. Hellaya rolled her eyes at the unresponsive child beside her. "Li-Li!" she hissed. 

In the end, Hellaya half-dragged, half-carried her sister up to her bedroom. It was quite a bothersome experience. Hellaya stood by as her sister stumbled into bed and pulled the sheets across her slight figure.

"Helle?" came her sisters voice. "Will you sing?"

Hellaya turned to take her sister's hand. "Are you scared, Li-Li?" Lianne nodded, it was a gesture so small, so swift, that one might have missed it if they blinked. So Hellaya settled onto the edge of her sister's bed and sang.

Hellaya sang of faraway lands and distant castles, of lush meadows and sweet-smelling flowers, of roaring seas and gushing waterfalls. Hellaya sang of heaven and paradise. With the crescendos and diminuendos, with the high pitches and low tones, with whispers and silk, Hellaya weaved a land pure beauty and joy.  When she finished, her sister was fast asleep.

Hellaya kissed Lianne's forehead. "Goodnight, sweet LI-Li," she whispered

~

Lianne turned to find her father standing outside Lianne's room.

"Would you like to spar?" he asked.

Hellaya had her daggers fished out in an instant. She grinned.

~

Blood pounded in her head. Her feet whirled across the smooth floor of the attic. Hellaya ducked, turned and jumped. She spun and struck, she bent and flipped. And she also had her father pinned to the ground.

Hellaya grinned as she helped him to his feet. She could not stop the rush of pride that filled her every vein.

"It is a sign that I am growing old, if you can hold me to the ground so quickly," Her father shook his head ruefully. "And in a dress too," he continued, eyeing her silk gown.

"Or perhaps it is a sign that I am getting better, Papa," Hellaya replied.

"You are already quite talented in the art of fighting , little Helle. You could have a trained soldier down in an instant."

"There is still room for improvement," she said, unable to diminish the firmness in her tone. "Perhaps we could have another round?"

"I wish we could, little Helle, but it is already dawn. Last I checked, you were still Lady of Loré." her father regarded her with arched eyebrows.

"Ugh, no. I-"

The door to the attic flew open. In the doorway stood her mother, her plump silhouette  outlined by the rays of early sunlight. "You are creating quite the racket up here, I find it infuriating!" her mother proclaimed.

"Papa and I were only sparring, Maman."

"Hmph. One would think you had an entire army here from the sound of it and- oh! I meant to remind you Helle, it is already dawn. You'd best be leaving."

At that, her father gave her a triumphant look. Twisting her features into as disgruntled an expression she could manage, Hellaya turned her face to her father. He grinned.

Hellaya's mother had already pulled her towards the stairs before Hellaya could even process her father's expression. "Helle, darling, you know how much I love having you here, but you must hurry! Goodbye, darling. Do come again soon!"

Hellaya had barely finished saying goodbye when she was bundled out the door. She regarded the property with amusement before turning to the streets again.