Chapter two: The Battle
"Kay, hurry up already, your mother is waiting," Kim whined to her older cousin.
"Well she can wait a little longer. She's still going to lose," Kay replied back as she grabbed her sword.
"You have never beaten your mother."
"She hasn't beaten me either. This year I am going to win."
"I'll believe it when I see it."
Kay laughed and shoved her cousin from the room. After closing the door they made their way towards the inner courts. The whole family was gathered for the event. Many of the boys were practicing as well. Kim and Kay stopped to watch as their mother's fenced.
"Mama is getting better," Kim replied with a slight smile. "She can almost manage to stand up to Aunt Ellie."
"No one can beat Mama, she's the best there is. So one sword or two?"
"I say you should stick with one. Two is for major battles, this is your mother here."
"She can be just as bad you know."
"I heard that!" Ellie called to her oldest daughter.
"It was meant for you to hear!" Kay called back with a grin. "You ready to lose old lady?"
"Who are you calling an old lady? I could whip you for saying that."
"Only if you can catch me Mama!"
"Oh would you two grow up?" Jason called as he bent to kiss Ellie.
"Only if you two will stop making me sick. Gross!" Kay said as she pulled a face of disgust.
"You'll think differently when you get married," Ellie said with a grin as she kissed Jason again.
"Ew!" Kay, Riley, Sheryll, Mary, Ally, Risa, Carol, and Samantha said together.
"You two should just go to your room," Sheryll said annoyed.
"I agree," Carol and Samantha chimed together.
"Nasty!" Ally put in.
"Sickening," Risa added.
"Gross," Riley mumbled.
"It's absolutely horrible!" Kay, Sheryll, and Mary said together, before the three girls broke into a fit of laughter.
"You are still my children, hence there will be punishments," Ellie said as she wrapped her arms around Ally.
"Of course mother," Ally agreed.
"Yes and they all have your looks," Jason said with a sigh.
Kay herself looked the most like her mother, sporting the same long light brown hair, same slightly tanned skin, eye shape, nose, and eye color. The first set of twins, Sheryll and Mary, had a darker shade of brown hair but were shorter than their older sister. Ally had the same hair color as Jason, while her face and height was given to her by her mother. Risa looked almost identical to her name sake. The second set of twins, Carol and Samantha, were a mix of both parents. While little Riley was the spitting image of Kay. Yet each girl managed to get their mother's facial features and quiet beauty.
As part of the family inheritance, each child sported the same dark blue eyes. They had a darker shade of their parents eyes but still the same color none the less.
"What's wrong with my looks?" Ellie challenged her husband. The girl's all started snickering when they saw the gleam in their father's eyes.
"Nothing at all, I love your looks," he said just before he picked his wife up.
"Jason! Put me down! Stop it!" She cried as she tried to fight her husband's grip.
"No, I don't think I want to!"
The rest of the family was laughing at the scene. "Come on Da, I want to beat Mama," Kay whined.
"Beat me? Put me down Jason, I want to teach our daughter a lesson," she demanded of her husband.
He just chuckled and put her down. They two made their way out onto the more level ground of the indoor courts. Jamie, Kimberlee, and Elyse followed Kay down to the court. She was practically bouncing as she waited for the match to start.
"Remember, your mother has a tendency to let her arm drop," Jamie said with a smile.
"Just remember to keep moving," Kimberlee said with a smile.
Kay nodded as she watched her mother talk to her Aunts Sara and Rian. "Come on old lady I don't have all day," she taunted.
"Old lady? I'm still young enough to give you a spanking young lady," Ellie said with a smirk.
"Only if you can catch me."
"You can't beat me daughter."
"I can and will."
"Alright you two knock it off," Jason said to his wife and daughter. "Let's get on with this match shall we?"
Kay and Ellie moved to stand on either side of Jason. Their blades drawn and held so that they were aimed at the ground.
"This is a clean fight you two. First to draw blood."
Ellie and Kay smirked. "Deal," they said together.
"Then let the battle begin!" Jason called as he moved out of the way.
Ellie brought her blade up instantly while Kay swung hers out towards her mother. Ellie jumped to the side and swung her blade down at the Kay, who ducked. She lunged at her mother, her shoulder hitting Ellie's side. Ellie stumbled back and tripped over Kay's foot. Kay lunged again and moved to pin down Ellie, but she moved out of the way and Kay hit the ground with a groan. Ellie swung her sharp blade down just barely missing Kay's side by inches. Kay rolled out of the way, managing to sweep her mother's foot out from under her. Ellie recovered in time to catch herself, letting Kay get enough time to get to her feet.
The two circled, waiting for the other to make a move. Kay, seeing her mother's arm drop and lunged inside. With her arm down, she didn't have time to block the shot. Kay knocked her onto her back, the blade cutting across her left arm, drawing blood.
Kay jumped back, a huge grin on her face. "That's it Mama," she said with a smug smile.
Ellie gazed up at her daughter, a smile on her face. "I think she beat me," she said with a shake of her head.
"Told you."
"Well, that was the shortest battle I've seen you two have," Jason said as he helped Ellie to her feet.
"I've been practicing," Kay said with a shrug.
Ellie smiled and hugged her daughter. "Congratulations sweetheart. You really are the best now."
"Only because of you."
"Congrats!" Jamie, Elyse, and Kim said as they hugged their cousin.
"On to the next matches," Jason called with a smile.
Ellie took a seat between Sara and Rian, who were smiling at her. "She's getting better," Ellie said with a soft smile as she watched her oldest daughter sit with her cousins.
"How much longer until you pass her the throne?" Rian asked as she bandaged her sister's arm.
"Two years," Ellie said.
"Does she know?" Sara asked.
"Not yet. We are planning on telling her soon enough."
"What are you waiting for?"
"Letting her enjoy some time with the family."
"Dancing begins soon," Rian said happily.
The night wore on with the massive dancing contest between the younger children. Singing came next, with a beautiful harmony from the instruments. That celebration lasted well into the late hours of the night. Part way through Jamie was taken off by all thirteen of the family.
It was six days later, when the whole family was scheduled to make their trip to the coast. The first to leave was going to be Kay, Jamie, Kimberlee, Elyse, Riley, Jasmine, Lavender, and Kayla. The next was going to be Marie, Callie, Katherine, Angelina, Ally, and Autumn.
Younger children were generally paired with some of the older ones but mainly the eldest would be there to head off the rest so that way there were people to look after. The third carriage would bring a few of the aunts.
"You all set?" Ellie asked as she looked at the children.
"Yes Mom," Kay said with a smile.
"Alright, we will be heading along not long after."
"We know," Jamie, Kay, Kimberlee, and Elyse said with a smile.
"Behave."
"We always do," Elyse said with a laugh.
"Bye," Jason called as he waved to his two daughters and numerous nieces.
"Bye!" Riley said as she ran to hug him.
"Does anyone else find this trip to be highly boring?" Kim asked as she played with her younger sister Lavender.
"It always is," Kay said with a laugh. "It's always way more fun when we get to the coast."
"The sun, the beach!" Elyse said with a grin. "It's great."
"Got to love it," Jamie said.
Suddenly shouting could be heard and the sound of screams.
Jamie threw open the door to the carriage, ducking as a sword tried to hit her. She rolled out while Kay's sword plunged into the attackers side.
"Stay here," Elyse commanded Jasmine. "Don't let them out of your sight."
Kimberlee was already out of the carriage, two men were already down.
The four of them were keeping the attackers at bay near the carriage, trying desperately to protect their younger siblings and cousins. It seemed hopeless, they were outnumbered three to one. Their guards were falling to the ground, dead.
"Yield," one of them called.
"No!" Kay screamed.
"Drop your weapons," someone commanded from behind them.
The girls turned to look, seeing the younger ones being held captive.
"Let them go!" Jamie cried desperately.
"See we can't do that," the man said with a smirk. "We have orders to take all of you."
"Take us," Kimberlee begged desperately. "Don't take them, their only children!"
"Take us," Kay begged as well as she gazed at her crying baby sister.
"We should leave the children," one of the other men said. "We were only to get three of the older ones remember."
"Who's it going to be then?" He questioned. "The Heir, the eldest, but which of the twins?"
Kimberlee and Elyse exchanged glances.
"Me!" Kim said before her sister could answer. "I'm the oldest."
"Kim, don't do this," Elyse begged.
"It's either me or you and I'd rather know that you are safe with them," she said indicating towards the younger ones.
"You have to let them go," Kay said desperately. "You have to let them get back or we will fight to the death."
"Bold words."
"I intend to make sure my family makes it out of here alive. I want your word that they can make it out of here alive and they are not to be touched."
"What makes you think you have a right to tell us what to do?" He demanded harshly.
"Because you need us, that's the whole point of this. So if you don't have us what good is it going to do you? Give me your word that they will be safe or I'll make sure you are dead," Kay growled.
"Fine, fine, you have our word," he said with a roll of his eyes. "You, take them and go."
Elyse ran to her younger cousins, picking up Riley. She turned to look back at her sister and cousins before pushing the others to run.
"Kay!" Riley cried desperately. "Kay! No!"
Kay watched them run, tears in her eyes as she listened to her sister's fading voices. Slowly, her sword slipped from her hand. Jamie and Kimberlee slowly dropped their weapons.
Their hands were quickly bound but none of the girl's made any attempt to fight off their attackers.
"Let's get these girls to the shipping yards," the man said with a laugh. "I have just the man who will be able to sell you two off."
The girls just glared at the man.
"You know I thought we were supposed to be sent to someone," Jamie snapped.
"No, just taken to the slave trades."
The three girls blanched. "A slow and painful death! Aren't we lucky?" Kimberlee said with a roll of her eyes.
"Quick and painless is how I prefer it," Kay said thoughtfully.
"Definitely," Kim and Jamie echoed.
"Shut up," he snapped as he hit Kay in the back of the head.
"Hey! No hitting or I'll skin you."
He rolled his eyes again. It was onto the slave trades for them.
A/N: This story will be VERY slow to update which is why its partially on hold but I am still working on it for my own satisfaction. I intend to completly rewrite 'My mother's secret' with more details and longer chaps, this one has a few short chapters but they will get longer as time goes on. I am trying to fit it in between working on my HP fanfics so its a bit hard. Well enjoy.
Seritha
