AN: I don't own Victorious or any of the characters. I just keep them alive through my stories. I make no money from my use of these Characters.

Chapter 2: Keep It to Yourself

The two girls found time to play together. Tori would walk the two miles to the village whenever her work was finished. She loved the fact that Jade never seemed to have any chores to do, so she had all kinds of time to play. Tori discovered that if she wanted to play with Jade all she had to do was go to the castle gate and ask a palace guard and they would send someone to find her.

Tori thought that Jade's father must be well liked in the palace, because everyone seemed to know Jade and had no problem doing whatever she wanted. If Jade wanted to go somewhere she just did. She didn't seem to have to ask anyone for permission. If she wanted something someone seemed to show up with it and she had it.

One day the girls had planned to go explore the surrounding area behind the castle. When Jade showed up at the front gate she was wearing a wool tunic and leather leggings and boots. She had a leather belt with a brass spyglass hanging from it. It wasn't a sword, but it was still something that Tori had never seen.

Tori stopped and knelt down to pet Sammy. She was rubbing his ears and petting him. Then she turned to Jade and asked, "Why doesn't he get to sleep on your bed anymore?"

"What? How did you know he doesn't get to sleep on my bed?" Jade was very confused.

"Sammy told me. He said you used to let him sleep with you, but the last two nights he had to sleep alone in another room. He is very sad at night now and is confused as to what he did wrong." Tori said with a very concerned face.

"Well Fuller said I would get fleas from him if I let him sleep with me. So she made him sleep in the great room." Jade said.

"He doesn't like Fuller. She hit him a couple of days ago for nothing at all and he had to growl at her." Tori said.

"She said he growled for no reason. That witch hit him. I should hit her the old cow." Jade said. "We should get going."

They ran through the meadows heading up to the hills that stretched out to the horizon. The hills were as green as emeralds and the sky was clear. It was a great day for exploring and using your imagination.

Sammy joined them chasing through the tall grass and trying to catch grasshoppers and ground hogs. He was having as much fun as they were having. When he found a stream he tried to catch a fish. Sammy wasn't much of a fish dog. He did have a lot of fun though.

The hillsides were studded with very old rounded rectangular stones about the size of a loaf of bread. Once they got to the top of one of the hills they found a series of low walls made from the same stones. Some of the stones were broken like they had been hit with something very hard.

This captured Tori's imagination right away. "Do you know what this place was?"

"I have heard my father and others talk about it. This was built in the time of his great great grandfather. It was called Windborne Keep. It was the first castle here in Windborne. I was told there was a great battle and it was destroyed but the invaders were defeated. That was when they decided to build Windborne Castle down by the river and this one was forgotten." Jade told the story as she had memorized it from hearing it time and time again.

Tori ran to highest wall, which was about three feet tall. She crouched down and called out, "Jade I see the invaders coming. Bring your spyglass and see them."

Jade played along with the game and ran to the wall pretending that it was very important that she not be seen. She took out her spyglass and peeped over the edge of the old wall. Even though Jade could not see anything of course, but she played the game anyway. "I can see over one hundred Turds riding heavy horses all in armor!"

"Turds?" Toir questioned.

"Yes that is the ancient enemy that sacked this keep. At least that is the story that my grandfather told me." Jade stated. It was not really the Turds, but the Turrids. The Turrids had been the enemy of Windborne for generations. They were indeed the ones who sacked the keep two hundred years ago, but at a great loss that made them weak for over a century.

"If you say so. I will load the catapult to defend. You should ready the archers." Tori said gathering stones together and started heaving them over the low wall. In her mind she was squashing knights and horses as they rode forward. Jade took a handkerchief from her pocket and raised it high above her head and then in one swift movement she brought it down pretending to release the deadly arrows of a thousand archers with long bows creating a rain of death below.

"To your sword the Turds are scaling the wall!" Tori yelled and they shadow boxed the invisible soldiers with their invisible swords. Tori feigned taking a wound and fell to the ground as she dispatched her foe. Jade finished off her attacker and went to her friend's side. She propped Tori up so that she might hear her dying words.

"I am dying Jade. The wound is too deep. Take these men and lead them well. They are yours now. You are and always will be my dearest friend. I love you Jade." Then Tori closed her eyes and let her body go limp as if she had died.

Jade laid her body on the ground and stood and raised her sword arm and shouted, "In Tori's name to the walls!" Then she ran to the wall swinging her arm wildly until she could no longer raise it. Then she fell on the ground next to Tori and the two laughed for a long time. Neither had ever had so much fun in their entire life. They were more than friends they were like sisters.

This game filled a lot of their days in one variation or another. Jade always ended up leading the army to victory against the Turrids. It was while playing one of these games that they discovered a hole. The hole in the ground was bigger than a badger hole, but smaller than a den a wolf might use for her pups.

Tori cautiously threw rocks into the hole listening for any sound. No sound other than the rock hitting other stones reported back. Jade decided that the next time they came back she would bring a torch from the castle and a flint to light it. She wanted to explore this hole more.

On their way home Jade finally asked Tori, "Did Sammy really tell you about not sleeping on my bed?"

"Yes, didn't he tell you?" Tori asked surprised.

"Dogs can't talk Tori." Jade said firmly.

"Uh ya they can. All animals can talk just like humans. Can't you hear him calling you to come and help him get the ground hog he has chased down the hole?" Tori asked with a very confused look on her face.

"No he is just barking like all dogs do." Jade said thinking Tori was either playing a trick on her or using her big imagination again.

"I talk to all animals. Chickens are especially dumb so I don't talk to them. It helps when mom has one for supper, because I don't know them personally, but horses, cows, cats and dogs talk to me all day long. Is there something wrong with me?" Tori asked.

Her parents just thought that it was cute and something she would grow out of with time, but Tori didn't. She usually never said anything to anyone she didn't trust because they made fun of her, because animals didn't talk to them made them jealous.

Jade decided to let it go because she didn't want to anger her new friend. Deep down inside she wanted to believe that Tori could talk to animals, but she had never met anyone who could talk to animals before. It would take a lot of convincing for her that her friend had a talent she had never heard of.

The next day Tori made a major discovery. She arrived at the gate as usual, but the guard must have been called away for a few minutes. She decided that she would go find Jade herself. She really didn't have any idea where she was going as she had never been anywhere near the castle before. She wandered through the main arch and past the outer wall.

She found peasants doing many different jobs once she was inside the wall. There were women doing laundry and cooking a large pig over a pit. Men were washing and brushing horses and moving broken rocks to the areas where building was taking place. She discovered an entire other village inside the walls of the castle.

Tori asked an old woman who was feeding chickens where she might find her friend Jade. The old woman looked at her and laughed and pointed to an archway. Tori thanked her and continued to wander through the arch.

This arch lead through the keep and into the main buildings. There were servants rushing around cleaning this and that and moving dishes and such. She followed one such servant who was carrying at tray of wine, no so close as to be seen, just close enough not to lose her way. The wine had to be going to someone, maybe they would know where Jade was.

Tori watched as the servant placed the wine down on a small table and then exited the room. She then saw a man open a secret door in the wall and cross the hall and go through another secret door.

She followed him and used her little fingers to locate the edge in the wall. She then pushed on it and the wall opened. She crept into the room and found the man sitting on a large padded couch.

"Hello." Tori said meekly.

"Well hello there little lady." The man answered. "What is your name?"

"I am Victoria, but my friends call me Tori."

"How might I help you m'lady?"

"I am not a lady. I am a little girl. But one day I hope to be a great knight and help to save the kingdom for the King!"

"Is that so? You know that all the knights are presently men?"

"I know, but that will have to change. See once the King sees how good I am with a sword. He will want to make me a knight. I hear that he is a wonderful man who is very wise, but sometimes drinks too much wine."

"Is that so? How do you know that? Have you ever met him?"

"No. I am sure I will know him when I see him. He is seven feet tall and stronger than a field horse. He shines because his skin is the colour of gold. I told my friend that and she told me that it is not true. She told me that he drinks too much and that he often falls asleep at fancy meals. I told her that she was wrong and if the King ever found out she said that she would be thrown in the tower."

"Who is this friend of yours?"

"Her name is Jade. Her father works somewhere around here. He must be well liked because everyone we run into knows Jade. She is very nice, but she has a bit of a temper."

"If everyone likes her father then the temper must come from her mother!"

"I don't know, but that would make sense. Do you know my friend? We are supposed to be going out adventuring today, but she is nowhere to be found. You seem to know your way around here maybe you can help me find her. We would let you come with us to our secret hideout."

"I am kind of busy, but I can maybe find someone to go find her for you." The King reached over and shook a little bell that was sitting on the table next to his wine glass.

"It doesn't look like you are all that busy and you shouldn't be drinking wine when you are supposed to be working."

The King laughed as a small man suddenly appeared in the room. "This charming young lady is here for…. Jade is it?"

"Yes her name is Jade. Her father works somewhere around here, but I don't know where. She is about this tall and has beautiful long black hair down to here. She has the most incredible blue green eyes. I am sure someone must know her around here."

"Yes m'lady I shall find her." The servant said.

"I am sorry for getting you in trouble, but you shouldn't drink at work. I told you so."

The little man returned with Jade in tow. "M'lady Madam Jade." Then he disappeared again.

"Hi Jade. I got tired of waiting so I came in and looked for you, but this is a big place. I followed this guy..?" Tori said looking to her new friend.

"Call me Robert." He said.

"Robert here called a guy and he went to find you. I asked if he wanted to join us at the Keep, but he is buys."

Jade stiffened. This was more time than she ever spent in the same room as her father. She was afraid of him most of the time, but it would seem that Tori's charm had worked its magic on her father.

"Jade is it? Tori tells me that your father works here in the castle. She also tells me that you think the King drinks too much wine and falls asleep lots." The King smiled at his only daughter showing her that he would keep her secret.

"Ah yes sir… ah we should go now Tori." Jade said staring at the floor.

"Okay, well thanks for your help Robert. Maybe I will come back and visit you sometime. Have a great day. Don't work too hard." Tori laughed as she followed her friend Jade out of the room.

They walked in silence for a while and then Jade said, "Well that was a little strange." She kicked a stone on the road and watched it roll down the road.

"Why was that strange? Robert seemed like a very nice man." Tori asked Jade.

"Tori I have something to tell you. I have not been very truthful with you." Jade stared to cry and Tori went to her and hugged her to make her stop crying.

"Robert, the man you met in the castle, is my father."

"Well he seemed like a nice man. What is the big secret?"

"He doesn't call me Jade. Only you call me Jade. He calls me Jadelyn and everyone else calls me ….Princess Jadelyn" she mumbled the ending.

"I didn't quite hear you Jade. What does everyone else call you?"

She looked her friend in the eye and shyly said, "Princess Jadelyn."

"Why do they call you that?"

"They call me that because I am the Princess of Windborne. My father is the King my mother the Queen. The Keep we play in was built by my great, great, great, great whatever Grandfather. Please don't hate me."

"Why would I hate you? It is not your fault that you are a princess. Why didn't you tell me?"

"Everyone I ever played with in the past only played with me because I was the Princess and their parents told them they had to be my friend. You never asked. You just wanted to play and when we play you don't always let me win or lead the games because I am your Princess."

"No because you are just Jade. You are my friend. I won't treat you any different unless you ask me too." The two hugged and the tears turned to joy.

Jade took off the pack that she was wearing and showed Tori the torch and flint she brought to light up the cave that they found. This changed the mood and they were excited once again and ran the rest of the way to the Keep.

At the opening of the cave Jade took out the torch from her pack. It was a carved wooden handle with many layers of tightly wrapped cloth around one end. You could smell the oil that the cloth had been soaked in. She then took out a flat piece of rock called a flint.

She didn't know how to light the torch, but Tori just smiled and said, "I have seen my mother light the stove a million times. Let me do it."

Tori grabbed the torch and the flint from Jade. She lay the torch on a large rock and took a much smaller rock and struck the flint with it. Sparks showered down on the torch and after a couple of tries a large spark fell into the cloth on the torch. She blew on the spark and it grew. Soon the torch flashed and was on fire. Tori picked up the torch and passed it to Jade. Tori gathered up the flint and put it back in Jade's pack.

Now they had the light that they would need to explore the cave they found. They decided that Jade could go first as she was the one with the torch. The tunnel seemed to have actually been part of the Keep. The tunnel got much larger once they were inside. It was a bricked so it was a permanent structure at one time.

The light flickered off the walls of the tunnel as they moved slowly through the opening. They found an old rusted dagger on the floor. Tori picked it up and carried it ahead of her ready for anything that might come out of the darkness.

The tunnel opened into a large domed room that had two openings that led to it from the other side. They decided to take the tunnel to the left and follow it. There was a fair bit of rubble in the tunnel, but they were able to make it through. They pushed some of the rocks and rubble out of the way and found that the tunnel had brought them out at the bottom of the hill behind some larger rocks and some bushes. This must have been an escape route or a way to get supplies into the Keep.

They decided that they would explore the other tunnel the next day, because it was getting late. Tori hid the dagger in the bushes because there was no way her parents would let her keep it. They rushed down the path towards the castle telling stories about what could have gone on in the Keep and about adventures they could have.

The next day Jade was waiting for Tori at the gate. They ran up the path to the Keep and started back into the tunnel. Before they made it to the large chamber room they heard a small moaning sound. It was coming from the right tunnel that they were going to explore that day. Tori extended her dagger and slowly made her way down the tunnel.

"I don't think we should go in there Tori." Jade said rather worried.

"Jade I will keep you safe. I have my sword and you have a torch. It sounds like something is injured and needs our help." Tori said convinced of what she was saying.

"What if it is injured and doesn't want our help, but wants to hurt us instead." Jade said.

"You have to trust me Jade. If ever you have trusted anyone before then trust me know. I know that something needs me in there." Tori said with sad pleading eyes.

The two slowly moved towards the sound. It was getting louder and louder and became painful on the ears as they drew closer. The torch flickered and the light suddenly picked up the reflection of a pair of eyes. When the form came into view both girls froze in their tracks at the sight before them. Jade was wrong it didn't want to hurt them, it wanted to kill them.

AN: A keep (from the Middle English kype) is a type of fortified tower built within castles during the Middle Ages by European nobility.I hope you like this little story. It is going to be a little lighter fare than my previous stories, but there will still be friendship, pain, deceit, some violence and wonder. Please, please, please leave me some feedback so I know what you are thinking. Even if it is to tell me that you hate my stuff and wish I would quit polluting this site. SM.