Hello everyone! I hope you are enjoying the story so far. I wanted to let you know that the symbol {-} means a short lapse in time for the characters. The symbol {…} means a long lapse in time. Thank you all again for viewing, following, and reading!

Chapter 4:

The news of Lord Fredric's impending arrival had spread like wildfire and not just in the manor, but all across the city. Alcina had received many letters and flowers from friends, family and strangers. The positive reception was welcomed, but there were others who saw it negatively. Those who opposed the war would shout profanity and threats. Alcina ensuring there were guards on a 24 hour watch around the estate, would also keep Josie and Helena close.

There had been a few instances where these rebels would ride by the manor and throw eggs, rocks and anything else they got their hands on. Propelling them at the house and smashing windows in the process.

She had contacted officials, who were keeping an eye out for the vandals, arresting a few and continuing to search for the other culprits.

"Mother, may we go outside and play?" Josie inquired.

Alcina having kept the girls inside throughout the week, decided to allow them to go outside, but as long as a guard was with them.

Helena did not mind having the guard with them, but Josie hated it. She could not do her usual exploration. The guard would order them to stay close to the house and ensure they did not go past the stonewall.

"This is boring. We can't do anything," Josie whispered to Helena.

"There is nothing we can do about it," Helena said. "Just be grateful Mother allowed us to go outside at all."

Josie scowled, unsatisfied.

There had to be a way to get the guard off their back long enough for her to go over the stonewall. Green eyes scanned around and around when she found the answer. Near the estate were a cluster of peach trees, and oh darn she didn't have a basket to put them in!

"What are you doing?" Helena said, noting the roguishness on her sister's face.

"Shh," she hummed, skipping over to the trees. "Oh poo! I would so love to collect peaches, but the baskets are inside!" she looked over to the guard with the sweetest smile she could muster. "Would you please go into the kitchen and grab two for my sister and I?"

The guard was apprehensive. Not trusting to leave them alone, especially Josie.

"Pleeeassse?" Josie said. "I cross my heart my sister and I will be right here when you get back. The kitchen door is right there. You'll be able to watch us from the window."

The guard eyed around the area, hoping to find another guard to stand by to watch them, but there was no one else around. Cursing under his breath, he snapped:

"Listen to me, Miss, if you run off—your mother will ensure you never go outside without an escort. Mark my words."

"There is no need to worry about that, Aresian," Josie said. "Now will you please hurry up."

Aresian grumbling with irritation under his breath, entered into the side door and kept it open.

Once he had entered inside, Josie grabbed Helena's wrist and ran straight for the stonewall.

"What are you doing?" Helena shouted.

"We're going to the pond! Now run faster!" Josie laughed, soaring over the stonewall in one leap.

"Josie!" Helena said, just managing to get over the wall and land clumsily to the earth. "Let go of me. Mother is going to be very cross with us when she learns we disobeyed."

"Then by all means go back," Josie said, slowing once the manor was out of eyeshot.

Helena pulled her wrist away from her little sister, glaring after her as Josie pranced further and further away.

"Little idiot," she hissed, running after her when she disappeared down the hillside.

{-}

By the time Helena reached the pond, Josie had already spotted five frogs, two turtles and a pair of ducks with ducklings. Josie pulling out of her dress pocket a cloth, unwrapped it to reveal a stale piece of bread.

"You little sneak," Helena said. "You had planned this from the start, didn't you?"

"I do not know what you mean," she said, feigning innocence with a shrug and batting eyelashes.

"Don't play coy with me, Sissy," Helena said, watching Josie toss some of the bread out into the water and the ducks gobble it up.

"Pretty birds," Josie giggled, making the pieces smaller and tossing them further out. "Want to try?"

Helena nodded, taking the offered piece and tossing bits of it out.

"Helena, do you think Daddy will be home soon?"

"I do," she said, watching the mother and father ducks corralling their young back to the safety of the shore.

"I hope so. It would make Mother happier," Josie said, brushing away the crumbs and moving further around the pond to find more creatures.

"You are rather astute for an eight-year old," Helena said.

"And you are rather obtuse for a twelve-year old," Josie teased.

"What do you mean by that?" Helena said, starting to chase after Josie.

Josie laughed with glee, running around the pond to evade Helena.

"Get back here, Josie!" Helena said. "You are getting your dress soiled! Mother is going to tan your backside."

"And you as well!" Josie said, picking up a handful of mud and throwing it at Helena.

Splat!

It hit her directly in the stomach.

"You little—You dirtied my dress!"

Now it was war.

Josie and Helena picking up mud and tossing it at one another. All the creatures living in or around the pond watched the battle from a safe spot. Uncertain why these creatures were creating so much ruckus.

"Josie!" Helena ran straight at Josie, who tried to get away, but her shoe had gotten stuck in the mud.

"Hel—"

Too late!

Helena tackled her sister to the ground and smeared her face with mud.

"There, you little Rasputin."

"Not fair! My foot got stuck."

"Well, you shouldn't have started this battle, then."

Josie pouted, wiping away the mud from her face and taking a long look at her dirtied dress.

"Mother is going to kill us."

"It's not so bad… After all, they are just dresses."

Josie was surprised to hear her sister say that. She who cared so much about appearances to say such a thing.

"Give me your hand," Helena said. "Let's get you out of the mud."

It took a few yanks, but both Josie and shoe escaped the hold of the mud.

"I think it is time to go home."

"Oh, don't leave just yet…"

Both girls went rigid at the sight of three men approaching them from behind. They were in their mid-twenties and looked as if they had never bathed a day in their life. One of the men in the middle winked at Helena, smiling to reveal yellow teeth, but that was not what Helena was paying attention to.

No, it was the clubs in their hands that frightened her. Pulling her sister behind her as the men started to circle around them, the one in the middle paused for a moment—squinting his eyes and then whistling.

"Look at this, friends, do you recognize these lovely cherubs?"

The two stared hard at Josie and Helena.

"No, who are they?"

"They are the daughters of General Fredric Stanislav and his lovely wife, Alcina."

"Is that right? What a lucky day this is. We can hold them for ransom and collect a bundle of cash."

"Exactly, though I'm thinking we could get a little more out of the black haired one," the man in the middle licked his lips, eyes traveling up and down her body.

"Josie," Helena whispered over her shoulder, feeling her sisters grip on her back. Her body trembling with fear as she shifted closer to her. "I need you to run. Run straight home."

"I-I don't think I can," Josie whimpered.

"You must! You are fast. Faster than a bolt of lightning. Now go! Get Mother; the guards. Hurry up!"

"Stop whispering!" the man on the left snarled, waving his club about threateningly.

It was no use, Josie was paralyzed and left Helena to make a decision. Allow themselves to be taken, or fight as hard as she could. She could feel her knees buckling at the thought.

'I can't. Look at me. To even consider taking them on. Impossible. I'm too weak.'

"Philip; Rune, take them now."

Helena wrapped her arms tightly around her sister, staring the men down as they now loomed over them. She shut her eyes and waited for hands to grab her, but instead she heard one man yell out in pain.

"What the he-ahh!"

Helena opened her eyes and saw an arrow lodged in Philip's shoulder.

"Son of a-!" Rune was cut off as an arrow whizzed past his face, giving him a small laceration to his cheek.

"There!" the man in the middle pointed.

Helena turned and saw it was Aresian charging towards them with someone else with a bow in hand.

"Mother."

Alcina marched straight towards the men, who futilely tried to attack; however, Aresian easily sent them sprawling to the ground with his sword.

"Lady Alcina!"

Alcina calmly handed over the bow to Aresian, picking up Philip's club and pointing at each man with it.

"If you pieces of filth /ever/ come near my daughters or tread on my property again!"

"You will be sorry for this. You haven't seen the last of us!"

"Leave!" she bellowed, taking a step forward. "Or shall I demonstrate more of my skills with a bow?"

The men passing on the offer left as fast as they possibly could.

"What are we going to do, Rell? Roderick won't be pleased with us."

"Don't matter. We were merely scoping out the area. When we get back and report, he'll tell us our next move…"

Alcina watched the men disappear into the forest. She didn't recognize them, but sensed she would indeed be seeing them again…

"Mother we—"

"Home," Alcina said, not looking at Helena as she passed her by. Grabbing hold of Josie's little hand and pulling her along.

A tight knot had formed in her chest. Nothing was worse than her mother's cold shoulder. The way she didn't look at her, or acknowledge her. Helena's shoulders were shaking with emotion, staring after her mother with both shame and guilt.

"Come along, Miss Helena," Aresian said softly, touching her shoulder to guide her forward.

Helena stiffly walked in the direction of home. Her mind weaving all sorts of harsh punishments her mother would sentence her with. She was barely aware of when they did reach the manor. Phoebe berating her by the state she was in and quickly getting her out of the dress to clean.

"Bath!" Phoebe pointed.

Helena numbly got into the bathtub and accepted the harsh scrubbing. Not even caring that her skin was red and raw from it.

"You are to remain in your room for the rest of the day."

Helena listened as Phoebe locked the door, and that was when she took her hairbrush and hurled it against her vanity mirror. The sight of the glass shattering fueling her rage further, she started to throw books across the room; shoes; her dresses. Ten minutes later, she finally crashed down onto her bed and allowed the hot angry tears to fall; stifling her sobs by burying her face into her pillows.

A few hours later and the sound of a key unlocking the door woke Helena from her nap. She rubbed her eyes, seeing it was her mother who stood in the doorway and was looking around the room in opened mouth shock.

Helena said nothing, about ready to lay her head back down on her pillow, when Alcina slammed the door behind herself. She felt a knot form in the pit of her stomach, deciding it would be wiser to sit up and face her mother rather than keep her back to her.

Even as she did so, Helena could barely meet her mother's gaze. She did not have to say a word to express her disappointment. Without a word Helena got off her bed and started to tidy things back up. Placing books back on shelves, replacing brushes; perfumes and the jewelry back in their designated spots. She then bent down to collect the glass when her mother finally spoke.

"I will have Phoebe take care of that. I do not want you getting cut. Take a seat back on your bed, I wish to speak with you."

Helena sat on the edge of her bed, Alcina took a seat right beside her.

"Why did you disobey me, Helena? I told you and Josie to remain in the yard."

Helena clenched her fists, feeling emotions rising up from her chest.

"I didn't, Mother. Josie left me no choice."

"We all have a choice," Alcina said softly, keeping her voice level. "What you chose was to go along with your sister to the pond, correct? For I have a hard time believing an eight-year old has the physical power to drag a twelve-year old there."

"I-I did not want her going alone. I knew she would get herself into some kind of trouble, which was why-"

"Made the choice to go," Alcina finished, glancing down at her eldest. "Which is the reason why I am not blaming you entirely for what happened today. You both will receive the same consequences for your actions."

Helena said nothing at first. Fidgeting with her fingers before asking:

"Mother, were you always brave? Did you always have the courage like you showed today with those three men?"

"Of course not," Alcina tittered, recalling asking her own mother a similar question. "Having courage is not something you can master. In this life there will always be struggles and challenges we all face. And in that moment you must make a choice whether to act courageously or not. It is not easy, darling." She then eyed around the room, leaning closer to Helena. "May I share a secret with you?"

"Yes," Helena said, scooting closer to her mother to hear what she had to share.

"I was very afraid in that moment. Seeing those men about to grab you. My entire body was shaking the whole time."

"Really?" Helena said. "But you never showed it. Unlike me. All I could do was stand there paralyzed."

"That is not what I witnessed. When I stood on the hill, I saw you standing in-between them and Josie. That is bravery, my girl, and I was very proud. Proud to see that both you and Josie truly are my heirs. You both are the ones who will carry the twin swords."

"What?" Helena cocked her head, confused.

"Do you see the necklace I wear? This emblem represents House Dimitrescu, which stands for feminine power, and the swords symbolize the two strongest Dimitrescus' to protect our house. The house you, Josie and I come from."

"Who wields them now?"

Alcina tittered.

"My mother had bequeathed me the second sword, but when she died the responsibility of finding the second wielder fell on me. And after what I witnessed today, I have decided that both you and Josie are worthy."

Helena started to smile.

"Really?"

Alcina wrapped her arm around Helena's shoulders, resting her chin on the top of her head.

"Yes, my darling. You two are my legacy and you will continue to uphold my bloodline. The swords you both now wield are within your hearts. Bravery and strength. "