Helena is asleep when the disturbance happens, and before she's even fully awake she's drawn the knife from under her pillow and launched herself at the intruder. There's a yelp, and the pair of them crash to the ground where they roll around in a messy grapple for a while before she regains the upper hand and pins them down. But then long-fingered, familiar hands are grasping her wrist as a similarly familiar voice hisses something into the darkness.
"Stop, it's me!" Michael whispers loudly, and Helena's eyes adjust to the darkness to see wide green eyes staring up at her from a pale face topped by wild chestnut curls. She sighs and climbs off the boy, holding out a hand to help him up.
"You shouldn't sneak up on people like that darling." She drawled, amused as she saw his cheeks flush slightly in the moonlight. Shaking her head the thief goes to light a lamp and then sits herself on her bed. She's not wearing much, but then Michael had made it clear he knew she was actually a woman not long after he began to frequent the pub on his own. Still, he flushes a bright red at the sight of her in only her underthings and she rolls her eyes at how he 'respectfully' turned around even as she grabbed a large shirt and pulled it on to save his sensibilities.
"Are you decent?" The boy squeaked out and Helena couldn't help but chuckle even as she slipped into a pair of breeches.
"As much as I ever am darling." She teased and was rewarded with an arched eyebrow and shake of the head in reply. Something was obviously bothering the boy, but since he wasn't talking at the moment Helena went to the door and found Claudia curled up on a pallet in the hall. It was ridiculous really, the girl had her own bed. But she preferred sleeping outside Helena's room. Still, it made things easier when she blinked up at Helena in drowsy confusion.
"Could you get me a picther of water and two cups please darling?" She asked, fondly pushing tousled red locks out of the girl's cat-like face. She nodded and scampered downstairs to the small kitchen they had as Helena turned back to the boy standing awkwardly in her room. He was young, but already nearly as tall as she and sure to surpass her soon.
"So Michael, what brings you out here in the middle of the night so urgently?" She asked, leaning back against the wall by the door and arching one dark eyebrow. He ducked his head and muttered an apology for disturbing her sleep before actually getting to the answer.
"I need you to teach me to fight, for real. Not the wrestling and stuff they teach at the palace. I need to know how to defend myself." He said, voice and jaw firming as he spoke. Needless to say Helena was intrigued, after all when does a page need to fight dirty or defend themselves in a way not taught in their training. Her thoughts must show more on her face than she thought, or Michael had picked up more of her body language than expected, because he shuffled his feet a little awkwardly.
"There's a boy in the palace, an older page. I can't have the others defending me all the time, they won't always be there." He explained softly and Helena made a soft sound of understanding, nodding, before they were interrupted by a knock on the door. She opened it to let Claudia in, carrying the pitcher and cups.
"Thank you dear, it may be a bit difficult for you to sleep out there right now though. I'm going to be showing Michael how we fight here in the city." Instead of going to her own room Claudia smiled and moved herself to Helena's bed, making herself a nest of sorts among the blankets and then settling in to watch. This only made Michael blush more but he didn't say anything, just nodded and started to pull off his boots.
And so a pattern was set. Twice a week Michael would sneak out of the palace for a late night lesson in what Helena called 'real fighting'. Claudia watched, and sometimes joined in on the lessons. Helena decided it would be good experience for the girl in defending herself, and also good experience for her student in not underestimating anyone. It was almost two months later that Helena deemed the boy ready, and he'd been growing like a weed the whole time. Helena had stopped growing at a modest height, but Michael had shot past her in just the time she'd known him and his body seemed to promise more growth in the future.