A couple of days after Milina’s sudden wish to learn how to fight, Elina sat on top of a hill overlooking the town, her back to an ancient tree, a green quilt of leaves shading her from the clear blue sky. From up here, the bustling villagers looked like cute colorful dolls, each moving on their predetermined paths. As Elina traced the distant town with her eyes, she felt lost, unable to figure out what she should be feeling. One moment, waves of panic and fear would close in on her from every direction. The next, a fierce sense of injustice would flare up within her, demanding her to seek out whoever was responsible for her suffering.
What’s wrong with me? This is not like me, she scolded herself as she sat up straight, rubbing her hands over her face. Looking back at the town, she pondered out loud, “How do I become strong like my sister?” No matter how terrifying or sad the last few days had been, her sister had stood tall, never questioning her actions, never bending.
Next to her, the two Salizian maids, Rose and Anna, stirred. Rose was her sister's maid but due to Elina’s state of mind, her sister thought it would be better if she were with her. Being surrounded by people she knew kept her more at ease.
“We do not know, Princess. I never knew she was that strong,” Anna replied her face filled with awe.
“The way she struck down that assassin! I was frozen in fear! But she moved as if she were trained,” Rose added, her brown eyes wide.
Everyone here knew Milina had never trained to fight as a child, but the way she was able to spring into action, something even trained soldiers had trouble doing in their first battle, was inspiring.
“She even asked Mr. Maliri to find a combat instructor for us. I don’t know if I can learn to fight,” Elina muttered, feeling her heart start to beat faster. Hearing the maids talk about that night made her feel anxious, the memories of violence still vivid in her head. During the flight from the castle, she had not even considered fighting back once, had not even noticed the saber in her sister's hand, she had been too scared, too caught up in her own fear to function.
Lost in her thoughts, Elina did not notice Rose move until she felt her give her a tight, comforting hug. “Fret not, Princess. We can learn to be brave and strong one step at a time; we don’t need to be strong overnight.” Squeezing her harder, Rose continued, “Your sister does not need my strength; let me help you.”
“Me! As well!” Anna chimed in, joining the hug.
Aware of the love the two maids had for her, Elina felt tears well up, the momentary darkness slowly slipping away. Joyful laughter escaped from her mouth as she squeezed the two back tightly, thankful they were there for her.
“Thank you.”
Feeling as if a huge weight had been lifted from her shoulders Elina gave the two maids another quick hug. Jumping up she wiped a tear from her eye. “This is not like me! I do not mope around. Let us go explore the town!”
Putting on a brave smile, she started to run down the hill, ignoring the protests from Rose and Anna as they hurriedly chased after her. “Princess please slow down! Remember what your sister told you! The town is safe, but we must be back to the manor before dark!”
Pretending to not hear the shouts of the two maids, Elina nimbly dashed past her bodyguard who was at the bottom of the hill, her light footsteps allowing her to slip by him in a flash. She had perfected the skill of running past guards when she was just a child. Laughing in amusement as the bodyguard’s gruff expression turned to one of shock, his mouth opening slightly, she grinned. Now this was more like her.
Entering the town and then the marketplace shortly after, Elina stared wide-eyed at the surrounding wonders, having spent all her life confined within the walls of a castle, every noise, smell, and action excited her. She had not expected the outside world to be so busy.
Ignoring the numerous guards watching her, she started to walk, relishing this new feeling of freedom. When she had first arrived at the manor, Mr. Maliri had informed the staff and town guards that she was a member of his extended family who was visiting, carefully concealing her true identity. As a result, the guards kept a watchful eye on her but didn’t question her presence.
Noticing her bodyguard, followed by a panting Rose and Anna catching up to her, Elina ran over to a stall. “Rose, Anna, look!” she cried, waving at them. The stall was selling a variety of dried fruits, spices, and different grains, each one a small treasure to her. As she inspected the display, she could not help but smile. “I don’t recognize some of these spices,” she said, crinkling her nose at a pile of orange powder that smelled almost like smoke. “Anna, do you recognize this?”
“I’ve never seen such spices!” Anna panted as she took in deep breaths of air. Examining the baskets of different colored spices, her eyes started to sparkle with joy, her love of cooking was well known. “Rose, do you know what this spice is used for?” she asked, pointing to a pile of fine red powder.
“That’s capsi powder, it’s extremely spicy, so don’t get it in your eyes,” Rose warned, scowling at Elina, who was examining a basket of white grain. Rose wasn’t as out of breath as Anna, but her cheeks still held a hint of red from the brisk chase down the hill. Straightening her dress, she watched as Elina turned her attention to a basket of yellow Alm powder, a smile on her lips, a mix of exasperation and amusement. It was good to see the princess smile again.
Drawn to the lively girls, a kindly grandmother tottered over, her weathered face split in a smile. “The spices are from Kandula, and the grains are from the Silkbug Kingdom,” she proudly told the girls, her raspy voice kind and warm. “They are extremely rare to find. However, you can always find some at my stall!”
“All the way from Kandula and the Silkbug Kingdom!” Elina voiced, impressed with the variety of items at the stall. Squinting her eyes at the items, she tried to match what she had read about in her books with what she was seeing. “Yellow Alm powder, Seven Leaf Spring tea, and even Runum berry!” she eagerly nodded, recognizing some of the items for sale.
“You know your stuff, my lady.”
“Thank you, but I am still learning,” Elina smiled.
As Elina carefully studied every item in the stall, her eyes noticed a plant that looked like a common weed. “Grandmother, what is this plant used for?” she asked, pointing to the plant.
“We call that the Three-Leaved Teardrop. Late in the spring, it grows little blue flowers that look like water drops before it blooms. We use it to make a healing salve,” the grandmother replied. “If you want a salve, I suggest you buy the ones that old Veston makes, he’s our town’s blacksmith.”
“The town blacksmith makes healing salves?” Rose repeated in disbelief, the unexpected news causing not just her, but also Elina and Anna to exchange confused glances at each other, frowns forming on their faces.
Laughing out loud at the puzzled looks, the grandmother smiled, the wrinkles on her face almost hiding her eyes. “All the townsfolk know to go to Veston if you want a healing salve, he sells them for cheap and they are surprisingly effective. But don’t say anything to the town healer, he’s too proud to ask the blacksmith how he gets his salves to work so well. Here, you girls take this.” Reaching behind a stall she took out a small bag of treats and placed it into Elina’s hands. “It's nothing special, but you look like you could use a treat.”
“Thank you, but we can’t take this,” Elina protested, trying to return the bag of treats, pushing the bag back at the grandmother.
Ignoring Elina’s attempts to return the sweets, the grandmother continued, her voice turning serious. “Now you girls might not know this, but make sure to stay inside the village and don’t wander around after dark. There are rumors that children from the remote villages have been going missing.”
Feeling the sudden change in the grandmother's attitude, Elina gulped. She hadn’t known that children were going missing. Hurriedly, she nodded in agreement, promising the grandmother she would be careful, the two maids by her side bobbing their heads down alongside her.
“Good, good, now go explore the market while the sun is out, there are many things you won’t find even in the capital,” the grandmother urged, smiling and waving her hand at the girls. “Remember don’t wander around at night!”
Waving goodbye to the kind grandmother, the girls moved away from the stall, glancing over at their bodyguard who was still following them, his presence reassuring.
“She’s someone you can trust,” the bodyguard grunted, motioning to the bag of treats that was still clutched in Elina’s hands. “You can eat that. And you don’t need to worry about the missing kids-Master Maliri has already assigned Captain Zenrom to look into it.”
“Who’s Captain Zenrom?” Elina asked, opening the bag of treats and popping a glazed nut into her mouth.
“He’s the captain of the Diamond Guards. He’ll be the one teaching you and your sister how to fight,” the bodyguard slowly replied, most of his attention focused on their surroundings.
Nodding in understanding, Elina popped another treat-this time a candied fruit-into her mouth. Chewing thoughtfully, she mimicked her bodyguard, her eyes scanning the stalls, merchants, and shoppers that surrounded her. While it was expected that Mr. Maliri was already handling the situation, it wouldn’t hurt if she kept an eye out too. After all, it would be quite something if she were the one to catch the kidnappers. Seeing nothing unusual-not that she knew what ordinary looked like, she linked arms with Anna and pulled her towards another stall. “Let’s keep exploring!” she announced.
The rest of the morning was spent exploring and walking through town, seeing all the wonders and delight that the markets and points of interest offered. As noon rolled around, Elina and her companions found themselves on the outskirts of the village. The buildings in this part of the village looked to be mainly for production, the sounds of sawing and hammering echoing between the shops.
“Where are we?” Elina asked, turning questioningly to her bodyguard.
“The manufacturing sector. If you want anything made, one of the shops here can make it for you.”
“Princess! Then that must be the blacksmith that the grandmother at the market was telling us about,” Anna cut in, excitedly pointing in the direction of an old stone building.
“Yes, you are correct,” the bodyguard replied, gesturing to an image of an anvil painted above the shop. “This is Old Veston’s shop. He’s actually very popular. Arcane Knights from around the continent use his weapons. I believe even General Todo uses a sword made by Old Veston.”
“We must meet this blacksmith!” Elina exclaimed, picturing herself wielding a sword. If she was going to catch the kidnappers, she would need a weapon. Grinning from ear to ear, she led everyone into the shop.
The interior of the shop was much hotter than outside, the huge furnace at the back of the shop radiating waves of heat like a mini sun. At the center of the room was a boy around Elina’s age working at the anvil, his sweat-soaked back turned to them. Picking up a hammer, the boy began rhythmically striking a piece of red-hot metal, each swing of his arms causing the metal to sing out loud.
Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
Staring at the boy in fascination, Elina watched as the metal slowly took shape, each swing of the hammer slowly transforming the formless mass of metal into something only the boy could picture in his mind. As the sounds of clattering filled the workshop, Elina walked up closer, her movement causing the boy to pause. “Hi, Winks. What brings you here?” the boy asked, glancing over Elina’s shoulder.
“Keeping an eye on the ladies,” Elina’s bodyguard replied. “They wanted to meet Old Veston.”
“My grandpa?” the boy questioned, turning to look at Elina. His dark eyes were clear and captivating as the night sky. “Grandpa Veston is out now, my lady. He should be back in a couple of hours. In the meantime, is there anything I can do for you”
“No, nothing,” Elina stammered, feeling slightly taken back as the boy’s eyes locked onto hers. Something about his eyes made her heart skip a beat. Foolish girl! she scolded herself, quickly breaking eye contact. Trying to regain her poise, she glanced at the hot metal in the boy’s hands. “What are you making? Is it a weapon?”
Hearing her question, the boy smiled. Without missing a beat, he lifted his arm and continued striking the metal before answering.
“No, my lady, this is a head for a hoe. When I have time, I make farming tools for the villagers. I’m not skilled enough to make weapons. If you want a weapon made, you can order one from Grandpa Veston when he comes back.” Inspecting his work, he returned the metal to the furnace, scratching his chin he continued. “Grandpa Veston is very famous for his weapon smithing. Even if you place an order with him today, it may take over a year to get your weapon.”
“You don’t need to worry about that,” Elina replied, noticing a small black turtle crest on the back of the boy's hand. “I’m not here for a weapon…,” trailing off, realizing what she had seen. The boy was an Arcane Warrior. Crests were not uncommon for nobility, or people in power, but it was unheard of for a common laborer to have one. Frowning slightly, she felt her curiosity piqued.
Sticking her hand-the one with the crest of a small horse-she introduced herself. “My name is Elina. This is Rose, and over here is Anna. What's your name?”
“Pri… My Lady, it’s inappropriate to introduce yourself like that to a commoner!” Rose hissed, aghast, stepping protectively in front of Elina with a scowl on her face.
“It’s alright Rose. You don’t have to be so protective of me,” Elina protested, gently pulling Rose back and extending her hand again. “I’m sure that a simple handshake won’t hurt me.”
An awkward silence filled the room as the boy looked back and forth between Rose and Elina, his expression revealing that he didn’t know how to act. Finally, looking down at his sweat-covered hands, he bowed awkwardly instead. “I am named Junius. I am pleased to meet you, my lady. Please forgive my rudeness,” he stammered.
A slight giggle escaped from Anna as she watched Junius bow, her hand covering her mouth, which in turn caused him to turn red in embarrassment. Noticing his scarlet face, Elina turned to Anna. “Anna, that was not nice. Junius, please ignore these two, and please call me Elina. I think it would be better for all of us if we were to be more relaxed.” The last part was said more towards the two maids than to Junius.
“Oh, in that case, you can call me June, everyone does,” Junius replied, scratching his head. “If you’re not here for a weapon, why are you here?”
“We heard that the blacksmith makes better healing salves than the local healer!” Anna piped up. “We came to see if he has any.”
Understating the reason the girls were there, June nodded, the awkwardness from earlier vanishing. “Unfortunately, that’s the reason Grandpa Veston’s out today. We actually sold our last salve a couple of days ago.” Turning back to the furnace he scrutinized the metal, now yellowish red from the heat. Bringing the glowing farming tool to his anvil he started to rhythmically hammer it. In between strikes of his hammer, he continued to talk. “Grandpa Veston went out to collect herbs from the mountains to make more. If you want, you can wait for a bit. He should be back soon.”
“Even if he were to come back soon, how long will it take to make the salve?” Elina asked, turning to her maids and silently judging their reaction to the wait. She wouldn’t mind waiting for a bit, but if either of her maids wanted to leave, she would not object.
“Actually, the most important and time-consuming step in making the salves is done in the mountains,” June said, the corners of his lips lifting slightly as he smiled. “Some of the ingredients work better if they are made from fresh wild plants. The local healer refuses to go into the mountains because he thinks it doesn't matter. That’s why our salves are better.”
Catching herself staring at his smile, Elina blinked in surprise and horror; it wasn’t like her to notice such things. Scolding herself, she reasoned that it was because June was the first person her age to treat her like a normal person, not just a princess. Clearing her throat, she made up her mind. “Let us wait here for a little bit. If Master Veston is not back soon, we will leave and come back tomorrow. Can we sit at the table?”
“Please sit.”
Making their way to the table, Elina waited for Rose to pull out a chair before taking a seat the plain but well-crafted chair perfectly level. “Do you have any siblings?” she asked June, opening the small treat bag and pulling out another glazed nut. “I have an older sister, Anna has an adorable younger sister, and Rose is an only child.” Putting the treat in her mouth she smiled in joy. “Rose, Anna you must eat this! June I’ll save some for you.”
“I don’t know if I have any siblings,” June answered, putting the farming tool he had just finished aside and starting on another project. “Zenrom found me and my mother in a cave. She passed away giving birth to me. Grandpa Veston took me in and raised me.”
“I’m so sorry,” Elina stammered, feeling awkward at his reply yet sensing a connection between the two. Strangely, knowing she wasn’t the only one who had lost a mother at a young age made her feel a little less lonely. “My mother also passed away giving birth to me,” she revealed, placing the bag of treats on the table. “It’s hard. Isn’t it?”
“Yes, it is.”
A long silence, filled only by the sound of the hammer, settled over the room, each strike marking the passing time. Trying to fix the gloom in the air, Elina studied what June was forging. “What are you making now?”
“I’m making arrowheads for myself,” June answered. “I don’t make weapons for other people, but I make my own arrows. I’m actually working as a guard for Master Maliri.” The pride in his voice caused the corners of everyone’s lips to lift slightly. “Zenrom told me that if I keep at it, I may be the youngest member of the Diamond Guard!” he finished, his shoulders and chest puffing up.
“That's amazing!” Anna laughed jumping up from her seat, her curly brown hair bouncing up and down. “My lady! The two guards who helped us escape are part of the Diamond Guard, Sir Tristan and Sir Cam! My Lady, do you remember how your sister told us that all members of the Diamond Guards are Arcane Knights or stronger!”
“Winks is also part of the Diamond Guard,” June said, using his chin to point at Elina’s bodyguard who was standing by the exit. “He sometimes helps me train!”
“Oh!” Anna uttered, staring at Winks as if she saw him for the first time, a little bit of red coloring her cheeks. “I’m so sorry I didn’t know.”
“Nothing to apologize for, miss.”
Noticing the way Anna started to act around Winks, Elina sighed before turning back to June. Looking down at the crest on his hand she spoke. “Judging from the crest on your hand you are still an Arcane Warrior, but Anna just said that all members of the Diamond Guard are Arcane Knights. Does that mean you are close to becoming an Arcane Knight? That's amazing for someone so young!” Seeing a peculiar expression appear on June's face, Elina assumed he was not used to compliments or attention in general.
“According to everyone, it’s almost strange that I’m still an Arcane Warrior,” June reluctantly explained, tilting his head to hide his face. “I should be able to become one any day now.”
“I’m sure you will,” Elina reassured the boy, popping another treat in her mouth. Maybe he wasn’t embarrassed from being complimented, but embarrassed from not attaining the rank of Arcane Knight? Elina wasn’t sure but it didn’t matter to her. She was still impressed.
As the minutes wore on, it approached the time in which Elina and the maids had to return to the manor, but Veston had still not returned. Stretching slightly, Elina was about to announce she would return tomorrow when she noticed a short old man walk into the shop, a large basket on his back. Startled at the cheerful atmosphere, the old man took his dusty cloak off, hanging it on a peg on the wall. “Are you all customers?” he asked. “June when you are done with that, come and help me sort out the herbs I picked.”
“Grandpa Veston, this is the lady Elina, and her maids, Rose and Anna. They are new in town and are here to buy your salves!” Answered June, putting the arrowhead he had just finished in a large pile he had amassed. Going to a washing station he started to clean himself, scrubbing away the soot and sweat. “I’ll help you after I clean up a bit.”
Hearing June, the old man—who turned out to be Veston-squinted at Elina. “A lady! He announced, giving Elina a perfect bow. “Lady Elina, is there anything we can do for you?”
“Currently, I do not need any smithing done. However, I was told that you have the best healing salves at the market. I was interested in purchasing a supply,” answered Elina, walking over to Veston and looking at piles of herbs and large jars he had pulled from his bag. “I was wondering if you had any salves for emergencies?”
After the assault on the castle, Elina had become very aware of her mortality, having a healing salve or an antidote could be the difference between life and death.
“Emergency remedies and salves?” Elina could hear the concern in Veston’s voice. “Lady Elina, are you in trouble?”
“Recently I was involved in an incident, it made me think that it may be a good idea to always be prepared,” Elina replied, picking up a tiny white flower and sniffing it. “I was not hurt, but some people around me were.”
Having finished cleaning himself, June walked over to the two of them, stretching his hand over to the pile of herbs and jars, he started to sort through them. “Grandpa, I’ll take care of this, you can finish making the salves for Lady Elina.” Giving June a grin, Veston walked to the back of the shop, opening a large chest he started to pull out multiple colorful vials. Glancing up, he waved Anna over.
“Child, help me bring these over, the smaller green ones are antidotes for poisons, and the red ones will help with blood clotting and healing.”
Happily making her way over, Anna helped Veston, carefully grabbing the small vials. “June told us that you had run out of salves, but you had some in this chest,” she said, lifting a green bottle and peering into it, the light reflecting off it casting an emerald sheen on her face.
“These are my personal remedies,” Veston explained, smiling proudly. “They are a little bit more watery than the ones we sell to the villagers, but they are stronger. I have decided to give one vial of antidote and one of healing to each of you for free.
“Master Veston we cannot accept that,” protested Elina, overhearing the conversation as she stood next to June, watching him split the herbs into different piles.
Waving his arms above his head as if to say they had no choice in the matter, the Veston laughed. “I am a generous man, but I have an ulterior motive,” he admitted. “I was hoping you would be friends with June. Growing up in a blacksmith, he never learned how to interact with the nobility. With him joining the Diamond Guard soon, it is a skill he needs in order to not embarrass himself. Please be friends with him and teach him.”
Wondering if she had imagined the sparkle of mischief in the old man’s eyes, Elina glanced over at June before looking back at Veston. “We have a deal master Veston. Two vials for all of us, and I will teach June how to interact with the nobility.”
Laughing out loud, the old man started to explain how to use the remedies, his gruff voice strangely comforting. “If you eat poison, you should drink this green one, put it on a wound if the weapon was poisoned, don’t use the remedy if it turns yellow, it means that it’s no longer good. As for the red one, don’t drink it, put a couple of drops on a bleeding wound and bandage it, after four to six hours wash the wound and reapply, do this until you run out of the salve, or the wound heals.”
Seeing Rose write down the instructions, in a little notebook she had in her bag, Veston nodded in appreciation.
“This is correct, every time you come across precious knowledge, you should try your best to learn it. You will be surprised at the number of new things I have learned even in my old age.”
Laughing as the old man started to ramble on about how he had just recently learned the difference between two types of bread he had been eating his whole life, Elina felt a calm feeling of security wash over her, this was the first time since she had fled from her home that she felt so at ease. Unfortunately, she knew she had to go back to the manor soon, she had to get back before the sunset.
Knowing it was time to go, she silently motioned to Anna and Rose. “Master Veston, I would like to thank you once again for the remedies, but it is time for us to get going. June I will leave this bag of treats here for you. Please finish them. I will come again to teach you etiquette.”
After saying goodbye to June and Veston, the three girls followed by Winks started back home, the cool evening air, a stark contrast from the interior of the hot blacksmith’s shop. As the four of them walked, the setting sun cast long shadows in front of them, painting the road with a preview of night.
“My lady, we should visit them again!” Anna said, skipping alongside Elina. “I’m so glad we visited the village.”
“I am too,” agreed Rose, walking elegantly, “It is interesting that the villagers seem to close shop and go home so early in the evening. At the capital, it’s lively even at night.”
Blinking in surprise, Elina surveyed her surroundings, Rose was right, all the villagers had already gone home for the day. The only one besides them walking on the street was a well-built man wearing a purple cloak. “Rose is correct!” voiced Elina “Only that man in the purple cloak is out.”
“I think he’s a guard” noted Anna “Look at the sword by his side!”
“He’s not,” Winks grunted, shielding his eyes from the sunlight and turning around to stare at the man. “I don’t recognize him. He’s probably a guard for a traveling merchant.”
“He must be,” agreed Elina hesitantly. Something about the purple coat made her feel as if she should remember something, but she did not know what.
“My lady, are you alright?” Anna asked.
“No, no I am fine,” Elina murmured, shaking herself slightly. “Let us go home quickly, Milina will be furious if we are late.”