Battling The Golden Queen

The powerful suitor with no face

Helia hadn't expect her mum to invite Ham, the horse merchant into their small cottage. The unpredictable behaviour of her mum often got her wondering why she never thinks hard of her decisions before making them. 

"Why are you buying a horse mom?" She asked just as Mrs Belinda was back from seeing her guest off. 

"Silly girl Helia. You're eighteen and you still don't understand certain things do you?" Her mum mocking her got her irked. 

"I don't remember you now loving horse after you got a phobia for them. The golden horse incident did you good"

"I am a mother Helia. Any mother would feel a great hatred for horse after what happened out there. You cannot blame me" 

"Mrs Hannah still has four horses. Her son almost being trampled over did not matter to her" 

"That woman never cared about her children. I do feel bad for those twins. Their drunken father never made the situation easier" 

"But you aren't answering my question mother…" Helia reminded her mum realizing they were deviating from the main discussion. "Why did you purchase a horse when you hate them so much?"

"Helia, i didn't purchase the horse for myself. I purchased it for you" 

Helia wss taken aback by this statement. Her mum buying her a horse? Wow, that was new. Her mum never let her see a horse talk of even getting to own one. Since the near death incident that happened at the Golden Horse era, so many things had changed when it came to horses to her mum. She hated horses so much as if they were bred just for human elimination. 'I won't spare any horse that comes my way. No matter how friendly' She remember her mum say everytime she brought up the topic of owning a horse one day. Such hatred couldn't just die down over time. Recently her mum had rejected two ranches she wanted to purchase because they had ones breed a horse. Imagine that. 

"Why mommy?" The urge and spike of curiously shook her so bad. 

"You won't be going for your journey on foot will you?" Her mum asked with a frown. "You will be going for a very long journey Helia, will you fly now?" 

Helia opened her eyes astonished as she now understood what her mom meant. 

"Wow, right. That's true. I never thought of it that way. I wss thinking you didn't want me to go for the trip" 

"I didn't…" Her mum agreed. "But after what happened last night, i realized that old Drax was right. You really need help in controlling your powers. It's very important for your own well being. I have been living in denial all these years due to my fear of losing you to that witch but since keeping you here could also lead to your self destruction because of that monster you have inside of you, i guess i have to let you go" 

"Mum, you made the right decision" Helia pulled her closer and embrassed her with all her strenght overwhelmed with emotions. 

"I never thought this day would come when i would be forced to bid you farewell. I never wanted to encounter this type of situation in my life. I don't want to send you into the clutch of death" 

"You know i am brave right mum? You need to keep having faith in me. I will come home strong and healthy with dad looking as handsome as he has always looked. Have you ever been grateful of how lucky you are to get a loving man like daddy?" 

"Helia, quit the flattering. You barely even know him" her mum broke the hug immediately with a baffled look and proceesed to hit her playfully on the hand. "I will be right back dear. Give me some seconds" 

Helia nodded. In few seconds her mum came out of her room with the backpack she had packed the day before. She hadn't even expected to see that again. 

"You will need all your accessories Helia so that you don't complain that i caused you to get stranded" Her mum handed her back the bag. 

"Mom, this will really be useful" Helia responded grabbing hold of it before opening it up to see if anything is missing. "I still can't believe you're letting me embark on this journey"

"Of course, i have decided to but on two conditions. I don't do anything for free and you know that" Her mum made a deal. Helia didn't seem surprise. 

"How could i forget that?" She grumbled with disappointment. "I always though i get ro be treated differently from others since i am your daughter" 

"You being my daughter honey doesn't change my personality. I will still need to get my doubts clarified first" 

"Fine. What is it?" She decided to ask. 

"The first condition is for you to visit the fortune teller and ask her about yur fortune, then you ask her for a protection necklace. The second condition is for you to go tomorrow morning"

"That scam of a fortune teller. Really mother?" Helia sounded unimpressed by this. 

"I insist. No taking back what i said unless you don't wish to embark on the trip" 

"and about the journey, i have decided to go today. I mean wht will you risk me staying here one more night after what happened last night"

"If i send you off tonight then i am scared of you. You're my daughter and you can never harm me no matter what. You're stronger than that" 

"I almost killed you of not for all the strength i used to control my flexes" 

"I understand but you're still my daughter. I wish to spend time with you one last time before you leave" Her mum insisted. Helia nodded giving up the arguement.

"You win mommy. I will stay"

***

The walk to the fortune teller was no funny one at all. Helia couldn't count the number of Anthills she had to avoid while making her way through the shrubs. The fortune teller had chosen to have business set up in the middle of the small shrubs. How exactly did the lady think she would get customers? She was a psychic after all. She suppose to undertsand the pain others went through just coming to patronize her. 

"I never do this for money…" she was greeted with a deep frown as she walked in. Helia stared at her in confusion. 

"Excuse me? I don't know what you are talking about" 

"You have a heart of gold but you are really really stubborn. No one dares insult a psychic place of abode. Not even in their thoughts" The psychic warned witha raging stare. Helia could feel a sharp pain in her eyes as the lady stared deep in her soul. Yikes! She forgot, they could read minds. 

"I am sorry ma'am. I am really sorry" She apologized immediately. The womam said nothing. She pointed toward a stool in front of her Fortune globe. 

"So what do you want?" The lady finally  asked as if not knowing what everyone who came to her small tent wanted. 

"I wish to know my…"

"Stop. You are that Belinda's daughter Helia. I see this now" The woman had cut in sharply with a smile. 

"That means you know why i am here then" 

"Sure. I do. No one needs to tell me that. What else could you possibly be here for. Quit wasting my time and place your hand gently on the globe" The lady urged with an impatient stare. Helia did so with an irked look. Why was the woman's mood constantly changing. Wasn't she the one that asked her why she had come to see her? There was silence for a while as the lady chanted some spells she knew nothing about. As soon as the chant was done, the lady stopped. 

"He will be waiting for you at the other side. It will be tough but it will defintely end in a good note for you" The woman finally said letting go of her hands from the globe. 

"Who will be waiting for me at the other side?" Helia asked. 

"Your soulmate. I couldn't see him because i am not allowed to but with the energy i felt, he is a very very powerful suitor for you. You won't know but he is" 

"Soulmate? I never said i wanted a soulmate…" 

"Here we go again with girls and their rantling! Why do you ladies always deny the good fortunes when you see them? What's wrong with having a man?" 

"I want no man. I only want my father. Why didn't your globe tell me if i will find him?" 

"It doesn't tell unnecessary things. Those are too trivia for it" 

"So my dad is unnecessary?" 

"Belinda has got such a nasty daughter. Would you please leave and tell your mum i don't wish to see you again until you believe you have a powerful soulmate?" 

"What? Why does my soulmate even matter to you?" Helia asked with surprise. 

"He matters to everyone and not just you. Now leave" Helia didn't want to stay anyway. She walked out of the tent immediately wishing she hadn't wasted her precious time to come over in the first place.