Battling The Golden Queen

Secrets

Belinda joy had no bound as she caught sight of her child open her eyes slowly after two hours of passing out, Her eyes color were back to normal. Her temperature too. The girl seemed to think she was just waking up from a deep sleep.

“Good morning mum” She greeted hugging her mum tightly with her little hands.

“It’s the middle of the day dearie. You passed out at the market today” Her mum explained. The girl was quiet for a moment, then her eyes widened as if she recalled.

“The horse turned gold!” She exclaimed. “Mum it actually turned gold”

“Yes dear. It did. But do you have any clue why it turned gold?” Her mum asked curiously hoping Helia had an explanation on what happened to her eyes earlier that day.

“No. It just turned gold” She replied with a smile.

“It you feel anything in you? Did anything happen to me?”

“No. I was scared but it’s fine. It didn’t attack me. I just discovered it turned. Why mum?”

“Nothing dear.”, she lied. She’d realized her daughter had no idea what she had did that day. Could she take this as a special gift her daughter had or just a coincidence. How on earth would her daughter be able to turn a horse into gold? A knock on her door interrupted her thoughts. I told that lady not to come. She grumbled as she approached the door. Opening the door, she felt forgetful noticing the doctor.

“O! come in” She invited him in with a smile. “I almost forgot you were coming”

“It’s fine Mrs Belinda. I heard what happened in the market. Is she doing okay?”

“Yes. Helia is fine. She just got a little shock”

“O. I see. The public isn’t a save place for young children as before. Everyone owns a horse now”

“Exactly since the King supported trade between us and the foreigners. How is my result?”

The doctor gave her a grin as he adjusted his glasses.

“You’re right. You have no trace of tuberculosis. It’s almost as if it disappeared”

“Had I not told you so? It’s possible a miracle happened or Mrs Hannah was right. My husband exchanged his freedom in place of my health”

“Whatever the reason may be, you won’t be dying anytime soon. You can watch your daughter grown into a tall stubborn lady”

“I really want that. I want to watch my daughter get her place in her husband’s house and carry my grand children”

“She could also choose to be a successful woman and not get married. Marriage doesn’t have to end all the journeys”

“She is a lady. She has to get married. It is part of the custom that has to be followed”

“OK. What if she doesn’t want to get married. You will force her”

“No. I can’t but I will be pained if she takes that step” The doctor didn’t stay long. He had informed her the news he wished to share. Waving Helia goodbye and slipping a candy into her palm, he walked out the entrance and heard Belinda slam the door shut.

***

14 YEARS LATER

Helia packed on last pastries her mum had made into the delivery basket and hurried out the exit waving her mum bye.

“Ensure you branch at the seamstress house and get my garment” Her mum yelled after her as she hopped into the carriage ready for departure.

“Yes mum! Yes! Yes!” Helia had said as she hurried into the carriage with the basket of pastries tightly held in her hands. She had been with this pastry delivery business for years alongside Jackie who was a great help to her. Her talent in keeping proper accountability and relating to customers better than she could made things so much easier for her. 

"So where are we headed to?" Helia asked as the carriage took off along the bumpy road. 

"First we are to go to Mrs Florence garden. She had decided to pay half the price since she doesn't really have the full p*****t but promised to give me rare flowers for my flower collection" Jackie had explained with a smile. 

"I know how much you love flowers but flowers won't help us raise funds to open our own restaurant will it? I don't know if it's a wise idea to get half p*****t from her" 

"Sure it is Helia. You know how much I love flower collections. If I am able to expand my garden and ensure it's an attractive sight for terrorists, we will be able to raise funds for the restaurant. Come on, don't you trust me?" 

"Sure I do. I just don't trust customers who don't pay full price" Helia complained with an unimpressed stare. 

"It's fine. I have had it figured out" Jackie assured her looking through her book of account. 

"Where else will be our stop for today?" 

"Hmm...let me check the list" Jackie had said as she picked up another note book and glanced through it. The brown coloured book seemed really worn out and unprofessional but Jackie didn't mind at all. That was an old book she jad found in her mum's library. Since the King had refused buying new items from foreign merchants, they had to make use of the old one they had got.   "Ooo...don't tell me" She grumbled 

"Who?" Helia asked curiously. 

"That Mr Drax. I don't like going to his place. He is far off up the hill. I always wonder why he moved away from town and chose to live there" She nagged knitting her eyebrows. 

Helia nodded in agreement. Though according to her mum, the guy was a close friend to her father still no one really liked him in town. Her mother hardly spoke about him. Thinking about it more deeply, Helia felt he could have moved out of town to the outskirts due to stigmatization. He had a leg, an arm, he had brought about the destruction of the legendary books and had survived an encounter out of five men. That was so much experience for one man. There were rumours going round town that he spoke to crows at his porch every evening and married a large doll as a wife. No one confirmed the authenticity of this news due to the fact that he never lets anyone visit or enter into his house. There was no way anyone could confirm this news. Perhaps what they thought of him wasn't true. Perhaps he wasn't ws crazy as they felt he was. 

"This town acts weird to me. I won't lie. The librarian scolded her assistant yesterday while I was in the library to borrow some books. The reason for the screaming was really odd" Jackie broke the silence. 

"Why?" Helia asked.

"There was one more legendary book that wasn't burnt yet. The poor assistant saved it because she wrote some important information in there. The old lady didn't care. She screamed out of her lungs at the woman and forced her to burn the book with everything she wrote in there before her eyes" 

"That's really cruel. This town holds lots of secrets. I am unable to process why they burn those books. No one is talking about them. My mum refuses to say anything" 

"The King should get an award for secrecy. Luckily I heard my mum tell her friend three weeks ago that the books were related to your dad. She wasn't specific. She is never specific when she gossips but I couldn't get those lines. Your father was the reason the books were burnt" 

"That's strange. What could my dad have done? My mum had said he was captured by some people. How will burning old legendary books get him back" 

"That I don't know. No one knows what's in those books. It's possible your dad wrote the books or your dada disappearance has something to do with the book. All evidence could have been burnt to prevent any other person from getting missing" Jackie explained. 

"This isn't helping. Burning those books aren't helping. It's my dad we are talking about here. If he was captured as my mum said that means he is still alive. That means he was held captive or something. Why isn't anyone helping him? Why aren't they using the books to find him and rescue him? Why isn't mom doing anything? This confuses me and makes me so angry because i know there is a solution to this nonsense. There has to be a way out of this"

"Great! There you are again Helia. What do you want to do now? Go out of town and rescue your father?! Are you the only one who has lost a father, Helia? Everyone loved your father. Your dad was close to the King. Mr Ken was one of the bravest men around as far I remember. He gives me and Jack cookies anytime he visits my dad. We all love him okay? But for some reason no one talks about his disappearance because this fight could be dangerous. He might be dead but no one is telling us anything. There could be danger diving deeper into this issue. Why don't you stop acting like a hero and forget about your father? It's all gone" 

Helia wasn't happy hearing this news from her friend. She frowned her face and stared away from her in disgust. 

"Because it was your father that's why it's easy for you to say. You're no fun. I prefer hanging out with Jack than you. At least Jack is curious and will help me dive deeper into the investigation. He could help me reopen the case again"

"Jack is immature. He doesn't know what responsibility is. He just wants fun. Look Helia, i am fun as well okay. I don't know why you all see me so motherly. I try as much as possible not to take my mum's responsibility and act my age but the more I back off, the more my family suffers. My mum doesn't care much about us and prefers to attend all the parties in town. My dad drinks a lot. I am the only one my brother has got, this is why I try so hard to act like a mother other than a sister to him. I have been his emotional support…"

"I know Jackie. I have seen it. You always look stressed out but haven't you ever thought of just being free. Haven't you ever wished to let go of all these responsibilities  and live your own life. Have your own large gardens filled with all the flowers in the world? Your dream will never come true if you keep narrowing your minds to the little things" 

Jackie wasn't comfortable with this conversation. She slipped her account book open.

"I am two years older than you are. You won't understand. You have a mom who cares at least" She had replied not bothering to stare at her face.

"Jack will help me with this investigation" 

"If I were you, I would leave my brother out of this. I don't want Jack getting involved in your nonsense illusions. Helia keeps my brother out of this useless investigations" Jackie had warned. Helia couldn't believe she had said that. They didn't realize when the carriage stopped before Mrs Florence garden. 

"Thanks for the ride Gorly" Jackie had thanked the driver who winked at her. 

"Will be waiting her Jackie '' He had responded by taking his hat off. She smiled in response and walked ahead to approach Mrs Florence with Helia following. 

Helia noticed the grateful grin on Jackie's face as she received the orchid and rose flowers from the old lady. The smile seemed contagious because she had no clue when she had smiled too. Jackie had always loved flowers as a child. The thought of her preferring to receive flowers over money made Helia feel she really had a heart of gold. She was a selfless person who cherished what she valued a lot. She could do anything to ensure she keeps whatever she loves safe. Perhaps that was what she was doing with her brother. Helia didn't remember talking about leading Jack to a dangerous joy ride but his sister had replied with a big no. It was just an investigation not a sucide mission. Jackie was really over protective. She was way too overprotective. A completely opposite character to her brother who doesn't really care much about things. Perhaps, this was why they were both twins after all. They are a complete opposite to each other. 

The next stop was at Mr Drax's old cottage. The ride wasn't smooth at all due to how long the journey was and how rough and bumpy the road was. No one barely rode there except Mr Drax of course who goes to the bar every afternoon for his shot. Both girls knew he wouldn't be around when they arrived but they decided to deliver it at his porch anyway. He had ordered for the afternoon for some reason. They would have to consider his request. The carriage halted before his old cottage which looked really spooky. Though his garden looked very nice and well kept, so was his lawn, his cottage itself wasn't renovated. It looked like it had been built over 10 years ago. The house design looked so different from their present era.

"This house makes me uneasy. Let's just deliver this pastries and leave" Jackie had said with a frightened stare. "I delivered the previous one to Mrs Florence. You can deliver this to him" she had continued placing the pastries in her hands. 

"Sure" Helia accepted, looking less spooked. She hurried from the carriage and hurried up the stairs toward the entrance of the cottage. 

"Delivery here! Thanks for patronizing with us!" She shouted as she placed the package's pastries at his doorstep. As she turned to leave, a slight wind blew and the door slightly creaked open. This surprised her at first. Jackie stood beside the carriage discussing with Gary and barely paying attention to her. Her curiosity pricked her. What if she found something about her father in that house? She thought. What if he kept a record of what happened? Perhaps his diary or something. This could help her get clues on what happened to her father. 

"Helia! You wish to sleep on the porch or what?! Should I get a sleeping mat for you now?" Jackie yelled from where she stood. The lady wasn't engrossed in her conversation anymore. 

"Jackie, could you wait outside and watch out for me? I want to find some clues concerning the disappearance of my father" She had informed her opening the door wider. 

"What?! You're breaking into the crazy man's house? Are you insane? What if he reports us?" Jackie asked in shock. Her hands waved as she spoke as if she wanted to beat her to the pulp. She really was angry. 

"The door was already open. Don't worry, everything will be fine"

"You have to come back Helia. I didn't become your friend for all this craziness" The lady urged with annoyance. Helia didn't listen. She walked in ignoring her friend ranting. 

"Fine then! Two minutes young lady. I give you two minutes" 

"Love ya Jackie!" Helia replied, blowing her a kiss from the house entrance. 

"You're the worst friend ever!" The lady nagged. Helia knew she was but her curiosity got the best of her. She couldn't ignore her gut feeling and acted as cowardly as Jackie who gave up so easily. She wasn't going to give up that easily.