Chapter Thirteen.

"So?" Aiden's eyes shone with excitement as he asked. Fiora arrived back home when she met Aiden already in expectance of her. She'd just only began to speak before he bombarded her with series of questions. "What did she say? Did she believed any of your story? Wait, did you even meet her, Fiora?" He asked lastly before Clement cut him off with a wicked glare.

"I am sure Fiora has quite a lot to say." He said, then frowned at Aiden again. "So let her do so."

"Yes." Fiora said, agreeing with Clement. There were two separate rooms, one which they spared for Fiora—the smaller room—then the other where Sif, Clement and Gregoria slept in. A dining table long enough for five was placed in the same room, with chairs arranged round it. They each sat down, eagarly waiting for Fiora's message. "Helen did give in to the idea, and we had a peaceful breakfast." She said with bright eyes, then they changed almost immediately as her brows lowered. "But, she did not trust me. She was only desperate, that was all. The trust, it was missing."

"Typical Helen." Clement grunted.

"So what do we do? Do we give up?" Sif asked, confused already.

"Giving up is out of the options. It's either to continue, run far away from the walls of the Central City, or die." Clement stated with no emotion on his face.

"Oh." Muffled Aiden.

"Nobody's giving up. I just have to make her trust me somehow." Fiora said.

"She is desperate," Clement's bold voice shook the air after a brief moment of silence. "She wants the bad mentioning of her name to stop. So we can achieve that."

"Hmm. That is correct. But-"

"By following all of what you mentioned to her." Replied Clement before Fiora could complete her statement. "You did say everything we discussed as plan?" He questioned, hoping she only nodded in reply. Her eyes slowly moved up towards the ceiling dodging his question. Of course she added a bit of her own plan. "Fiora?"

"I started off with everything we planned." She finally replied. "I did."

"Then you changed it?" Questioned Sif.

"A little."

"How little?" Asked Clement. She thought about it for a while, her fingers dancing in her loosed hair.

"I motioned the idea of me helping with everything that we'd discussed."

"What?!"

Almost like they'd planned it, they all barked out in a chorus.

"Helen would never agree to that!" Exclaimed Sif.

"I'm surprised you still have your head in one piece." Clement said.

"Wait wait," Aiden frowned. "So, you told Helen in a nut shell, that you want to take her throne and she didn't kill you?"

"Oh don't be dramatic, Aiden." Said Fiora.

"The boy is right, you know." Replied Clement.

"Thank you sir." Aiden smiled, but it quickly disappeared as soon as he remembered the situation they were in. "This is big, Fiora."

"I know." She agreed, almost feeling sorry for her dear life.

"And dangerous!" Added Sif.

"Yes, Sif. I know."

"And foolish."

"I know! I do." Fiora jumped up on her feet, terrified more than any of them could imagine. "I had absolutely no idea where the confidence came from, but it happened. And I cannot explain this to you more than this," her voice croaked as she spoke. "But, I need your helps. All of you."

Heaving up a deep sigh first, Clement began to speak. "Fiora, sit down first." He requested and she sat immediately. "Fiora, we do want the help. So I'm going to ask you now, tell us everything that transpired between you and Helen."

****

"Very well then." Chuckled out a voice. He had been trying to ignore the young woman for some minutes now but she's was looking very dazzling as she spoke. Quite petite, long brown hair and matching brown eyes. She smiled and the dimples across her face made him appreciate her beautiful face even more.

"What? It's true." She said, standing face-to-face with him.

"Of course, you're right." Smirked Dagaric. "You're absolutely correct."

"Then why does it looks like you're in denial?" Asked the young lady.

"Love, I'm not going to argue with you. But I do have to be on my merry way now."

"Oh, is time up already?" She asked, with a pouting lips.

"I tried, didn't I?" He questioned out loud.

"I must confess I was quite surprised when I saw you here." She smiled.

"You're welcome."

"Thank you, for making my day a blast." Her face warmed up into a big grin.

"I must take my leave now, Sugar." He gave a slight bow.

"Call me by my name for once." She said.

"Noted." He replied, then watched her head tilt a little as her brows ached up. "What?"

"Call me by my name." She replied. "Oh I want to hear it."

It was always dazzling to her whenever she heard her name from Dagaric. She'd admired him ever since their father introduced them for marriage. Only problem was that, he didn't remember her name. What was it again? Margaret? Mariana? Mary?

"The name's Mariella, Garic." She smiled, but when you stared too much, it shattered your heart into pieces. Mariella had never falling in love before, so when she heard her father told her about the rich man she was going to get married to, she was a bit displeased. She wanted to adventure on her own and meet her own true love. She didn't know it would ever be possible to fall for someone you just met, until she met him. Just one glance and she was already head over heels for him. But he didn't feel the same way about her. It was saddening but what could she do?

"Of course, yes. Marietta. I knew it." Lied Garic.

"Mariella." She corrected again, just as she usually did.

"Mariella. Yes, I knew it." Garic whispered with a little smile on his face.

"Good. So don't forget it again, huh?" She smiled when she saw him nod in agreement. "Thank you."

"Alright then. I will be on my merry way-"

"Can I give you a hug?" She suddenly asked out of the blue.

"What?"

"A hug. I wanted to hug you." She replied.

"But, we live under the same roof."

"Yes, uh, but... Well, you'll be leaving for the Central City and-"

"Central City? To see Euric? No no, that's until next week."

"Oh, father said you leave tonight."

"To-what?!"

****

The next day, Fiora set up to visit Helen again. She was determined. The people complained all through the night when she returned to the church area, leaving her completely heartbroken. The meager were humans too. They didn't deserve to be treated like that. She pleaded with Aiden not to leave her side and continued backing her up. Then the strangest thing had happened. She received a note from an anonymous sender, placing a bag of gold coin, addressing in the note he was sending a token of gratitude for what she was doing for the meager.

All of the incidents combined made her believe she had a hope now. Her time had arrived. When she arrived at the palace, Helen disposed of her immediately, stating she couldn't just walk in and out as she pleased unless if she'd been invited.

"Escort this young woman out at once."

"Your majesty?" Puzzled Fiora called.

"Are you mad, Pete?" She frowned at the guard behind Fiora. "Get her out at once!"

"Yy- yes, your majesty." He hurried to where Fiora stood and grapped her by her hands. "Please come with me." He whispered.

Fiora struggled when she felt his hands gripping tighter. "Your majesty, I spoke to the people already." She rushed her words as quickly as she could. "They praised your name. People are finally begining to recognize you and you would risk it all? Don't."

Helen froze at the sight of her statement. One side of her heart was pleased with a tinge of relieve. The other half crept with fear and alerted danger to her head. Was she jealous of her? Maybe. But she wouldn't dare mention it to her. Her weakness and fears were never meant for anyone else to see. "Pete? Leave her." She watch him stop with the struggle and Fiora, relaxing herself. "You,"

"Yes, your majesty?"

"Come back later. Afternoon perhaps, would be a better timing." Helen said. "I have pending matters to attend to."

"Alright, your majesty." Fiora said, forced out a bow then turned to leave.

"Who are you?" Helen called her back with a question. The same question that had been piercing on her mind now for a while.

"You must, under no circumstances reveal your true identity to Helen. Never."

The words of Clement played through Fiora's mind again and again. "I don't think it matters to her majesty." She replied, turning to face Helen.

With an inquisitive face glaring at Fiora, Helen asked. "And who exactly are you to tell me that, young woman?"

"That is all that I am, your majesty." Fiora replied. "You must know that who I am really, it has nothing to concern or harm you in anyway. I am just a simple girl with a good heart. Not a terrorist or in no such way, a criminal." 

"Nobody is such a simple person with a good heart. Tell me your interior motive."

Fiora knew her story was boring and she would have to invoke her creative even further. Why else would she be there with Helen if not for revenge. She took everything away from her, and even dared ordered for her life that night. If it wasn't for Clement, she would had been dead. Then, just the night before, she'd heard the shocking reveal about why Clement worshipped Helen and why Sif had once grew cold towards her. She knew exactly what her interior motive was.

"It's Tobin." She said, not realizing her whole face had formed into a frown.

"Tobin?" Helen's eyes widened at the mention of her arched enemy's name. "What happened to him? What is it with you and Tobin?"

"He took everything away from me." She replied, her tone sounding angry, yet forlorn at the same time. "My home, my only family, my freedom, he took everything from me. And now, he dared rule like nothing damaging had been done? Hell no. I won't let him." Fiora knew the only way to get to Helen's mind was to strike a shared goal. Her greatest desire was to end Tobin. To rob him off of his throne.

"Is that so?" Helen smirked, not meaning to react so heartless at Fiora's story. It was completely unintentional to had dared smiled when an innocent girl was hurting, especially at the wrong doings of Tobin. But she knew now exactly why she'd felt an attraction for Fiora. They shared a similar vision. A similar enemy. Fiora was the key to her desires.

"Yes. Which is why I need your help. I want your protection and assistance, because without you in my life, I would crumble into nothingness." She fell flat on the floor into a bow. "Your majesty, I am a nobody. Make me a somebody, so that I become useful to you."

Helen was completely pleased with the sight of the scene she was witnessing. And she couldn't hide it. The glimpse in her eyes burned so bright she feared it would blind them all. "I have heard you, and I am pleased in your confession. Tobin has done a lot of bad work back in the past, and he's still committing his attrocities." Said Helen.

Fiora didn't utter any reply.

"Come by in the afternoon, I have a meeting with Baron Daegal." She said, and Fiora gave a slight bow, and turned to take her leave. "You are to face him."

Fiora had already taken her first step to leave when she heard the words of the queen. "What?"

She watched Fiora turn with a face of horror, and she smiled. "What did you hear?"

"Why would you what me to-"

"Didn't you hear yourself when you mentioned me to use you?" She said, stressing on the word; "use."

"Yes, but-"

"Then no buts. Come by in the afternoon, and let's begin this strange journey of us working together." She replied with excitement all over her eyes. "Now run along, dear." She waved a goodbye gesture at Fiora, who only smiled and quickly took to her leave. She didn't understand when Clement sometimes mentioned that their Queen was insane. Now she saw reasons. Helen was completely crazy, that she already needed help.

Fiora was already outside when she bumped into some man. "Oh, I'm sorry. I wasn't looking at where I was going." She quickly apologized. Standing in front of her was a young man—maybe in his mid twenties—smiling in what she saw as a seductive manner. He was tall that she had to bring her gaze up to stare. His eyes had a mesmerizing glimpse of relieve when she stared into them and she couldn't understand why.

If she were in an enchanted world, she would have sworn some sort of love potion had been used on her. She wasn't head over heels for him at the instance, but rather, oddly... Happy. Relaxed and calm. His presence brought a soothing feeling towards her and she couldn't help but wonder why.

"It's alright. I should have looked where I was heading as well." His voice made the strange sensational feeling even worst. They were serene and very assuring. With lips slightly parted, Fiora thought of words to say again, but nothing meaningful came out of her mouth. If she said exactly the thoughts that came to her mind, she would only embarrassed herself.

That was when it dawned on her. Men like him were nothing but mere distraction and wreck of doom. He had nothing good to offer her. She would not give in to the strange compelling aura he was carrying. "Thank you." Her daunting dreamy eyes instantly adjusted into a more restrained one.

"Your majesty, we have already met with-" a man with big muscled body on an armor walked up to him, nudged Fiora a slight bow, then brought his gaze back to his Lord. His majesty?

"Excuse me please," and with that, Fiora left their presence and began walking away.

"Young maide-" Garic tried to call but she walked quite faster for a young lady. He would have rushed to meet her. He would have, if only he hadn't been engaged. Even at that, the young lady had just walked out of queen Helen's territory. He dared not have anything to do with any maiden of queen Helen. He knew her too well and stayed as far away as possible from her. But still, he couldn't get her off his mind.

Who the hell was she? And why was she so much beautiful like that?