It Started With a Sword

Chapter 3

As Scott sat on the staircase, he was startled when he heard soft footsteps behind him and felt a hand rest on his shoulder. Turning around, he saw his sister standing behind him, and smiled at her.

“Hello, Scott! Where have you been all morning?” she greeted him, taking a seat on the stair next to him.

“Oh, just out for a ride. Then it was raining, so I found Lyla and we came inside through the tunnels,” Scott explained, mentally laughing at the bewildered expression on Diana’s face.

“Wait, you found Lyla…in the stables? What was she doing there?” Diana asked.

Scott could tell that his twin was trying to figure out if he knew about Lyla’s archery without coming right out and asking. He sighed. “C’mon, Di, you know as well as I do that she was doing archery practice. That’s how I found her: I heard a noise, followed it, and found her shooting an arrow at a target in a hidden room. And don’t pretend that you didn’t know about that, I know you do. She told me so.”

Diana blinked in confusion, then shook her head. “So you found out that Lyla’s been practicing archery, her closely guarded secret, and discovered her secret hiding place, and she didn’t kill you? Amazing.”

“Yeah, I guess,” Scott shrugged. “And then she brought me back here through the tunnels. But she realized that she didn’t have her dress, so she had to go change or something. I don’t know,” he finished.

Diana stared at him. “She showed you the tunnels too? Wow. That’s impressive. What did you do to her?”

“Um, nothing?” Scott replied. It was his turn to be confused. “I think we’re friends. Or something. She didn’t seem to mind showing me, at any rate.”

“Okay,” his sister shrugged. “She just told me at one time that she would show anyone else the tunnels only if she was coerced into it. They are her secret, after all.”

“Well, she did, and that’s all that matters,” Scott stated. “Now we-” He was cut off by Lyla, who was running towards them, wearing a light blue, shimmery dress.

“All set, Scott! We can go now. Oh, hello, Diana! What have you been up to today?” Lyla said, all in one breath.

Diana laughed at her friend, standing up to give her a hug. “I’m good, Lyla. I’ve just been helping the mothers prepare some decorations for the feast. It’s been rather interesting. I hear that you’ve been – ahem – practicing?”

A worried expression crossed Lyla’s face. “But how…?” She then looked over at Scott and sighed in relief. “Scott, you told her?”

He nodded. “Yes I did, I hope you don’t mind. You said she knew, after all.”

“I do,” Diana told him at the same time Lyla said, “She does.” The two girls looked at each other and giggled, causing Scott to roll his eyes.

“Are you two ladies going to stand here and giggle all afternoon, or can we be going now? I’d prefer to get this done before dinner,” Scott wondered, raising his eyebrows at his sister and her friend.

“Oh, that’s right! It’s almost four o'clock!” Lyla exclaimed, shaking her head.

“Where are you two going?” Diana asked them, placing her hands on her hips, a hint of suspicion in her voice.

Lyla only laughed. “We’re going to get Scott’s sword! He’s going to teach me how to sword fight, and I’m going to teach him archery.” She smiled. “Isn’t that a brilliant idea?”

Diana, looking thoughtful, nodded her head. “That seems fair. Can I come with you two? I don’t have anything better to do, and I don’t want to get roped by Queen Fiona into preparing more decorations. No offence to your mother, Ly.”