The Heart in a Locket

"Valeria!" someone shouted from behind. Val quickly turned to look over her right shoulder, then in the sunset was a small shadowy outline of a person running towards her.

"Valeria!" someone shouted again as she sprinted closer, "Hey, it's me, Harper."

Val sighed with annoyance. She wanted to leave the Saffron outpost and get back to her life. Luxurious in the Pinnacle for Val was litotes because she was royalty and inline for the throne. Val, who was young at this time, just turned 19. Her Mother, Ellory, sent her out when she was 14 to Mother Mary so she could learn about the lands.

The Pinnacle, which used to be called Main Camp, is where all the wealthy live, not wealthy as in money or gold but resources. The Waning Wars cut the civilization down to one-third of the population. They called it the Waning Wars due to the resources dwindling, multiple wars within countries themselves, and against their foreign allies. Most of the inhabitants had been extinguished by atomic massacres or starvation all over the world. Those who are left still fight over resources today. The Pinnacle was established with all the other camps during the war, which are now called outposts, but they were safe asylum from the atomic attacks. The Winterhaven Family, Nolan, and Ala took control of almost all the resources making themselves a reigning Monarchy. The ones who opposed Winterhaven control did not last long enough to stop the hoarding of resources. The newly established monarchy stopped distributing aid to any of the other ten camps, later declaring outposts under their reign and in service to them.

Val stopped loading her wagon, jumped down, and got on one knee.

"I am from The Pinnacle. There used to be something that kept me at this outpost, but it is no longer standing in my way."

Harper was about three years old at this time and did not understand much of what was going. Little Harper tried everything to convince Val to stay, unfortunately to no avail but before she left Val gave Harper something. Val walked to the back of the wagon to her belongings and pulled a small heart-shaped locket with a beautiful silver antique design and a red garnet birthstone in the center and gave it to Harper. Inside this locket was a photo of a woman she did not recognize, but if it was salient to Val it was important to Harper too.

"Keep this for me. I know you will take immeasurable care of it. This way I am always with you even when you feel alone."

Harper's tiny hands reached out for the necklace. The sun bounced off of the garnet reflecting a vibrant light that lit up the camp against the red setting sun, but Mother Mary noticed the sparkle in Harper had dimmed.

That was 25 years ago when Val left the Saffron outpost and never returned. Word had spread her parents died Cerio and Ellory Winterhaven of a plague. Val got what she wanted she was now Queen with three heirs of her own. Liliana the eldest, Sienna the middle child, and Tayo the youngest and only boy named after his father. Resources under her parents had tripled by forcing more outposters to scavage, including expeditions to other countries. Outposters started rising against the Pinnacle control. Harper had been gone for a few years and was unaware of how bad it was at home. Harper's parents being the leaders of insurgent forces were taken down just as quickly as they rose against them. Harper had been sent word through telegraph message at Saint Anne's port about 181 miles from the Saffron Outpost.

The wind was blowing the desert sand so hard she could barely make out the Pinnacle guards standing at the entrance. Harper dismounts next to one of the covered wagons. Peering over into the wagon she notices the bodies stacked in the wagon. Harper notices the harsh manner these people laid inside the wagon, concluding no outposter or the families did this.

"What is the meaning of this? Why are you taking our people's bodies? You have no rig........"

Lili interrupts her. "These insurgents do not have rights to burial or any prior agreed-upon arrangements. All of their belongings are now under the Pinnacle's authority. If you have a problem with that I am not opposed to cutting you down where you stand."

Lili smirks while walking to her horse to mount, but Harper angrily unsheathes her sword.

"You would have to poke me with the pointy end first."

A grueling fight between the two proceeds as the other Pinnacle soldiers surround them, Harper scoffing as their swords become crossed at the hilts. Lili laughing quite full of herself is easily countered. With a quick push, and a counter melee she knocks Lili to the ground, Harper standing over her victorious.

"Leave with your lives and do not return and leave our people so Mother Mary can give them a proper burial."

Scurring to her feet Lili commands the guards to follow her they make a quick dash back to the Pinnacle. The outposters auspicious shouted praises. Harper sheathes her sword calling out to Mother Mary.

"Where is Mother Mary? Does anyone know?"

Mother Mary was the wisest and oldest elder in the outpost. No one knows exactly how old she is, but she has been around looking out for everyone. Mother Mary walks through the crowd meeting Harper at the wagons.

"You do not have to shout I am old, not deaf. I always know when I am needed, even when you do not know. There is something I need to tell you about your Mother and Father. Let us talk so they may be at peace for their burial."

Lili finally reaching the gates at the entrance of the Pinnacle, she is met by Val waiting with her royal entourage. Lili calls out.

"Mother!" She stops her horse right next to her Mother's carriage. "I was unable to get the insurgent's bodies. A woman riding in from the west ambushed us there was no time to draw our weapons."

Rolling her eyes as she plucks a grape from her silver platter tray Val calls out to one of the guards.

"Lucian, you are my eyes and ears what really happen?"

Lili panicked tries to hint to Lucian not to tell her the truth, but he tells her exactly what happened. Outraged she throws one of the trays out of the carriage, spooking Lili's horse knocking her to the ground. Val steps out and over Lili.

"I should have known you could not do this one simple task. Must I do everything myself? What is this girl's name?"

Lili shamefully looks away and refuses to answer.

"Lucian?"

Lucian bows, "Her name was Harper, your majesty. The outposters shouted her name in praise."

Val turns pale and weakened as she staggers back to the carriage.

"Are you positive that is her name?"

Lucian still bowed, "Yes, your majesty."

A panicked laugh comes over Val as she falls to the ground on her knees. Lili rushes to her side.

"Mother, what is it?"

Lili helping her mother to her feet.

"I guess all secrets have a way of surfacing. When I was younger I had a daughter with an outposter when my mother sent me out to learn about the lands. His foolish self thought I would be happy and I would give everything up for him. I was to marry and be Queen of the Pinnacle it is my birthright. I could not anything or anyone stand in my way so I didn't let him. I did what I had to do. All that was left was the child. I tried many things but I could never go through with it. I gave the child the Brother and his wife Rux, and Rahla. Three years passed before my parents found a suitor good enough to marry into our family. Finally, I was able to come back to the Pinnacle and forget she ever existed. At least until now, that is."

Lili was in shock. She finally understood what happened to her father and why he was always sick.

Harper crying intensely, "Mother Mary why did they never tell me? Why did Val not want me? How can she rule the Pinnacle knowing how it affects my father's people, how it affects me?"

Mother Mary wrapping her in a shaw.

"Out of sight and out of mind, she gave you up for her selfish desires and hurt people to protect her interests. It is your job now to protect these people and fight for them as your parents did. Free yourself and these people."

Standing up Harper grabs her sword and armor, "Send word to all ten of the outposts we are taking down the Pinnacle tonight."

Later that evening the outpost forces marched to the Pinnacle with Harper leading under the cover of darkness.

Lili had a theory she wanted to test out. Leaving her post at the lookout's station unmanned and unaware of the insurgents. Lili slipped off her shoes, tip-toed gently around the room quickly searching through her Mother's stuff while she was in the bath. Val always kept a small green bottle on her person except for when she was sleeping or bathing. Lili remembers when her father was sick Val would give him medicine from this bottle. Lili hesitantly clenched the bottle in her fist and mumbled under her breath lightly.

"For you Father."

She waits in the shadows making sure her Mother drinks every last drop.

The sun was rising while Lili rushed back to her post. In the dim light of the morning, the treelined seemed to move. With trepidation intensely running through Lili's whole body, she starts ringing the alarm bells. Harper gives the signal for attack.

Yelling from atop her horse, "Scale the wall. The gate must fall."

Ripping the necklace off, she opens the locket. Inside the locket was a photo of a family. Delicately she takes the photo out flips it around on the back, reading in tiny letters Nolan, Ala, and Ellory. Harpers throws it on the ground, and her horse tramples it.

Lili, trying to make a mad dash for her armor she tries to dodge every arrow. Suddenly she remembers her siblings and must make sure they are safe. Lili feels something strick her from behind. Dropping her sword it slides across the floor. Frightened, she tries crawling to reach her sword. Looking up, Val is towering over her with a vase chucking it across the room.

"YOU DUMB GIRL! You've killed me, so I killed them."

Val collapses to her knees. Blood runs down her eyes and nose.

Lili walks towards her sword picks it up to sheath it.

"Looks like I can do something myself."

She looks over to see her siblings holding onto each other blood-stained tears down their cheeks. Lili hits her knees and snivels.

Gasping for air as the seer comes out of her trance, her eyes meet the couple standing before her as she hands back a silver antique heart-shaped locket with a red garnet birthstone in the center of the locket.

"I have seen into your future if you lead a selfish life, you will die a selfish death. Go back to Main Camp heed my warning."

The woman takes the necklace back.

"Nolan, take Ellory so I can give this lady supplies. I'm sorry I did not catch your name."

The seer chuckles.

"That is because I did not give it, but you can call me Mother Mary. Everyone does."