We're Rich!

Kayvaan smirked. "Because I can give them something no one else can." He let the weight of his words settle before continuing. "I have the finest weapons, the most advanced armor. I can make them stronger. And if that's not enough…" He gestured toward the small pouch in his hand. "I am rich. Whatever they desire—coin, land, power—it will be within their grasp." He took a step forward, looking down at her. "Rhianna, I am offering you the chance to be more than what you are. To become the first of the Blue Knights. The Chief Valkyrie."

Rhianna stared at him, her heart pounding. Then, slowly, she sank to one knee before him. Lowering her head, she held out her sword in both hands, a symbol of absolute fealty. "Your will is my path," she swore. "You don't need to consider my desires. Just give me orders, and I will follow. I only fear that I may not meet your expectations."

Kayvaan's eyes gleamed. "You will." He tossed the pouch of gems toward her. Rhianna caught it carefully, feeling the weight of the treasure inside. As she opened it, her breath caught—diamonds, rubies, and sapphires gleamed under the firelight, wealth beyond anything she had ever imagined.

Kayvaan's tone was casual. "Use your contacts in Nighthawk to exchange these for coin. Make sure you get a fair price. Consider it your first payment."

Rhianna hesitated, glancing up. "Can I… use some of this for my sister?"

Kayvaan chuckled. "It's your money. Do with it as you see fit." He studied her reaction for a moment, then added, "If you're uncertain, here's my suggestion—secure her future. Buy her a home, either in the city or in the countryside. Set up a business for her, something stable. A tavern, perhaps. With the amount of wealth you now have, she will never need to worry again."

Rhianna swallowed hard, gripping the pouch tightly. "I'll give you a week," Kayvaan continued. "Handle your affairs. When you're ready, return here." His voice lowered. "But don't waste my time."

Rhianna nodded quickly. "I won't."

Kayvaan's smirk returned. "Good." He turned, glancing toward the trees. "One last thing."

Rhianna straightened. "Yes?"

Kayvaan's voice was calm, but there was an unmistakable edge to it. "Never lie to me."

Silence stretched between them. Then, Rhianna nodded. "Understood."

Kayvaan watched her for a moment longer before waving a hand dismissively. "You can go."

***

Rhianna burst through the door, nearly knocking it off its hinges. The sudden entrance startled the patrons and staff of Blue Harbor, the high-end club in Kronborg's noble district. "Sister! Sister! Are you here?"

Behind the bar, Helen glanced up from where she had been preparing for the evening. A soft smile curved her lips. "Rhianna?" Her voice was warm, filled with the quiet patience of an older sibling. Her moon-shaped eyes glowed with affection, despite the slight sigh that followed. "How many times have I told you not to barge in like this? You're lucky it's not business hours, or you'd have scared half my customers away." Then her gaze landed on Rhianna's hand, her expression shifting. "Wait… you're hurt?"

Rhianna immediately turned her body, hiding the wound from view. "It's nothing. Just a little fall."

Helen didn't look convinced. Rhianna didn't give her a chance to press further. She took a step forward, grabbed Helen's wrist, and pulled her toward the door. "Come with me."

Helen resisted slightly, confused. "Rhianna, what are you doing? I have work to do. We're about to open."

Rhianna scoffed, glaring at the lavish interior of the club. She had always hated Blue Harbor. It was nothing but a refined version of a brothel, a place where noblemen and merchants paid extravagant amounts not just for companionship, but for something more insidious—validation. Unlike common brothels, the women here weren't expected to sell their bodies. They sold themselves in a different way—smiling through the drunken ramblings of men, pretending to be fascinated by empty boasts, offering soft words to ease the burdens of those who already had everything. It was still a gilded cage. "You don't need to do this anymore," Rhianna said, her grip tightening. "I have money now. You don't have to smile for those bastards ever again."

Helen sighed, glancing at the club manager before gently extricating herself from Rhianna's grip. With quiet politeness, she excused herself from work, then followed Rhianna out. As soon as they stepped into the streets of Kronborg, Helen turned to her sister with a knowing smile. "Rhianna, you need to be more grateful. The manager took us in when we had nothing. When I've had difficult customers, he's always been the one to step in."

Rhianna scowled. "Difficult customers? Sister, why didn't you tell me?" Her voice was tense with barely restrained anger. "If any of those stinking pigs laid a hand on you, I'll break their damn legs."

Helen sighed again, shaking her head. "It's not like that. Some men drink too much, get confused. It happens. And what, you'd go around breaking the legs of every noble in Kronborg? That's not how the world works."

Rhianna didn't care. She would do it. But she let it go, for now. Instead, she grabbed Helen's hand, pulling her down the stone streets. "Come on, I have a gift for you."

The sisters ran together, their shadows stretching long under the glow of the setting sun. When they reached home, Rhianna wasted no time. She shut the door behind them, ensuring their privacy, then turned to her sister with an eager grin. "I have something special for you." She produced a wooden box, holding it out with both hands like a sacred offering.

Helen blinked, surprised by the reverence in Rhianna's expression. "You're being dramatic."

"Just open it." Helen did. Inside was a severed head. She neither gasped nor recoiled. Her reaction was calm, almost indifferent. Taking the head from the box, she turned it slightly, inspecting the features.

After a moment, she nodded. "Youlun."

Rhianna's grin widened. "See? I'm capable, aren't I?"

Helen exhaled slowly, placing the head back into the box. "So, the Executioner is dead." Her tone was almost clinical. "That was my wish for a long time." Yet there was no real joy in her voice. She looked at Rhianna again, this time with sharp, searching eyes. "Tell me the truth. How did you really get this?"

Rhianna puffed out her chest. "It's simple. He came to kill me. I killed him first."

Helen's gaze didn't waver. "Rhianna, be serious."

"I am serious."

"Rhianna."

Rhianna huffed, crossing her arms. "I am telling the truth."

Helen remained silent, studying her sister. Then she shook her head. "We both know that if Youlun wanted you dead, even ten of you wouldn't have been enough. He was the best assassin Nighthawk ever had." Rhianna frowned, but Helen continued. "I'm not doubting you, Rhianna. I just need to understand."

Rhianna looked down for a moment, then stepped forward, embracing her sister tightly. Helen smelled faintly of lavender and expensive perfume. It reminded Rhianna of how much she had endured just to protect her. For years, Helen had always been the strong one. But now, it was her turn. She pulled back, smiling. "It's different now. From now on, I will protect you."