Silver Truths

This is a short story for a writing contest, and I wanted to post it on here. I also wrote it in sort of a Hobbit-ish/ J.R.R Tolkien style! Hope you enjoy! Also, the cover isn't my best work, but Its fine I guess
Far away, in a time and world quite unlike our own, a silver tree grew. It provided shelter for the animals of Orkhen (for that was the name of the kingdom) and food for the poorest of the people. It also chose the ruler of the kingdom, and no one ever objected, because it was the tree.  Now, this tree is an important part of our story, and it indeed ends up as being the ending of our story, but we are not at the end, are we? So, we shall begin where we always should..
At the beginning.
“Istalia! Mother won’t be happy if you get your dress all dirty before Cia arrives!” 
A girl of about 13 with long brown hair smiled down at her sister (for she was up in a tree, and her sister was not) and replied “And Cia would be ever so pleased to know that I wasn’t wasting my days away while she was busy with Seraleth,” 
The girl down below, who was named Ellanil,  glared back, “I cannot possibly get blamed for you making a mess of things again!” 
“Who says I will make a mess of things?” Istalia countered, raising an eyebrow. 
“We both know you always make a mess of things. Now come down, before we are both punished.” Ellanil demanded.
“Oh, Fine.” Istalia said, starting her descent down the tree. When she reached solid ground (which was covered with a thin layer of snow) she brushed off her dress, for it was indeed dirty. 
“Istalia? What on earth have you done to that dress?” Marelethe, Istalia and Ellanil’s mother, asked, as she had arrived outside, and was now standing beside the tree. 
“I was only climbing the tree.” Istalia explained, now feeling a bit ashamed. Cia probably didn’t want her youngest sister to be seen like she had no care for proper manners and etiquette. 
“Well, you must hurry and change into something respectable. Your sister will be back in about 2 Zems.” Marelethe said, obviously distressed. 
Now, while you are reading this you might be confused as to what ‘Zems’ are. Well, I shall give you a short explanation before we see what happens next. The Orkhens are, as I stated before, quite in a different time and place than us. Zem means minute, Kem means hour, and Tem means second. Well, back to the story!
Istalia bade goodbye to her sister and headed towards her house, in which her mother, father, sister, and uncle resided. It was a simple home, but not dreadfully small, like the Fae’s (now extinct) were.  She climbed up her ladder into a loft, since the loft was where she kept her clothing and where she slept. She picked up her second best dress (she had been wearing her best) and pulled it on. It was a pretty dress, and it didn’t have any dirt on it, so it was a wonderful alternative to what she had just been wearing.  
She wondered briefly if her sister would be quite as wonderful as she had remembered, or if she would be very different. After all, Queen Seraleth was a very fierce woman, as well as slightly cruel. Istalia wondered from time to time why the tree had picked her as the leader, as well as Cia as the advisor. She went down the ladder and saw that everyone, even her old aunt, had gone outside, which meant that Cia was here. She opened the door (it was a very fine old door, made of beautiful oak, with the family's last name carved into it: Jekne) and smiled at the sight of her sister. Cia was older than Istalia had remembered, and her brown hair was now cut short, with no remnants of the long beautiful hair that had once been. Cia was talking to her father, Izlane.
“Oh Father, the trees were ever so tall, and I spent hours in them! I could never have imagined the day that I had to leave it all behind” she paused “But of course, I am glad to be home again.”
Cia turned and saw Istalia, and the whole family seemed to be holding their breaths. You might not know, but before Cia left to go to serve the queen, she had an unfortunate disagreement with Istalia.
“Issie?” Cia asked, a bit of uncertainty in her tone. An uncomfortable silence followed, before Istalia found the courage to answer.
“I’m glad you’re home, Cia.” 
The answer seemed to relieve the rest of the Jekne’s. Soon everyone had come inside, and the feast Marelethe had cooked earlier was set out on the table.  Izlane held up his cup and said, “To our beautiful daughter, Cia, who has succeeded in becoming a strong, independent woman, second to the Queen herself!” 
“Here, Here!” The rest of the family echoed, save for Istalia. She was deep in her own thoughts. The supper was a pleasant one, and the whole family laughed and talked. When all of the plates were cleared, only Istalia and Cia remained. 
Cia spoke first. “I am truly sorry for what I said before I left..what I said about who you were.”
Istalia looked away, “It’s of no matter any longer.” 
Cia took Istalia’s hands in hers “It does matter. I should never have said that.”
“Its fine. Really. Now, tell me all about Zennra!” Istalia said, with a fake smile. 
Cia suddenly looked very stressed. “There was also something I needed to tell you about.” she glanced around the room, then added on “Tonight. There is too many people around as of now”
Istalia understood, of course. But what could be so important only she could know? Istalia wondered.   
The time passed slowly, as it always does when one is waiting for something. Several hours later, the waiting ended. Cia led Istalia towards their tree, which they had often climbed as children.
“Issie, I am about to tell you something that only you could ever know. Can you promise me that you will never tell a soul?” Cia said, nearly immediately after they had gotten settled in the branches of the tree. She was quite impatient, as you might have gathered. 
“Of course, Cia.” Istalia reassured her, wondering not for the last time why, oh why it was so important that only she could know. 
“Istalia, the queen intends to give the crown to her daughter.” Cia blurted out, like it was a weight she couldn’t bear any longer.
The words took quite a while to settle in Istalia’s mind. Finally they clicked, “But what about the tree?”
“That is the second part of what I needed to tell you. She intends to poison the tree.” 
Istalia gasped “Poison it? Like kill it?”
Cia looked down towards the ground “Yes, that is her plan.” 
Istalia looked at Cia, tears burning in her eyes “”Can we save it?” she asked. 
“It's quite impossible, Issie.” was all Cia said. 
Istalia sighed and started climbing down, “Nothing is impossible Cia. You proved that to me the day you told me I wasn’t truly your sister, but instead an orphan, a foundling, with no true family that was alive,” 
She reached the ground and looked up at her sister. “I will save the tree. Don’t doubt me,” And so Istalia left her sister alone, up in their tree. 
She went into the house, lit a candle, and pulled out a quill and paper. She believed the best plans were the ones that were forged of anger and truth. So she wrote down everything Cia had said, and then placed down the quill. The night was becoming old, and she could start again in the morning, when the day was new. 
She slept fitfully, not even noticing when her sister entered the room. She could only think about what could be.. And what could be ruined. 
The next morning, the sun peaking through the small window, Istalia awoke. She pushed off her covers and was about to go down for breakfast before remembering everything from the night before. Cia had awoke by now and she smiled weakly at Istalia, a smile which Istalia did not return.  When a sister is mad at her other sister, things do tend to go that way. Istalia climbed down the ladder, her papers clutched in her fist. She would have to ask her parents for a map, as she had never been to the tree, or Zennra (The city in which the tree and castle are located). She climbed down the ladder to find her Aunt Eleka was sitting by the fireplace, and a warm fire was flickering. Istalia usually enjoyed these mornings, but today she could only think of the tree, and the Queen. 
“Ah, Istalia. Did you sleep well?” Eleka said, her voice thickly accented. She somehow always knew who she was speaking to, despite her blindness. 
Istalia hesitated before answering, “My sleep was fine. Have you had breakfast yet?” 
“Oh, my girl, I’m far too blind to make breakfast for myself. Marelethe will in a zem, I suppose.” Aunt Eleka let out a hearty chuckle. 
“I could make you breakfast, aunt!” Istalia said, after she had realized it would be quite easy to pack herself some food as well if she was making breakfast for everyone. 
“Well, that sounds marvelous, my dear! Remember, I prefer my porridge sugared!” Eleka said.
Istalia went into the tiny kitchen and put some porridge on the stove. While it was cooking, she went into the pantry. The pantry was small, and few satchels were hung up on hooks. SHe took the smallest one and proceeded to put in 6 apples, some dried meat, a loaf of bread, and a few bottles of water. She supposed the journey would take about a day, and if she left tonight, she would make it there by noon tomorrow. She suddenly stopped, for she had all but forgotten the fact that she did not know what she would do when she confronted the queen. It would be a slow process. In fact it could take years. She felt nearly all the hope drain from her. But an idea sparked in the back of her mind. The queen trusted only her advisor...and her ‘Tems’ or little seconds. Rumors had escaped from the castle of the queen pouring out her secrets to these mute servants.
Istalia would have to give up her voice for the truth to be heard.
=== 5 Years Later ===
For 5 years Istalia had been writing. The truths were easy to write, yet she knew with every word she could be killed. Sometimes she longed for her family, Ellanil and Marelethe and Izlane and Eleka. But every day she had to see her sister, her sister who knew who she was, and knew she had a voice. But Cia never did betray her, never told anyone her identity until the day the queen died. On that day, the queen had ordered Istalia to poison the tree. And on that day, Cia had stood beside Queen Sereleth on her deathbed and told her who that mute servant was, and that when Istalia died, she would be a queen. And Cia’s words were the truth. For whether they are spoken or written, the words of truth will always shine through, shine like the silver tree in which protected the animals of Orkhen and fed the poorest of people. The tree in which chose the queen. The Tree that spoke Silver Truths. 
= The End =