CHAPTER 1
Helena
TEN MONTHS LATER…
Helena slouched in her seat, staring out the window at the overcast sky as her tutor droned on.
If it had been history, she might have paid more attention; she had always enjoyed the stories of past adventurers and great deeds accomplished, the battles won.
Especially the ones north of the Rio Azul where magic increased the danger.
Before her curse, she’d had to sneak those books from the Reineggburg library since her tutor thought the subject inappropriate for a cursed princess. After all, it was the reason she was stuck in the country instead of living with her family in the capital. But they were her favorites.
Not that books were her favorite pastime, but she had to do something when it rained.
Unfortunately, the current topic was politics. If she had been learning it to one day rule Daraigh at Michael’s side, she would have paid more attention. But ruling Ralnor would be her brother Axel’s job, and after him, little Amadeus.
She had no use for politics.
“Princess? Are you paying attention?” Svenja snapped her fingers in front of Helena’s face. “I asked you for the first rule of law in our kingdom.”
Smirking, Helena settled farther into her seat. “The queen is always right.”
Her tutor squeezed her eyes shut and covered her face with one hand. “Have you learned nothing in the past ten months? The first rule of law is—”
“‘A well-ordered kingdom is essential to the peace and well-being of its people. As a strong central ruler is critical to such order, a monarchy shall be established. However, the monarchy shall be the servant of the people, devoted to their prosperity, with the fruits of their service and devotion as a logical remuneration,’” Helena quoted, rolling her eyes. “I learned that one before my curse.”
“I should be pleased that you know something,” Svenja sniffed. “Please pay attention; it is not the end of the world for you to appreciate your lessons.”
“Wann mag ich das Politik, ist wirklich die Ende der Welt,” Helena grumbled in Old Ralnoran. When I like politics, it really will be the end of the world.
“What was that?”
Helena smiled sweetly. Her childhood plans for a secret code with the Reineggburg servant children had failed, but she still enjoyed the ancient languages. Especially at times like this. “Just saying how much I love this subject.”
Her tutor gave her a disapproving glower, but Svenja couldn’t really do anything about it.
Helena’s attention drifted back to the world outside the window.
Ten months since Michael rejected her. She hadn’t been back to Daraigh in that time, and he hadn’t visited Ralnor, even sending his younger brother to Axel’s birthday celebration back in the spring.
He hadn’t barred her from his kingdom, but so far, the effect was the same.
She sighed. If she couldn’t study history or the ancient languages of the kingdoms, she would rather be at the archery field. It was the one place she still belonged.
Despite her parents’ attempts to mold her into a proper princess.
The cadence of Svenja’s voice slowed. Mildly curious, Helena turned back to her tutor. The woman was scowling at the doorway for a change. “Princess, I must ask that your suitors remain outside the classroom. You have enough distractions as it is.”
“Tobias? A distraction?” She snorted, casting her eyes over the young man leaning against the doorframe. His heavy-lidded eyes glanced at her before drifting away again. “That will be the day.”
Rather than taking offense at her comment, he simply swirled the amber liquid in his glass.
His short black hair was neatly combed, and his clothing looked neatly pressed instead of rumpled as it had been the last few weeks.
He even had a rose pinned to his waistcoat.
From the greenhouse, she assumed, since it was late September.
“Finished yet?” he drawled, studying the open door.
“No, we still have—”
“Perfect timing, Tobias.” Helena shoved out of her seat and tossed her pen onto the desk. It rolled off and clattered to the floor. “I’m ready for a break.”
Her tutor stepped forward. “We need to finish our discussion of—”
Blowing a strand of chestnut hair out of her eyes, Helena turned to Svenja with a huff. “We will. Later.”
“The king specifically requested that you complete this material today.”
“Then the king can be disappointed.” It wouldn’t be the first time. “Feel free to blame me for the failure.”
Tobias leaned back to let Helena pass before he lazily shoved off the doorframe and followed her. His eyes settled on a painting across the hall, but he matched his slouching pace to hers.
“As Axel and Katy aren’t back from Daraigh yet, neither is Liesl,” Helena mentioned lightly. Her brother and his wife had gone to visit Michael, and they’d taken Katy’s youngest sister with them. “I’m not sure what benefit you see to following me around.”
“Liesl?” Tobias echoed, sounding bored. “Hadn’t noticed her absence. Your hair is radiant today,” he added without looking at her.
“The level of your grooming dropped off when she left.” Helena smirked. “Just like it increased after you met her at the Midwinter Ball.”
“I expected you to travel with them.”
“And you only just noticed I stayed home?” Helena scoffed. “If you expect me to believe that you aren’t in love with my friend, you’ll have to do better than that. Liesl is the only person you’re fooling.”
He lifted the glass to his mouth, but instead of taking a sip, he lowered it back to his waist. “Family can be complicated.”
“Tell me about it,” she muttered under her breath. Family had exiled her to Reineggburg. And now family kept her trapped in the capital.
Axel had offered to take her to Daraigh with them, but Papa had scowled at the suggestion. Her brother might think ten months was long enough, but Papa didn’t trust her.
He needn’t have worried; Helena had no intention of watching Michael fawn over a woman who didn’t want him. Michael knew where to find her when he finally admitted defeat.
“Looks like you’re popular today.” Tobias gestured down the hall with his glass.
Restraining a groan, Helena folded her arms across her chest. The dark-haired young man striding toward them wore his hair in a more foppish style than Tobias did. He was handsome, self-assured, and well-spoken.
And Helena despised him.
She pursed her lips. Ralnoran law allowed the council to require an heir’s marriage after their twenty-fifth birthday, but she’d missed twelve years of her life. Her body was nearly twenty-six, but she still felt like a teenager.
And if she couldn’t have the man she’d been dreaming about since she was thirteen, she saw no reason to hurry into marriage. Especially when neither of her suitors truly wanted her.
“I don’t understand why you’re playing your father’s game, Tobias,” she hissed, “but you’d better make up your mind. I’m not self-sacrificing enough to choose Luther. Even if that means the council chooses you.”
His dark eyes narrowed in on the young nobleman approaching them. As usual, he said nothing, simply swirling the liquid in his glass instead.
“Good afternoon, Princess Helena,” Luther greeted, offering her a bow that rivaled those of her overdramatic brother. “I trust you are doing well?” His eyes shifted to Tobias, and the corners of his mouth dipped toward his chiseled jaw. “Tobias.”
Helena pasted on the bright smile that irritated the stuck-up members of her court. “Hello, Luther! What are you doing at the castle?”
His expression lightened, and he stepped forward to lift her hand to his lips. Bearing in mind her mother’s lectures, Helena resisted the urge to shudder or whisk her hand out of his reach.
“How can you ask?” he effused. “I am here to see you, of course. The week which I spent at my family’s country estate was unbearably long. Was it not so for you?”
No longer than any other week since the man she thought was her true love had sent her packing.
“I thought it would never end,” she said insincerely.
She wanted to tell him that his absence had caused the time to pass more swiftly. But she was supposed to be a princess now.
Rather than being discouraged by her lackluster response, Luther smiled widely and offered her his arm. “May I escort you to the gardens, Princess Helena? We have so much to catch up on, and I have something that I wish to speak to you about.” His eyes darted sideways to Tobias. “Alone.”
Alone with Luther was something Helena avoided like the plague. “That’s so…thoughtful of you.” She reached for Tobias’s arm. “But Tobias and I were about to—”
“I’m sure Tobias won’t mind,” Luther cut in, eyeing the other young man. “I won’t keep you long. And he’s had you all to himself for the last week.”
Helena joined him in staring Tobias down. But after swirling his glass, Tobias offered a small nod to his rival and took a step back. After another nod to Helena, he turned and slouched off down the hall.
“Traitor,” Helena muttered under her breath. Maybe she shouldn’t have prodded him about Liesl.
Luther either didn’t hear or chose to ignore the comment. Smiling, he said, “Shall we, Princess?”
Helena stared at his arm, pinching her lips together and wondering if she could refuse him. Was it worth another lecture from Mother to simply walk away?
When she didn’t move, he reached out and grabbed her hand. “Your shyness is adorable, but we should take advantage of this opportunity. Tobias will be back before long.”
She ripped her hand from his grasp and took a step back. “No, thank you. If you don’t respect me enough to let me make my own decisions about where I go and with whom, then I have nothing to say to you.”
“Princess, I only wanted to—”
“I don’t care what you wanted,” she ground out. “Since you have no regard for my wants, I see no point in pretending any for yours.”
His eyes darkened. “I’m trying to help you. I know the council’s decree as well as you do, and you can’t want to marry lazy Tobias.”
“Better lazy than arrogant.”
“Arrogant?” Dropping his jaw, he scrunched his eyebrows as if wounded. “You insult me when all I want to do is protect you?”
She continued to back away, unwilling to show him her back. “Protect?” she scoffed. “I don’t need to be protected.”
“Helena!” Mother’s shocked voice interrupted. A frown tugged at her mouth as she strode toward them, and a deep crease puckered her forehead. “What are you doing? Half the castle can hear you!”
Smiling brightly, Helena turned to face the queen. “Just having a frank discussion with dear Luther, Mother,” she responded with fake cheer. The crease in Mother’s forehead deepened. “He’s been operating under a small misunderstanding.”
“Helena,” Mother began quietly, wrapping an arm around Helena’s shoulders and casting an anxious glance at Luther. “You have little more than three months before the council’s deadline. Wouldn’t you prefer to make your own choice of a husband?”
Folding her arms over her chest, Helena blew a lock of hair out of her eyes. “I already tried that, Mother. He said no.”
Mother’s expression turned pained. “I know you were disappointed to learn that Prince Michael married while you were cursed. But you really must move past that, my dear. If you would only give Lord Tobias or Lord Luther a chance—”
“A chance? I’ve given them ten months of chances.”
Mother pinched her lips and patted her hand toward the ground. “Must you talk so loud, my dear?” she chided, peering around Helena at the young nobleman. “If you keep this up, Lord Luther may change his mind and seek some other young lady’s hand.”
Helena snorted, throwing a disdainful glare over her shoulder. “I wouldn’t be so lucky.”
“Helena!” Mother’s hand clamped on her shoulder, her fingers digging in. Helena fought against a wince as the pressure increased. “My apologies, Lord Luther; the strain of the council’s decree has made my daughter anxious.”
He smiled and acknowledged her with a bow.
Mother released Helena and patted her back. “Axel returned home early. Would—”
Helena whipped around. “Liesl is back?” she asked excitedly.
“Yes, Katrin’s sister as well.” One side of Mother’s mouth pulled up in a tiny smile. “Lord Luther, perhaps you would be willing to escort my daughter?”
He stepped forward, holding his arm out again. “It would be my honor. Princess, shall—”
But Helena was already flying down the corridor.