Page 77 of Slippers and Thorns
Ella
A
rchery with Michael and Helena wasn’t as bad as Ella had feared, but she didn’t enjoy it. Charlie hovered, taking a few practice shots of his own to give himself an excuse for having followed. Helena laughed heartily at him, then smugly appropriated a target for herself and Michael as the better archers while dismissing Charlie and Ella to share a different one. She claimed it was because of their similar skill level.
Ella had improved over the last month, but even so, Charlie wasn’tthatbad. Michael seemed to think it was funny, though.
When they sat down to lunch without having received any new arrivals, she began to despair of a rescue. But shortly after enduring Helena’s falsely-pleasant invitation to Charlie to sit down and join them (which he, of course, politely declined before taking a casual position pretending to look out a window), a commotion sounded in the hallway right before the door to the room burst open, crashing into the wall from the force.
“Helena!”
If Ella thought Michael had been pleased and shocked to see the “dead” princess sitting up, it was nothing compared to the mix of emotions on Axel’s normally-cheerful face as he stood frozen in place for a few heartbeats. Recovering, he surged through the doorway to sweep his little sister up in a crushing hug. “Helena, you’re really alive. You’re all right.”
“Yes, it’s good to see you, too, Axel, now will you let me breathe?” she gasped out.
He stepped back but kept his hands on her arms, his mouth scrunched up like he was holding back tears. “I just can’t believe you’re really here.” Looking her up and down, he said, “You’ve grown. You’re taller than you were.”
Helena snorted. “So have you. Look at you, all grown up. Michael tells me you’re even married now.” She shoved him lightly in the shoulder. “How could you get married without me and make me miss my chance to be a bridesmaid?”
“Well, maybe if you’d dropped me a line to let me know you were still alive, I would have waited,” he teased lightly. “Mother and Father are going to be so thrilled to see you!”
Helena peered around him. “Where are they? Aren’t they here?”
Axel shook his head. “No, it wasn’t a good time for Father to leave the city. They sent me with a carriage so I can bring you back as soon as possible. They really wanted to be here, though,” he smiled softly. “But it doesn’t matter. You’ll be home soon enough.”
Helena frowned and took a step back. “Home? I don’t want to go home right now. I want to stay with Michael!”
It was Axel’s turn to frown. “What do you mean, you don’t want to go home? We’ve believed you dead for years. Mother and Father are desperate to see you!”
“Well, if they’re so desperate, then they can come here,” Helena said, raising her chin defiantly. “Thishas always been my home. I’m not going to Himmelsburg unless Michael comes with us.”
Axel glanced between them, a confused expression on his face. “Helena,” he said, “I know you two are friends, but there will be time later. I don’t understand why you would defy Father’s request just to be near him.”
Helena raised her chin farther. “Because he’s my true love,” she replied loftily. “I’m not leaving him.”
Axel gaped at her. Glancing at Michael, he laughed uneasily. “Ah, Helena, you do know Michael and Arabella are married, right?”
“Of course, I do,” Helena sniffed. “But it doesn’t change the fact that he’s my true love.”
“And what makes you say that?” Axel asked. Rather than focusing on his sister, his eyes were jumping between all of them. Including, Ella noticed, Ella’s loyal guard, who under normal circumstances had no business being in the dining room at that time.
“Because he’s the one who woke me up,” Helena declared. “Only a kiss from my true love could do that, so that means Michael. Is. My. True love.”
“Is it true, Axel?” Ella asked softly. “Is that the condition that could break the curse?”
Axel rubbed the back of his neck. “I was only three years old when it happened, and Mother and Father never really discussed it. Or at least, not around me. I think Mother might have said something about it the day Helena pricked her finger, but I wasn’t exactly taking notes.”
Ella gulped. “So, it could be true?”
“I don’t know,” Axel rushed to say. “I really can’t say one way or the other. To be honest, I couldn’t have told you that a kiss of any sort would do it. I only remember something about magic to draw men towards her and other magic to drive everyone from her presence.”
There was silence for several awkward minutes. Finally, Axel cleared his throat and said, “I’m afraid I outpaced the carriage a bit on the way here, but I’m sure it will arrive soon. It doesn’t look like there is any point in taking your clothes, but is there anything else you would like to bring, Helena?”
Helena folded her arms across her chest. “Michael,” she said firmly, staring her brother down.
“I meant belongings,” he growled. “Youaregetting in the carriage, and Michael and Arabella arenotwelcome. No offense,” he added, throwing a quick glance at the Daric royalty.
“None taken,” Ella hurriedly assured him. Michael said nothing. Like Ella, he was still sitting at the table, but he was tense as he watched the exchange.
