Page 6 of Arrows and Gems
Amadeus giggled at his father, then tried to launch himself backward out of Katy’s arms. She leaned forward with him. “No, little one, not yet. There are too many people here.”
Helena held out her hands. “May I hold him?”
“Helena!” Spinning, Axel wrapped her in a bone-crushing hug. “How have you fared without us?”
“Better when I could breathe,” she gasped out. Chuckling, he relaxed his hold. “Do you have to do that every time?”
“Only until I accustom myself to the fact that you are truly alive and with us once more.” His eyebrows pinched in a mournful expression, but his brown eyes danced at her. “’Tis a dreadful thing, believing one’s sister to be forever lost.”
The light in his eyes dimmed for a moment, but it flared back to life when Katy leaned against him. She held out the little boy. “Would you like to play with Aunt Helena?”
Throwing his arms wide, Amadeus launched himself forward. A soft smile spread across Helena’s face as she caught him under the arms and hefted his small body in the air. Settling him at her waist, she said, “I think you’ve doubled in size since I saw you last.” He giggled, clapping his little brown hands.
So precious. She’d occasionally convinced the serving women at Reineggburg to let her hold their babies, and she’d loved every minute. Each bouncing baby was a promise of a life to be lived, full of love and joy and happiness.
A full life that no one had expected her to have.
She scowled, causing her nephew to quail for a moment before laughing again. If the council had their way, she would still be denied that life. Not that she expected to find “true love” – ha! – but she wouldn’t even find “desirable” in the Ralnoran court.
Papa’s gruff voice broke through her thoughts. “Hello, daughter. Where is your mother? I thought she was fetching you.”
“She did, but I was too excited to wait for her.”
Her grin faltered under Papa’s disapproving glower. “You didn’t run again, did you?”
“So what if I did?” she challenged, lifting her chin. “If you wanted a tame princess, you should have asked Michael to let you borrow his wife or sister.”
Axel cleared his throat, and Katy’s smile became a little tight. But Helena already knew she was a disappointment. Anger made a good cover for the pain. Besides, Katy was easy to rile, and Katy’s irritation would take the focus off Helena.
“Ella may be sweet and gentle, but that doesn’t make her less than you!” Katy snapped, her eyes flashing even though she was clearly fighting to keep her face pleasant. “And clearly Mi—” She cut herself off, pressing her lips together before continuing. “Jealousy doesn’t suit you any better than it does other people.”
Helena’s arms tightened around the little boy on her hip. “Jealous? Why would I be jealous of a mouse?”
“Helena.”
Papa’s voice held a note of warning, but Helena was past caring. “If you don’t approve of me, Papa, then send me back to Reineggburg. Not only can I be myself there, it would let you pretend I never woke up. You would all be happier if I hadn’t.”
“You know that isn’t true,” her brother said quietly.
“Do I?” she challenged. Handing Amadeus back to Katy, she sniffed, “Excuse me. I have someone else to greet.”
Axel followed her as she stormed away. “No one wishes you weren’t here,” he argued gently. The tone he used was one normally reserved for frightened horses or puffed-up cats. “I know you’re struggling to feel like you belong, but never doubt that we’re glad to have you back.”
She rolled her eyes. “What would you know about not belonging? You’ve lived here your whole life.”
“Me?” he replied, raising his eyebrows as he pressed a hand to his chest with a dramatic flair. “Ralnor’s first singing prince? ’Tis true, I have been ever beloved by all people.”
The wry note in his voice made her look away. She’d seen and heard enough to know that wasn’t true. She returned to scanning the room for Liesl. “But at least you have Katy. If I still had Michael, then...”
“He’s married, Helena,” her brother softly reminded her. “There’s no benefit to going down that path.”
But she couldn’t help wishing there was. How was she supposed to simply forget a decade and a half of dreams and longing?
Spotting Liesl next to a wall, she headed in that direction. Liesl’s face was lit up with her standard inner joy, her hands emphasizing her speech as she relayed some story to Tobias. As Helena drew nearer, she started to pick up the words.
“Katy was happy, because she says that’s how he used to act when they first met. And you should have seen Princess Arabella’s face, Tobias! She was absolutely glowing!” Liesl gushed. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a large smile on Prince Michael’s face as when he told us.” Pausing, she added in a cringing tone, “But please don’t tell anyone. I shouldn’t have told you that.”
“That the serious prince can smile?” Tobias drawled, a slight upward curve to his own mouth as he twirled his rose between two fingers. “Or that he’s going to be a father?”
