Page 101 of 2 Books in One Bundle
For her, this visit was monumental. Helia was more at home here than she’d ever felt at the palace. This was where she’d grown up. Where she’d spent her free time. When Helia had turned eighteen and left, it had been to start a hopeful new life. But now, returning as Queen, it was to bring a hopeful future for them all. This place—these people—had given her a home when she had none. A place that was now giving others a home. Like the little girl now tugging her away, so she didn’t feel bad for leaving her husband.
‘Where are you taking me, Anastasia?’
‘Come and see what we made.’
The little girl she was well acquainted with from her volunteering led her over to a group of children sitting on the floor, playing with building blocks.
‘We built a palace.’
Anastasia tugged at Helia to join them on the floor, and she kneeled on the threadbare carpet. Andreas—barely hiding his displeasure—and several others looked as if they wanted to intervene.
‘Stop,’ Vasili commanded them.
She locked eyes with her husband, thinking the admonishment was for her, but there was something shifting in his gaze she couldn’t decipher. There was a thread between them, and it went taut as he approached her. She watched him sit on a nearby couch, her heart full to bursting, as he examined the plastic brick construction.
‘It’s where you live,’ one of Anastasia’s little friends piped up.
‘I think this is far more impressive than where I live,’ she replied making the child’s face light up.
‘If this is Queen Helia’s palace,’ Vasili said, picking up a few stray bricks, ‘then it needs a very big library.’
His eyes flashed to hers and her heart skipped a beat. She could feel heat creep up her neck. A heavy ache in her core that she had to hide. But he saw it. She knew by the small smirk on his face which he disguised with a broad smile for the others in their presence.
The feeling didn’t go away in the time she and Vasili spent with the children. It meant more than she could say when he spoke to the older kids, who had tried to stay away, and within these walls where hope so often burned and died, Helia found herself hoping. Wishing she could have more with Vasili. With her husband who clearly cared for these people.Herpeople. And a deep sense of affection for him overcame her, flaring bright, but was quickly doused with an acute loneliness as she remembered all they were and all they could never be.
‘We will be in touch. In the meantime, if you require anything contact our staff and it will be yours,’ Vasili said, shaking Maria’s hand.
‘I promise things will get better.’ Helia hugged the woman that she had known for most of her life and left with Vasili holding her close.
He remained silent on the drive back to the palace. Physically, he kept close to her. And a jolt of electricity passed through her at their every touch. But it seemed he was withdrawing into his thoughts, and she didn’t like that. He had taken the title despite wanting to abdicate—a choice made for his people. Helia hadn’t known how much of Thalonia’s suffering he’d been aware of before, but seeing the look on his face when they’d toured the orphanage had answered that. He was her ally in this quest, so she needed to know what he was thinking.
‘Are you okay?’
‘You’re asking me ifI’mokay?’
She could see something flicker in his eyes before he sighed.
‘No, Helia, I’m not. I didn’t know it was this bad.’ He rubbed his eyes with his thumb and finger. ‘I should have. I was always aware of how much my family favoured those with power. Wealth. But I never stopped to consider what that would mean for others.’
‘Maybe that’s true—but, Vasili, we are doing something about itnow. Those people back there were happy to see you for a reason.’
He huffed a humourless laugh. ‘Don’t try to placate me, Helia.’
‘I’m not. I’m just telling you what I saw.’
She couldn’t understand why he wouldn’t acknowledge how much his words and actions meant to the people at the orphanage, but there wasn’t much more time to dwell on it before they had arrived back at the palace.
They made their way to Vasili’s office for the debrief that would follow. She’d expected both Andreas and Carissa to appear. However, it was only Andreas who did, wearing a deep scowl.
‘I’m sure you have an opinion about today, Andreas, but let’s recognise that it was a success,’ Vasili said.
‘I won’t deny that Carissa will have what she needs to introduce you both to the world, sir,’ Andreas said stiffly.
He was not happy, but Helia couldn’t possibly imagine what could have set him off. She had remembered everything she needed to. Plus, Vasili had pledged his assistance, and it was the start of what she wanted to achieve.
Andreas turned to her. ‘Butyou, Your Majesty, did not act in a way befitting of a queen.’
Helia could feel her buoyant mood dissipating. The high was gone and instead she was plunging back to earth. She thought she had done well. How could she have read the situation so wrong?
