‘You don’t look too bad yourself, Your Majesty.’
He could see the way she looked at him. As if she would like nothing more than to rip away his suit. In just a few days, Helia had gone from being shy and inhibited, unsure if she should touch him, to demanding. Almost confident in her want for pleasure. It satisfied him greatly that she would share that side of herself with him.
Vasili took her hand in his. They would no doubt be photographed from the moment they stepped out of the palace. Together they climbed into the waiting Rolls-Royce bearing the flags of Thalonia.
The ride to the orphanage was longer than he’d thought it would be. Upmarket buildings faded into modest storefronts, which morphed into more battered structures. Seidon had always been the pride of the Kingdom. Its streets were supposed to be rich. His parents would have had everyone believe that the people were happy, but here they looked forgotten. There was none of the vibrancy, none of the life he would have associated with his home. These streets were nothing like the ones he had partied in or ridden his motorcycle along. There wasn’t any freedom here.
‘Even as a commoner, you don’t get choices. You have to make do with what you get dealt.’
Helia’s voice came back to him...her words from their first meeting.
Without realising it, he curled his hand tighter around hers and she squeezed back.
They arrived at a nondescript white building. Cameras were already flashing. A line of people waited at the entrance, and once the car door was opened Vasili stepped out, then helped Helia, who emerged with a smile and a wave. It wasn’t a bright smile. There was a tightness around her eyes.
‘Your Majesties...’ The first person in line—a world-weary-looking woman—greeted them with a curtsey. Vasili extended his hand. The woman shook it with ill-concealed hope.
‘It is good to see you, Maria.’ Helia smiled, holding both the woman’s hands.
Vasili was taken aback by the familiarity between them. He wondered if Helia had volunteered here, and that was why she’d chosen this place for them to make their first appearance. She’d had a life before he’d plucked her from it, and she had shown so much kindness and consideration. It was a theory that made sense.
As they greeted the line of people, he noticed the warmth with which they all received her. He placed a hand on the small of her back and hazarded a glance behind him. Andreas and Carissa stood further away, allowing all the attention to fall on the new King and Queen, but his private secretary had an inscrutable look on his face, and Vasili didn’t understand how he couldn’t show at least a little emotion, standing where they were.
‘Shall we show you around?’ Maria asked.
‘Please...after you.’ Vasili gestured ahead of him.
The outside had barely prepared him for the inside. It was clear they were doing the best they could, with the funds they had, but calling the place shabby was as generous as he could be. There was a large, outdated kitchen, a common area, and numerous bedrooms with two to three children sharing each. He was relieved to see a recreation room of sorts, but it was severely lacking. The offices weren’t that much better.
Helia had told him that she wanted to help the forgotten people of Thalonia, and he hadn’t really known who that could be. Now, he hated it that he had been blind to this side of his kingdom. All those years he’d spent rebelling against the crown in a way that servedhimhe could have spent rebelling in a way that served others. It had always been obvious that the politicians favoured the wealthy, as had his parents. But he could have used his rebellion for good, and it angered him that he had been so ignorant. Angered him that he had been lectured on propriety in his behaviour as a royal, when a royal was meant to serve everyone. His family didn’t do that.
‘Is there somewhere we can discuss matters?’ he asked Maria.
‘Yes, of course.’
‘We would like to speak with all of you as well,’ Helia said to the other staff.
They were taken into a room with a large table and some boxes stacked against the wall.
‘I apologise. We can’t offer you a better meeting room. Unfortunately, we don’t have much space.’
‘No apologies are necessary,’ he said. ‘We’re here to listen. It’s obvious that you’re struggling—where are the issues?’
Maria needed no further encouragement than Helia nodding at her to speak. It was amazing to watch her interact with these people.Hispeople. He had been worried about how she would fare today, but he hadn’t needed to be. She was warm and listened carefully to their grievances, interjecting only to clarify their points. She showed a patience that he was struggling with—because it seemed Maria had to manage too much. There wasn’t a proper organisational structure that would benefit the orphanage or the children. Hardly any of them would achieve any kind of greatness simply because there were no avenues for their betterment. Most of the staff were volunteers. How did this help anyone?
Things had to change.
He was grateful to Helia for showing him what he had been blind to. She was promising Maria things would improve. A move that had Andreas scowling.
Upon re-entering the main building, they finally got to meet some of the children that this place helped. From babies who grasped his heart in their tiny little fists to teenagers who were far too jaded for their young years. He could tell that Carissa was pleased they would get pictures that she could spin into something wildly positive, but if it hadn’t been for Helia’s presence beside him he would have been completely untethered. Sucked into his disappointment and anger.
He pulled her closer. Wrapping an arm around her waist as they further spoke to the volunteers. He needed her near.
But just as he had the thought, she was whisked away—and it couldn’t have made him happier to see her go.
A little hand clasped onto Helia’s, and out the corner of her eye she saw several of the royal entourage step forward. With a single look she ordered them away—not even stopping to reflect on the fact that she had controlled everyone wordlessly—and allowed the little girl to pull her out of Vasili’s embrace.
This excursion had clearly been a shock to him. She could feel his emotions radiate through him. Frustration, anger, disappointment... Despite what he believed, he was a good man, and she could only imagine what seeing this side of his kingdom was doing to him—which was why she’d remained so close.
