The Crown's Obsession

"Marcelo! Marce!" Helena shouted her brother's name while walking through the corridors, wondering where he was. "Where did you go?" she muttered under her breath, reaching his room to check if he was there.

It was only seven in the morning, and he was already out of bed. Walking down the stairs, Helena came to see her brother, who was talking to her uncle Solomon.

"Go get the approval from the magistrate of the town so that we can create the dam. I need it before tomorrow morning so that it can be sent with the rest of the papers," she heard King Solomon speak.

"I will leave for the town right away," replied her brother, offering his bow, and the King left the corridor.

Helena walked to where her brother stood, "He's sending you out for other work again?" she questioned.

Her elder brother turned and met her gaze, "When did you come here? You seem to be getting better at sneaking around people without anyone's notice." As usual, his blonde hair had been combed to the side, and there was a smile on his face.

Helena's eyebrows furrowed seeing her brother trying to dodge her question, "He makes you work more compared to any of his ministers. I thought you were going to have a day off from the royal court duties," she said to him.

"The King said it was urgent and you know how much he trusts me," replied Marcelo. He started to walk, and she was quick to follow him, walking beside him.

"He trusts you enough to make you work for him but he doesn't offer you the position as one of his ministers. Don't you think something is wrong with it? It has been more than three years and you are still not anywhere near to the position you deserve," stated Helena, pursing her lips in the end.

Her brother was a naive person, believing everything that was told to him to be true and blindly trusting people. In contrast, Helena had always been sceptical about the people around them.

"I thought we already went through this. The King holds us dear to his heart. If it weren't so, we wouldn't be living here in the castle. After our parents' death, he allowed us to stay here, promising position and purpose. And you get to be educated too," explained Marcelo while he continued to walk, and Helena stared at him. "You shouldn't worry about such things when you should be grateful for the King's generosity ."

"I would be grateful when the Ruffords decide to give you the position of a minister," muttered Helena under her breath.

"You should be careful with what you speak, you don't want to get caught saying something people don't like," pointed out her brother, and Helena shook her head. "If you are upset that we won't be able to spar today, you don't have to feel that way. I will try to find some time by evening and we can go to the forest after that."

Back then Helena had pleaded with her brother to leave the castle with her, to go away from the castle and make a life for themselves. This place didn't seem like a place where they were welcomed as her brother thought it to be. She had a feeling that the King was only making use of her brother's good nature for his own dirty work, like a master and a dog who were playing fetch.

"I will wait for you," said Helena, giving her brother a look, and he laughed.

"With the way you behave, it seems like you are older to me, than the other way round," he offered her a warm smile, and she only stared at him.

"You are too good and I cannot help but worry about you. It isn't late to leave the castle and start afresh, life away from the castle is much better than in it," responded Helena to Marcelo's words.

When they reached where the carriage was awaiting for him, Marcelo waved at her once he got on the carriage. Helena watched the horses pull the carriage as he left the castle for another errand of the King. While returning inside, the Queen noticed her and called,

"Helen dear, did you go outside again?" asked Queen Guilene. "Seems like you have lots of free time on your hands. Come help Martha in studying."

"I have other things to do," came Helena's direct words.

Queen Guilene's eyes subtly narrowed, the smile still intact on her lips, "I don't think I heard it quite right. What was that again?" the woman gave her another opportunity to fix her mistake by abiding by her words.

Helena stared at the Queen, "I have to work on my sword fighting skills to make sure I can cut the enemy to pieces."

"Where have your manners gone? Don't you know that you are supposed to listen to what the Queen says?" asked Guilene.

"Forgive me, but I am not that qualified to monitor young Martha. I am sure the governess who has been busy drinking tea and trying to be more of your companion for chatter than a governess can be put to better use," responded Helena, leaving the Queen appalled by her blunt response.

Maybe her brother didn't see it, but Helena had weighed every person in the castle, while keeping a watch for both her and her sibling. She didn't care if she was thrown out of the castle because that was exactly what she wished for.

"Helena?"

Helena's eyes shifted to look at King Edison, who was looking at her, "Where did you go? You seem to have dazed out of the conversation."

"Pardon me. What were you saying?" asked Helena, not denying that the conversation her cousin had been on about had been lost.

King Edison tried to be as patient as he could, "I was saying, how about you rejoin us, here in this Kingdom here.Obviously you are far more capable to work beside me than being away."

"Do you mean against you when you say away?" questioned Helena, her face serious. But King Edison laughed over it as if he was covering his actual feelings.

"Of course not. I have always wanted you beside me, because you are an intelligent woman. I know people often shun weddings between close cousins, but don't you think it is better to keep the blood thick and keep the family line strong?" questioned King Edison with a smile on his lips.

Helena knew Edison would try to have her join back the Kingdom of Cait. With the constant rise of the High House that had taken part of the power from the Kings and the Queens of the nearby kingdoms, it had turned to a central system of justice. As more time would pass, it would turn into an iron rule that everyone would have to follow while having the ability to destroy people who misused power.

King Edison was aware that Helena knew some secrets of the Kingdom of Cait, and she could use it against him, and he was trying to gain her attention by inviting her to have a meal with him.