Essos fights a losing battle to hide his frustration. Galen, however, jumps up in glee.
“Sister!” he exclaims.
The woman leaning in the doorway is painfully chic in a green long-sleeve form-fitting dress that ends just below her knees. She’s a willowy blonde who looks like she walked right off a magazine page with long, slender legs and a sharp, cunning face. Galen engulfs her in a hug then turns to Essos. Her reaction to Galen is frosty at best; she doesn’t seem thrilled to see him here at all.
“Isn’t it just lovely to see Helene?” Galen gloats as this new distraction joins the fray. Essos approaches her and leans down to kiss the cheek that she offers him.
“Of course, it is lovely to see our sister; I’m just unsure of what brings her herenow.” Essos’s words are stiff as Helene walks into the room and surveys the nine of us. Her blue eyes scan us, as if she can see into our very essence. As she walks around the room, she pushes an imaginary stray hair back into place.
“I came to get a sneak peek at my future sister-in-law, whomever she may be. You know how terribly exciting this all is, and when I heard that Galen was already here looking to pick up a new wife for himself, I had to make sure that my brothers choose only the best of the best.”
Helene approaches Olivia, who’s always seemed like a quiet mousy girl, though very smart. She grabs Olivia’s face and looks deep into her eyes. Her long nails dig into Olivia’s cheeks, and Olivia looks absolutely petrified. Everyone in the room freezes.
“I’m sorry, dear, you’re dismissed. Essos, send this one on to the Afterlife.” She waves her hand, dismissing the girl, and Olivia vanishes.
“You can’t do that,” Essos protests, but it’s half-hearted. I wonder if that’s because he already knew that he didn’t see Olivia in his future.
Helene continues around the room, eliminating women until only five of us remain—Zara, Cat, Ginny, Abigail, and myself.
“If you thought they were front runners, you would have stopped me,” she points out with a simple lift of her shoulder. She surveys the rest of us, wiping her hands as if they were dirty. Essos has taken his seat, possibly knowing it’s better to let her run amuck than to fight her. Galen looks positively gleeful over having another sibling around to run roughshod over Essos.
“Now, about this ball you are having tonight in my honor.” Essos sighs at Helene’s assumption. “You should invite Xavier. He’ll be rather cross if you don’t.”
“Dear sister, were it in your honor, I would have invited Xavier, but given that the ball you three are supposed to attend is still weeks away, I would rather avoid the drama that you bring and let that be my problem then. Besides, he’s your twin, you should speak with him yourself.”
She rolls her eyes at him and summons a plate of food for herself. “We’re not speaking for now.” She picks at the crepe she conjured. “He’s off gallivanting around the mortal realm with his son, and I, for one, am on Posey’s side on this one.”
Galen sits beside her, trying to take a piece of her crepe, but before he can get the food to his mouth, she slaps it out of his hand. “Naughty, naughty, baby brother.” She wags a finger in his face. “So, aside from a ball tonight, what else have you got planned? I mean, we’re in the final countdown. I like these five, and I think I would quite like that one.” She points to Zara. “She has a lovely style.”
Zara preens. The thought that someone other than herself can see her as queen must fill her with delight.
“Then again, this one has a heart of darkness that I think would suit you well, brother.” Helene’s eyes flare on me, delight dancing in them.
I fight the urge to look at Galen but fail, before glancing back at Helene.
“Ohhh,” she says, clapping her hands. “I have the best idea! I want to have a one on one with each girl to get to know her at her core. See who might be in your best interests. After all, who knows you best, big brother?” Her voice is saccharine sweet.
“Certainly not you,” Essos says harshly, but seeing her expression reflect hurt, his face softens. “But if it will keep you out of my hair, then perhaps you can have the next two days to conduct your one on ones. I can use the time to get some work done.”
“How about you give me five days, so I can have a day with each girl! Then we can have a practice ball, andthenyou’ll be one month away from the Calling Ball—and maybe you’ll have a fewer girls to worry about. Ah! Such a terrific plan. Thanks, brother!” She jumps out of her seat and gives him a kiss on the cheek.
Helene walks around the room tapping everyone on the head in a game of Duck, Duck, Goose. She passes around three times, before tapping Zara on the head.
“Peacock!” she exclaims. “Get dressed for a wonderful day, and we will get to know one another better.” Helene exits the room, leaving Essos shaking his head as she goes. Zara jumps up, excusing herself to get ready for her day with Helene. The rest of us are stunned by what just happened.
“Is she always like that?” I ask, feeling naked after how quickly she narrowed in on me. The way that she tried to peer into my soul and pointed out that I had a heart of darkness felt like an attack on who I was. Then again, if she does know who I am, then maybe she knows my heart better than I do.
What does having a heart of darkness even mean?
I’ve always considered myself charitable and kind, but maybe I’m wrong? Maybe I’m not who I think I am. Thinking about how Zara has been able to get under my skin, igniting my vindictive streak, maybe she’s right.
“Unfortunately, yes,” Essos says, turning to Sybil. They approach him, and he whispers in their ear briefly before they exit the room. “As you all heard, we will have a ball at the end of the week, after Helene has concluded her one on ones. I find it best to let her do things her way and do damage control after.” Everyone starts to work their way out of the room, until it’s only Essos and me.
“She was wrong,” he says, looking up at me. “You don’t have a heart of darkness. I’m sorry that she said that to you.”
I stand up. “I appreciate the apology, but I’m pretty certain that she’s right.” I exit the room to await my turn with Helene. Perhaps I’ll try the library again and revisitThe Princess and Her Guard.
* * *