Helena

  “I can't believe it. I can't believe it. This is abuse. Complete abuse. She has no right to do this,” Agnes shouted at Richard. Her friends, who gathered around her, joined in her complaints.

  Richard raised his hands, trying to calm the angry women. “Ladies, ladies. You heard the priestess. You are not allowed to pass. I’m sorry,” he said. He looked at the group of men behind him and signaled them to be ready for any attempt by the women.

  Helena stood at the back of the crowd, watching her Aunt Agnes causing a scene with her friends. Elsa, Julie, and Emmy the dog were with her. She sensed that if Emma, or someone else, didn't come out of the house soon to explain what was going on, the crowd, especially her aunt, would lose patience and pounce on Richard and the men behind him like animals at feeding time. The heat was stoking people's tempers. Emma would soon have to bathe them all again to cool them down.

  "Your mom embarrasses me with her antics of crazy woman," Elsa said to Julie.

  Julie nodded in response.

  “At least she stopped fighting with Agatha,” Helena said.

  “Only because she left.” Elsa glanced toward the house. “I really don’t like this waiting, especially after seeing that light. It gives me a bad feeling.”

  “What do you think happened?” Helena asked.

  Elsa shrugged. “I couldn’t say. From what we know, Elisa was cheating on her husband with Luke’s nephew, and apparently they were caught. Whatever it is, the important thing is that our Michael hasn’t nothing to do with it.”

  “It would have been humiliating for the family if he had been the lover,” Helena said.

  Elsa nodded. “Undoubtedly… However, I don’t understand why that brat Milo said it was Michael who was sleeping with Elisa and caused that scene at the shrine. Why did he tell such a lie?”

  Helena knew Milo quite well and understood why he did what he did, but she decided to remain silent. She wanted to forget what had happened with Taylor and her mates, let alone talk with her mother about it. However, there was another reason why she chose to remain silent: she had a feeling that everything that happened at Luke's house stemmed from Milo's desire for revenge against Michael. And because of that, she felt partly responsible for what had happened.

  ?“We almost saw Natalie strangle Agatha,” Helena said, trying to change the subject. “It’s a shame Emma got in the way. I would have been happy to see that old woman suffer.”

  “Likewise... Although I believe this will not end here. I think Emma will have to watch Agatha's back in the ensuing weeks, or until Agatha returns to the city.”

  “You think Natalie will go after her?”

  Elsa smiled. She took a moment to respond. “I've known that woman for a long time. Believe me when I say that she won't let this go. And I don't think Emma can do anything to stop her, even if she asks Eric for help. The father will also become furious when he learns what was said about his beloved and pampered little daughter. Well, this was something that was bound to happen eventually, after all.”

  Helena frowned. "What do you mean?"

  Elsa looked at her thoughtfully. “Don’t you remember when Agatha used to visit us at the house during her first summer in Rodford?”

  “She came to the manor about twice, I think.”

  “Three, actually. But what matters is what happened during her visits, not how many times she came. You should remember. You were twelve when she visited us.”

  “I remember seeing her at the mansion, but I always stayed away from her when I had the chance. I couldn't stand the arrogant way she spoke or the way she looked down on me. Gods, she was insufferable.”

  “Agatha shared with us repeatedly throughout her visits that she found our manners and the way we dressed to be inappropriate. According to her, we did not act like the upper-class family we are, but rather like rich peasants. And I admit that the old woman hit the nail on the head with that little observation.” Elsa turned her gaze toward Agnes, who was grabbing Richard by the shirt and shaking him like a rag doll.

  Stolen novel; please report.

  “She was also disturbed by the idea that we didn't see the need to hire a governess for the children in the house, especially the girls,” Elsa continued. “Every time she visited us, she tried to convince us to hire someone she recommended.”

  “I think I remember something about that,” Helena said. “Natalie used to complain about her.”

  "Of course she complained. In Agatha's eyes, your aunt is still a little girl. Can you see where I’m going?" Elsa said, winking at her.

  Helena looked at her mother in surprise. "It can't be. I cannot believe you. Did she...?"

  Elsa laughed. “Agatha once wished to take your aunt under her wing and mold her into a proper lady of high society. She even planned to find her a husband in Blackferr. How do you think the brute of your aunt reacted to all that?

  “I guess not entirely well.”

  “To this day, I do not know what happened between her and Agatha, but since then, the old dame stopped visiting us and declared us her enemies.”

  “So that's why she made up the whole marriage thing: to get revenge for what Natalie had done to her,” Helena said, feeling her nerves rise as she recalled all the pain she had suffered thanks to that silly rumor.

  Elsa shook her head. "No, my dear daughter, you're mistaken. Agatha may have started the rumor that we were searching you a husband, however, it was Agnes's lovely friends who turned that little lie into a huge problem—you have those hags to blame for your bad experience. Michael spoke to Agatha and managed to arrange a meeting between her and me. She wanted to have a chat about your problem. She deeply apologised for what happened and said she shouldn't have told that lie. She hopes to speak with you one day and apologize to you personally, and explain her reasons for what she did."

  “You talked to her? But why didn't you tell me anything?

  "I was hoping you would clarify your relationship with the Austin family heir before I told you. For that reason I asked Michael to keep quiet."

  Helena blushed. "There's nothing between us, Mom. I've told you that a thousand times."

  Elsa snorted. “Whatever… I don’t know how Michael does it, but he gets along very well with Agatha; even Emma is surprised by it. You know, you shouldn’t be so hard on him. He may have his quirks, just like Agnes and Natalie have theirs, but deep down, he cares about you.”

  “I know… Although he can be stubborn sometimes.” I think I need to have a long conversation with him, she thought.

  ?Elsa approached Julie and hugged her. “And speaking of quirks, we can’t forget this mischievous little girl we have here,” she said, making the little girl giggle. “She won’t tell us what she was doing inside Luke’s house.”

  Julie was only ten years old, but she was already almost as tall as her aunt.

  “Agnes almost fainted when she saw her come out,” Helena said.

  “And nearly fainted again when Julie refused to talk,” Elsa said. “Lucky for her, the boy did talk.”

  “Kevin disobeyed Emma’s order. He’s going to be in trouble,” Julie said.

  “You’re the one who’s going to be in trouble when you get home, child. Do you think your mother is going to forgive what you did to her?”

  Julie lowered her head. “But I was just following orders,” she murmured.

  Elsa hugged her tightly. “I know very well, my darling, and that’s why I’ll defend you against your silly mother. Don’t worry about it.”

  Julie smiled and hugged her aunt.

  ?Realising that nothing she did would achieve anything, Agnes stopped bothering Richard and withdrew defeated into the crowd with the rest of her friends. Everyone fell into a murmurous silence as they waited to see what would happen. Noon was fast approaching, and with it, a rise in temperature. In the vast azure kingdom above, Minfernel, the sun god, was still mad and took out his anger on the world below and the poor mortals that live in it.

  The enormous orb of water still floated overhead, silent and magical, offering a measure of protection and coolness to those who stood beneath its rainbow shade. The adults watched it and commented among themselves on how beneficial it would be to have the ability to manipulate water when watering the fields or cleaning the house. The children were more practical, and tested the physical state of the orb by throwing stones at it to see if it would catch them, or if they could manage to scare it away from its position. Yet the orb remained motionless, and the stones passed through its undulating body without resistance and returned downwards by means of gravity.

  Helena wondered if Emma had foreseen all of this when she decided to cast the spell. The orb was not only a floating threat to anyone who dared disobey her orders, but it also provided a welcome respite for the villagers and kept them entertained. Emma had not only stopped and subdued the mob that was marching towards Luke's house in one fell swoop, but she had also managed to maintain control of it even in her long absence.

  I would have loved to have been born an invoker and be able to sweep away all my problems with a huge ball of water, Helena thought.

  People began to stir as they looked ahead. There was movement behind the windows of Luke's house.

  "They're about to come out," Elsa said.