Leonard was incredulous again that all of that had occurred without his knowing or guessing any of it. “So he confirmed the baby still there was the princess and you went along with it?”
“What else could I do? Admit I snuck the man in who stole her?!”
She screamed that at him. She was too emotional. He put his arms around her. It didn’t help, it just produced more crying.
“That must have been a very difficult time for you. I’m sorry, Helga, truly I am. I should have taken you with me, you and your daughter. But you still had her—”
“I didn’t! They soon took her away to hide her. They knew that all I did day and night was cry, so they wouldn’t let me go with her. I begged them to, but they expressly forbid it because I was in such deep grief over losing my baby. They praised me for what I’d done. They rewarded me! But I never saw her again.”
“I’ll find her for you wherever they still have her hidden so you and she—”
She leaned back to pound on his chest in anguish. “She’s dead! She died when she was seven! And for every one of those years I was terrified every single day that as she grew older she might start to look like me and the king might suspect what I had done. She was already lost to me, I would never see her again. And living with that fear for so long, it was almost a relief when she died! It was Frederick himself who came to tell me. Even in his own raging grief, he spared a thought for me, assuring me that what I had done had at least given him seven years to love her.”
Leonard sighed with the realization. “So that wasn’t a mock funeral after all they had for her.”
“No.”
“And Frederick let the country think she was missing so it would never happen again.”
“Yes!”
Leonard was stating things tonelessly, not actually asking for confirmation, but then his thoughts continued down the logical path and it finally occurred to him: “My God, they haven’t believed Alana’s story, who she really is? Instead of convincing them, they’ve now convinced her she’s yours? You let her think that?!”
Helga covered her head with her arms, thinking he was going to hit her. He thought he heard her cry, “They’ll kill me. I can’t tell them, I can’t.”
“It’s all right, you don’t have to. I’ll let her know even if I have to break into the palace to do so. This can’t go on any longer.”
“Don’t do that. I think he already knows.”
“The king?”
“No, his captain of palace security, the man who brought her to me. I could see he was suspicious. And he left a man there to take me to the palace without telling me why. It was to confront me without her being present to hear him! I know it!”
“Hush,” he said, trying to soothe her with his hands. “I won’t let that happen. I’ll take you away from here where you will never have to be afraid again. I owe you that much—for trusting in me.”
Chapter Forty-Six
SHE’S ALIVE!” NIKOLA SAID as she returned to the sitting room where she had left Auberta to find out what was keeping Frederick from joining them. “She’s with him right now!”
“My goodness, you’re so excited,” Auberta said. “Who’s alive?”
Nikola was so thrilled by this news she simply couldn’t contain it. “Frederick’s daughter, Alana! He didn’t admit it, he only said he had a wonderful surprise for me, that he would join me soon. But he didn’t have to say. I’ve seen the portrait of her mother. She looks just like Avelina!”
Auberta appeared to be in shock, and Nikola realized too late why her friend might not be ecstatic about this news. “I’m sorry,” she added gently. “I know you hoped Frederick would name Karsten as his successor, and Alana’s return changes everything.”
“I am amazed, of course, but—actually, Nikola, I must confess I had a much happier hope so long ago when Princess Alana was born, that she and Karsten, nearly the same age, would make such a perfect couple.”
“You mean marriage?”
“Certainly. It would do what we have both hoped for, unite our two families and put an end to all this dreadful hostility and fighting once and for all.”
Nikola bit her lip. “I don’t know if Frederick would welcome that idea after the attack on the palace. . . .”
“I told you that was a mistake. Karsten didn’t even know his men took it upon themselves to avenge the assault on him. He was beaten terribly, the dear boy. He was barely able to get out of bed last night, though he assured me no matter how painful it is, he will come this very night to tell Frederick how appalled he is over this mistake. It was one of his young, hotheaded cousins who rallied his men to blame Frederick for the deed. It was not Karsten’s doing, Nikola, I promise you. He loves Frederick. He would never do anything to harm Lubinia. And this is the very sort of misunderstanding that will never occur again if our two families are joined in matrimony. You must agree it would be the ideal solution.”
“Yes, I do, but—”
“Then use your influence with your husband. He’ll listen to you. Remind him of your many miscarriages caused by all this turmoil. By the way, are you pregnant again, my dear? You do look a little peaked. Shall I pour you another cup of tea?”
