Before long, Helena was back to her old self much to the relief of everyone in the palace. Weeks began to pass by and everyone fell back into their old schedule.

With one exception.

Viktor knocked on Helena's door before entering with a broad smile. "Your favorite father is here!"

Helena smiled back at him. "Thankfully, you're my only father."

"Are you feeling okay?"

"Why must that always be the first question you ask me?"

"Because I am your father, and I'll always be concerned about my precious daughter."

"Well, when you put it like that…"

"How are things going with you? Are you still getting along with Heine?"

Helena looked away from him for a moment, unable to answer.

"What is it? Did he do something wrong?"

"No…that's just it. He's perfect."

"So what's the problem?"

Helena sighed. "I love my brothers more than anything in the world. Sometimes, I wish they would come talk to me more often, but I understand that they're busy and need to focus on their studies more than their sister. When they do come see me, they rarely talk about the good things happening to them. They mainly only come to talk about their problems. I really don't mind so much because at least when they discuss their difficulties and struggles, I feel needed and like I'm doing something for them by helping them out. But lately…they haven't really come to talk to me much at all. About anything. They've been going to the Professor with their problems. I'm glad they can trust him with them. It's the first time they've ever trusted a royal tutor enough to discuss their problems with him. But…"

"Now you don't feel as needed," Viktor finished for her.

Helena shook her head. "I sound so childish."

"Helena, if anyone has the right to sound childish sometimes, it's you. But I don't think that sounds childish at all. Why don't you tell them how you feel?"

"I don't want them to feel guilty. They all worry about me so much as it is. Why make things worse?"

"But how you feel is important too. And I know that you can get rather lonely sitting in here by yourself all day with only Isabella for company. She's a wonderful maid, but she's not your brothers."

"I miss them. Right now, even Heine comes to talk with me more than they do."

"Would you like me to talk with them?"

"No. If anyone talks with them, it should be me."

"That's true, but will you actually do it?"

"I'll try."

Heine walked away from the room, having heard the entire conversation.

"Princes, there is something I would like to discuss with you," Heine announced at their lesson time.

"What is it, Master?" Bruno asked excitedly. "Better study habits? More tests? More subjects we will be learning? Tell me!"

"It is about your sister, Your Highness."

"Helena?" Leonhard exclaimed as he bolted up. "Is she okay?"

"She's fine last I heard. This is about your relationship with her."

"We have a great relationship," Licht said. "Can we just get this over with already? I have two dates today."

Bruno frowned. "If the Master feels it's important, it's important. Now pay attention!"

"Brunie, you're so cold! Did you not hear the word 'two'? You're just mad you can't even get one."

"I could get one if I wanted. I simply choose not to."

"Yeah, right."

"I wish I could have some torte," Leonhard mused to himself.

"I want…to cuddle with Shadow…" Kai muttered.

Heine sighed. These boys have the attention span of a gnat.

"Your Highnesses, this is quite a vital matter," Heine announced patiently.

The princes all calmed down and turned to face him.

"How often do you go to the princess's room to talk to her?"

"Well, we'd like to go every day," Bruno answered. "But we get really busy a lot of the time with lessons and other things. I think at least one of us sees her every day."

"Are you sure about that?"

"I suppose there's no way to be sure without asking her."

"In the last two weeks, how many times have you gone to see her?"

The boys all tried to think back over what had happened. Between Licht dealing with his secret job at the café, Bruno dealing with the prospect of abandoning his title and studying abroad, and Kai learning how to talk to people and then dealing with Ralf von Fuchs, none of them had really made time to go see her.

"Once or twice," Licht admitted. "I think…"

"I don't think I've gone to see her at all," Bruno said shamefully.

Kai's face reddened with embarrassment.

"And of the times you do go to see her, how many times do you simply talk with her, not just go see her because you have a problem you need to work out?" Heine continued.

All of their faces reddened even more. The more they thought about it, they usually went to go talk to Helena about what was going wrong with their lives while she was already sitting sick in a bed.

"Master…"

"Heine…"

"Your sister is a very intelligent young woman who loves you all very much. She cherishes every single time you come into her room and she remembers nearly all of your interactions with her. Because there is little for her to do in her current position, she spends much of her time reading and studying. When I go visit her nearly every day to ensure she has someone to talk to, we discuss many different subjects. I will admit that there were a few times where she pointed out something even I did not know."

"Really?" Bruno asked.

"Yes, indeed. She's very smart. I believe, Prince Bruno, that if you asked, she would happily look over some of your research papers and provide very decent feedback. It would not only give her something to do, but it would please her to know she is helping you out."

"I never thought to ask her."

"Prince Licht, you have trouble focusing on your studies, and that's why you get low scores. I am sure your sister would find ways to help you pay attention through the entirety of your studies rather than just the first half."

Licht awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck.

"Prince Kai, you have been aiming to be able to speak better to those around you. You're very good at talking with family, and you are getting better every day at speaking with the servants. You could try talking to Isabella when you visit the princess. She would enjoy spending time with you and she would happily help you converse with her maid."

"Helena…is a good sister. She likes to help."

"Helena helped me study for my retest," Leonhard said quietly. "She barely even had to look at my textbook to know the answers. She knew almost everything already."

"She was helping you with history, was she not?" Heine asked.

"Yeah, that's right."

"The princess loves to study history more than anything. It is her favorite subject. She also loves to talk about it with someone who understands what she's saying."

"You mean Helena would like it is we discussed history with her?" Licht said. "Can't she like something more interesting?"

"She also enjoys discussing books she has read or is currently reading. She has read many of the novels from the palace library."

"Why do you know so much about her even though you have only been here for a short amount of time?" Bruno inferred.

"Because I have been taking the time to get to know her. Princess Helena is sick. We all know it. She knows it. Why talk about something we already know and cannot change? Every day, people ask her how she is feeling or if she feels better. It can get very tiring to answer the same question over and over again even if the intentions are good. Discussing normal, everyday things is refreshing because she doesn't get to do it very often."

"Master…I fear you know our sister better than we do."

The princes visibly deflated and the mood in the room was quite depressing.

"Princes, now that you are aware of your mistakes, you have the power to fix them. For now, we have lessons, but once we're through, you may do as you please. That includes seeing your sister."

"I wish we'd known sooner," Leonhard said.

"But you know now, and that is what matters."

Helena smiled coyly as Heine sat next to her bed.

The two of them talking each night had become routine, and Helena absolutely loved getting the chance to discuss so many different subjects with someone else who could actually challenge her thoughts. All fears about him possibly forgetting her had vanished.

"Professor, I must ask something."

"What is it, Your Highness?"

"In the past few weeks, my brothers have been coming to visit me twice as much as they usually do. This started coincidentally just right after I had a conversation with my father that they hadn't come by very much. Now, he promised he wouldn't tell them, so it couldn't have been him. And none of the servants would dare tell something like that to the princes."

"I am not sensing a question here."

"Well, I suppose one of my brothers could have overheard and told the others. But Bruno has been getting me to edit his papers, Kai is attempting to have conversations with Isabella, and Licht and Leonhard have been asking me to help them study. Not only that, but they have recently begun talking about much more things with me than they usually do. Casual things, I mean. I doubt any one of my brothers would've caused this much of a change. And that just leaves…you, doesn't it?"

Heine looked away from her, his cheeks involuntarily reddening a little.

Helena laughed lightly. "I'm not angry, Heine. I'm just embarrassed."

"You have every right to be angry. I should not have eavesdropped on a private conversation between you and the king."

"True. But I've learned at a young age that practically nothing in this household remains secret for long. Not with so many eyes and ears all over the place."

"I will admit…when I heard my name being spoken about…"

"You were curious as to what we were saying about you?"

"Only because both of your opinions are so very important to me."

"I think very highly of you, Professor. Please don't let that conversation lead you to believe otherwise. You coming to this palace is one of the best things that has ever happened to us. I can see how much your teachings affect my brothers, in a good way."

"Even still, you are their sister and therefore, you have a closer bond with them than I ever will."

"I wouldn't say that. I would just say…a different bond. I'm glad they have you. Sometimes they need a male figure to look up to. Our father can't be here as much as they need him to be."

She chose not to add that the princes would always look up to him in the figurative sense.

"Please do not put me on the same level as the king. I am far too unworthy of such."

"You're too humble, Professor. I must tell you…thank you. I am not sure I would have ever had the courage to tell my brothers how I was feeling."

"Sometimes the hardest things to say bring about the best results."

"I know. I just…couldn't bear to see their guilty faces. I never want them to feel guilty over me."

"A good king must know how his subjects feel about issues, but he must also be aware of the concerns of his household. It's important your family knows how you feel so they can fix the problem."

"You truly have a remarkable way of getting me to see things in another light."

"Thank you, Your Highness."

"Professor, I have a request. I know that in public, you have to follow the proper greetings, but when we're alone like this…will you please just call me Helena?"

Heine's eyes briefly widened. Then he regained his calm demeanor. "If that is what you wish."