Mommie dearest


Lady Alexandra, formal Duchess of Oxford's estate, Northumberland

If Helena's and Alistair's was the wedding of the year and would probably be the divorce of the year, then the late Duchess of Oxford's was the funeral of the year.

Helena decided for it to be held on her mother's estate in Northumberland. According to her wishes, there was a wake before the ceremony and a lot of prominent people came to pay their respects to this extraordinary member of the formal royal family.

The paparazzi couldn't miss this important event either. As soon as Helena got out of her car, they surrounded her and bombed her with questions.

"Helena! Helena! Is it true that your mother was murdered?... Do you think it was the same killer who killed Ted Pryce and tried to kill Liam?... Helena! Aren't you afraid that the perpetrator is still out there?"

The former queen ignored their questions and with the help of her assistant, she tried to cut her way through the crowd of reporters. However, they didn't give up so easily and soon moved on to other topics.

"Helena, here! How could you hide that the twins were not the king's children? … Did you know all along?... Was Prince Robert a bastard too?... Why aren't you answering?"

Helena turned to Rachel and whispered something to her. Her assistant nodded, then walked over to the big iron gate and entered the code to let themselves in. One paparazzo was so aggressive that he attempted to follow them inside the property. Rachel was quicker and closed the door right in front of him, but it didn't stop him. He shook the bars and shouted after them:

"Some kind of queen you were, huh, Helena? Lying and fucking all around… Thank goodness your fucked up kingdom is over, you bloody whore. You are a disgrace to our nation."


Eleanor was tired. She was awake all night, thinking about her grandmother… then her brother… then her grandmother again and all the things she learned from her throughout her life. The thought of losing her, right after losing Robert as well, made the pain unbearable.

She leaned against the duchess' coffin, which was placed in the parlour, and let out a sigh. She took out her phone and typed a short text. She didn't have to wait long for the answer because the recipient of the message appeared in the doorway.

"Doug, finally!" – Eleanor cried out in relief when she noticed the man in black leather jacket. – "Did you get it?"

Doug reached into his pocket and pulled out two bags of cocaine. Before Eleanor could have got them, he shook his head.

"Money first, princess."

Eleanor snorted in disdain and started looking for money in her purse. When she saw that it wouldn't be enough, she took off her bracelet and gave it to him.

"It worths…" – she began, but Doug interrupted her.

"…much more than the coke, I know." – he replied scornfully, then he took the bracelet.

Eleanor eagerly grabbed the two little bags. After not finding a suitable place for them, she threw their contents on the coffin. Doug handed her a ten pound note with her father's face on it and held back her hair while she snorted the coke.

That was the moment when the former queen entered the room. She walked over to them and looked the drug dealer in the eye:

"Do we owe you anything, Doug?" – she asked in a chilling voice.

Doug shook his head and lowered his eyes.

"Then get out!" – Helena hissed between her teeth and motioned toward the door.

The young man was about to leave, but Eleanor stopped him.

"No! He is with me." – she said and put her arm around him.

Her mother took a deep breath, but she didn't protest.

"Your grandmother would be endlessly disappointed in you."

Eleanor let out a scornful chuckle.

"Yeah, you should know."

Even if her words did hurt her mother, she didn't show it. She was about to leave, but she turned back to her daughter and said:

"Destroying yourself won't help Eleanor. Look at the progress you have made! You have worked so hard not to be like this… a worthless junkie."

She reached for her daughter's face and wiped down the rest of the coke under her nose. Eleanor stepped away from her and couldn't hold back a bitter smile:

"You have made me one, Mom. It was your fault."

Helena lowered her eyes and let out a sigh.

"I know and I'm so sorry, darling. But there is so much more in you, don't waste it, please! Not because of me, not because of anyone else…" – she began in a soft voice, almost begging, then she looked at her daughter. – "I won't be around for a while so after this day you don't have to see me ever again. I really hope this will help you."

Before Eleanor could have replied, her brother walked into the room.

"The lawyer wants to read the Duchie's will. We should all go."


Helena and the twins sat around the great dinner table in the dining room together with other distant relatives of the late Duchess. They were sitting there about an hour, listening through a long list of Lady Alexandra's assets with the instructions who would get each of them. Finally, the lawyer cleared his throat and turned to the twins:

"Eleanor and Liam, my beautiful grandchildren. You know I never use the word beautiful lightly, but this attribute is absolutely true of you, no matter who your father is. (Although you can probably thank my genes for it rather than theirs.) I couldn't be prouder of the two of you. Therefore, it may not come as a big surprise that I will leave this house with the estate to you where we spent so many memorable afternoons together, and also my private train, the Duchess Express so that you could travel around Europe, as we always planned it. In addition, I want all my possessions, including my jewellery and artworks, to go to you as well.

The lawyer had to stop for a moment because Eleanor cried so heavily that he couldn't hear his own voice. Liam poured her sister a glass of water and handed her a handkerchief. The former princess blew her nose and her sobs slowly quieted. The lawyer looked at her for confirmation, then he continued:

"Dear Helena, my only child. What could I possibly give you that would make you happy? Maybe a confession. A confession in which I admit everything you always wanted to hear from me, a confession I owe you for a very long time."

Helena gave the lawyer a nervous glance as soon as she heard her name. The lawyer looked back at her and continued reading:

"You were never the daughter I wanted to have. As a child, you were always satisfied with the simple country life your father provided for you. You were not ambitious, you never sought power, you fell in love with the first man you saw. How silly girl, I thought. I was wrong. I didn't let you live your life the way you wanted. Instead, I used your love and devotion to me and forced you to make the most terrible choice of your life."

The former queen didn't like where this was going. She looked around the table and wanted to stop the reading, but everyone was staring at the lawyer, eager to hear the rest of the story. And he didn't disappoint them. Although he could sense Helena's anxiety, his job was to act in accordance with the will of the late Duchess of Oxford.

"I look at you right now. You shook off your shackles and got rid of the burden of being the queen, and I see that you are thriving." – he continued with Lady Alexandra's words. – "I'm wondering: is this what you would have become if I let you? A kind, caring and compassionate woman with a man whom she loves, an exemplary mother…"

Helena couldn't listen to it anymore. The room began to shrink around her and the lawyer's voice melted into the noise. Suddenly her ears were ringing and it was hard to breathe. She stood up to leave and just heard her daughter's scornful remark before she stumbled out of the room.


She didn't stop until she got out of the house. She was gasping for the fresh air and bent over to breathe more easily. Suddenly she heard a voice beside her.

"Are you all right?" – someone asked worriedly.

"No." – the former queen groaned and straightened up to face the owner of the voice.

Simon stepped closer and gently led her to a bench. He sat down next to her and mumbled softly to her:

"Just let it out. It will only be worse if you try to keep it inside. Let it out, my love, let it out."

His soothing voice calmed down his ex-wife, whose breathing evened out. She buried her face against his chest and released a long-needed cry. Simon put his arms around her and caressed her hair while she was struggling to stop her endless sobs.

The paparazzi, who were able to see them from the gates, didn't let the rare opportunity to go away. The cameras were flashing and clicking constantly, the reporters were shouting for them, but they didn't listen.

Soon Rachel appeared from nowhere with two giant suitcases and a coat on her arms and cleared her throat:

"We need to leave, Helena."

The former queen looked up to her and nodded. She sniffed her nose and quickly wiped off her tears. She got up and let her assistant help up her coat. Rachel handed her a pair of sunglasses as well and motioned toward a taxi which was parked in front of the gates.

"That's ours."

Helena and Simon followed her gaze and the former king frowned in confusion. He looked down at the suitcases, then back to his ex-wife and he asked:

"Where are you going?"

The former queen let out a sigh and looked him in the eye:

"I am moving to New York. I don't feel welcomed here anymore."

Simon didn't know what to say. He has never seen his ex-wife giving up.

"But… Come on, you know the children will come around and…" – he mumbled, but Helena interrupted him.

"It's not just the children. I have become a persona non grata in my own country. Everyone hates me. I don't even have a private life anymore. I have no choice but to leave." – she began bitterly, then she added. – "Unless you have something to say…"

She gave her ex-husband an expectant look and he looked back at her. They were quietly staring at each other until the former king broke the silence:

"Have a safe trip and take care of yourself."

"You too." – Helena replied with a sigh. – "The twins need you. You will always be their father."