"For God's sake, is this my room or a public administration office? What does everybody want from me? Leave me alone!" She glanced at Jasper and added: "You too!"

"Eleanor, I need to talk to you", boomed again the voice through the door.

Jasper nodded. "I'm going to leave the two of you. I believe you indeed need to talk."

Her turned around and opened the door. The queen was only mildly surprised to see him.
"Oh hello, bodyguard! So good to see you. May I have a word with my daughter, please?"

"Of course, your Majesty."

He held the door and let her enter, then he gave the princess one last encouraging look and left.

Helena stood in the middle of the room, seemingly unsure of what to say or do next. Her daughter stared at her in her usual, hostile way, not necessarily making things easier for her.

She looked at the table and briefly took notice of Eleanor's assortment of drugs and various other substances of dubious nature that she had stopped hiding from her parents long ago.

"What can I do for you, mother?"

Helena pointed to the sofa. "May I have a seat?"

"Since when are you even asking?"

"I'm just trying to be nice and respectful, Eleanor. Something that wouldn't hurt you either."

"Nice and respectful? To me?", she couldn't help but laugh, "How come? Do you want to manipulate me too, like you're manipulating dad?"

Helena sighed. So that's what this was all about. Just what she had thought. What she had feared. Quietly she braced herself for the storm that was about to come.

"You're mistaken, my dear, I'm not manipulating your father."

"Oh, come on, mom! You know that's a lie! Just like pretty much every word coming out between your made-up lips. What the hell did you tell him? What did you promise him, to make him oh so devoted to you?"

The queen swallowed hard. Everything that had happened between Simon and her was still so new, fresh and fragile. But also more pure and deep than anything she had ever felt, aside from the love she had felt for her children since the day they were born.

They had laid bare all their biggest fears and doubts before each other. And especially she, the stone queen with the iron heart, had given in to her own vulnerability.

They had come out stronger, and full of love, hope and confidence. Hearing her daughter talk about it in this disrespectful way, even if not at all unexpected, hurt. It hurt a lot. She blinked away a tear, took a deep breath and answered: "I'm not surprised you came to this conclusion. Seeing your father and me like this, all of a sudden. You've probably never seen us like this before, at least not that you could remember."

"Yeah, you're damn right about that!"

"Please, Eleanor, just let me try to explain... Even though, it's hard for me to find the right words. You see, it's not so easy to explain. All I know is, that something changed. I don't know what, I don't know how, and most of all I don't know why. But after the masquerade ball... when your father came back from his trip to Toronto, he looked me in the eyes and... I don't know. That moment I knew I'd never want to be without him ever again. I realized how much I loved him. How much I've always loved him. And how much I've hurt and mistreated him in the past. But no longer!"

Eleanor was obviously untouched by her mother's confession. She hadn't moved one muscle in her beautiful face. "That's very nice, mom. What is that, Shakespeare? Is that how you won him over? With some tacky bla bla?"

Helena was beginning to feel desperate. She could feel her heart beating faster and a tingling sensation in her fingertips.

"I know you don't believe me. And why would you? Quite frankly, you have no reason to trust me on this, I understand that. But I beg you... Trust your father! Him and his judgement. He knows me. He knows what I'm capable of. Even if I may wish it wasn't so, he knows everything. And he rightfully despises me for it just like you. But he sees it's different now. He can feel it. He knows it's true. Just look at the way he looks at me! You'll see it too. He has forgiven me, and given me another chance."

This time, Eleanor remained silent. For now, she apparently was out of clever but offensive replies to shoot back at her mother. But it was all in her eyes. And they said: 'I will never forgive you. And you don't deserve another chance.'

Again, Helena wasn't surprised. She didn't expect things to go that smoothly. But at least she thought she may also have seen something else in her daughter's eyes. A glimmer of doubt. Was she, the queen, actually telling the truth in the end?

She continued: "Now, I didn't come here to beg your forgiveness. I know it's way too soon for that. I've done you wrong so many times, Eleanor, and Liam and Robert too. I've failed miserably, as a wife, and especially as a mother. But I want to change this, I want to make it better, I really do! This time, I'm serious. That's why I already talked to Rachel. She will no longer be editing your posts on social media."

Suddenly Eleanor looked up, hopeful at first, then doubt crept over her face. "Yeah, sure... As if!"

"It's true. Just try it!"

She handed her her phone and took a leap of faith to sit down next to her daughter on the bed. Eleanor didn't move. Then she began writing a Facebook post. Helena looked over her shoulder.

'My mother, Queen Helena, is a ruthless, manipulative bitch who's only fucking my father for power and money. And he's too stupid to see it because, as all men, he's thinking mainly with his penis.'

Helena bit her lower lip. Eleanor raised an eyebrow as her thumb was hovering over the 'Publish' button.

The queen swallowed and forced a smile onto her lips. "Go on! What are you waiting for?"

"You really want me to post this?"

"I want you to post whatever you want. And if... that's what you want the world to know, then go ahead."

She shook her head. "You'd never let me post this. Rachel wouldn't. You're lying."

"Push the button and see for yourself... Just know that, even if you delete it right after, it will already be too late to take it back."

She hesitated for another moment. Then she deleted the text and threw her phone into her pillow before throwing herself right next to it.

"I'm tired of this discussion", she proclaimed, "Please go now! I'm sure dad must be missing you already. How long it's been since you had sex the last time? Twelve hours?"

Her mother smiled. Not just because of Eleanor's comment. And because it was actually eleven hours. And a half. But also because even if she was being thrown out of the room without a thank you or any other appreciative word from her daughter, it still felt like a triumphant victory to her.

"We can hear you, you know?", she yelled after her mother.

The queen opened the door and turned around to look at her. "I know", she answered, smiling.