The day Helena left the palace was a big occasion for everyone. The servants were nervous wrecks, afraid something would happen to the princess while she was out. But they were aware the king was accompanying her which gave them some peace of mind.

However, Viktor was too mentally panicking though he managed to hide it beneath a cool exterior. Like Helena had said, she had never been outside of the palace before. Even though it would only be for a few hours, so many things could go wrong.

On the other hand, he knew that it was rather unfair of him to keep her locked up for her entire life in an attempt to prevent what might not happen. After a full 24 years, it was only natural she would want to see the city. She had asked as a child, but the requests stopped the older she got once she understood her situation more. He was honestly surprised it took this long for her to once more ask to go out.

He had previously requested that the servants remain quiet about the whole occasion. If word got out that the elder princess was leaving the palace for the first time, she could get hounded by people who wanted to see her and know what she looked like. Even worse, someone could figure out her true identity and possibly kill her for being a royal. He had the same fears every time Licht went into town, but he knew that with Heine by his side, his son was well-protected. Helena's situation was different as she could not simply run or fight should the occasion call for it.

The other princes desperately wanted to accompany Helena on her very first outing, but Viktor had strictly told them they could not. Licht still wanted to keep his job a secret from them, and the fewer people who went with them the better. Helena was already going to be drawing attention from people due to her wheelchair. There was no need to add to it by having multiple people traveling with her, especially a whole family of royals.

Isabella had dressed in her normal clothing rather than her maid's uniform and had helped Helena dress into regular commoner fashion so she wouldn't stand out as the princess. She made sure the clothing was not restrictive so as not to disrupt her breathing.

She wheeled Helena out to the palace gates where an unmarked carriage waited for them.

Licht hopped inside the carriage first. Isabella and Viktor gently helped her ease out of the wheelchair. Along with Licht, the three of them slowly assisted her in getting up inside the carriage to sit comfortably.

"My first visit into town!" Helena said excitedly. "How exciting!"

"I can't believe you've never been into town before," Licht remarked. "Have you even had a carriage ride?"

"Yes, when I was young, Father took me out on a couple, but we only rode around the palace grounds."

"That's boring."

"Maybe now, but at the time, it was enough for me."

The others joined them inside the carriage.

Viktor, Helena, and Licht sat on one side while Professor Heine and Isabella sat on the other side.

Isabella felt rather out of place amongst three royals and a tutor, not to mention that she was sitting at the same level as the king himself, so she elected to stay silent for the duration of the trip.

The carriage stopped a few streets over from the café as per usual.

In reverse order, Heine, Isabella, and Viktor exited the carriage first with Licht staying behind so they could all help Helena out of the carriage and into her wheelchair.

Isabella wheeled her down the sidewalk to the café. Licht hurriedly put on his apron and glasses while he walked and tied his hair back into a long ponytail. Helena had to admit that when he dressed like a waiter, it was a bit harder to tell that he was the youngest prince. His entire demeanor changed along with the uniform.

Once they stepped inside the café, the owner turned to see who had come in.

"Ah, Richie, you're here!" he smiled at them.

Helena smiled to herself at the false name.

Sparkles filled the owner's eyes when he noticed who was with him. "Oh, and your father is back! Have you come to assist us again, sir?"

Viktor smiled kindly at him. "I'm sorry, but no, not today. Today, I am accompanying my daughter."

The owner looked at the young woman in the wheelchair.

Helena smiled up at him. "It's a pleasure to meet you, sir. My brother speaks very highly of you."

"Oh, I see, this is a family visit," the owner said to Licht. "You've brought your father, your sister, and your little brother!"

Helena let out a very unladylike snort that she quickly covered with a cough when she realized that the owner thought Professor Heine, a man at least fifteen years older than Licht, was their little brother.

Heine's eye twitched again. Now was not the time to correct him.

"Is there a table where we can sit?" Viktor asked.

"Oh, of course!" the owner smiled. "Richie, put them somewhere in your section. It's only appropriate you serve your family, isn't it?"

"Yes, sir," Licht answered. "Well, then, if you'll follow me."

Isabella wheeled Helena over to the table Licht directed them to. She helped the princess into the booth as Viktor sat across from her. Heine sat at a separate table to complete his work like he normally did during Licht's shifts.

"Isabella, you may go into town if you wish," Helena told her maid. "You can go to the shops or see your family. I'll be fine here."

"Are you sure?" Isabella asked.

Helena noticed her maid nervously look over at her father. "It's okay, isn't it, Father?"

Viktor smiled at her. "Of course."

Isabella smiled broadly. "Thank you so much. I'll return in exactly one hour."

Because she couldn't give away the princess or the king's station as royalty, she was allowed to leave without curtseying to them or addressing them properly. It felt strange and wrong but it was necessary.

"That was nice of you," Viktor remarked.

"Ever since Isabella became my personal maid, she hardly ever gets any free time which means she rarely gets to visit her family or buy anything for herself. I don't think she was prepared for that when she came to work at the palace. She must miss her younger brother and sister dearly. They're as close as I am with my brothers, and to think of being separated for such long periods at a time would be so difficult. I think she was secretly hoping I would let her go into town while we stayed here."

His daughter's incredible selflessness despite her condition always managed to surprise him.

As a princess, she was not expected to express any interest in her servants' personal lives, even her personal maid's. It just showed how much Helena cared for others that she made an effort to know more about Isabella and her life outside of work.

Licht quickly walked back over to their table and handed them two menus. "Here you are!" he smiled broadly. "Here are our menus. Please take your time making a selection."

"What is your recommendation, sir?" Helena asked.

"Our most popular selection right now is the Einespänner. However, I prefer the cappuccino with whipped cream topped with cocoa powder and sprinkled with orange shavings. It goes well with our personally made torte."

"Hm, it all sounds so good!" Her eyes quickly scanned the rest of the menu. "I think I will have a small slice of dark chocolate torte, and…that cappuccino you mentioned."

"Coming right up, ma'am. And for you, sir?"

Viktor smiled and held up his hand. "Nothing for me, thank you."

"Are you sure, Father?" Helena asked in surprise. "You're here, you may as well get something."

"Well, all right. A cappuccino for me as well."

"Yes, sir. I'll be right back with your orders!"

Licht walked back towards the kitchen.

"This is very strange," Helena remarked. "I can't believe he's so serious about this. I never thought this would happen in a million years."

"Yes, it was a shock to me as well," Viktor told her looking after his son. "But it definitely means a lot to him. I've never seen him care for something so strongly. You should've seen the way he defended this job when I told him he had to quit."

"Why would you make him quit? We always agreed he needed something to help him get more serious about his work ethic."

"Maybe so, but if his identity had gotten out while he worked here, I wouldn't be able to protect him if something happened. But, since Heine has agreed to accompany him, I know he'll be protected while he's here. It was a solution that benefitted everyone."

"You trust Heine to be able to protect my brother?"

"Heine has an unmatched loyalty to myself and to the kingdom. I have no doubt that he would give his life to protect any of my children."

There was something about the way he said that that made Helena wonder if her father and Heine were closer than they appeared to be. Heine insisted he had never met him before coming to the palace, but she questioned if that was the truth. Her father placed more trust in him than any of the other guards who worked at the palace and he had only been working as the tutor for a few months.

Licht returned to their table carrying a tray. "A slice of torte and a cappuccino for you, ma'am," he smiled as he placed the two items in front of Helena. "And a cappuccino for you, sir." He put the other coffee cup in front of Viktor. "If there is anything else you need, please let me know."

"Thank you very much," Helena smiled back. "It looks wonderful."

As Licht continued to serve his other guests, Helena happily dug into the torte slice while Viktor slowly sipped his coffee.

He realized that he could not remember the last time he had ever shared a moment like this with his daughter. In fact, when he thought about it, he wasn't sure they had ever had a moment like this.

As he sat with her in the quaint little café eating torte and drinking coffee, he did not worry about political matters he would have to deal with later. He allowed himself to relax and enjoy the quiet moment he got to share with her.

It was hard to believe that Helena had never set foot outside of the palace prior to this outing. Even Adele was scheduled to visit the neighboring kingdom within the next few months to meet the prince her age in an attempt to build relations.

After 24 years, his eldest daughter had finally gotten to experience life outside of the palace. It didn't seem right that she was so excited about something as insignificant as going to a café for just an hour.

Part of him felt it was cruel of him to keep her locked up for so long even if it was for her protection. How many times could he have let her go into town before but he didn't simply because he was worried about all the things that could happen? Had he unintentionally stopped her from living her life by trying to preserve it?

"You don't need to look so down," Helena laughed lightly, noticing the growing crease between her father's eyebrows. "Everything's been fine so far, hasn't it?"

Viktor sighed deeply then smiled at her. "Yes. I'm not worried."

"Not anymore anyway."

"Right. Not anymore."

He noticed just how happy she was about getting to visit the café. He may have made a mistake in not letting her go to town before, but she was the kind of person who didn't let that stop her from being content and for that, he was very glad.

Helena watched with amusement as her youngest brother remained the ever-charming individual when serving the patrons inside the café. She never realized that he could be so passionate about something like work. She didn't think he even knew what work was.

When the hour she had to spend was nearly up, she and Viktor patiently waited for Isabella's return.

Helena caught sight of her just outside the café window. Her eyebrows rose a little when she saw that she was talking to a very attractive young man. They appeared to be old friends. Could it be a relative? An older brother?

Isabella had only ever mentioned a younger brother and sister.

The young man lightly kissed Isabella's hand before hugging her tightly. From the way Isabella looked at him and even more so the way he looked at her, Helena could be certain that he was not a relative.

A small smile crossed the princess's lips. Why had Isabella never mentioned this person before?

The two parted and Isabella walked into the café.

"I've returned, Prin—uh…ma'am."

Helena smiled kindly. "Right on time as always, Isabella. I only wish you'd taken your time so I could stay here longer. This café is so relaxing. I feel as if I could stay here for hours."

"As could I," Viktor told her. "Unfortunately, my work is never done. We agreed on one hour, and one hour has passed. It is time for us to return."

"Yes, Father."

Viktor and Isabella helped Helena out of the booth and into her wheelchair. As they headed towards the doors, the owner once again approached them.

"Leaving so soon?" he inquired.

"I'm afraid my work calls me away," Viktor said with a polite smile.

The owner looked at Helena. "I hope you enjoyed your visit."

Helena smiled at him. "Very much, thank you. I can see why my brother enjoys working here so much. You have a fine establishment. I wish you all the best as you continue with the business. I hope to return soon."

"Thank you, miss. You are always welcome here. Any friend or family of Richie's is a friend of mine."

"I trust you will look after him for me."

"Of course, miss." The owner once again looked at Viktor as his eyes sparkled just like before. "And you, sir, if you ever wish to work here even for an hour or two, your help will be most appreciated!"

Viktor laughed. "I'll keep that in mind. Farewell for now."

"Have a nice day!"

Viktor, Helena, and Isabella exited the coffee shop and got into the awaiting carriage to return to the palace.

That night, Isabella prepared Helena for bed just like she always did.

"Isabella, who was that man you were talking to outside the café earlier?"

Helena did not miss the blush that crossed Isabella's face. "Oh, him?" she stammered. "He was just a friend of mine, Your Highness."

"Just a friend?"

"Yes, Your Highness."

"What is his name?"

"Anton."

"How did you meet him?"

"Our fathers did business together several years ago before I came to work at the palace, and one night, my father invited his family over for dinner."

"I see. How often do you see him?"

"We try to meet whenever I get the chance to go into town."

"And you're sure he's nothing more than a friend? Because your red cheeks suggest otherwise."

Isabella gasped as she put a hand to her cheek.

Helena laughed lightly. "If I may ask, is there any chance you wish for him to court you?"

Isabella opened her mouth and searched for words. Finally, she said quietly, "I would not mind it…"

"Why don't you tell him how you feel?"

"I suppose…I'm afraid he does not feel the same way about me."

"I saw the way he looked at you, Isabella. He certainly feels something for you. Take it from me, if you have the chance to have someone court you, don't lose the opportunity. Especially if the feelings are mutual between the both of you."

"It's quite frightening to think about it."

"But think of how wonderful it will be if he accepts your feelings."

Isabella couldn't help but smile. "It would be wonderful."

"The next time you see him, tell him how much he means to you. I sincerely hope he returns your affections."