Benowyc was trying to escape the chaos of the main house. His grandfather's death had caused the entire household to lose its composure. When he reached the parapet of the high tower he had to stop to catch his breath.

"Anya." He said.

She was leaning against the rail. Her curly blond hair was blowing softly with the breeze. In the setting sun she seemed to be enveloped in an otherworldly light. At the sound of her name she turned to face him and gave him a sad smile.

"I thought you'd be up here sooner." She said, and turned back to the darkening sea.

"I couldn't get away sooner." He said coming to stand next to her.

"I've never been up here before." She said. "Is that Cear Edyn?" She motioned toward the city to the south.

"Yes. It's about a mile away now but it creeps closer every year. We'll have to start putting up Muggle repealing charms soon."

"I'm so sorry Ben." Anya said taking his hand. "If I hadn't asked to see you..."

"Then I wouldn't have been at your house to bring Helga back. You can't change fate, Anya. You know that as well as I."

She hugged him tightly fighting tears. "Still, I feel like it was my fault you didn't get to spend more time with him."

"Don't Anya." He said softly hold tightly to her himself. "Anya, my grandfather had only daughters, and I'm the oldest male in his line."

She pulled away and looked at him oddly.

"I guess what I mean is, once the time of mourning is over, I'll be able to take care of you properly. Anya, will you marry me?"

Ben was afraid to look her in the eye. What if she was completely repulsed? What if she just said no?

"Ben. Ben, look at me." He did, she was so beautiful. "Benowyc, I love you. Of course I'll marry you."

He bent down and kissed her, drinking in his betrothed.

***********************

"Helga, over here!" Godric called from his broom. "What do think? Up by the lake, on the cliff? We could build right over the water and into the cliff!"

"The forest is inhabited by many magical creatures. But we'd have to drive the Muggles out of the town. Otherwise I think this might work." Helga stopped and hovered on her broom. "The land is amazing. It's really perfect. Ripe for planting."

"Really, Hel, do you think we'd plant our own crops?" Salazar asked flying up on a winged horse.

"How else do you expect to eat?" Rowena asked from her own mount, a hippogriff.

"Besides," Helga interrupt, "the work will build the children's' character. Really, you two are worse than Garth and I." She mumbled that last bit but they all heard as her voice carried so well in the wind. "Salazar, when did you want to go to the king with our request?"

"As soon as possible." He answered still scanning the landscape.

"Wait for the king's reply." Godric suggested. "If he is able to come to the wedding then we'll have the advantage. Defending position is always better than attacking."

"Not always." Salazar cautioned.

Godric waved his words away. "Besides, if I'm hosting his highness and the royal entourage, he'll be less likely to refuse me a favor, especially if Helga asks. He has an eye for you, girl."

"Don't be ridiculous, Godric. Do you know how much trouble the church would give him. Damn bishops hate the sight of me."

"Only because you're a threat, dear." Rowena said.

"It would be nice to have a little wizarding blood back on the throne." Salazar said. "Your child would hardly be a squib, Helga."

"That's a horrid word, Salazar." Helga said, no longer addressing the previous topic. "Although, no as bad as some of the more vulgar words for Muggle-borns."

"Come on." Rowena said. "we need to get back. I have an infant who will want a feeding soon."

"And a beautiful little witch she is at that." Helga said. "Sweet little Isabo."

"I'm sure your daughter will be just as lovely." Rowena said.

"I'm not having children for a looooong time. You'll all be off once we build Hogwarts, and I'll end up running the place." Helga said as they began to fly away.

"Hogwarts?" Godric said with raised eyebrows.

"That's what I've named the school, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Problem?"

"No, not at all. But you had to put 'Witchcraft' in the name?"

"It'll annoy the clerics." she said with a smile.

******************************

"The king is coming!" a herald called over the distance.

Helga winced. She hadn't talk to Ulric about what Salazar had said. Actually she hadn't talked to Ulric about much of anything of late.

"Just when I think my life is starting to come together." She mumbled under her breath.

She made her way from the apartments she had been using to join the rest of the household in greeting the king. She finally got her first view of his royal highness. She sighed. Why was Aethelred such an idiot? If only Edward was still king.

But wishing wouldn't make it so and she barely remembered the former king. For now she would just have to get through this, for Anya and Ben at least.

She caught Salazar's eye. He smiled and nodded she nodded back. This was going to be some party.

***********************

"Helga!" Salazar called out after her.

Damn, almost made it! she thought. Helga turned and smile. "Yes, oh most esteemed Lord Slytherin?"

He frowned at her. "Helga there's no need to be so formal. Even if it is sarcastic. What's the matter with you? Why aren't you trying to persuade our young king?"

"I, he, um," Helga's voice didn't seem to work.

"Helga! Salazar!" Rowena now came after them. "What's going on? The royal pain is in a snit! Hel, what did you do?"

"I didn't do anything!" Helga screamed.

"That's the problem," Salazar said. "Helga, if you can't do what's necessary, maybe you shouldn't be involved in this venture."

"It was my idea!" she screamed. "Well, Rowena refined it, but you can't keep me from this because I refuse to turn myself into some sort of," she looked around the corridor, then seeing no one whispered, "of whore!"

"Helga, no one is asking you to do any thing you don't want to." Rowena said gently as she glared at Salazar.

"I just can't, Rowena," she said with a stricken look. She bit her lower lip, "I can't do that to Ulric."

"He'll get over it! Look," Salazar said, "I know it's unpleasant, and you don't want to do it, and the boy is repugnant, but this is the survival of our kind! I'd do it if the little pisser fancied men!"

The women looked at him. "You would too, wouldn't you?" Rowena asked.

"For the sake of our kind, yes!"

Suddenly a near by set of doors flung open. Godric stormed out and up to Helga. Through gritted teeth he said, "This is just a warning Helga, but if I were you, I wouldn't go near our king again."

"All, all right," she stammered.

"What happened now?" Rowena asked.

"Our dear King AEthelred was saying some rather lecherous things. About Helga! I had to leave before I did something he'd regret."

"Merlin's beard! Godric you didn't strike the king?" Salazar said.

"Not everyone can slither their way into that slugs good graces. But no, I would have dearly loved to, but I did not strike him."

"Good," Salazar said. "We can still fix this. Helga just has to play the contrite little girl, he'll eat that up. I'll assure him that..."

"You can't be serious!" Rowena said.

"She's not to be left alone in his presence!" Godric commanded. "Not under my roof!"

"We can't put Helga in that situation!" Rowena stressed again. "We can get his approval without compromising her good name."

"No," Salazar assured them, "we can't. I've been talking to his courtiers. He depends too much on his advisers, and before you say it, yes I do hold some influence over the boy, but not enough. Damn church!"

"Salazar, you're being ridiculous!" Rowena said. "We can't ask this of her!"

Helga swallowed. "I'll do it," she said quietly.

"Helga, you don't have to," Godric said.

She looked up at him. "I'm not a child, Godric." She then looked to Salazar. "You're sure there is no other way to convince him?"

"I would not be pushing you to do this if there were any other way," he answered, never once letting his gaze falter.

She nodded. "Then I'll do it. To protect our children for generations to come? It's worth the price. But I swear by every God ever to grace heaven or the human mind, Hogwarts will be the safest place on earth!"

********************* The wedding celebration was a week of festive preparation when all the guests arrived, followed by the wedding day, then the actually celebration of the marriage which would last as long as Godric's best mead, and with Godric that could be awhile. The king had come a day early. Helga had managed to avoid him for three days before the conversation where she had decide to do what was necessary. That left four before the wedding and then following feast.

Rowena watched her sidle her way close to the young king. When ever she thought no ones was watching, Helga's mask slowly began to slip. Then he, or one of his hangers-on would turn to her and she would play her part.

"What is going on?" Richard asked coming to stand next to his wife, disgusted by the same sight. "What ever has gotten into that girl's head?"

Rowena swallowed hard and looked at her husband. If Helga felt even a fraction of what Rowena felt for Richard, doing this in front of Ulric had to be killing the girl.

"Don't judge her too harshly, love," Rowena said quietly. "She's trying to save her people. We need his approval. He must grant us the land. It's a lot of land. He won't agree without extra persuasion."

"And you let her? Remind me never to let our daughter alone with you."

"You think I want her to do this? It's killing me to watch her."

He put an arm around her. "I'm sorry love, but, Helga? She's the sweetest person in the world. I just can't watch her doing something like this. Maybe we can help a little."

"How?" she asked. Richard always found away to renew her hope. It was the reason she finally fell in love with him.

"We need to make sure they're never alone. Or that she is needed elsewhere and has to leave immediately."

Rowena smiled and kissed her husband firmly on the lips. "You're brilliant and I love!"

"Yes, well, I had the good sense to marry you."

"Good response, love. Come let go rescue the poor girl."

***********************

"Your family crest is a bumblebee?" Anya asked.

Helga laughed. "In a few short hours, my friend, it will be yours too."

Anya got this dreamy look on her face and Helga laughed again. "And the sooner this is all over the better," she muttered without thinking.

"And just what does that mean?" Anya asked. "Oh, wait, I know, your going to return to your sanity after this is over? It's the stress of my wedding that's making you crazy!"

"An, please don't start."

"I still say we should just knock him on his..."

"Anya! That is your king! If anyone heard you! Treason is punishable by death, you know!"

"I just hate seeing you do this to yourself. And Ulric," she added.

Helga sighed. "He's actually been helping me."

"He'd rather jump off a bridge!" Anya said.

"Well, actually he's been helping me escape for a time. The Ravenclaws too. It's fun listening to Rowena say I'm the only one who can possibly get Isabo to sleep. But I just smile and say 'women's work' and he actually believe me! Idiot! How can an Idiot like that function as king! I've met jarveys with more brains!"

"Feel a little better?" Anya asked when she had finished her small tirade.

"A little," Helga admitted. "But enough of this. I need a bigger family, let's go get you married to my cousin!"

The young women laughed until Anya finally said, "you know, don't you, that we've always considered you family. Ulric too. I thought Da would kill the king for some of the off color comments he's made about you."

"I know. Comes from spending so much time here when I was young. Sometimes I think they still see me as a child. This week has cured that!" Helga smiled then. "But today is about you! Come, you have a husband waiting."

Anya and Ben looked so happy. They didn't even notice anyone else that day. Helga made it her mission to stay in the background. If no one was there, no one could talk to her. She just wanted to be happy for her cousin, not flirt with that git of a king.

She did an admirable job too. Salazar certainly didn't see her. He was taking to one of the king's advisers. Helga wasn't sure of his name but he was from Kingston-upon-Themes in Surrey, that much she knew. This man had been instrumental in the coronation.

"Salazar, are you sure the girl will convince him?" the man asked.

"Helga will do her part. She knows how important the school will be to our people. You just be sure to tell Aethelred that it's a good idea. I know you don't like my kind, but you're smart enough to know what I can do to if you don't cooperate."

"Your right Slytherin, I don't like your kind. And I don't trust the girl. I know as well as you the kind of influence she could have over him. Even if it is you pulling her strings."

"I am only trying to protect my people," Salazar said in a sarcastic voice.

They moved away and Helga wondered what he meant. Well, Salazar wasn't pulling her strings. They needed that land form the crown, and so far, she had managed to keep herself out of a compromising position.

"Lady Helga?" a page asked at her elbow. She hadn't even noticed the boy. "This is from the king." The boy handed her a piece of rolled parchment and left.

He wanted to meet her alone, later. Well so much for avoiding compromising positions.

********************* Helga had arranged to meet Aethelred in one of Godric's studies. No one would bother them there. She wasn't quite sure if that was a good thing. At least there was a supply of parchment and ink there, not to mention, red sealing wax. What was it with Godric and red? It didn't really matter. She had drawn up a land grant, all she need was his signature and his seal, which was luckily on his royal ring and so would be present.

She also had a large supply of wine and a drowsiness potion she had brewed. He should be awake just long enough to sign the paper. She would stay with him until morning and then be rid of him.

Somewhere in the back of her mind she heard, 'why? he could be useful. You could make yourself queen.'

'But I don't want to be queen!' She had argued back to the voice.

'And it's not like you'd need him after you bore a son. The prat would be easy enough to dispose of.'

'No! I don't want to hurt the git!'

'Think of your people.' The voice argued on. 'How safe you could make them if you where queen, if you raised a wizard to be king! Even Merlin tried that, your own ancestor.'

'And look where Arthur ended up! No, AEthelred maybe an idiot, but that's no reason to, to... No, I won't. I won't!' Helga insisted.

The other voice stopped. Where had that come from? she wondered.

*****************

In the hall Salazar swore under his breath. Helga was too strong for his new curse. At least he knew it worked on Mairead. Helga seemed to be especially strong willed. Something to keep in mind. He left then. At least she was going to get the land. There would be other chance get the foolish king under his control.

**********************

When AEthelred had finally come, he was late. Helga had expected him half an hour ago. She almost hoped he was losing interest.

"Helga, glad to see me?" he asked coming over and putting an arm around her, slurring his speech slightly.

Apparently he was just to drunk to know what time it was. Good, that would make things easier.

"I'm always glad to see you, my lord," she said slipping out of his grasp and over towards the desk. "Actually I've really been wanting to talk to you."

She had leaned over the desk in his direction trying to entice him. She felt confident doing this with the large hunk of wood between them. He didn't seem to notice the desk, as he had walked into it, trying to get to her. Then he looked at it quizzically. He had defiantly made this easy on her.

"You've really been wanting to talk?" he smiled drunkenly at her.

"Well, you know about all the bad things happening to my people," she said with a pout.

"Yes, horrible things," he said not looking at her face.

"AEthelred," he looked up at her, "I'd be so grateful if you could help. In fact," Helga said coming to the side of the desk next to him, "I'd be really, really grateful."

He kissed her then. She wanted desperately to slap him in the face. Then he began to paw at her and she want to hit him several other places. No magic, just a nice satisfying thud as he doubled over. But she knew she couldn't. She pulled away.

"AEthelred, I just couldn't. I mean my people are in such danger. How could I possible be happy when they suffer?" she walked back to the other side of the desk.

He followed, staggering. She handed him a glass of wine she had drugged. He drank it all in one gulp.

"But Helga, surely your people can protect themselves? You're a very strong people."

"We could," she said, "if you would just sign this little itty-bitty piece of parchment."

She poured him another glass of wine and he began to drink. AEthelred then looked at the parchment.

"I'll give this to my advisers to loo..."

"I thought it was you who ran the country," she said.

"Of course, but..."

"And how could protecting a large group of your subjects be a bad thing?" she pressed.

"Well it isn't but.."

She then came up very close to him. She began to play with the collar of his robe. "And once I know my people are safe I can enjoy more pleasant things."

He looked down at her and took a large gulp of wine. "Where's the quill?" he asked in a husky voice.

"Right here!" she said getting straight to business now. "And here's sealing wax. Just sign and press your ring."

He did. She had to move his hand to get the seal right, but it was done.

He began to kiss her again. She gritted her teeth and did what she had to, trying not to think about his hands. It only took him a moment more for him to pass out.

Oh thank the stars! Helga thought.

"Mobius Courpus!" she said pointing her wand at him.

Carefully, Helga levitated the sleeping king out of the room. She was half way to her apartments when she was stopped by Godric.

"Helga! What did you do?" he asked seeing the unconscious king.

"I killed him of course," she said and Godric's eyes flew up in shock. "Godric! Do you really think me capable of..." She stopped, remembering the odd voice in her head from earlier. "Anyway, I'm just taking him to my room. I'll imply a few things and then send him on his way."

"And you think he'll go just like that?" Godric asked.

"Yes, look I'll explain everything tomorrow. I had better hurry. Try and make sure no one else sees me."

"All right. I trust you Helga," he said and set off to patrol the corridor.

Godric trusted her. That was reassuring. At least one person did.

********************* Helga stripped AEthelred down to his undergarments and put him in her bed. She got into her nightdress and tried to sleep next to him. She felt extremely guilty. But she had only done what she had too.

Unfortunately it wasn't done yet. She was almost starting to pity the foolish young king.

She managed to get some sleep that night and woke up before him. Helga watched AEthelred sleeping peacefully next to her.

Robin was the only one she had ever woken up next to before. What would her think of her now? And Ulric. He hadn't liked this from the beginning. She knew she was pushing his tolerance just by flirting with AEthelred. What would he do when he heard of this?

She began to play with his hair absently. It was still very early, but he need to be up.

"AEthelred," she whispered.

He stirred a bit didn't wake. "AEthelred," she said a little more forcefully.

This time, he groggily opened his eyes.

"Helga?" he said. "What happened?" He noticed his surroundings. "Last thing I remember we were in one of the studies. Did we?"

She sighed. "No. We tried. You kept insisting that you needed to try another position or another room. We finally ended up here, but you just weren't, um, up to it." She kissed his brow. "It was really sweet though. You just kept trying."

He looked horrified. She smiled sweetly. "Don't worry. It'll be our secret." She kissed his brow again and got up. "But I think you should go now. We wouldn't want anyone asking questions."

"No, no," he said. He began to gather his cloths, which Helga had strewn about the room.

"It may be hard to explain the land grant," she said, "and not mention the rest of the night."

His brow furrowed as he clearly tried to remember. He seemed to remember after a moment.

She smiled. "Just don't tell your advisers about it. As far as anyone has to know it's deserted land. I'll take care of the rest."

"Yes, right of course. Um, good day Lady Helga."

"Good day your majesty."