Chapter Twenty-Five

The anniversary celebration lasted for a week. Every day there was a different program, every evening there was a different dinner, but the biggest one was the Queen's party for the "family and friends" with a handful of 150 attendees in the Buckingham Palace.

The Queen, the King and their guests had to listen to all sorts of entertainment before dinner: musicians, poets, even a play that was written only for this occasion.

"This is horrible. How long will it still take?" – King Simon whispered in his wife's ears.

"I don't know." – Helena answered with a fake smile. – "They said it would be fifty minutes, but it has been almost two hours."

KNIGHT: "Dreaming by day, awake by night

I want you forever by my side."

Sweet lady, I set you free,

That I shall promise thee."

The King frowned in displeasure, hearing the cheap metaphor and the bad rhymes.

"It makes me wish I had never married." – he mumbled, but seeing the Queen's expression, he quickly added: – "You know what I mean. It just came out wrong."

"If it doesn't end in ten minutes, I will give Rachel a sign to start the fire alarm." – Helena hissed between her teeth, still looking at the actors while she was talking.

PRINCESS: "A loving heart is not an army,

My father has soldiers to guard me..."

"Do you really have a sign for that with Rachel?" – her husband asked in shock.

KNIGHT: "Oh, there is no hope, my bride,

Kiss my lips and come to die."

"Of course. We have thirty-eight different signs, each for a diffe…" – Helena remarked with ease, but she couldn't finish it. The next lines of the play made her heart stop for a moment.

PRINCESS: "Dying is easy, loving is hard.

I will show you when I'm your wife.

I poisoned my father: he is lying dead,

I think this house needs a new head."

Queen Helena quickly glanced at her mother, but she didn't notice or if she did, she didn't show that she heard the poisoning part.

"Thank God!" – the King whispered because the play finally came to an end.

Helena shook her head to dismiss the troubling thoughts from her head.


There was only one program left before the dinner: Princess Eleanor's piano performance.

"I can't believe this." – the Queen whispered to the King when she heard her daughter.

King Simon was as surprised as his wife. This was the first time Eleanor let them listen to her playing the piano.

"When did she begin?" – he asked softly.

"Four months ago." – Helena replied in amazement, then she added more seriously. – "This is not normal. You saw her drawings too."

"Yes, she is talented." – her husband agreed.

The Queen shook her head in protest.

"More than that. I think… she is special." – she finally said out loud what she thought for a while. – "She is one of those gifted and talented children."

The King let out a soft laughter.

"You are her mother. Of course you think that."

Helena rolled her eyes and said in a firm voice:

"She will need a school matching her abilities."

Simon still didn't seem to be convinced.

"I share your enthusiasm, but it's too early to tell." – he replied gently to his wife. – "Even if you are right, it would be best to wait a couple of years with a decision like that. We don't want to separate her from Liam anyway."

"At some point we will have to." – the Queen remarked softly and turned back her attention to her daughter.


"Don't lie." – that was the only thing King Simon asked from his wife regarding her speech at the anniversary party.

Queen Helena promised him to do so and now she was prepared to give the most challenging toast of her life. Not lying in an anniversary speech was like leaving milk out of the tea.

"It's always hard to begin… It's always hard to begin, but I think it's harder to continue. I remember my first ball in this Palace, after my wedding… There were so many people I needed to meet and I had no idea what to talk about. Queen Gloria saw me and she said: "Ask them about their marriage. You will get great use of it." So I interviewed sixty-eight people and the answer was the same almost every time: there is no recipe for a good marriage. There is no recipe because it is always changing. At least, that is what happened in my case. I didn't know Simon well when we met – obviously not as well as I know him now – but I came to know him through the many joyful and few sorrowful experiences we had together. I learned that he is a caring and compassionate person, a devoted father and a great ruler. As his Queen, I'm trying to be worthy of this King, but as a wife, I sometimes just admire him. In this ten years we were blessed with three children and I believe it changed both of us. It's for Robert, Liam and Eleanor to thank that we knew a new kind of love, a deeper love, for them and for each other. If this would be all that we share, I should be already grateful. But this isn't all because there is always more… I raise my glass to my husband, Simon, King of England."

King Simon also prepared with a toast to commemorate the past ten years of his marriage:

"Thank you, my love. What can I say? This past ten years were an incredible journey for me and I couldn't be luckier to have you by my side. When we first met, this country went through a period of depression and so were we. Both of us, I think. I don't want to go into details, I know you wouldn't want me to, so let me just remind you what you said to me that day and seize the chance to thank you. Because you were right. We did overcome the obstacles and recovered from the crisis. And that is one of the amazing things about you: your faith and confidence in the most critical situations. You always believe that there is a way out and I always believe that you will find it. Frankly, it is really annoying sometimes… One more thing: you are the mother of my children, which is something I can't be grateful enough for – because this is the greatest love anyone can feel and you gave it to me, Helena. I share this bond with you, nobody else but you and our family is the most important thing in my life. So cheers, my love!"


After the dinner the guests were escorted to the main ballroom, where they had a chance to dance or talk in smaller groups. That was the moment Queen Helena was waiting for the whole night. She gave a sign to her assistant, then she disappeared in the crowd.

Acting upon the Queen's silent order, Rachel walked over to King Simon.

"Excuse me, Your Majesty" – she said and slipped a handwritten note to the King's hand.

Simon was first surprised by her interruption, but then he read the letter and quickly left the room. In fact, not just the room, but also the Palace. He didn't stop until he reached the garden. His wife waited for him at the children's old playground. She was sitting in one of the swings with her bare feet dangling in the sand. Her face was lit by the torches that were stabbed into the ground around them.

"I got your message. What are you doing here?" – he asked with a surprised smile. – "Shouldn't we be in there?"

Queen Helena returned his smile and replied with ease:

"All they care about is a big entrance and an even bigger finale. No one will notice if we stay here for a little while."

"I don't understand." – Simon frowned because it still felt like a trap, but he walked over to Helena and sat beside her in another swing.

"You wanted a more intimate celebration. I told you I would give you the best party of your life." – the Queen remarked and shrugged her shoulders.

King Simon burst out laughing.

"You thought that the best party of my life would be the one with no guests." – he said in mock anger. – "I don't know if I should be offended."

The Queen gently pushed herself towards him so their swings would collide.

"Only if I was wrong." – she said with a flirty smile.

The King grabbed the chain of her swing and pulled his wife closer.

"No. You are absolutely right." – he answered and kissed her lips. – "Thank you."

Helena rubbed his cheek and pulled away from him.

"You know I think we have made the most out of this marriage. It could have been much worse. I'm glad you gave it a try. Despite… her." – she remarked softly.

Her husband was unprepared for this turn and cried out indignantly:

"Don't start it, please!"

"You started it with your speech." – the Queen replied apologetically. – "That we were both depressed. And you were right. Anyway, I just wanted to thank that you tried."

"You tried too... Or that is what you made me believe." – Simon said in an uncertain voice, not quite sure what his wife wanted to hear.

Helena didn't understand or didn't want to understand the meaning of his words and let out a gentle smile.

"And look where it led us. I'm proud of our team." – she told him and looked into his eyes.

"Me too." – the King answered with a relieved sigh.

"Come with me. I have a surprise for you." – Helena grabbed her husband's hands. – "I flew her here all the way from Canada. In fact, that is why I needed the jet…"

She got out of the swing and lead the King to a tent behind the playground where his favourite singer, Celine Dion was already waiting for them. For a moment, Simon didn't know what to say.

"Thank you for coming! It's an honour to have you here." – he mumbled, puzzled like a true fan when he finally greeted the diva.

"What shall it be, Simon?" – the Queen asked a few moments later, after the first song began to play. – "Will you dance with me?"

She didn't have to ask twice. The King put his arms around her and danced with her in the grass.

"Happy anniversary!" – he whispered and gave her a long kiss.