Helena again sat at Xensor's table, her amused eyes noting the continued absence of a knife and fork at her place setting. She tried to disguise the churning of her stomach as she ate, barely tasting the seafood stew in the bowl before her.

Xensor made light conversation, and Helena did her best to respond just as lightly. She'd resigned herself to the fact that he was going to possess her body tonight, the only thing giving her even a modicum of hope was that she'd be able to knock him out again when his defenses were down. When she did, she could drag him over to the array and report on what she'd seen at the manor.

"Thinking of home, my dear?" he asked. When Helena's gaze cleared, she realized he had been watching her think things through and noted her introspection.

"A little. It's natural, I suppose."

"Of course," he said, silkily. "I admit, I'm a bit curious as to what home life has been like for you."

Helena shrugged, "About the same as for anyone, really. My brother gets most of the attention, being the heir and all. My older sister… I don't see her much, now that she's married and a mother." Briefly, Helena considered painting a picture of herself as a neglected third child but decided against it. Best that he thought she had some value to the Goblin King, or else he might lose interest in her. "My parents… they are loving, but busy. As you can imagine."

"Indeed," said Xensor as he sipped his wine. "And yet, as loving as they are, they were ready to marry you to a man not of your choice."

"That's the fate of Princesses," she replied. "For the Goblins as well as the Fae, I'll warrant."

Xensor sat back and gave her a probing look. "What was it about him that left you… unenthusiastic? Was it his looks?"

Helena frowned, "Oh, no. He's handsome enough. That wasn't the issue. But he's something of a scholar, an 'indoor man' so to speak. He bores me with his talk of history and philosophy."

Oh, forgive me, Tre… you don't. Not at all.

Xensor smiled in satisfaction, "You seem more the type to prefer a man of action."

Helena met his gaze with a narrow one of her own. "Well, that's the trouble, isn't it? I never had the chance to find out what my 'type' was, before my parents made their plans. I suppose…" here she gave him a slight smile. "When this is over and I'm back home, I won't be let out of their sight until I'm safely married."

"Perhaps you'll marry elsewhere," he said in a low voice.

Helena parted her lips to ask what he meant, but before the words could escape her, the door to the chamber opened with a crash. Perian rushed in, followed by someone in what looked to be a courier's outfit. Xensor gave him a frown that would have been frightening if it had been directed at her.

"Sir… we have word on the Goblin Army," he said in a rush.

With an almost apologetic look to her, Xensor rose from the table. By some instinct, Helena forced herself to rise along with him. Another group of minions came in at that point, some of them eyeing her with anger, some with dread.

Oh goddess… I think the game is up…

"Very well, Londrel. Report."

Perian swallowed hard, glancing venomously at Helena as he did so. "They've halted the march to Fellmark. They're holding fast about ten miles from the border."

"So, they stopped to take a break," said Xensor, displeasure dripping from his tone. "What of it?"

Perian shook his head, "That's not all, sir… we've gotten word from our spies in Haorsham. King Caelan has left the Palace. His servants said that he… he went to Tír Ceilte."

"He WHAT?!" shouted Xensor.

The courier stepped forward, bobbing his head nervously. "It's true, sir. And… word has spread throughout Haorsham… that you took the Goblin Princess to provoke their King into war."

Xensor cursed, muttering "How the fuck did they…" His voice trailed off. Rage suffused his face as Helena watched. Clenching his jaw, he turned to face her. "You got word to them, somehow."

Helena took a deep breath, tamping down the very real fear she felt. Meeting his eyes steadily, she gave him a small smile. "Did you really think that I wouldn't?" She knew she was courting violence but couldn't help the savagery of her smile as it got wider. "I am Helena Danaaru, Princess of the Goblin Kingdom. And you hold me at your peril."

"Very well, Helena Danaaru," he spat bitterly. "You'll be taken back to your cell, no need to treat you differently than any other vermin we keep prisoner." He glanced over at Perian, his smile almost a snarl. "Tomorrow night, we'll give her another special dinner. Only, instead of just entertaining me, she can entertain the rest of you as well."

She raised a brow at this, "Do you think you can actually do it this time? It was over before it began last night." She wasn't prepared for his vicious backhand, sending her falling to the floor. Her lip split, and blood began running down her chin. He kicked her a couple of times, for good measure. One blow centered in her stomach, robbing her of her very breath. Another impacted her ribs, cracking at least two of them. As she struggled to regain her breathing, he then grabbed a fistful of her hair, letting fly a punch that landed near her right eye, sending lightning bolts of pain through her head.

Well… no Healing this, I guess," she thought to herself. The pain would preclude her using her powers. No matter. She hadn't thought she was getting out of this alive anyway.

He had turned to his minions, shouting orders that Helena didn't bother trying to listen to. Slowly, painfully, she got to her feet, ignoring the pain in her head and abdomen, and drawing herself up to her full height. She looked down on them all and smiled… her father's smile. The blood on her mouth and face gave her a fiendish look that some of the men in the room had seen before. They looked at each other with unease… she could see from their expressions that this wasn't going the way Xensor had told them it would.

Xensor saw it too. "Take her to her cell… make sure she gets there in one piece," he barked at one of his toadies. Turning to look back at her, he growled, "It's going to give me great pleasure to slit your throat right in front of your father. To watch his face as your lifeblood streams to the floor. Then I'll cast the spells to send you to Hades. Just that alone will make all of this… worth it."

If he'd thought that would frighten her, he was going to be sorely disappointed. She kept her eyes on him… and her smile got wider. He flicked his hand as he walked away, and two of his underlings grabbed her arms and began to drag her off. She struggled, still smiling, and shouted at Xensor's retreating form, "He won't kill you outright. None of you. He'll keep you alive… if only to torture you. Then he'll have you Healed so he can torture you again. Your revenge will only mean pain… endless, excruciating pain. And when he's finally done with you… do you think Danu will let you in the Summer Lands?" She laughed maniacally as they were shoving her through the door. "I'll be waiting for you in Hell, Xensor. I'LL BE WAITING FOR ALL OF YOU IN HELL!"

Author's Notes:

Not gonna lie, I was proud of Helena here when she threw her curse at Xensor. That inner strength to accept her own death and smile in the face of it comes directly from her grandmother Helayne (with a healthy dose of Sarah's moxie thrown in).

It was perhaps foolish to humiliate Xensor the way she did, but at that point... she didn't have much to lose.