Chapter 42. Helena POV

Bright and early Ivan arrived for a private meeting with me and Alexander. He bounced into the sunlit parlour room like a happy puppy, tall, with long limbs, bright eyes and a wide smile as we wittered through some pointless small talk. Tall stained-glass windows coloured the scattered papers on the desk with a rainbow hue.

I was dressed in one of my finer Luna dresses, a dark green silken gown, full of golden threads that highlighted my eyes and brown hair. Alexander and Ivan both wore the traditional White Forest deep cut white shirt and dark pants. With his long black hair, Alexander reminded me of a dangerous, deviant pirate sometimes in his shirt, and I absolutely loved it.

“So…how can I help?” he asked merrily after being given a drink and settling into a cosy leather chair.

I tried to be as jolly as him, but I could see Alexander struggling. He stayed back from the pair of us on the soft chairs, leaning against the mantlepiece at a distance. His eyes o