It didn't feel right to tell anyone else. Not until I had tangible proof that Ric was really my brother. I wished I could just talk to him, but every time I entered the future realm while I was asleep, he seemed to be avoiding me.

My dad had basically confirmed my worst fears. If I really had a brother out there, I needed to find him. It didn't matter what the Nikones thought. I would not stand by and let Ric suffer. I'd felt his mind and his pain. He was isolated and all alone.

I slept beside Moreno for three days with no more problems. Everything seemed eerily quiet. No one was in the mist and not a single Nikone pulled me into a vision. I almost felt like I was missing something, but I was glad for the quiet.

It gave me time for the next hurdle. I still needed to visit the queen and so far everyone I'd told about the invitation seemed to think that it was a terrible idea. Even Doc had said that going to Nikone City was incredibly dangerous, but there was no way around the invitation. I would just have to step into the trap with caution.

Moreno ultimately decided that we needed outside help. He reached out to his cousin and made sure that Hellene was available to travel with us. The giantess was not only a noble but betrothed to the crown prince. He thought that would provide us a modicum of protection, at least from the potential wrath of the king.

I was surprised when Hellene actually came to Redwood Compound in a carriage led by winged horses. She was dressed in beautiful white and bronze robes. Her springy curls were piled on top of her head and she looked like a cross between a princess and a Greek statue.

"Thanks for coming, Hellene," Moreno said. "What did you tell Grandfather so that he let you borrow the carriage?"

She laughed and settled into a seat in the sitting room at Redwood. "Told him I was visiting Victor, of course. He wouldn't keep me from my fiancé, Moreno."

She clapped her hands, and the coachman brought down a trunk from the back of the carriage into the main sitting room in the compound. Hellene opened it once he set it on the ground. Inside I could see bolts of gorgeous shimmery gold fabric. She pulled out some of the fabric and I realized it was a dress.

"You'll need something suitable if you're seeing Queen Felicia today," she said. "This is from my collection of betrothal gifts. I'm sure we can change it to fit you."

Today. My heart jumped into my throat. Hellene wanted me to meet the queen today? All Moreno and I had planned to do today was a round of hand to hand training and then I was planning on spending the afternoon working on the last of my online high school classes. I'd almost completed the curriculum and I could taste the diploma.

"On short notice?" I frowned.

"The seamstresses are coming right behind me," Hellene said. "And I had them modify the length days ago. We have a similar build, so this shouldn't be too difficult."

I eyed the giant. At her full height, she was easily nearly twice as tall as me, since she hadn't taken any wonderland berries today. It was a stretch to say we had the same build.

"Oh, don't worry," Hellene said. "We adjusted the measurements to my shrunken height. You'll look beautiful, Terri."

Hellene was true to her word. She brought six seamstresses to tailor the dress perfectly. I slipped into the bathroom to put on the gown and when I came out, the seamstresses had set out an entire table of needles, thread, and various sewing implements.

Moreno sat in the corner, just watching the madness start. Hellene gave orders and made suggestions. One seamstress tightened the bodice through strings in the back of the dress. Two others started at the bottom to make sure the length was perfect. A third worked on what looked like a massive petticoat. The others added beads to the heavy golden belt at my waist.

"Hellene," I said. "This is great and all, but how will I fly in this thing?"

The giantess laughed. "We're taking my carriage. There's no way that this thing will be appropriate to fly in. That's the point. You're presenting yourself as a princess. It's the only option since you don't have golden armor."

"She's right," Moreno said. "Members of the royal family who haven't earned their armor usually dress extravagantly."

I looked at Moreno. "And how soon can I earn this armor?"

Hellene laughed again. "Armor is won through years of training and the defeat of twelve duels in a rite of passage known as the Future Eye. You'd have to serve several more years as a grunt after that to even be allowed to wear the armor in public. Victor finished his Future Eye trials last year, after seven years of grueling training."

"My mother did it," I said.

"Ellenora was a special case," Hellene said. "A woman of her standing usually trains to be a high arbitrator. Still, she insisted she train like the others."

"She thought it would make her respected," a voice in the doorway made me jump. "While some saw her strength, her father only saw her as a silly girl. It has made it difficult for women to rise in the ranks of the guard because of her attempts."

I hadn't seen Sir Tomyris since I'd gotten back to Redwood from my unsanctioned rescue mission. Alana mentioned the golden guard hadn't left the compound but was staying in the room we had provided. Now, here she was, passing judgment on my decisions in full armor, though her visor was raised so I could see her blue eyes and dark hair.

"I didn't realize Tomyris was here," Hellene smiled. "Good to see a friendly face."

Moreno gave me a strange look. Sir Tomyris was anything but friendly in his eyes. Her arrival had canceled the search for his sister.

"That dress should do for her station," Sir Tomyris said. "Though the king's wife won't be impressed by splendor. You know she is a woman of faith. How is your faith, young princess?"

"Faith in what?" I asked.

Sir Tomyris sighed. "She's woefully unprepared, Lady Hellene. I'm afraid this trip will be nothing but a disaster. The princess will embarrass herself in front of the royals."

"But everyone learns how to behave at a shrine at a young age," Hellene said. "This should be no different."

Moreno shook his head. "Humans don't believe in Tusi, Lene. You remember how I bumbled my way through the first solstice ceremony when I was eight? Pretend Terri knows just as much as I did at that event."

The color drained from the young noble's face. "Surely her family... she's a Oakeley."

"Lene, you have to teach her," Moreno said. "At least walk her through a service. It'll be fine. We just have to get her to Felicia. The rest will take care of itself."

"Right," Hellene said. "I can do this. It won't take long. A service—"

She sounded like she was trying to psyche herself up. It wasn't very reassuring. I almost thought Hellene was about to hyperventilate. Instead, she took a deep breath and looked at me.

"You'll enter the temple with your eyes down and your face facing the emblems of Tusi," Hellene said. "You raise your face to each emblem and light an incense before the one you wish to pray to. Then you will enter the main chamber reciting your prayers."

I hated receiving instructions. It was much easier to follow an example, but I did my best to pay attention. At least I could breathe a sigh of relief that all I had to do in the main chamber was pray face down until a priest touched my open palms. Then I would be free to enter through the chambers of praise and the chamber of silence.

"We'll likely find Felicia in the chamber of praise," Hellene said. "She spends a lot of days listening to the singers."

"What is Felicia like?" I asked.

Hellene seemed to take a deep breath and recite something from memory. "The king's wife is a servant of the people. She is seen but not heard. Her role is to see to the needs of the king."

I looked at her and I was curious about how long she'd been betrothed to Victor. Was she preparing to have Felicia's role one day? What she described sounded nothing like a queen. Instead, it was miserable and sad.

"Victor won't treat you like that," I said.

Hellene bit her lip, and the bracelets on her arms shifted. "It's what the king expects. I've been preparing to marry Victor for a long time. I feel lucky that Victor cares for me so deeply. I can say that is more than Tytan feels for his wife."

"I'll be happy to have you as an aunt one day," I smiled.

"Thank you, Terri," Hellene said. "And I think that Felicia will like you. She's just not allowed the freedom to speak her mind in public. Keep that in mind when we meet her."

I remembered what my dad said when I was at Kira's party. I'd thought a lot about swearing a golden oath over the past few days. I wanted to stay in the giant world, but I didn't want to be a target forever. I couldn't stop being a princess, but I could allow myself to fit one of the invisible roles that the royal family created for themselves to avoid the wrath of the king.

"Lady Hellene," one seamstress said. "We're nearly done, but her hair and makeup are hardly court-worthy."

Hellene nodded. "We could throw her hair up and at least do outline makeup. I don't want to do anything too intricate. She needs to be recognizable, and she was summoned by Felicia, not the king."

As if the dress wasn't enough, the seamstresses turned to unpack a fleet of hair and makeup implements. I hadn't bothered to do much makeup other than to cover my still fading bruises from my fight with my mother.

Gayle wasn't here to make fun of my clothing choices or lack of makeup anymore. Alana and Ashton had loaded her into a carriage to await a trial at Half Circle yesterday. No one else at Half Circle cared how I looked.

One seamstress blended several shades of powder to match my skin. Another mixed several pigments to paint my lips. Between the unbreathable and confining dress and the sudden attention to my face, I was starting to feel like I was attending a ball like Cinderella. The giants chattered and buzzed as they worked. Hellene watched them with a satisfied smile on her face.

"Pull her braid into an updo," the lady giantess said. "Moreno, if you're coming with us to the capital, I suggest you get rid of that pedestrian half-giant armor and change into your formalwear."

"If you say so," Moreno said. "Try to keep my girlfriend alive, please, Lene."

"Girlfriend," Hellene squealed. "Really, Moreno?"

"Leave it be, Lene," Moreno said. "It would be better not to mention that at court. There's that whole rule about giant nobility not being able to marry without the king's permission. Let's not spread any rumors or put more of a target on our backs."

Hellene wrinkled her nose. "Tytan takes the fun out of so many things. Get dressed, cousin."

Moreno scurried off before his cousin could ask more questions. I realized when he was gone that I hadn't considered if the king would find my relationship with Moreno to be a threat to the crown. Sure, we both had similar standing rank-wise, but the king was touchy about my very existence. He might not like the idea of me being in a relationship.

"Are you sure I should visit the capital, Hellene?" I asked. "Because everyone has said it's a bad idea."

Hellene bit her lip again. "It's a risk that you have to be willing to take."

I could see the fear in her eyes that she tried to hide with a quick smile. Still, I'd faced down kidnappers, my crazed mother, and literally fought in a duel. I had to handle the king of the giants if I had any hope of staying in Jontun. 

Hey everyone!! I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Terri is about to meet more Nikones. What do you think will happen next? Let me know, or leave me a comment with a theory. Until next time!!