The birds were singing. They swooped through the sky with the sun beating down on their wings. There was one bird that was smaller than the others that flapped its wings nervously.

That was the bird that Helena had been watching for ten minutes while Andrew gripped her injured hand tightly. He'd been trailing around after her all morning and had insisted that he show her, his favourite place in the entire world before lunch. Lucas was still in bed or at least that's what she heard Grattle tell Mrs. Marcus.

Andrew's favourite place was deep in the forest which took forever to get too. Helena's feet were covered in blisters after walking so far, but she could see what the young boy found so appealing about the place. The sea of blue flowers, the trees, and the birds that soared majestically through the air were a beautiful sight.

"Do you know what those birds are called?" Andrew asked it was obvious by his tone that he did and that he was dying to tell her.

"No. But they are very beautiful!". Helena had never seen any birds like these ones before. Their feathers red and orange were much more captivating than the dull black feathers of the crows that flew around Millbarrow.

"They are called Cranbrowns after your great, great, great grandfather, he was an explorer. I read about them in a book in Mr. Kanefire's study," Andrew explained, sounding so proud at knowing what they were. "Don't tell Mr. Kanefire or mama because I'm not supposed to go in there".

"I promise I won't tell a living soul,". Helena crossed her heart and Andrew let out a loud giggle.

"Now we better start heading back, I'm pretty sure your mother would appreciate it if we turned up for lunch on time".

~~~~

The table was brimming with food. Lucas sat at the head of the table rigid and scowling. He looked like he wanted to be anywhere other than making small talk with Helena. If it wasn't for Andrew talking about the first thing that popped into his head, Helena was certain the room would be silent. She was certain that Andrew's talkative nature was exactly why Lucas had insisted that he eat with them. Not that Helena minded.

"So has Andrew taken you into the forest, yet?" Lucas asked. His hazel eyes burning into Helena's like he was trying to get across that she wasn't special. That so many had come to the castle and she was just another one to cross off the list.

"He did, yes," Helena replied playing around with the food on her plate. "This afternoon he wants to show me around the greenhouse".

"The greenhouse is off limits and while we are at it, I have some rules that I should have gone over with you yesterday," Lucas asserted. Andrew pouted at not being allowed to show her around the greenhouse, but like Helena, he seemed to sense that Lucas wasn't going to change his mind about it. Which made Helena want to see what was in there all more.

"You will treat everyone here with respect, and you will not ask anyone personal questions. They are my staff, they are not your friends to sit around gossiping with!"

"I have never gossiped in my life," Helena fired back. She clutched the locket Catherine had given her for her birthday.

Andrew watched them both with fascination and fear. What or who he was afraid Helena didn't know, but she was determined before her time was up at the castle she would find out.

"You will be in your room before the sun sets, and under no circumstances will you leave your room until the sun rises."

Helena was about to ask why, but Lucas stopped her. "I will tell you the reason why, when I think you can handle the answer.".

"What if I accidentally find out before you decide I can handle the answer?"

Helena saw Lucas expression briefly change from scowling to pained. He looked as if were going to answer her, but then he dropped his fork on his plate and pushed his plate away.

~~~~~

The hours seemed to pass a lot quicker at the castle than they did in the village. There the day seemed to drag on forever, especially when she was stuck in the shop trying to convince the thing they needed in their life was a piano with keys missing.

Lunch seemed such a short time ago to Helena but yet it was almost sunset. She hadn't been tired until after she had eaten dinner, then a wave of fatigue had hit her. Every step she had taken to get to her room had been a struggle.

Now she was sprawled out on her bed trying to keep her eyes open. Her mind trying to put together why everyone around her seemed so tense and like they wanted to say something, but couldn't.

The only one who didn't seem guarded was Andrew. The only one who acted like normal person around her. He was a little clingy, but it was to be expected, he was a child stuck in a castle full with adults.

His big, blue eyes lighting up whenever he saw her reminded her of the way Catherine's used when she was younger.

Helena tried to keep her eyes open, but it was a battle she lost. Just before she drifted off into a deep, dreamless sleep, she heard an agonised howl.

Author Note

I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter. It was fun for me to write I swear future chapters will be far more exciting than they have been so far.

The ideas about the birds being named after Helena's several times great grandfather just hit me while I was writing and solved the one thing I was still undecided about.

If you really did enjoy then please don't forget to comment, vote, and if you really, really enjoyed it then share. (prepares myself for it be shared zero times)