A Place in This World // Helaena Targaryen

19. Wishful thinking

"Welcome to Marmoreal." The white queen announced as she moved to greet Helaena.

Helaena offered the white queen the Vorpal sword. The White Queen nodded her thanks as she took it gingerly from Helaena. A wave of relief filled her as she placed the Sword in the hand of the standing suit of silver armor.

"The Vorpal Sword is home again. The armor is complete." The white queen remarked but her smile faltered. "Now all we need is a champion." She looked at Helaena, waiting for her to declare herself a champion for the crown but Helaena dropped her eyes to the floor.

"You're a taller than I thought you'd be." The white queen remarked.

"Blame it on too much Upelkuchen." Helaena remarked.

"Come with me." The white queen requested as they moved to the kitchen.

Before the words were very confusing but now it seemed very natural to her. As they entered the kitchen, a pepper mill flew across the room and hit the wall behind them.

"Is the March Hare around?" Helaena asked peering around the door.

"You're late for soup!" The hare declared. He picked up a whole pot of soup and threw it. It hit the wall. Helaena took a finger to the wall for a taste.

''Could use salt." Helaena remarked and a salt shaker came flying at her. She caught it and "salts" the wall. She tasted it again and kissed her fingers in a gesture of perfection.

The White Queen prepared Pishalver in a pot on the stove, taking ingredients from a cupboard filled with an admixture of herbs, spices, flour, sugar, insects, shriveled fingers, eyeballs, and other odious things.

"Pishalver. Let me think. Two cups grape juice,, a pinch of wormfat..." The white queen remarked.

"Worm... fat?" Helaena questioned.

" My mother taught me how to concoct all the medicinal cures and transformational potions, a teaspoon vanilla..." The white queen informed them.

"Thats so lovely." Helaena remarked. "My mother doesnt really teach me anything, she is not a fan of my hobbies. My brother Aemond, he is very smart."

"urine of the horsefly, buttered fingers..." She went on as she added ingredients.

"Urine of a horsefly?" Helaena asked her face scrunched up. "Buttered fingers? What is a..." Helaena's mouth gapped as a finger was dropped in. She brought a hand to her mouth holding back a gag. The white queen didnt notice her disgust.

"...My sister preferred to study Dominion Over Living Things. Tell me, how does she seem to you?" The white queen asked innocently.

"Perfectly horrid." Helaena answered

"She wasn't always that way. Well, maybe she was." The white queen remarked.

"I have a horrid brother, as well." Helaena murmured "I'm supposed to marry him when I wake up. I havent even kissed a boy and I'm to forever be stuck with Aegon." She grumbled leaning on the table. 

"And her head?" The white queen went on.

"Bulbous, bloated, must have to do with her inflated ego." Helaena remarked and she said it in a way that didnt sound mean at all just factual. 

"I think she may have some kind of growth in there... something pressing on her brain." The white queen remarked before added the final ingredients. "...three coins from a dead man's pocket, two tablespoons of Wishful Thinking..."

"Tablespoons of wishful thinking, I think I need some of that." Helaena whispered. How could she make the best of her circumstances when she woke up in the morrow. How could she love a boy that was mean and cruel and called her names constantly? She couldnt. She needed to find some wishful thinking in westeros. 

"You can't imagine the things that go on in that place." Helaena informed the queen

"Oh yes, I can. But when a champion steps forth to slay the Jabberwocky, the people will rise against her." The white queen spilt the finger in half plopping it in. "That should do it." She dipped a tiny spoon into the pot and offered it to Helaena. "Blow." Helaena blew on the spoon. Her face scrunched up but she supposed she had drank this before she ever knew what was in it. So she took a sip and shrunk back down to her normal size completely.

"Feel better?"

"Much. Thank you." Helaena replied happily but her dress was quite baggy again, she held it to her to keep it from falling off.

"There's someone here who would like to speak with you." The white queen remarked as she led Helaena to the throne room.

+

" Helaena has escaped." Knave remarked and the red queen glared up at him before slapping him in the face. "On the Bandersnatch." he added slowly and she slapped him again. "With the Vorpal Sword." She slapped him yet again. He grit his teeth but remained quiet.

"How could you let this happen?" She screeched out.

"I may have underestimated her. But we have her conspirators. The Hatter and a Dormouse." Knave offered.

"Off with their heads!"