When Kent hears of her return his relief is overshadowed by his anger.

She potentially put them all in danger just so she could see that nitwit Lord.

If she thinks she's gonna get off scot-free by ignoring him, she's dead wrong.

He intends to give her a piece of his mind.

It doesn't take him long to find her.

There really is only one place she'd go - the war room.

He opens his mouth to tell her what he thinks but his words catch in his throat at the sight of the documents spread out before her.

"Those are Lord Auron's."

He'd recognise that precise flowing script anywhere.

She doesn't respond.

"You had no right to take it."

His voice is accusing.

She stiffens and he knows he's struck a nerve.

He did after all just accuse her of stealing.

"I suppose I should have just let Lady Auron burn these like the rest. We'd be up the creek without a paddle now, but it would have been the right thing to do, right, Kent?"

Her voice is cold.

He knows she still blames him for not stopping Sonia from disposing of all of Lord Auron's work after his death.

But Sonia had needed the catharsis that came from destroying the things she believed kept her father from her.

Still he understands Helena's ire.

She'd put a lot of effort into it as well.

But what he cannot forgive is..

"Perhaps not, but you didn't have to give them to Ausset."

He says the name like a curse.

She fixes him with a hard stare at this.

"I needed to keep them with someone I trusted - someone whose loyalty to me wasn't in question."

He draws in a quick breath.

"What did he ever do to earn your trust?"

What did Ausset do that made her choose him over Kent?

"He was there when I needed him."

The "when you weren't" is unspoken but Kent still hears it.

"After everything that family did to you, you still went back to them at the first sign of kindness. He could have planned to turn you over to the King."

His voice is disbelieving and with good reason - the Ausset's had brought her nothing but pain.

"Timothy wouldn't do that."

He narrows his eyes at the conviction in her voice.

This will only set her up for pain when he betrays her.

"And why not? Because he's your blood? Need I remind you what your father did?"

The old Ausset hadn't just denied that she was his.

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He and his wife ruined her mother for the claim.

Her mother had been forced to do unsavoury things just so they could survive.

If Lord Auron hadn't found out she was an empath and taken her in so he'd have a better idea of how to take care of his own child, who knows what would have happened to Helena.

"Timothy is no more his father than I am."

"He was raised by him. You may have forgotten the way he used to treat you, but I haven't."

On the rare occasions Lord Auron and Lord Ausset had business Ausset would always bring Timothy out of spite and the boy would never fail to taunt her.

"He was a child trying to please his father. You of all people should understand that."

It annoys him to hear defend him.

It annoys him ever more that she is using his own history against him.

"And what about what happened to Arabella and I? He sets up a meeting and suddenly the King's men show up to arrest her?"

"Coincidence. Nothing more."

He lets out a disbelieving snort.

"You really expect me to believe that?"

"Yes. If it was anything else I would have felt it."

"If you were looking, you mean."

"Excuse me?"

"You have a blind spot where he's concerned. Just admit it."

"Not as big as yours apparently. Do you know what I felt when I brought up what happened? Worry and helplessness. Not even a hint of anything to suggest he had a hand in it."

He stiffens.

Could he really be that mistaken?

"He was afraid you'd perished in the fire you used to get away. No wonder you still haven't recovered fully. Fire really isn't your element."

He stiffens further.

"It was the least suspicious way to disappear."

He doesn't quite know why he feels the need to defend his actions.

They got them out, didn't they?

"I agree. It was a good idea. People are uncertain as to whether you perished in the blaze. Lord Auron would be proud."

Taken at face value the words would be flattery and yet..

It doesn't feel like it.

There is silence between them for a long moment.

He watches her work.

It's so reminiscent of the past that he can almost make himself believe things are fine.

Life was so much simpler then.

The worst he had to worry about was pleasing Lord Auron.

Not an easy task, to be sure, but it pales in comparison to this constant fear that he's about to lose everything he cares for and can do nothing about it.

She startles him back to the present with a sigh.

"You still haven't made up with Sonia yet, have you?"

"Excuse me?"

"That's why you're still here instead of with her."

He wants to deny it, but they both know it's true.

His place is by Sonia's side.