The footman winced as he scurried at her side, obviously pleading to take her burden from her, but Gabrielle laughed himoff.
“She’s going to be a wonderful Marquise,” Angeliquesaid.
Roland—no—Puss grumbled. “She’ll be an oddball of a Marquise is what she’ll be with her insistence on helping her people and gettingdirty.”
“I disagree,” Angelique said. “Those outside Carabas might not understand, but everyone here…they lived through the ogre. Once they adjust to your adventuring mistress, I suspect they will be almost as loyal to her as youare.”
“I imagine so. But the rest of the continent might not view her actions with such favor,” Pusssaid.
Angelique glanced back up at the beam again, checking on her silver magic that encased it. “Perhaps. But she’ll be the kind of Marquise noblesshouldbe.” She frowned, remembering her encounter with the greedy Loire duke whose illusionary clothes she had “accidentally” dropped during an important speech. He had bled his lands dry to pay for his exorbitant spending on clothes. “In fact, I think nobles everywhere could stand to learn a thing or two fromher.”
“They could,” Roland, er, Puss said. “And they might, if that peeping prince of herspersists.”
“You don’t like him?” Angeliqueasked.
“As a general rule I don’t likeanybody,” Puss snidelyreplied.
Angelique chuckled as she tested the beam one last time, then released her magic, finally satisfied. She tipped her head back and tried to roll her stiff shoulders. “I was hoping we would finish soon for the night, but based on the torches they’re bringing in, the people of Carabas mean to soldieron.”
“Go outside and rest,” Puss advised her. “They’re making food in the kitchens. I’ll find you when the preparations arecomplete.”
Angelique nodded. “I’m not too proud to admit I can’t do much more. Thanks…Puss.” She half expected him to say something snarky about her testing the waters, but hedidn’t.
He didn’t even acknowledge it, for he was already padding off after Gabrielle, his white paws gleaming in thetorchlight.
Angelique smiled at his preoccupancy, but there was a small pang in her heart, too.Even though I know Roland is still my friend, somehow…seeing him with Gabrielle makes me lonelier than ever. I havenoone.
Angelique shook the thought from her head and inhaled deeply. She drew herself up, gathering up her practiced enchantressbearings.
She smiled at the servant or two who noticed her when she made her way to the door, and quietly slipped from thehall.
A footman carrying wood bowed so low, Angelique worried he might stumble, but he was the only being outside the hall, and after she passed, he hurried in to join hiscountrymen.
The castle was quiet as Angelique made her way from the inner part of the castle to the courtyard nestled between the inner and outerring.
Summer kept the air warm even after the sun was down—though Angelique could feel a nippy breeze roll in from the ocean and hear the gush of thewaves.
She spotted a stone bench nestled next to a dead bush and started forit.
The sound of her steps echoed in the courtyard, and flames of blue flickered in thedarkness.
Angelique tripped and almost screamed, but she managed to keep it in when she realized the blue fire was only Pegasus. When her heart resumed beating at a normal pace, she managed a strangled, “Good evening,Pegasus.”
It was hard to see the constellation in the dark of night—besides his glowing mane and tail, of course. But when she spoke, he snorted, and his nostrils briefly flashedred.
Angelique shook her head and made herself smile. “I apologize. I didn’t know you were still here in Carabas. I assumed you had returned to the skies.” She inched closer to the bench and waited for Pegasus to move or…something.
Hedidn’t.
She slowly sat down on the seat, her shoulders drooping, and tipped her head up at thesky.
Though a few rooms were bright inside Carabas castle, outside, it was so dark that the stars in the sky could shine at fullpower.
It was beautiful and quiet, but it made her feel rather small and reminded her that she had no one,now.
Concluding that she’d much rather fill the silence with her own voice than allow herself to wallow in self-pity, Angelique addressed the magical equine. “The ogre has been defeated—as I’m sure you concluded. He was already dead by the time we arrived, actually. Gabrielle—she’s Roland’s, sorry, no, Puss’ friend. Anyway, Gabrielle said she talked the ogre into turning into a mouse. I’ve been told she planned to crush him with a shovel, but the little orange cat that followed her to Carabas ate himinstead.”
Angelique shivered at the thought. “I don’t know if I should be impressed with Gabrielle or marvel that a cat achieved what dozens of heroes, mages, and even armies could not. Regardless, Roland has now set Gabrielle up as the Marquise ofCarabas.”
