Oh, no. No, no, no. Alessia was the one who insisted this was necessary. I am not letting them dump the blame on me!“You didn’t,” Angelique acknowledged. “It was your daughter, Princess Alessia, who asked meto.”
“Yes.” King Giuseppe glanced at her daughter. “I am disappointed with my daughter that her softness as a mother made her ask such a foolish thing ofyou.”
Angelique, furrowed her eyebrows and tried to puzzle through his answer. “I beg your pardon, Your Majesty…but what are you referringto?”
The King raised his eyebrows in obvious disapproval. “That you placed an entire city under a sleeping spell because Alessia thought Rosalinda would bealarmedto awaken and find the city had changed aroundher.”
What?
Silence smothered the throne room. Angelique slowly moved her gaze from King Giuseppe, to Princess Alessia—who now stared at thefloor.
They didn’t tell him the truth? They didn’t tell him they had me bespell the entire capital becausehewas acting irrationally? No.No.I am done pandering. He doesn’t get to live in this delusion because his daughter is too softhearted to tell him thetruth.
It was, perhaps, a bit petty to be airing this ugly truth in the throne room, but Angelique didn’t much care. It was his error to think he could publicly shameher.
“I’m afraid you’re mistaken,” Angelique began. “For Princess Alessia toldmeshe wanted the city put under a spell due to your irrational actions—from the shoddy method you were attempting to break Rosalinda’s curse to the high-handed way you were managing the country in yourfear.”
Princess Alessia turned white and sank lower in herthrone.
King Giuseppe slowly turned to faceher.
Her shoulders trembled a little, but she met hisgaze.
“Youwhat?” King Giuseppegrowled.
“I’m actually not here to discuss the sleeping spell, but rather Carabosso,” Angeliquecontinued.
King Giuseppe held up his hand to stop her. “You think we’re finished discussing such a misuse of your magic with that simpledismissal?”
“Yes.” Unlike Princess Alessia, Angelique unflinchingly met his gaze. “Because things are about to get farworse.”
King Giuseppe steepled his fingers together. “I think you fail to see the severity of what I can do to you,Enchantress.”
Angelique couldn’t help the laugh that burst from her throat. “Please,” she said. “I’ve shouted down the Council of the Veneno Conclave, slayed not just a basilisk but a wyvern as well, and fished more royals out of foul curses than I thought I’d meet in a lifetime. You cannot scare me, King Giuseppe. All you can do iscontinue to disappointme.”
She wasn’t aware that she had dropped the illusion that tinted her eyes so they weren’t her natural unsettling shade of silver until she saw the king gulp. In response, her magicbrewed.
Steady. I need him to dispatch Magic Knights to take care of Carabosso. There’s no sense frightening him.Angelique inhaled deeply and glanced down so she could put the illusion spell back in place, then fixed a smile on her lips and met his gaze again. “As I wassaying.”
The nobles around her breathed again, assuring Angelique she had successfully hidden the sharp edges of hermagic.
“Carabosso is running loose,” she continued. “He devastated one village that I saw, and I’ve confirmed he’s destroyed at least fiveothers.”
Prince Consort Filippo placed a hand on his sword in alarm. “You talked withhim?”
Angelique nodded. “Briefly.”
“And you didn’t take him into custody?” King Giuseppeasked.
“He had two mages with him. I couldn’t have won against such odds. Which is why—when I learned Rosalinda’s curse was broken—I resolved to return to Ciane and ask that you dispatch Magic Knights to confront him.” Angelique inwardly sighed and stifled the desire to rub her eyes. “Of course, I will accompany them and help in thebattle.”
“No,” King Giuseppesaid.
“No, you don’t wish me to aid them?” Angelique asked,surprised.
King Giuseppe tapped the arms of this throne. “No, I will not dispatch Magic Knights to fighthim.”
She gaped at him, dumbfounded by the callous decision. “You cannot mean that. He is destroying villages andkillingyourpeople!”
