“At the Magic Knights’ camp.” Donaigh led the way—limiting himself to a fast walk rather than disappearing with his speedmagic.
“Coming, Odette?” Angelique called over hershoulder.
“Are you certain I should?” Odette asked. “Won’t this meeting be just formages?”
“I’d prefer if it wasn’t, actually.” Angelique beckoned for Odette to follow. “Besides, we might learn an interestingtidbit.”
The knights’ camp was just outside Ippari. They had tents of Sole red and gold pitched in rows so orderly, they could be used to draw straight lines; and every knights’ horse that was picketed out on the lawn didn’t nibble at the dying grass but rather observed Angelique and the others with the eyes of watchdogs.
It smelled faintly of sweat and leather, but Angelique found the scent more pleasing than the stilted and heavily spiced scent of the Veneno Conclavefortress.
Blanche and Rein were standing under the largest of the knights’ tents. All but one side had been rolled up, giving its occupants—the mages, Princess Rosalinda, and the three Legendary Knights—a view of the camp and thevillage.
“Master Weather Mage Blanche, Master Weather Mage Rein,” Angelique called out to the pair when she also stepped under the tent. “What a pleasure it is to seeyou.”
Blanche gave her a friendly smile. “Greetings, ApprenticeAngelique.”
Behind her, Rein gave a little wave as he chugged water from awaterskin.
“We were sent by the Conclave to capture Carabosso, but it seems you have things handled,” Blanchesaid.
Angelique shook her head. “I fought in yesterday’s battle against Carabosso, but it was actually Princess Rosalinda and her lady-in-waiting who captured Carabosso.” She gestured to theprincess.
“Really?” Rein raised his eyebrows. “How did you manage that, YourHighness?”
Rosalinda smiled beautifully, her purple eyes making her look extra striking as she set a hand on her cheek and said, “Why, Delanna beat him senseless, ofcourse!”
Next to her, Lady Delanna bowed her head. “I could not have done so if you hadn’t stabbed him in the shoulder, YourHighness.”
Rein’s jaw dropped, but Blanche chuckled a little. “Both of you were terribly brave to confront him,” shesaid.
Rosalinda shrugged a little. “It was more a reaction. We only won the battle because of Angelique and the MagicKnights.”
Sir Isaia and the other two Legendary Knights who were present boweddeeply.
“You honor us, Your Highness,” the Legendary Knight of the Lancesaid.
“I apologize for our tardiness—it sounds like we missed out on a good fight.” Rein waved to the four war mages—three men and a woman—who strode through the Magic Knights’ camp, stopping just outside the tent tobow.
Blanche’s smile was part exasperation and part affection. “What Rein means to say is we apologize we didn’t arrive in time to aid in the battle, but at least we’ll be able to take Carabosso off yourhands.”
The Legendary Knights shifted and exchangedglances.
“We’d like to take him to Sole first,” the Legendary Knight of the Lance said. “So that he might be tried in ourcourts.”
“I understand your desire to see him punished, but as an exiled mage, he is our responsibility, and he falls under our jurisdiction,” Blanche explained. “It is the duty of the Veneno Conclave to mete out justice on those withmagic.”
“That’s interesting,” Sir Isaia said. “It seemed he wasn’t under your jurisdiction when he attacked Ciane last year and spent months terrorizing the Sole countryside. Lady Enchantress Angelique is the only one who helpedus.”
Rein furrowed his brow. “Angelique is anapprentice.”
Angelique almost rolled her eyes at the expected response, but it seemed those present not only shared her exasperation but were angered byit.
Gone was Princess Rosalinda’s smile as she stared the younger weather mage down. “Really?That’swhat you have to say to thatcomplaint?”
The Knight of the Lance crossed his arms over his chest. “Indeed. I find myself stunningly unimpressed that you wish to quarrel over a title when the lady in question has done more for Sole in the past two decades than the entire Veneno Conclaveorganization.”
Rein frowned. “I understand Angelique has attended to Sole, as is her duty. But elevating her above her title iswrong.”
