“This is the heart of Truthhold. The node doesn’t just enchant things, it makes them true. The castle is covered in roses because it is Rose Castle.”
“I’m still not seeing the point,” I said, stealing Felix’s words from earlier.
“About a hundred and thirty years ago, the Duchess of Truthhold decided she didn’t want roses growing all over the castle walls. She had her gardeners rip them out. But by the next day, the rest of the plants filled in any holes made. The gardeners never made progress. So, she hired an entire crew to rip out every last rose on castlegrounds in a single day. She even had them salt the ground. The next morning the roses were back, and according to family legend, in greater numbers than ever before.”
“You think Lady Cecily's curse would cause you to transform back into a cat, even if the healers can make you human.”
“It isn’t really a curse, is it? It is a Truth. My node will work against me unless I can reverse her spell.”
“Then you won’t even try?”
He shrugged. “If there is nothing else to do, then I will certainly try. But I don’t think a quest to Drakona Forest is the right move at present. Not when Princess Charmina will be in Leort within the week. And especially not with the rumors Berklay says are circulating about you.”
I hadn’t paid much attention to that part of the letter except to recognize that the rumors made sending Frederic to Rose Castle even more foolish. I cared little what the people of Leort said about me. But they weren’t really about me, were they? People were speculating about my sudden disappearance, but it wasn’t me they were interested in. They were interested in where I had gone.
And they shouldn’t have guessed the answer so easily. “Felix, those rumors aren’t natural. Someone had to actively nurture them. My sudden absence in Leort two months after you turned hermit wouldn’t have been connected otherwise.”
“Your father might have—”
I shook my head. “The contract he signed is too stringent about what he can’t say. I doubt he’s said anything. Despite living in the same house, our lives rarely intersect. And he would say nothing to Sofia in case she figured out that he was responsible for my departure.”
“Marc,” Felix hissed. “He didn’t tell me about the princess’s scheduled arrival in Leort. He didn’t deliver the contract to your father. And the rumors started directly after his last trip into town. He’s trying to ruin you.”
“It isn’t about me,” I insisted. “The rumors aren’t about ruining my reputation, but yours. That’s why he didn’t give the second contract to my father. He wanted me to be trapped here. He wants you isolated from the townspeople.”
“I’ve been isolated for months.”
“But not ostracized. It was your decision to hide in the castle. The citizens of Leort have no idea why, but you are a duke, and dukes can choose to be eccentric. But now the narrative will be shifting. You are no longer a duke who wants privacy, but a man abusing his power to take advantage of innocent women.”
“Women, plural?”
I raised a brow. “It’s been nearly three months. People will assume I was not the first.”
He sighed. “Tsy take it. But what is Marc’s end goal?”
“I don’t know.” I tried to think like the secretary. “Berklay told him about the princess’s scheduled visit. She must factor into his plan.”
“If I weren’t a cat, I might understand,” Felix muttered. “Her Highness hears the rumors in Leort, then finds you at Rose Castle and every horrible thing whispered about me seems confirmed. But I am a cat. Once she sees that, she’ll know the situation is more complicated.”
“So, we are still missing something. There must be more to Marc’s plan than we can see.”
“But whatever it is we are missing, we don’t have much time. Not if Her Highness is a critical component. Which means we have less than a week to break the curse if we want to foil his plan.”
“We might be able to foil his plan without breaking the curse.”
“Not if we don’t even know what it is.” Felix sighed.
“I could talk to Frederic if he is still nearby. He is a talented investigator.”
“Who thinks I’ve locked you up in my castle for my own perverted purposes. What will you tell him? You can’t lie, and the contract won’t let you tell the truth. Even if I make an appearance, I doubt he’ll be reassured, since the truth is I did kidnap you.”
“I thought you saw it as more of a recruitment?”
“And you were right; it was a conscription at best.”
I reached out and ran my hand through his fur. “I’m not saying Frederic will be your biggest fan, but he can still help us. He’ll understand that you made a choice you regret and that right now it is time to deal with the consequences, not dwell on something that can’t be changed.”
“He might not be at the base of the hill anymore. I haven’t felt him try to get onto castle lands for at least an hour.”
