I swallowed, feeling the intensity of her stare despite her distance. I trained my gaze past her on Ash. His eyes were on the duchess. “It’s nothing, Your Grace. I just thought it would be an entertaining riddle.”
“Indeed. But such riddles, I’m afraid, are not appropriate for young ladies such as yourself,” the duchess said, staring with half-lidded eyes. “It seems like a part of some...scheme.”
“Forgive me, Your Grace,” I said. “I mean nothing by it.”
The back of my gown was slick with sweat. I wanted to slap myself for my own foolishness. What did I expect? That the duchess would stand and expose her crimes once she saw her own tricks performed before her?
“Now, Wilhelmina. It was a just harmless demonstration,” Queen Cordelia said. She gave me a smile. Her cheeks were hollower than I remembered them. “I found it amusing. Thank you, Miss Amarante.”
I curtsied low. “Thank you, Your Majesty.”
Madam Lucille reentered with her list and I scampered off, leaving the mice and the crate for the stagehands to deal with. My heart pounded at doing something so bold. Tori slapped my back when I returned to our box.
“What a show!” she said. “No wonder you didn’t want to tell us. I didn’t expect that at all.”
“Will the mice be alright?” Olivia asked, furrowing her brow as the stagehands carried the terrariums away. “I would hate for them to be harmed. They look so cuddly.”
“I’m sure they’ll be fine,” I lied.
“Any reason why the prince of all people fetched you mice?” Genevieve said. Her tone was more teasing than serious, which calmed me.
“He offered.”
“Did he now?” Tori asked, wiggling her eyebrows. “What else did he offer?”
Julianna and Samantha turned to glare at us. “Will you be quiet?” Julianna snapped. “Some people would like to enjoy the show without your blabbering.”
The talent show ended at half past nine. We all filed out the west wing to wait for our carriages. On my way out, Ash pulled me aside at the threshold so we were concealed by a row of potted plants.
He grinned, his face illuminated by the gas lamps along the hedges. “You were fantastic.”
I laughed. “Thank you. But it didn’t do much.”
“No,” Ash agreed. “But it was a warning. The duchess looked livid.”
“That’s not enough to stop her, is it?”
Ash shook his head. “No, it isn’t,” he said in a low voice. His grin faltered. “And now, if she is the culprit, which I have strong reason to think she is, she knows that you know.”
I shrugged. It wasn’t as if Duchess Wilhelmina and I were on good terms to begin with. “And the queen? How is she?” I asked.
“The physicians are trying,” he said. “My mother is showing signs of recovery, but I don’t know how their antidote will work when they’re treating the wrong poison.”
I opened my mouth, about to recommend he use Lana’s general antidote, but remembered that I shouldn’t know about it. “You’ll find a way,” I said instead, tugging the strap of my pouch.
I tugged a little too hard. The contents spilled out onto the grass. My flask, and to my horror, the misshapen apple Ash had given me at the Witch Market. I had forgotten to remove it the other day.
My blood froze as he knelt to pick it up. I remembered Miriam’s words.
Hatred for witches run in royal blood.
For a moment, I forgot I didn’t believe that.
I snatched the apple from him and shoved it in my bag.
Ash furrowed his brow and grinned. “You’re quite violent with apples, you know?”
I pressed my lips together, not knowing whether to laugh or cry in relief. He hadn’t recognized it. I bent to retrieve my flask instead, glad that it was dark.
