The Wild Swans (26 page)

“Greetings
, princes and princess of Arcainia,” Angelique said, pulling her mount in a circle. “Allow me to extend my happiest of congratulations in breaking the curse,” she said, sliding from her mount. “It was fortuitous timing, might I add. I was almost to Loire when I felt your curse shatter; it made finding you an easy task. Elise, your dedication and sacrifice are to be commended.”

“
Have you been cleared before the Veneno Conclave?” Erick asked.

“Sad
ly, no. But I do not think it will matter. I spoke to a close friend of mine, a fairy godmother from Erlauf,” Angelique said, clasping her hands together. “We concluded that outside aid would be unnecessary.”

“You can defeat Clotilde on your own?” Gerhart
said.

“No. Not even close. However
, there is one closer to you who can do such a thing,” Angelique said before turning in Elise’s direction. “Elise can—
good heavens
! What happened to you, princess?” Angelique said, daintily covering her mouth.

Elise
was too tired to care, or she would have blushed. As it was fall, all the ponds and rivers they rode past were too frigid to bathe in, so Elise still wore her grey dress—which was now more of an ash black color—and smelled like and resembled a chimney sweep.

“I
was almost burned at the stake. You were saying?” Elise asked.

“No
, no. This is unacceptable. We must get you properly cleaned up and fed. I would have thought your brothers would see to that,” Angelique said, wagging a finger of displeasure at Elise’s brothers.

“It isn’t their fault
,” Elise said.

“It is
,” Steffen said.

“We
were, perhaps, overzealous in our desire to leave Verglas,” Mikk said.

“
You noticed that just now?” Angelique said. “However, you are in good luck. It just so happens that a companion of mine has set up camp nearby. We make seek refuge in his house and draw up plans for your stepmother,” she said before climbing up the leg of her odd mount. “This way, if you would.”

Elise—mounted on her own horse—followed her brothers and the enchantress. Brida rode at her side
, keeping her from lagging behind.

Several times Angelique sent glitter
ing balls of light to scout ahead. When they came back a third time, the enchantress led them straight to a makeshift camp that reminded Elise of her temporary shelter by the pond.

There
was a sorry-looking tent that was stretched to its limits and looked as if it would collapse at any moment. The fire was out. There was no firewood in sight, and tethered next to the tent was an ornery donkey.

Angelique opened the tent
, which was just as ratty inside as it was outside. “He’s not home, but he will not mind if we use his hot water and salon,” Angelique said, letting the cloth covering fall back in place before she traced a symbol in the air.

“I beg your pardon
, Lady Enchantress, but what salon do you refer to?” Gerhart asked.

Erick shook his head. “Just wait
,” he instructed.

Elise
, just as confused as Gerhart, was surprised when Angelique pulled back the tent flap a second time. This time the tent opened into a large parlor roughly the size of Elise’s room back in Castle Brandis. It was well lit and warmed by a roaring fire in a marble fireplace. There was a pile of cushions, two padded, strange-looking sofas, and a small, short table covered by a silver tea set.

“Please
, enter,” Angelique said.

“Thank you
, Lady Enchantress,” Steffen said, bowing before he led the way inside.

Elise craned her head to look at
the exterior of the tent. No, her eyes were not deceiving her. Even though the inside of the tent opened into a large room, there was nothing outside but the measly tent.

“The owner of this tent is particular
ly skilled at enchanting, building, and producing material goods. He made the tent, which is similar to a large safe in that it is the doorway to different parts of his home,” Angelique said when Elise and Gerhart were the only ones left outside.

Elise and Gerhart exchanged looks
before they entered together, embraced by the sudden warmth of the room.

“Princes
, and friend,” Angelique added, glancing at Brida. “Please seat yourselves. I will be back momentarily with tea and refreshments. Elise, if you would follow me,” Angelique said, picking up the tea tray before she disappeared through a door at the far side of the room.

On the other side of the door
was the most lavish bathroom Elise had seen. There was a fireplace that had an iron grid built above the fire coals. This grid was laden with rocks, which the flickering flames licked as they burned the coals.

The floor
was tile, and on the far side of the room was a large tub. Next to it was a rope—which Angelique pulled—and part of the ceiling collapsed down, filling the tub with water.

“It’s lukewarm
, but I’m sure you’ll want it hot,” Angelique said, testing the water before she used a set of tongs to remove several stones off the grid. She dropped them one by one into the tub, making hissing steam whenever a rock hit the surface of the water. Angelique tested the water again. “Perfect. You can bathe as long as you like. Here are towels and something for you to wear, and here are some oils if you cannot get the smoke smell out of your hair,” the enchantress said, setting a fluffy towel on a wooden chair before indicating to several small bottles placed on a stand next to the tub.

“There is no need to hurry. I’m certain your brothers are starv
ing. I will see them fed. You may join us when you wish,” Angelique said, pulling a velvet curtain around the tub for Elise’s privacy.

“Your
friend won’t mind this?” Elise asked.

“No
, certainly not. Stil enjoys entertaining, especially when he’s not here,” Angelique said before she left the bathroom through a different door, taking the tea tray with her.

Elise scrubbed herself until she
was pink, getting rid of every smudge and splotch of dirt that caked on her over the past few weeks. She soaked and rinsed her hair several times until her tired curls regained some of their spring. By the time she left the bath she was as wrinkled as a prune and smelled like freshly cut lavender.

The dress Angelique
had set out faintly reminded Elise of her Treasury Department uniform. It was black with white sleeves made of fine, opaque material. The sleeve cut off at her elbow and turned into a long black cuff that encased her forearm and hooked around her middle finger. The dress lacked the gold braiding Elise’s work uniform had, but the belt was a gold sash, and there were several golden ribbons and a pair of black silk slippers set out as well.

Elise tied her hair back with one ribbon and used the remain
ing two to make a new loop to hang the treasury vault key from. She discarded the dirty red rope she had made from her old uniform—it was stained and ratty—and slipped on the shoes before she deemed herself presentable and left the bathroom.

“Perfect tim
ing, princess. Your brothers were just asking after you,” Angelique said from one of the odd-looking sofas. “Please, come have some tea and scones.”

“You look much better. You
were quite bedraggled and scruffy before.” Falk said, blasting Elise with a backhanded compliment as he inspected her from head to toe. “Not that you didn’t have reason to be,” he added.

Rune smiled fond
ly before he slid a hand beneath Elise’s chin. “You look beautiful.”

“Doesn’t she though?” Steffen said
, crowding Rune away from Elise.

Elise seated herself
next to Angelique and took the hot tea the enchantress offered her. It smelled like peppermint, but it was sweetened with honey and a little milk.

When Elise’s stomach growled
, Erick passed a plate laden with scones and tea sandwiches.

“Thank you
,” Elise said, devouring a chicken sandwich.

“I do not mean to rush you
, Lady Enchantress, but you said you knew of someone who could break the curse?” Steffen asked.

Angelique
topped off Elise’s tea. “I do: Fürstin Elise.”

Elise choked on her sandwich.

“Pardon?” Steffen blinked.

“No
, I see where this is going. We cannot ask Elise to do more for us,” Rune said.

“Her hands will take months to heal
, even if I purchase the best creams and plants to make pastes for her. She cannot do a thing more,” Falk said.

“Elise
has done more than her fair share,” Gerhart chimed in.

“I agree with what you say
,” Erick said. “But perhaps we should hear out the Lady Enchantress first.”

Angelique smiled when the brothers quieted down. “
As I mentioned, after I left you, I called on my friend in Erlauf. She used to be in charge of seeking out young boys and girls who are gifted with magical talents before she became a fairy godmother.”

“I discussed with her the oddity that the curse worked on every Arcainian royal—Gabrielle excluded—except for you,” Angelique continued. “After conversing further, we concluded that the only logical explanation is you have the ability to use magic as well.”

“I’m sorry
, but that’s impossible. There would have been signs. I wouldn’t be the royal family’s foster child,” Elise said. “Magic is not something a person can hide. Furthermore, I would know! There’s no possible way I could be ignorant of an ability like that.”

Angelique shook her head. “You are ignorant because of the way your powers manifested. Observe
,” Angelique said. She drew her fingers together, making a glittering ball of light. She flicked her fingers, and the ball rolled in Elise’s direction. When the ball touched Elise, it bounced off her and faded away like smoke.

Angelique made a second ball and flicked it at Erick. It stuck to him like a burr
, remaining there until Erick crushed it with his fingers.

“What does this mean?” Elise asked.

“It means your powers, probably as a result of the country you live in, lie in magic cancelation. Magic cannot survive around you. Thus a curse, even one as powerful as the one Clotilde used against you, will not work,” Angelique said. “The curse couldn’t hit you, but it was powerful enough to survive contact with you, so it bounced back and hit Clotilde.”

“It is my understanding that it is difficult for other magic users to hide their powers from each other. How could no one have discovered Elise before now?” Erick asked.

“Probably because Elise’s magic doesn’t feel like magic. I didn’t notice it myself until I touched her and felt my powers go mute,” Angelique said. “Elise does not give off the aura of magic because, to put it simply, her presence devours all traces of magic.”

“And our curse?” Mikk said
, rubbing his chin.

“
Yeah, how was Elise able to break our curse if her touch cancels magic?” Nick asked.

“Break
ing a curse is an entirely different matter than human-made magic. It deals with a deeper power that would easily override Elise’s magic,” Angelique said.

“I still don’t understand
,” Elise said.

Angelique tilted her head as she thought. “
The magic I use—the magic any enchanter or enchantresses uses, Elise included—is a sort of surface magic. It is using your personal powers to change things. The magic that went into breaking your curse was a far deeper and older kind of magic that existed long before any enchanter walked these lands. Using love to conquer darkness is a power as old as the oceans. It is not surprising that Elise’s powers would have no affect on such potent magic. Once the steps are taken,
no one
can stop the consequences of a sacrifice made from love.”

“So how can I destroy her? Do you mean for me to wake Father from his stupor?” Elise said.

Angelique sipped her tea. “I’m afraid the task
before you is much bigger than that. You must cut her off from her power source. Clotilde’s powers are nothing special, but if you cancel the magic of the artifacts she uses to prepare her big curses, she will expire.”

“
Why?” Erick asked.

“Clotilde
has put her life into those artifacts. If you destroy them, you destroy her,” Angelique said.

Steffen pressed his fingertips together. “Can you guarantee Elise’s safety?”

“No. We know nothing about Elise’s abilities. There may be limitations, but I do not know how to properly test a magic student—I’m still an apprentice. Additionally, the testing process is a lengthy one. Based on the news I heard in Erlauf, I’m not certain Arcainia can hold out much longer.”

“News? What news?” Rune asked.

Angelique rubbed her tea cup with her thumb. “You royal siblings have worked to increase Arcainia’s power and wealth under your supervision. You have succeeded, but the country does not flourish without you.”