Evariste—still holding Angelique’s hand—moved farther down the veranda. When Clovicus moved to step between them, Evariste let go of Angelique, then bodily steered Clovicus so he stood on Angelique’s other side, and they were lined up in a neat row.
“Hm. Cheeky,” Clovicus said.
Angelique tried to shift so she wasn’t crowding Evariste quite so much, but the veranda—which was more of a balcony—didn’t provide much space, so she settled in with her arm brushing his. “I don’t understand what that was about,” she said to Lord Enchanter Clovicus.
“That’s because you have too much logic and reason,” Clovicus said.
“I’m sorry?”
“Don’t be—it’s hilarious. Though I suppose by the end of it, I will feel sorry for him.” Clovicus winked, then turned to speak to Sybilla on his other side.
Feeling bewildered, Angelique shifted her gaze to Evariste.
“Ignore him,” Evariste said. “He’s getting old and senile.”
Sybilla sharply elbowed Clovicus for something he said before she stepped up to the edge of the balcony. She held a jewel that seemed to have a charm from a craftmage cast on it, cleared her throat, and then spoke in a booming voice that was a great deal louder than usual. “Thank you for attending this gathering. In light of recent events, it’s been made obvious to us that we require a method to make certain that those of us here are indeed loyal to the true vow of the Veneno Conclave—to protect people from the misuse of magic. Princess Snow White has stepped in to help us with this process.”
Sybilla gestured to the princess.
Snow White licked her lips and clenched her hands so they were white with strain.
Concerned, Angelique glanced out at the mages packing the courtyard. She doesn’t like talking in front of people. A crowd like this…
The soft tap of slippers on stone made Angelique rip her gaze back to Snow White, who crossed the balcony and came to a stop in front of her.
Snow White peered up at Angelique, her blue eyes glazed with fear. Her chin trembled for a moment before she nodded. “I value your friendship, Angel,” she said. “And I’ll help you. No matter the price.”
There was something so heartfelt about the words that Angelique had to bite her lip to keep her eyes from getting glassy with tears. She gave Snow White a jerky nod, but before she could say anything back, the Mullberg princess turned around to address the crowd. She rested her hands on the stone banister, her fingers visibly shaking.
“M-mages,” she said, her voice quiet.
Sybilla tapped the gem to Snow White’s throat.
Snow White coughed, then tried again. “G-good afternoon….m-mages.” She fell silent and stared at the banister.
The magic users crowded into the courtyard were quiet. Only the odd cough or rustle of a cloak broke the silence.
“It is our sorrow that…” Snow White opened her mouth but nothing came out. She stubbornly shook her head. “I-I regret the p-poor circumstances t-that have brought m-me here. B-but I will do whatever n-necessary to help.”
Snow White sucked in a deep breath, and Angelique noticed with great interest when Snow White’s hands stopped trembling, and she planted them flat on the banister.
“W-which is why,” Snow White raised her chin, staring out at the crowd with blue eyes that were not ablaze with fear but rather with daring determination, “I’m announcing the e-end of the centuries-long agreement the Veneno Conclave h-has had with the royal family of Mullberg.”
The courtyard was no longer silent, but awash with whispers and muffled exclamations of surprise.
“While m-mages will be welcomed in Mullberg, the Veneno Conclave can no longer be allowed to r-remain in these lands.”
Chapter 39
Angelique gaped at Snow White in shock, her eyes growing wider when the princess sucked in another deep breath of air.
“W-we are obviously not equipped to be the p-perfect home for the Conclave. It is our shortcoming. I-in honor of the relationship between M-Mullberg and the Conclave, the Mullberg Army w-will help the Veneno Conclave move to their new home. In Verglas.”
Verglas…where no black mage can go, or they’ll be killed by the Snow Queen’s magic. If any Chosen are still among our ranks, they’ll be flushed out immediately.
“HAHA!” Angelique outright laughed as more noises of discontent stirred in the crowd.
Snow White twisted to peer over her shoulder and grin back at Angelique.
I should have known Snow White would have a brilliant plan! She has wisdom beyond her years! Angelique bowed to her, and Snow White blushed a little.
If the Veneno Conclave set up shop in Verglas—which was considered the birth place of the Conclave as the Snow Queen had, in a way, founded it—no Chosen mage would be able to cross the border to join them.
Moreover, it meant they’d be free from Chosen meddling—black magic wouldn’t survive in a land where the Snow Queen’s magic literally impaled it and guarded against it.
“T-the move will b-begin immediately,” Snow White said in a firm but hardened voice. “The Mullberg army will happily escort all mages to Verglas. I have already sent word to King Toril and Queen Linnea of Verglas to expect you. They are preparing quarters for you as we speak. G-given the fast timeline, additional Mullberg forces will be s-sent here as reinforcements to bring the b-belongings that cannot be carried, such as the b-books and important documents from the library.”
More unrest stirred in the courtyard, and when Angelique peeked at the line of magic users on the balcony, she noticed Tristisim looked stormy and like he might possibly burst a blood vessel. Felicienne convulsively clutched her hands together, but the set of her shoulders was firm, and she appeared thoughtful.
Clovicus was chortling to himself while Sybilla nodded in encouragement, and Evariste raised his eyebrows at Angelique and a hint of a grin played on his lips.
He thinks it’s a good idea.
Angelique returned the grin, but the unrest sweeping through the crowd of mages was starting to be worrisome.
If we don’t win them over to this idea, this could splinter us.
Whispers crept across the courtyard like a spreading pestilence, and in the first few rows of mages, Angelique could see signs of shock and the buildup of anger.
She took a step forward, intending to join Snow White at the balcony, but she froze when someone shouted above the din.
“Excellent! A smashing idea!”
Everyone—Angelique included—peered at the young mage who’d shouted the praise. She recognized him as the happy-go-lucky student Clovicus had brought with him to Wistful Thicket the previous fall (he’d gotten chased by the ducks outside Evariste’s house).
Aware of all the stares, the student scrunched his nose up. “What?” he crossly demanded. “This means we won’t have to worry about black mages attacking us in the middle of the night. Why are you all upset about that?”
The pointed question made the crowd pause. Mages stopped whispering and instead blinked in surprise, swapped glances with their comrades, and thoughtfully peered around the courtyard.
Sybilla tipped her head toward Clovicus. “That upstanding student was one of the children the Council made you unwillingly take under your wing and tutor, is he not?”