“Of course,” I snivel.
“You. Clean this up.” He snaps his fingers at Gisele, then waves at the mess of ruined fabric and blood on the carpet. “I want this room spotless for my lady.”
Gisele stares at him with a look I remember from the riverbank.
Just over a year ago, he upended both of our lives, demanding her for a wife.
Now he doesn’t even know who she is.
A faint disgruntled hiss slides from the wardrobe.Damnit, Ragne, not now. Adalbrecht starts, looking around for the source.
“One of the castle mousers ran in the wardrobe,” I say quickly.
“Then get it out of there before I have to replace all your gowns.”
“Of course, darling.” Why do I feel like I’m apologizing? “Hilde’s just had quite a shock, but everything will be put back in order soon.”
Gisele snaps out of it and bobs a quick curtsy. She hasn’t yet figured out to keep her head down as she adds, “Yes, right away, sir.”
It should have beenm’lord, but Adalbrecht seems to be too preoccupied to notice. He heads toward the door. “Oh, and, dewdrop,” he says, catching the doorframe. “Do keep this to yourself. We wouldn’t want to cause the guests unnecessary worry either.”
Then he’s gone. I resist the urge to kick the door shut after him, and make myself wait until I hear the guards shout a salute to close it.
“You can come out—actually, stay in there a moment, please.” I toss Gisele the servant uniform, then discard the pearls again and pull the green kirtle on over my shift. This will be a lot easier if we’re not trading blankets and dressing gowns.
“I do not like the margrave,” Ragne seethes from inside the wardrobe. “I donotlike how he speaks to you both.”
“And, you know, the murder stuff.” I fasten buttons as quickly as I can. “At least we learned something. He may be sending thenachtmären, but he’s not, er, mentally connected to them once they’re dispatched.”
“How do you figure?” Emeric’s voice is muffled behind the doors. Saints and martyrs, I hope he’s not looking at anything too embarrassing.
I glance to Gisele. She’s almost done with her buttons, so at least I can address the wardrobe situation. I yank open the doors and give Emeric a hand out as Ragne hops down. “Themahrwas hiding in Gisele’s dress. It could have easily killed us the moment we were alone, so why didn’t it? Why wait until I found it, unless it was there to spy on us?”
“A reasonable assumption.” Emeric brushes a stocking off his elbow that we both are pretending isn’t there. “But if they’re his eyes and ears—”
I hold up a finger. “Adalbrecht got here too fast. There’s no way one of the guards made it down to the ballroom, got his attention, and brought him up here, all in a few minutes. So yes, I think he can feel when one of hisnachtmärendies, because he bolted up here to check himself. But Idon’tthink he can see and hear through them in the moment, I think they have to make it back to report. Because that nasty piece of work”—I point to the fireplace, where Poldi is merrily cracking open vertebrae like chestnuts—“heard me arguing with Gisele. And if it had passed that along to Adalbrecht, he would have knownexactlywho Gisele was when he saw her.”
Emeric gets a peculiar look on his face. “That’s . . . a very astute point.”
“Yes, I make them sometimes.” I look around and find Ragne flopped by the hearth, still as a cat. “Ragne? What do you need for your shoulder?”
“I heal when I change my shape,” she yawns, “but it makes me tired. I will make sure the Gisele and the Joniza get home safely, and then I will come back here and sleep, a lot.”
“Before you go, Princess Gisele—did you notice anything at the ball?” asks Emeric.
Gisele purses her lips. “The noble families in attendance are from all over the southern empire. Even some three or more territories away. But the only Free Imperial State representatives are—”
“OHHHthey’re Bóern’s neighbors!” I finish in a rush, frantically swatting Emeric on the arm. “I noticed that too!”
“Mustyou?” He swivels out of range.
“No, Junior—the list from the study, the border towns—”
The match strikes for him. He digs out his makeshift notebook and thumbs through until he finds my copied list. “We’ll need a map to confirm, but I’m pretty sure these all border Free Imperial States. What are the odds he has something unpleasant planned for the attending heads of state?”
“Decent,” I say grimly.
Emeric studies the list, thinking; I see one hand stray to the pocket where he keeps his prefect coin. Then he sighs. “Hubert may have some ideas . . . but I don’t think there’s much more we can do tonight.”
