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ROSE CLUTCHED ONTO Theo’s arm more tightly as they maneuvered their way closer to where the ambassador was standing. There were people dancing and chatting in circles of friends, all while servants were ducking and sliding around them and each other.
She allowed herself a moment to take in the scene around her. The servants had cleaned up the room since they had arrived, and the room sparkled—although Rose had a feeling that was more due to Mary and Juana’s magic at work. The music swelled as Theo guided her past the music pit.
At the front of the room, Rose could see Isra and Philip as they stood together, greeting their guests in small groups.
“Isra looks beautiful,” Theo said, as they drifted along with the crowd.
“She has always been beautiful,” Rose said. She watched as Isra took a step closer to Philip, who towered over her. She watched as he leaned down to hear Isra as she said something to him.
“They really do seem to like each other.”
“She’s so young,” Rose said. “I worry for her.”
“Philip’s our friend,” Theo said. “And they do have a lot in common.”
“That doesn’t mean much.” Rose watched Philip take hold of Isra’s hand, interlacing his fingers with hers.
“Of course you would think so,” Theo said.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Rose snapped. “I’m not against their relationship, but there’s nothing wrong with thinking things through carefully.”
“I know that, and I agree with that,” Theo replied, this time with some hesitation in his voice. “But you have to admit, you don’t like to trust in things that you can’t see or touch or prove.”
Rose glared at him. Before she could roundly dismiss him, she caught a glimpse of shining gold out of the corner of her eye.
Theo followed her gaze. “That’s the ambassador?”
Rose watched as the man she had seen earlier took a glass of wine from one of the servants. “Yes,” Rose answered. “I’m certain that it’s him.”
Theo glanced around. “We should see if we can get him to go into another room,” he said.
“There’s a corridor leading to the kitchens over that way.” Rose pulled him after her, as they hurried as politely and nonchalantly as possible through the crowd once more, this time with a destination in sight. “What do you think?”
“That will work.”
Rose felt a rush of excitement as they slipped around to where the ambassador was standing. Their movements were coordinated over the past years of battles and sparring, and Rose knew they would get their prize.
Theo came up from Ambassador Rolez’s right side, while she slipped in front of him.
“Ambassador,” she said in greeting. “How very nice to make your acquaintance.”
The man drew himself up proudly, flinching as Theo came into view. “I say, what do you think you’re doing?” he sputtered.
“We would like to ask you a few questions,” Rose said. “And this is exactly as charming as I’m going to be.”
“Hmmph. Well, you don’t appeal to me in the least,” the man said. “I’d recognize you anywhere.”
“That’s right,” Rose said, rolling her eyes. “I’m Princess Aurora of Rhone.”
“I hardly need an introduction, Your Highness.” Rolez narrowed his shifty eyes at her. “One doesn’t even have to look closely to see you and your uncle have a similar cunning aspect to your face.”
“My uncle?” Rose repeated. “That’s a new one. Most people cite the beauty or the grace or something else when they recognize me.”
“How do you know Rose’s uncle?” Theo asked.
“Oh, you’re going to ask questions, too, are you?” Rolez’s face began to turn purple. “I think I’ve had enough of this conversation. Excuse me.”
“Stop,” Rose commanded. “We want to talk to you.”
“Well, I don’t want to talk to you.”
"You don’t want to make us mad,” Rose insisted. “This is my sister’s engagement party, remember? We just want some answers, and then we’ll be on our way, and you don’t have to deal with us again.”
“Good. I wouldn’t want to deal with anyone from Hebert’s family. The man might have been my brother-in-law, but if I had my way, I would take him to court even after my sister’s death just to get them divorced.”
“So your sister was married to my uncle,” Rose realized.
“We are sorry for your loss,” Theo chimed in quickly.
“You should be,” Rolez muttered. “All those years, and she has been absolutely miserable.”
Rose thought about what Enrique said. “At least you were there for her,” she said quietly. “You were able to make it better for her.”
“For all the good it did in the end,” Rolez muttered. “She had the best doctors looking after her. But she died because your uncle was horrible to her.”
“What did he do?” Rose asked, appalled by the thought.
“He neglected her,” Rolez snapped. “She wanted children and a family, and he locked her out of his side of their house in Aragon. She was cast away every day they were married.”
“Why?”
“Why do you think?” Rolez scoffed. “He was in love with someone else. I don’t know who, and neither did my beloved Isabel, but she knew. How could a wife not know when she is not wanted?”
Rolez teared up and pulled out a handkerchief. “See? See what you’ve made me do now? I’m going to be all flummoxed for this entire affair now.”
“I’m sorry for your loss, sir,” Rose said, trying to be kinder. She patted his arm gently, barely touching him. He slid away from her as she advanced, but Theo held him close. “But we still have to ask you some questions. Where did you buy that tapestry? The one you gave to Queen Juliette?”
Rolez’s despair vanished as proud defiance took its place. “I’d forgotten about that!” he said. “Why do you want to know? It’s not my fault if she’s in danger.”
Rose and Theo exchanged concerned glances.
Seeming to sense his mistake, Rolez waved it away. “Never mind about it. The tapestry was just a gift.”
A quiet voice spoke up from behind them. “He’s lying.”
Rose and Theo whirled around to see Bachas as he came up the hall from behind them.
“Bachas,” Theo said. “What are you doing here? You should be resting. Your leg—”
“Is much better now, thank you very much.”
Rose knew from Theo’s expression he was just as shocked as she was by the genuine politeness in his tone.
“It’s so good,” Bachas said, “that I can now use my own magic.”
Rose tensed. Where are Mary and Fiona? Is he going to attack us?
“Which means, Ambassador, you might want to think again before running off.”
A snap crackled between them, and Rolez was suddenly whimpering. He was frozen in a half-jump, caught between sprints.
“What are you doing here?” Theo asked.
“I thought about your offer,” Bachas said. “And I’ve decided to help you—if you’ll help me in return.”
“I will do what I can to help you if you need it,” Theo said. “But I want specifics before entering into a deal with you.”
“Later,” Bachas said. “Right now, we need to get this guy to tell us where Annalora is.”
Rolez struggled even harder. “I’m going to scream!” he yelled, before there was another snap of power, and his voice went mute.
“Scream all you like,” Bachas muttered, as he guided Rolez’s frozen, mid-air body further into the darkness of the hall. “In fact, I welcome it, if that means I’ll be able to keep you from blubbering.”
“I’m not sure of this,” Rose whispered to Theo.
“Me, either,” he admitted. “I know he was really happy to get the healing stone from me earlier, but I didn’t think it would make him violent.”
“Where’s Mary or Fiona when you need them?” Rose asked.
“Probably with Isra,” he said. “They are serving as the official chaperones tonight.”
“Oh, I forgot about that,” Rose admitted.
Behind them, Bachas allowed Rolez to regain his voice, and Rolez was clearly not happy about the situation.
“Let me go,” he said. “Or I’ll have charges taken up against you.”
“I can make you forget everything with a snap of my fingers,” Bachas told him. “So I’m not worried about you at all.”
“Bachas,” Theo said. “Maybe we can ease up a little?”
“Only after he tells us where we can find Annalora,” Bachas said. He rounded on Rolez. “Tell us!”
“Okay,” he muttered. “I ordered a tapestry from her for the new queen.”
“Why do you think Queen Juliette is in danger?” Rose asked.
“Because he knows Annalora makes the tapestries with Magdust,” Bachas told her. “He went to go and meet with her precisely because of that.”
“How do you know?” Theo asked.
“I know,” Bachas snapped.
Rolez squirmed. “Fine. The pixie’s right,” he admitted. “I didn’t want anything bad to happen to her or the King, per say. I just wanted to punish Rhone.”
“So you endangered the lives of Einish’s monarchs?” Rose asked. “Why?”
“Tell us.” Theo’s voice went dark and hard. “If she’s in danger, you will tell us now.”
“Did you think the Queen was in danger because of the Magdust?” Rose asked.
“Magdust in small doses is gradually supposed to affect people,” Rolez muttered. “I didn’t think anyone would notice. It hasn’t been that long since she received it from me.”
“What was the tapestry for?” Rose repeated.
When he did not answer, she grabbed Rolez by the ear and dragged him further down into the darkened alcove.
“Nothing,” he shouted. “Nothing I swear!”
“That’s a lie. Tell us!”
“Allow me to help with the persuasion,” Bachas said, snapping his fingers. Rolez dropped to the floor from his frozen state. The diplomat easily crumbled over into a ball.
“Alright, fine,” Rolez snapped. “But stop it. I’m not cut out for this. Or starting a war, apparently.”
“You wanted to start a war?” Rose gave him a skeptical look. “How would that work?”
“Once it became known that the Queen of Einish had a special Magdust tapestry, the fairies would revolt, and Rhone would be upset with her for encouraging the enterprise that has weakened their whole national community,” Rolez said. “The engagement between the Princess of Rhone and the Prince of Einish would be cancelled, and Crystal Lake would be weakened further by its inability to gain support. The people would be ripe for a rebellion.”
Rose and Theo exchanged a quick glance. “Maybe we should get him to a guard,” she said. “It sounds like there’s enough there to get him arrested.”
“I was just thinking the same thing,” Theo said with a nod.
“No!” Bachas jumped up again. “No, he’s not going anywhere, until he tells us how to find Annalora.”
“Right.” Rose turned to him. “Where can we find Annalora?”
Rolez looked terrified. “You aren’t going to tell her I told you, are you? She knows how to get revenge on people.”
“We won’t tell her,” Rose said, but Bachas interrupted her.
“If you don’t tell us where to find her, you won’t have to worry about her coming for revenge,” he said. “I’ll take care of it myself.”
Rose nearly choked. “Come on, Bachas,” she said. “There’s no need to put that kind of pressure on him.”
“I’m a free pixie,” he scoffed. “I’ll do what I want.”
“Bachas,” Theo started to say, as Bachas snapped his fingers once more.
Rolez cried out in pain. “No!”
“Stop it,” Rose insisted.
“Not until he agrees to tell us!” Bachas shouted back.
“Fine, fine,” Rolez cried out. “I’ll tell you. Just let me go.”
Bachas folded his hands, and the flow of power halted.
“Annalora only takes on special commissions,” Rolez said. “I heard about her and her tapestries as a child. I didn’t think they were real. But when I was passing through Rhone, there was a tournament. She was there, trying to sell her work. When she caught sight of me, she approached me and began talking to me.”
“She found you?” Theo asked.
“Yes. She told me she would have a tapestry ready for me by the time I went back to Einish with my sister. I was picking up Isabel from her manor, and taking her back with me. She had written to me, telling me that Hebert had been raging with her and arguing with her more often lately. She never stays home for long while he is there, but it was especially bad, so I went to go and secure her myself.”
“I’m sorry for your sister’s trouble,” Rose said. “I don’t know my uncle, but I can assure you he is nothing like me.”
“I don’t care,” Rolez spat. “You’re still his blood.”
“But I’m not him!” Rose argued.
“I don’t care,” Bachas said. “How did you find the tournament?”
“It was close to the Aragonian border, about a week’s ride from Havilah,” he said. “You follow the main trail to Aragon, and close to the border, there is a place where tournaments are held. Annalora lives close by, on the outskirts of a town called Urra.”
“Urra,” Theo repeated. “I’ve never heard of it.”
“That’s where she lives.” Rolez nodded to Bachas. “You can even use your magic to see I am telling the truth.”
Bachas did not stop to question him. He simply grabbed Rolez’s hand. A moment later, as a light poured out from their hands, Bachas nodded. “I believe you.”
“Can I go now?” Rolez groaned. “I don’t want to be here any longer.”
“Be gone!” Bachas clapped his hands, and Rolez disappeared.
Rose frowned. “I’m glad to see you’re feeling better, but he had just confessed to ordering that tapestry for the Queen in order to start a trade war. I would have preferred to have Philip question him.”
“Your friend can question him later,” Bachas said. “I sent him to a cell in the dungeon here.”
“We thank you for your consideration.” Theo knelt down beside the small pixie. “And for your help in getting the information. But I have to wonder, why are you so concerned with our mission?”
“I need to know where Annalora is,” Bachas said. “She’s using pixie magic to hide herself from my seeing stone.” He pulled out a small marble from his pocket and handed it to Theo.
As Rose and Theo examined the small gemstone, it glowed with power, and a small, feminine pixie face came into its center.
“My beloved wife, Elva,” Bachas explained. “Once I was bound in a life debt, I was unable to use my magic for anything except what my master said. Now I can see her again, and she is also in a life debt.”
“To Annalora,” Rose guessed.
Bachas nodded. “I have to go and free her. I know you are looking for Annalora too. I will need your help in finding her, so I can see Elva again.”
“I don’t know how we can help,” Rose told him. “Annalora is a concern for us, but it is one we will have to address after we have dealt with Magdalina. But maybe King Derick will be able to help you. He is the one who should be the most upset at the issue with the tapestry, especially since it was given to Juliette.”
“That won’t work,” Bachas said. He pointed at Theo. “He’s the one who can get me back to Elva.”
“Why’s that?” Rose asked. “You already told him that he’s not a priest, so he doesn’t have the protection from your magic that they do.”
“He’s—”
Theo stepped forward and cut him off. “She’s my aunt,” he admitted quietly. “Annalora is my mother’s sister.”
Rose felt her mouth drop open in surprise.