Page 14 of MidKnight
I turned to grab my wine glass only to realize that Lady Agatha was right next to me. Jorad must have decided to punish me for hitting him earlier.
Agatha’s hair was a big billowing poof of white, strung with pearls. It was so large, I couldn’t see who sat on her other side.
She gave a toothy grin and leaned forward. “Look on the bright side, Your Majesty. The dragon didn’timmediatelykill the princess.”
I pushed away the brutal image her words brought to mind and focused on a tingling in my gut. My intuition was roused. Something she said made sense. Somehow. I tilted my head and stared at Agatha. “What do you mean?”
Lady Agatha picked up her own wine glass and gave a shrug before downing the entire thing. She dabbed her mouth with her napkin as she said, “Well, if that dragon didn’t just kill her, he or his master must want her for something.”
Chapter Four
Lady Agatha’s words stuck with me throughout the dinner and the jesters that came to entertain us.
I was still rolling them around in my head as Ginnifer helped me out of my evening gown near midnight.
“Um, Your Majesty?”
“Just Bloss, when we’re alone, please.”
“My Lady, I couldn’t—”
I sighed. “Really, you could. But that’s not important right now. What did you need?”
Ginnifer bit her lower lip. “Um, your bird?”
“My bird?”
“The bluebird.”
“Oh, Cerena’s bird! Yes?”
“It’s still here.”
I furrowed my brow. Ginnifer pointed. Sure enough, the bluebird was in my dressing room, perched on top of a rack of dresses, tilting his head and studying me.
“He’ll ruin your clothes!” Ginnifer wrung her hands. “I’ve tried everything to get him to leave and he won’t!”
I bit my lip to keep from laughing.
What’s so funny, Dove?
Of course, Quinn couldn’t let me laugh without trying to find out why.
You know how you always like to tease me about enchanted animals?
Yes?
I sent him the mental image of Cerena’s bird.
Quinn laughed in my mind, which felt almost like being tickled.
I was right! See, animals are magically attracted to princesses.
Well, this one is Cerena’s. I’ll have to make sure to return him in the morning. It was sweet of her to have him watch over me, though.
No letting him see you naked.
He’s a bird.
