“Yes, you don’t like her. I understand that.” I tried again to make him see my point. “The poison that Simon stole—think about it—if she’s in league with the Black Knight, what else would she do with it?” Tristan’s blue eyes narrowed in on mine. “You just assume, of course, that she doesn’t want to marry me.

That she couldn’t. Marrying me would be a fate worth killing for.”

I blinked at him in surprise. “That isn’t what I meant.

I just don’t want you to trust her. She could hurt you.” 358/431

“She could hurt me? She’s always been very nice to me.” He looked upward as though considering the charge. “And not once has she set fairies on me to transport me to another realm.”

“Tristan—,” I started, but he cut me off.

“One time when she didn’t know I was near, she told her lady’s maid that she didn’t care whether a man was lowborn or not. An ambitious man would rise to the top regardless. And I have. It’s too bad you’ve been too wrapped up in fairy-tale princes to notice.” I took a step away from him, stung. “I came all this way to warn you. I don’t know why I bothered.” His gaze ran up and down me. “You came all this way to meet up with Prince Charming. It’s what you’ve wanted all along. I read your contract.” I felt my cheeks flushing. “Fine. Trust her. You’ll see I’m right after you’re dead.”

“Well, it all becomes a moot point after that, doesn’t it?”

Which is pretty much why it’s impossible to argue with smart people. They pay more attention to what you say than to what you mean. I turned around so quickly my skirt twirled around my ankles, and I stalked off in the direction I’d come. I’d find Edmond again and dance with him until midnight. And I didn’t care if Tristan 359/431

spent the entire time dancing with Margaret. They deserved each other.

Chapter 24

I weaved through the crowd, but instead of looking for Edmond, I went outside onto the balcony. I wanted to be alone.

I walked past couples standing in the moonlight. The stars spread out in the sky above the green, untamed land below. I had to grudgingly admit that the Middle Ages was nice in that regard—everything green and wild.

Even here at the castle, their pinnacle of civilization, thick vines crawled up the balcony’s walls.

Looking at the romantic scenery made me feel even worse. I had thought that Tristan cared about me. Had all his feelings for me evaporated? Perhaps they hadn’t been that strong to begin with. I should just leave and go back to the inn.

I’d only taken a few steps into the ballroom when Edmond found me. He carried two goblets, and after giving me one, took my free hand in his. He pulled me back toward the dance floor. “Come, let’s quench our thirst and dance again. You’ve been away from my arms for too long.”

We walked several steps until we came upon Tristan.

His eyes flickered over my hand in Edmond’s and his 361/431

jaw grew tight. I nodded at him, said “Sir Tristan,” and waited for him to move out of our way. He didn’t. The next moment Princess Margaret arrived at his side holding two goblets. She offered one to Tristan without paying any attention to Edmond or me. “Are you thirsty, Sir Tristan?”

“No,” I said too quickly.

I sent Tristan a wide-eyed look of warning, but he took the goblet from her hand just to spite me. “Thank you, your highness. You’re as thoughtful as you are beautiful.”

“A toast then.” I held my goblet up and tried not to glare at him. “To love, and the things we do for it.” Edmond smiled and raised his own goblet. “Here, here.”

Margaret raised her drink and clinked it into mine with a cold smile. Tristan reluctantly raised his own drink. His face was serious and he didn’t take his eyes off of mine.

I slammed my goblet into his with such force that it flew backward, spilling the entire contents on his tunic.

He flinched, gasped, and took a step backward as the liquid ran down his shirt.

“Oh! So sorry,” I said. “I’m horribly clumsy.” To Prince Edmond I added, “It’s one of those personality deficits you’re going to have to overlook.” 362/431

Edmond waved to a passing kitchen girl, but smiled at me. “It’s already forgotten.”

Tristan held his tunic away from his chest and sent me a dark look. “I haven’t forgotten it.” I looked at Margaret to see if her facial expression showed any frustration. Had I just spoiled her plan to poison Tristan?

She took a linen napkin from the kitchen girl and dabbed at Tristan’s chest without showing any emotion at all.

Edmond looked between his sister and me. “I’ve forgotten my manners. Have you met my sister, Princess Margaret?”

I curtsied awkwardly.

She turned from Tristan long enough to cast me a disdainful look. “We’ve met. Or at least I’ve met one of you.

I hadn’t realized before that you came in a pair.”

“A pair?” Edmond asked.

Tristan said, “I think Princess Margaret is referring to her sister, Jane. They look very much alike.” Edmond’s brows lifted in surprise and he scanned the room. “Two such beauties? It’s impossible.” Princess Margaret finished dabbing at Tristan’s shirt.

“The other one is in the far corner in that horribly plain red dress.”

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We all looked in that direction except for Tristan. He took the cloth from Margaret and tried to absorb some of the liquid still dripping down his shirt.

Edmond narrowed his eyes in on Jane. “That’s odd. I could have sworn Queen Neferia told me that damsel was her stepdaughter.” He considered her for a moment longer, then shrugged. “But I should have known I misunderstood. If the queen had thought she was her kin she most certainly would have gone over to speak to her.” He took a sip of his drink as though he’d already dismissed the matter, but I clutched my glass as one thought and then another crowded in on me. Just as this ball proved that the Cinderella wish was still in effect, Edmond’s comment had shown me the Snow White wish was going on too.

Queen Neferia was here somewhere and she wanted to kill Snow White.

I looked around the room, searching, even though I didn’t know what Neferia looked like.

It had been eight months since I’d been in the dwarfs’

home and longer than that since Snow White had left Neferia’s court. Neferia hadn’t seen Snow White since then, but Jane, wearing her dress, looked enough like me to be mistaken for her.

Which meant Jane was in danger.

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“Where is Queen Neferia?” I asked. “What does she look like?”

Princess Margaret twisted her goblet between her fingers. “Why the interest?”

I didn’t have time to come up with a reason. “What color is her gown?”

Edmond nodded to the left corner of the room.

“Black.”

I turned and saw her. She stood tall and regal, with stunning, cold features. Her hair lay against her skin, shiny and dark as crows’ wings. It matched her black velvet dress perfectly. She stood not far from Jane and Hunter, watching them.

Thank goodness for Hunter. At least Neferia wouldn’t try to hurt Jane when he stood by with a sword hanging at his hip.

I shoved my goblet back into Edmond’s hand.

“Tristan, we’ve got to—” I didn’t finish my sentence. As I spoke I saw Neferia take a spiced apple from her hand and place it onto a serving girl’s tray. She bent over and whispered something into the serving girl’s ear, then pointed toward Jane. “No!” I gasped, and headed toward her.

The music stopped, signaling a break for the musicians. Which meant that all the people left the dance floor and congregated directly in my way. I tried to 365/431

weave my way around them, pushing past noblemen and ladies. “Pardon me. Pardon me.” I said the words like a panicked mantra. Behind me, I could hear Prince Edmond calling my name, but I didn’t turn around.