White’s shoulders were slightly hunched, and the hood of her red cloak was pulled up over her black hair, but her gaze was resolute as they stopped short of the door. She was a grim leader compared to the frightened princess Angelique had met in the forest what felt like months ago…
“We’re ready to enter,” Marzell whispered.
Snow White frowned at the door. “Yes, about that…”
Oswald puffed up his chest. “You want me to kick it down?”
“You can’t—not unless you want to break your heel,” Snow White said. “The doors are reinforced against entry.”
Fritz ran his fingers down the doorframe. “The hinges are on the inside of the room, so we cannot remove the door from the frame.”
“We could break through it—use a pickaxe to bust a hole through it,” Oswald suggested at a whisper.
“That would work, but it would give away our position.” Snow White.
Angelique watched as Lord Vitkovci and his men lined up in a battle formation behind them, preparing to swarm the room when the door was taken down—trusting that Snow White would get them inside.
“Then what did you have in mind?” Marzell asked.
Surprisingly, Snow White shuffled around and faced Angelique.
“Hmmm?” When Angelique noticed Snow White staring at her, she straightened. “Wait, me? Sorry, princess, but that’s not possible.”
Snow White’s gaze was level. “I know you can do it.”
“I’m so pleased you believe in me.” Angelique was careful to keep her voice at a whisper, “but I have to correct you: I haven’t the kick of a donkey or horse.” She pointed to Oswald and wrinkled her nose. “Scruffy, here, has a better chance of kicking the door down.”
Oswald sputtered hilariously, but Snow White didn’t rise to the bait.
“You can break the door down if you use your magic,” Snow White said.
“With my magic?” Angelique’s whisper turned into a quiet scoff. She plucked a sprig of herbs off her ever-present satchel and shook it for emphasis. “What am I supposed to do, wave some dill at it and hope the door falls in?”
“That’s lavender,” Snow White said.
Angelique hastily hid the plucked herb. “My magic is not going to help us here.”
“Angel,” Snow White said.
“I could make it work with healing, but herbs are not meant for moving physical objects,” Angelique said.
At least, I’m pretty sure. There’s no possible way they could!
Snow White frowned slightly. “Angel.”
“I expected you would know this given your propensity to read, but then again I imagine your library doesn’t have many books about magic. Regardless, you’d be better off having Oswald trot off to find a pickaxe,” Angelique advised.
“Angel!” Snow White growled like a wolf before she reached up and yanked on the collar of Angelique’s tunic, dragging her down to Snow White’s level. “Stop talking and listen to me!”
Tamed by the unexpected and never-before-seen heat of Snow White’s frustration, Angelique replied meekly. “Uh, okay.”
“I don’t know what you are, but I do know you are not an apprentice to an herb wizard! I don’t care what you want to pretend to be; I’ll play along with it. Unless it causes unnecessary problems like it is here.” Snow White leaned closer and closer to Angelique until their foreheads were almost touching. “The queen has been—for all practical purposes—taken over. We have soldiers lined up to take her down and end this. So break down this door. NOW!”
I…well. She’s not wrong. Who cares if I blow my cover? I’m about to be reunited with Evariste!
Angelique flicked her eyes to the door and swallowed loudly. “Sure thing.” It was hard to keep the smirk off her lips—she was going to free Evariste!—as she glanced at Snow White again.
There goes the forlorn hope that I had her fooled in thinking I was an herb wizard’s apprentice. Elle, I’m going to hold you responsible for this one!
Snow White released her now-stretched tunic collar, and Angelique stood up straight and brushed herself off, snorting when Snow White demurely folded her hands in front of her—once again looking like a polite royal.
A sliver of Angelique’s excitement snuck through when she grinned. “You’ve got guts by the boatload when you need them, Snow White.”
“I also have eyes in my head,” Snow White said, her voice colored with a trace of sarcasm.
“Very good eyes.” Angelique winked. “Here we go!”
Angelique threw the herb on the ground and eyed the door, double checking for any sign that it was bespelled.
Nothing. Not even a trace of magic. Very well, then. Let’s end this!
Angelique picked out a spell—one of many she’d gotten good at using thanks