A Captive of Wing and Feather A Retelling of Swan Lake - Melanie Cellier Page 0,100

in her eyes.

“Vilma!” I gave her a hug, and she squeezed me back.

“I heard you’d arrived,” she told me. “But I had to see for myself.”

“I missed you,” I said. “And I promise I’ll be back to visit as often as I can.”

“Which won’t be often enough, I’m sure, what with all your royal duties.” She shook her head and laughed. “Royal duties! Just imagine! A princess living among us. Gregor is still in shock, you know.”

“I wish you could both come to the capital for the wedding,” I said.

“Oh, goodness no.” She clasped my arm. “We would be out of place in a palace. But we’ll be thinking of you on the day.” She drew herself up and winked at me. “Cora’s asked us to keep an eye on the place in her absence, and it’s a big responsibility.”

Cora rolled her eyes. “I don’t know what came over me.”

I grinned at her, still pleased I had convinced her to come to my wedding despite its distance from Brylee. It helped that there were various official tasks she needed to complete in the capital, now that she was Lady Cora.

Even after all these weeks, the inhabitants of Talinos were only slowly coming out of Leander’s enchantment. King Clarence and Queen Sapphira had been overcome with gratitude when they learned how the kingdom had been saved, and it had only taken a suggestion from Gabe for them to agree to grant Leander’s now empty titles and lands to Cora in thanks for her role in freeing them.

I knew it hadn’t been just gratitude that motivated Gabe’s request, however. He had seen first-hand that no one deserved the title and role more. Cora had already dedicated her life to helping the people of this area—the official position would just mean she had the resources she needed to keep doing it, and the recognition she deserved as well.

With a new, larger building, and all the wealth attached to the title, Cora would never have to worry about how to keep the haven running again. And the inhabitants of Brylee already knew to direct anyone who turned up at the old haven’s doors out of town to the Keep.

Audrey delighted in coming up with outrageous suggestions for how the old building could be used, and even Cora and I had spent an enjoyable hour the night before discussing the topic while we wove flower garlands for the wedding and tried to avoid the smell of Audrey’s awful tea. No one liked to tell her not to drink it now we knew how important it had been. Audrey herself was convinced her noxious fumes had helped protect us all and was terribly smug about the whole thing.

A flash of white drew my eye upward. A wedge of swans flew overhead, bugling loudly as they glided down below the level of the Keep’s walls to splash down into the lake beside it.

“So they really did follow you to Palinar and back.” Cora shook her head. “You have a way of inspiring devotion, Lady. A quality that will stand you in good stead when you’re queen one day.”

“I’m glad I didn’t lose them,” I said. “After everything we’ve been through together, they deserve a life of ease as royal birds.”

I couldn’t talk to them as I once had, and they no longer seemed quite as attuned to my wishes, but neither did they behave like wild swans either. Snowy and Sweetie had attached themselves to Sophie, seeming to instantly sense her physical discomfort, and I had almost been afraid they might stay behind when the rest of us left. Eagle, on the other hand, had tried to bite Dominic on three separate occasions. Apparently my godmother had been right, and you couldn’t enchant an animal in such a way without making permanent changes.

Gabe had been pleased for me but also concerned initially, wondering if his forests were now to be filled with aggressive wolves and bears with heightened intelligence. But his anxiety had proved unfounded. No reports of animal attacks had come in, and the bears hadn’t been sighted at all, apparently choosing to head deep into the uninhabited parts of the forest once they were freed. Most of the wolf packs had dispersed as well, although we had begun to hear tales about a woodsman who had somehow acquired a pack of wolves to hunt beside him.

The hounds had been the only ones to make their way into town, and many of the townsfolk now had