Trial of Magic (The Fairy Tale Enchantress #4) - K. M. Shea Page 0,159

are right about yourself and Fritz. Despite my teasing, I’m not certain you fully love him yet. But you don’t need to fear it. The way you strive to save Faina, the tears you’ve shed and the fears you’ve conquered? That is love. Fritz knows that, and he values it. So, don’t worry yourself over whether he returns your feelings or not.”

Snow White pressed her hands into the worn counter. “Instead, I should look ahead to the trials I might face and conquer them early.”

Angelique snorted. “That wasn’t quite what I had in mind, but given your strategic mind, I guess it’s not a surprise that was your conclusion.”

“If I had thought this way sooner—if I had attacked my shyness with everything I had—this fight we’re in might not be quite so difficult.” Snow White curled her hands into fists. “Maybe we wouldn’t even be in it.”

Angelique stiffened. “Snow White. You have to stop blaming yourself and agonizing over the past. If you made mistakes—which I’m not even saying you did—they are already done. What is important is your actions now.”

She sighed, and all the fight in her abruptly sagged out. It’s like I’m talking to a slightly younger version of myself—when I blamed myself for Evariste’s capture. I think a part of me still does.

She stared up at the ceiling. “Though I must confess, I’m not entirely certain how you are supposed to let go.”

Snow White fidgeted. “Is there something I can do to help?”

Once again, she reaches out without hesitation. Snow White is a treasure.

Angelique sharply shook her head, rattling her regrets loose, then smiled at the princess. “Not at this time. But I’m grateful you asked.” Angelique playfully ruffled Snow White’s black curls and winked.

Snow White blinked in obvious confusion before her expression shifted to a warm smile, and she shuffled closer to Angelique, shyly patting her on the back. “Thank you—for being here and helping me.”

“Of course,” Angelique said. “It’s my duty—and my pleasure.”

The words were out of Angelique’s mouth before she thought them over. She was so used to saying it was her duty as an enchantress-in-training.

Judging by the way Snow White narrowed her eyes and the wrinkles that spread across her forehead, the princess hadn’t missed the wording.

She’s going to figure it out soon if I don’t distract her.

“I’m going to clean the horse paddock next,” Angelique declared. She paused for a moment, then nodded, assured the half-cooked idea was a good one.

I’ve been missing Pegasus. The warriors’ horses will be a poor substitute, but there’s always been something comforting about horses.

“What happened to poking around the cottage?” Snow White asked.

“Abandoned in favor of horses.”

“I did not know you loved horses so much.”

“I’m on fine terms with them, but I’m missing my pet,” Angelique said. “You’ll come so I can keep an eye on you?”

Snow White sighed and gloomily peered at her basket of mushrooms. “I wish it did not sound like I am a child who needs minding.”

Thinking of her conversation with Fritz, Angelique smiled. “It’s not that way at all. You are more like a precious jewel that needs a guard—so Fritz would say.”

Snow White shook her head at Angelique. “Let me finish with the mushrooms, and I’ll join you.”

“Lovely! Don’t take too long!” Angel skipped out the door, her oversized tunic flapping like an ill-fitting dress.

She trundled her way around the side of the cottage to the wooden paddock and the lean-to that were almost on the back end of the building. She swiped up a pitchfork and launched herself over the fence, garnering the attention of the horses as they nibbled on the little patches of grass that were starting to grow as spring rippled through Mullberg.

Angelique whistled as she got to work, using the pitchfork to toss horse droppings out of the paddock into a pile the warriors would turn into fertilizer for the garden they would plant.

I’d assumed Fritz was the one with the green thumb among them, but Marzell said it’s actually Wendal who plants much of their garden. Though I guess that isn’t so surprising—he’s probably overly concerned that Lord Aldelbert requires nutritious meals.

Angelique paused long enough to pat a horse’s neck.

The warriors are a bit strange, but they’ve got good hearts. They’d be very amusing to be with if the situation wasn’t so dire.

Something that felt suspiciously like magic tingled at the edge of Angelique’s conscious.

Frowning, Angelique let her powers unfurl.

Her core magic twined around her as her magical senses rolled across the cottage and