A Dream of Ebony and White: A Retelling of Snow White (Beyond the Four Kingdoms Book 4)

by Melanie Cellier

  “Well, if this was an attack from your stepmother, then probably not, right? I’m sure word has gotten out about her situation from that woman in the market. It was probably just a way for someone to gain access to the castle. No doubt whatever agent your stepmother sent wasn’t expecting things to be quite so locked down here. The servants are all incredibly loyal.”

  I nodded slowly. It made sense. Except for one thing.

  “But why would the agent want to kill Poppy? Surely that wasn’t what he was sent here for.”

  “Yes, about that.” Daria sighed. “Once she calmed down, I managed to get the story out of her. And I think the ribbons were perfectly ordinary ribbons. It was most likely the comb that was enchanted. It turns out the ribbons were for her, but the comb was supposed to be a present for you. To thank you for taking care of her. Poppy told me you already had a comb, so she didn’t see how it could hurt if she just played with it a little first.”

  “That agent, whoever he was, clearly doesn’t have much experience with children,” I said. “Not if he thought leaving that comb with a five-year-old was a safe way to ensure it made it to his intended destination.”

  Daria snorted. “And that’s the truth. Although it was wrapped apparently. He probably thought that would make it less likely she would touch it herself, but I’m sure it just made it more appealing to her.”

  “We need to leave,” I told Daria, ignoring Alexander’s sharp look at my words. “First thing in the morning. Before this agent finds out he was unsuccessful and tries again.”

  “That’s assuming he has another object,” said Alexander.

  I put my hands on my hips. “Do any of us want to take that risk?” I looked at them both with raised eyebrows, and neither spoke. “You’re all to stay here. That was always the plan for now. The duke’s staff will take good care of you, I’m sure of it. And I’ll leave orders that no further strangers are to be admitted. For any reason.”

  “I wish I could come with you,” said Daria. But when I tried to speak, she added hurriedly, “But I know I would only be in the way.”

  “I’ll miss you.” I embraced her. And it was the truth. She might be several years younger, but life had made Daria just as capable as me in different ways. And she had shown herself a true friend.

  “Will you come to court when I win my throne?” I hadn’t dared to ask her before now, afraid she would say no.

  A smile burst across her face. “I always wanted to see the capital.”

  “Then see it you shall,” I said. “I’ll personally give you a tour.”

  “When you’re queen, you might have more important things to do.”

  “Never,” I assured her.

  “Oooh, is this the bit where we get to start making requests?” asked Danni, appearing suddenly in the doorway.

  “Danni!” Daria glared at her.

  “What?” Danni asked defensively. “You’re always saying we’re not allowed to ask for things, but we’re friends with a queen. Surely we could ask for a few things.” She looked at me. “Just little things,” she added hopefully.

  “She did eat all our food all those weeks back in the cottage,” said Louis. “And she was no help at all with chores.”

  “I was a little bit of help, surely,” I protested weakly.

  Alexander gave a cough that I was fairly certain hid a laugh, so I shoved him, although I kept my attention on Louis and Danni.

  “When I win my throne, you can ask me for anything you like.”

  Both children whooped, and Daria looked horrified.

  “I’m not promising I’ll give it to you,” I hastily clarified. “But you can ask.”

  “Good enough for me.” Danni grinned and turned to Louis. “Just wait until we tell the others.” Both of them took off down the corridor, and Daria sighed.

  “Now you’ve done it.” She shook her head at me. “And I suppose I’d better get back in there since they’ve left Poppy on her own.” She disappeared before I could say anything else, leaving me and Alexander alone in the corridor again.

  “The guards aren’t ready to go,” he said, looking at me with concern. “What’s in your head?”

  “We need to leave now,” I said. “Ahead of the guards. Even with the utmost discretion, Alida is going to hear about a large troop of guards marching on the capital. We want her to hear about it. But so far she seems to know our movements all too well.”

  I spoke quickly, knowing he wasn’t likely to approve of my plan. “She’ll be expecting us to be among the guards. But we need to get to the capital first. And in secret. Because the only answer to all of this is that she must have a spy among us. One who even managed to work out where we had been in the forest.”

  “But that’s impossible,” Alexander protested. “Neither of us told anyone.”

  “No,” I said. “But there was a fair bit of travel back and forth. And remember the queen’s agent didn’t turn up at the cottage itself, he came to the town. As a peddler, too. Maybe they’d only worked out the general area. And it doesn’t make sense that word of my presence here came from Lestern itself. There wasn’t time for the information to filter out into the city—if it even has—then get all the way back to Alida, only for her to send her agent with that object, and for him to then figure out a way to infiltrate the castle. She had to have sent him not long after we left the capital ourselves.”

  Alexander shifted uneasily. “I did hear from Tarver that His Grace informed the rest of the loyal courtiers of the basics of our plan. He wanted them to know troops were coming, and they just needed to be patient.”

  “See!” I stared into his eyes, willing him to see the logic of my argument. I didn’t want to have to order him to accompany me back, protesting all the way.

  “Yes, it does make the most sense,” he admitted at last. “But I’m still not sure why you want us to sneak back immediately.”

  “We’re going to arrive unexpectedly and discover who the spy is. And then we’re going to use them to our advantage.”

  Alexander raised an eyebrow. “Feed them misinformation?”

  I nodded, and he actually grinned at me.

  “That’s one sneaky mind you have, Your Majesty.”

  I gave him a deep curtsy and a grin. “Why thank you, Old Friend.” When I straightened up, we both turned serious. “Now we just have to convince Tarver.”

  Chapter 23

  We were back in the forest more quickly than I had anticipated. The captain had made little attempt to dissuade us from our plan—whether it was from a lifetime of following orders, or because Tarver hadn’t grown up with me and held a greater respect for my rank, I couldn’t be sure. He had attempted to get us to take a squad of guards with us, but Alexander had talked him out of it, claiming he could more easily hide our passage with just the two of us. When Carter volunteered to join us, Tarver capitulated.

  “Don’t have much desire to be left back here when the action is all happening in the capital,” Carter had told us when we left Tarver’s office. “And you can’t very well claim I’ll be a hindrance to you in the forest, young one.”

  Alexander took the teasing with calm good will. “I’m glad to have you along.”

  I had smiled, the best response I could muster. In truth, I had been disappointed. If our plans succeeded—and with my stepmother seeming always one step ahead of us, I no longer felt so confident in that—then this would likely be my last opportunity to be alone with Alexander. There would be no more headlong flights through the forest. Not unless the worst happened, I supposed, and I couldn’t wish for that.

  And so it was the three of us making our way through the trees. Well, three of us plus the horse. It had been Carter’s suggestion, but when Alexander supported it, I hadn’t wanted to demur. Clearly despite all my training, I would slow them down on foot. Tarver had offered us three horses, but both Alexander and Carter refused.

  “Can’t keep in touch with the forest from the back of a great beast like that
,” Carter had said.

  There was no question we moved faster with me astride. And my poor abused muscles were more familiar with the back of a horse. Still, it was the longest such trip we had made, direct all the way from the coast to the capital. I would have liked to see the cottage again, maybe stop for a night there, but it wasn’t on the most direct route, and we didn’t want to risk the chance it was being watched.

  With just the three of us, and moving at the fastest pace we safely could, we reached the capital after dark on our fifth day. Even at night, the city felt large and noisy after Lestern. But also familiar. Lestern had been my mother’s home, but this was mine.

  We arrived unannounced at the side door of the ducal mansion, and I was half afraid everyone would have gone to bed, and no one would hear our quiet knocks. But the door swung open soon enough, a suspicious looking Bronson falling back to let us inside.

  “Your Majesty!”

  “Do you ever sleep, Bronson?” I asked affectionately.

  “I was just on my way in that direction, Your Majesty,” he said with a bow. “I can only be glad I was not more prompt on this night. But what are you doing here? We aren’t looking for the guards to arrive for days yet.”

  “Excellent.” Alexander clapped his hands together and smiled. “That’s the idea.”

  Bronson looked between us all wearily. “I suppose I’d better be calling His Grace back out of bed.”

  “Thank you, Bronson,” I smiled at him. “With our apologies, of course.”

  “Of course, Your Majesty.” He bowed himself backward out of the room.

  “Well, it looks as if we did it.” I turned the smile on both of my companions. “They’re not expecting us. So we can only hope the spy isn’t expecting us either.”

  Any astonishment the duke felt had been quashed by the time he met us in our preferred sitting room. And it was he who came up with the plan once we had explained our suspicions to him.

  And thus, the very next night, I found myself once again dressed in a fine gown and greeting guests at a last-minute social event. Every one of them greeted me with astonishment, still thinking me in Lestern, so it seemed we had managed to keep my presence secret for a day, at least.

  Carter had declared himself happily settled in the kitchen and determined to remain there until he was free to return to hunting, but I had dragged Alexander along with me. He greeted guests beside me, dressed as a courtier rather than in his usual leather. I was still secretly determined to go through with my plan to make him my Chief Adviser, as we had joked about in the forest weeks ago—although it felt more like years.

  No one showed shock or surprise at seeing him, any more than they showed confusion as to his identity. They were too used to seeing him at my father’s side. I suspected if Alexander had wanted a more exalted position than huntsman, my father would happily have given it to him. No doubt my friend would try to refuse such a thing when I ruled as well, but I intended to be extremely persistent.

  Tonight as we circulated, we had a plan. Carefully we spread the information that our troops had moved faster than planned. They had already arrived with me at their head and were camped just outside the capital, ready for our command to move in. We asked everyone to be ready. When the court was called to the castle, we needed them all there.

  It was only an exaggeration of the truth, not an entire fabrication, and all the more believable for it, we hoped. But still an important enough piece of information to send the spy hurrying to inform the queen. The duke had his people ready to follow every guest from the moment they left the party. If anyone made contact with the queen, we would know about it.

  I kept my court mask in place, smiling and accepting congratulations from the courtiers, while I weighed each one with my eyes, wishing I could see into their hearts. Had I been right about the count and countess of Ellsmore after all? Did their disapproval of me stretch more deeply than they let on? Or was it one of the merchants perhaps? Lured to the side of my stepmother with promises of wealth and favor—perhaps even a title.

  I hated the suspicion in my heart for these people I hoped to rule. In truth I didn’t want it to be any of them, and I kept trying to think of a way around it.

  I certainly didn’t expect Alexander to tap me on the shoulder and signal for me to accompany him from the ballroom before the night was even over. One look at his face and any thought that it might be on a personal matter evaporated.

  “Come,” he said. “Down in the kitchens.”

  My mind immediately flew to Carter. He had been planning to spend the evening in the kitchens. A dreadful sensation washed over me. He had been so friendly and pledged his loyalty so freely. He had been locked away for defying Alida. And Alexander trusted him.

  I tried to shake the thought from my head, but it had lodged there now. What if his imprisonment had been a ploy to gain our trust? Who else had the skills to have tracked us through the forest? And he had certainly known our plans ever since the rescue. In fact, he had been determined since then to stick by my side.

  I glanced sideways at Alexander. I didn’t want to believe it for his sake. How much it would hurt him to be betrayed by his old mentor. Perhaps I was merely letting my imagination run away with me. But it would explain the hard look on his face now, the mask that I suspected hid some sort of pain.

  I followed as fast as my party slippers would allow, unable to question Alexander further given the servants we kept passing. When we burst into the kitchen, several kitchen hands looked over at us in astonishment. But the cook merely gestured toward a large storage room that opened off one wall.

  Alexander hurried ahead of me and yanked open the door, disappearing inside. I paused for a moment to gather myself and then followed him.

  But no moment of calm could have prepared me for the sight of the elegantly dressed courtier inside. He sat in a single wooden chair, held down by Carter’s firm hand on his shoulder, and his expression as he looked up at me was anguished.

  “Oh!” I gasped, nearly staggering backward. “You!”

  Chapter 24

  “It’s always the ones you don’t expect, I’m afraid, Your Majesty,” said Carter gruffly. “Wouldn’t be good spies otherwise.”

  I looked between them, my heart racing and my thoughts swirling in confusion. So Carter wasn’t the spy, he had just caught them? Or was this all part of some ploy to cast suspicion away from himself?

  I forced myself to focus on the courtier in the chair.

  “But Roger—we’re family!” I said. “Tell me it isn’t true.”

  My cousin’s face twisted at my words, and he looked as if he wanted to speak, but Alexander cut in instead.

  “What happened, Carter?”

  The older huntsman ran his free hand across his chin. “Well, as you know, I was settling in for a quiet evening in the kitchens.”

  Alexander snorted, and Carter grinned. Clearly my old friend still believed in his mentor.

  “Well, quieter than you lot were having at any rate. I know the duke has his people set to watch all these fancy ladies and gents once they depart for the eve, but I thought there was no harm in an extra pair of eyes.”

  “No indeed,” Alexander murmured.

  “And it occurred to me as how the immediate arrival of a small army might be news Her False Majesty up there at the castle would be wanting sooner rather than later. And, sure enough, down comes this gentleman, looking to flirt a little with the kitchen maids and slip out the side door when no one was watching.”

  Carter barked a laugh. “But old hands like me are always watching.”

  Roger groaned, and I examined his face, trying to read it. “I suppose this is the part where you protest your innocence.”

  “Yes!” He sighed. “Well, no, not exactly.”

  “And what’s that supposed to mean?” Alexander leaned over him in a threatening manner, but Roger didn’t draw back. Instead he straightened his shoulders, focused his gaze on me, and a took a deep breath
.

  “I did try to sneak out to go up to the castle. But not because I was so anxious to take her your news. And you have to let me go. Now.”

  Alexander leaned back, crossing his arms across his chest and laughing without humor. “Good try.”

  Roger continued to look only at me. “You know me, Snow. You’ve known me your whole life—nearly my whole life. I have no loyalty to Alida, and I wouldn’t betray you. Not willingly.”

  I frowned. “What do you mean?” I wanted to hold onto the hope that my own cousin couldn’t be the one betraying me. But then neither did I want to accept the idea that it might be someone who would bring Alexander such pain.

  “It’s my family. You heard…” He paused for a moment, visibly shaken. “You remember that my wife had twin boys, only a year ago.”

  I nodded.

  “Well, Alida has guards stationed at our house. We live in constant fear. If I don’t assist her…”

  “What?” I balled up my fists—the only physical move I could make in the confined space. It did little to release my pent-up energy. At least the anger chased away the tears that had been threatening to surface.

  He had admitted to it—even if he claimed to be doing it under threat. I gave Carter a quick glance. I supposed that absolved the old huntsman, at least. My whirling thoughts circled back to my stepmother, and I couldn’t help a protest.

  “But that’s despicable! Threatening babies!” But even as I said the words, I remembered who I was speaking of.

  Roger’s face looked sad, lined where it hadn’t been before. How had I not seen it when we laughed together at the earlier party?

  “Are you really surprised?” He asked me. “This is Alida we’re talking about. You were little more than a baby when she married your father, but she never warmed to you, did she?”

  I flinched, but he held my gaze while I considered his words. He had spent enough time at the castle to see her constant subtle efforts to deride and undermine me. Even as a small child.