Chapter Twenty

Mable changed into fresh clothes and went down to the library as requested. There she found Monsieur Carnier himself placing several covered dishes on the buffet table, alongside what looked to be a real silver goblet. He pushed the trays this way and that, his thin brows creased as he considered the aesthetics of the table. He was dressed in his usual garb, complete with the stained apron and flour dusting his blonde hair.

Mable didn't think she had even seen Monsieur Carnier outside his kitchen. It was disorienting, seeing him outside his normal environment, like spotting a polar bear in the Sahara Desert.

He turned to beam at her. "Ah, you're here. Excellente. I have brought some of my heartiest stew to help warm you up. But first, you must drink this." He handed her the goblet.

Mable took it, narrowing her eyes suspiciously. "What is it?"

Carnier grinned. "A special recipe my mother passed down to me. If I tell you what is in it, then I am afraid I can't let you live."

Mable took a sip and grimaced. "It tastes disgusting."

Carnier merely raised an eyebrow. "Then I made it correctly. If it had tasted good, I would have made it wrong."

Mable said something pithy and to the point. Carnier just shook his head. He had heard worse words in his kitchen, usually because he was the one yelling them. "Pinch your nose, if it helps."

She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to pretend it was something good, like a milkshake. The concoction felt slimy going down her throat, but once she finished it she found that she felt far better than before.

Carnier, who had been watching her like a hawk, took the goblet from her. "Good. Sit, sit, enjoy your dinner. I will send one of the others in to collect it once you have finished."

"What, no dessert?"

Carnier cocked his head, pretending to think about it. "Well, I suppose…since you finished the whole goblet…"

Mable snatched up a cloth napkin from the table and threw it at him with a grin. He snatched it out of the air and gave her a wink.

"My dear, for a hero such as you, of course you will get dessert!" He said grandly. He gave her an exuberant bow, making her giggle, and left her to a solitary dinner.

Mable went over to one of the trays and inhaled the delicious aroma of the beef stew. It smelled comforting and familiar, and with a hint of nostalgia she wondered if it was the same recipe she had on her first night in the castle.

She smiled as she grabbed a ladle to pour stew into one of the nearby bowls, but it withered as she remembered more of that first night, and thoughts of this afternoon returned.

Had the Fairy caused the ice to break? She thought to herself, idly slicing a piece of thick brown bread. Why would they do that, after so many years of leaving the castle inhabitants in peace? Why would they go after such a young girl? Maddie was just a child, she could hardly be considered a threat. What was the point of attacking her?

Mable slipped into one of the chairs with her bowl, picking up a book at random. She stared at the cover but didn't attempt to read it. The idea of the Fairies turning on the castle residents was frightening, but she had an awful feeling that it was somehow her presence that caused all this mess. She got the impression that the Fairies had made themselves scarce, after the curse was placed. Was her being here, even though she attempting to return to her own home, placing her new friends in danger?

Before she could even fully jump on this train of thought, the door to the library swung open with a clatter.

"Mable." Theo stalked into the room. Mable launched to her feet. This was the first time she saw a monster, not a man. He wasn't on all fours anymore, but his fur was standing straight up. His fangs were bared at her, his whole body tensed as if to launch for her throat. There was no hint of humanity in the guttural voice, nor any human flailing or gestures. His gold eyes were glazed in a predator's stare as he gazed at her.

For a moment, Mable could understand perfectly why Rianon had run when faced with an enraged, cursed Master.

He was angry with her, she thought. She had brought danger to the door of his people, and he furious enough to throw her out. There was a little bit of fear worming its way into her heart, but only a little bit. She straightened her back, threw her chin up. If he wanted to toss her out, he was going to have to work for it.

But when he launched himself at her it wasn't to attack, but to pull her into a back-breaking hug.

"You are all right." He rumbled at her. "I ran off after the Fairy, and when I returned you and the others were gone. I was afraid I had chased him right back towards you."

It was so contradictory of what she had thought that she threw her arms around him and hugged him back without thinking about it.

He had been protecting her, she realized. The idea of it sent a tingle of pleasure through her. He had been worried about her, worried that the Fairies were going to hurt her.

"I'm all right. Labelle just brought me and Maddie in before we could get sick." She soothed. Then, because she couldn't leave well enough alone; "You aren't angry with me?"

"Angry?" Theo released her, leaning back so that he could peer down at her. The rage was gone, she saw with some relief. His fur and his eyes were back to normal, and he had closed his mouth to hide his fangs. "Why ever would I be angry with you?"

"What if this is my fault?" she argued. "What if I did something to make the Fairies want to attack us?"

Theo shook his head. "I don't know why one of them decided to attack us like that, but Mable, I don't think it was because of anything you did." He shifted from paw to paw nervously, as if he didn't want to tell her what he was truly thinking. "In fact, I was afraid that the real reason the Fairy did that was to hurt you, in some way."

"What?" Mable took an involuntary step back. "You think that he wanted to…but why?"

Theo rested a gentle paw on her shoulder. "I don't know Mable, but I promise you," he said earnestly, "You will come to no harm while you stay here. In fact," now he sounded proud, "I talked to Jacques a few moments ago, and we came up with a plan."

Mable blinked at him. "What sort of plan?"

He grinned at her. "Why don't you meet us in the barracks tomorrow afternoon and find out?"

Mable studied him. The anger wasn't completely gone, she noted. She could still see it, hiding in the tenseness of his shoulders and lurking in his gold eyes. But the anger wasn't directed at her. It was directed at anyone who might attempt to hurt her.

And why did that make her heart beat just a tiny bit faster?

She gave herself a firm mental shake and smiled back at her friend. "All right. I'll meet you in the barracks tomorrow. It's going to be a while before I want to go ice skating again, I'll tell you that!"

The next morning Mable made her usual pilgrimage down to the greenhouse. Partly it was to check on the flower Madame Cecile gave her to tend, but it was also because she wanted to speak with the older housekeeper. Madame Cecile always seemed able to get to the heart of the problem, and Mable had spent several mornings just talking out her hurts and worries to the serene, gentle woman who was less a personal servant and more of a friend.

The conservatory had the sultry scent of the earth after a cleansing rain, and Mable breathed deep as she journeyed past the flowers back to Madame Cecile's potting table. Her flower sat in its pot over to one side. Mable was pleased to see that it was not only alive, but had even produced one small, snow white bud. She stroked the silky petal, wondering what the name of it was.

"That's a gardenia." Madame Cecile appeared next to her, giving Mable a welcoming smile. She had her dark hair pulled back from her face, and instead of her uniform she wore a loose tunic and leggings, much like Mable. "They are a symbol of purity and innocence and give off a most wondrous scent. I have a few I keep on the other side that I use to make lotions and perfumes for the maids."

"Did you know what it was when you gave it to me?"

Madame Cecile's smile was both warm and secretive. "I knew what it was," she said, "but I wasn't sure if you would be able to make it bloom."

Not entirely sure this conversation was about the flower anymore, Mable shut up as she put on a pair of worn gardening gloves and followed Madame Cecile around as she watered the other plants. She had been doing this since she started caring for her little plant, and the steadiness of the routine was comforting enough to help her relax.

"I heard you had some excitement yesterday." Madame Cecile said with mild interest, as if they were talking about a day out at the park. "Maddie spent an entire hour telling me the grand tale of how you saved her."

Mable smiled, a bit sheepish. "It's wasn't that big a deal. I mean, the pond isn't even that deep. And I'm pretty sure the curse prevents you guys from getting sick."

"Yes, which means there was a lot more heart in your act. Someone else might say, 'well, the girl can't be harmed by normal means, so I will stay here and protect myself'. Another person might have put their well-being above a nine-year-old girl's. You let your heart guide you, and you are respected because of it."

"Well, I am glad Maddie is all right." Mable agreed. She followed Madame Cecile around a corner and frowned. "I haven't been down this way before."

The path was lined with the same roses that had been showing up in Mable's room since she had recovered from her fever. Some were the same golden color as the ones currently up on Mable's nightstand; others were various shades of white, some had blooms as big as her head, others still were miniature. All of which, Mable noted, had appeared in her room in one way or another.

"You haven't been down this row." Madame Cecile said as she watered a rose bush that had been placed on a trellis and had lovely blush-colored blooms climbing up over Mable's head. "This row actually belongs to Master Theo and is touched by no one except him or myself. Usually he'll come down early in the morning before breakfast and tend to them, but he requested that I do it because he wanted to discuss something with Maestro." She glanced back at Mable and raised an amused brow. "Something the matter, dear?"

Mable's could feel the blush staining her cheeks. All this time she had thought it was Madame Cecile placing the flowers in her room, not Theo. "N-no, nothing." She trailed behind the other woman for a few moments in silence, trying to fight back the rush of surprised pleasure that had swamped her.

They were just flowers! She admonished herself quietly as she walked with Cecile back to the potting table. Sure, it was sweet of him to give them to her, since they did brighten up her day whenever she saw them, but it didn't mean anything.

It wasn't until she was tending her own plant that the second subject of Madame Cecile's story sunk in. "Wait, was Theo out at the barracks with Maestro this morning? That's why he didn't come to the library for breakfast?" Not that she had gotten anywhere with the whole spell project anyway. She made a point to spend at least an hour, usually more, in the library every day checking for a spell that might work, but the piles of books and scrolls were steadily shrinking and no answers were being reached. She had tried again this morning, but the whole incident with the Fairy the day before, and Theo's absence, had made it difficult to stay motivated.

"Yes, he said he wanted some help with an idea that might make the Fairies think twice about attacking a member of his family again." Mable heard the faintest hint of disapproval in her voice.

She eyed the housekeeper sidelong. All the books she had gone through had been written by Fairy authors, but there wasn't a single one that told her any information on Fairy customs or gave an answer as to why they acted as they did. Theo didn't seem to have a whole lot of information either, but perhaps Madame Cecile, as an older member of the household, would know something that could help Mable find a way home.

"Do you know why the Fairies might have attacked us?" Mable asked the other woman. Madame Cecile had brought over a potted rosemary plant and was gently plucking the top third of each sprig, placing them in little bundles to be dried. "I mean, you seem to know a lot about them. More than Theo or the others, anyway."

"I've lived here a long time." Madame Cecile said serenely. "I've had some time to observe them. Though I certainly wouldn't say I am an expert by any means. I honestly do not know why they would try to attack anyone on the castle grounds, let alone an innocent like you or young Maddie." She gave Mable a few of the bundles and some twine. "Could you tie these up, cherie? I must hang them soon to dry for Monsieur Carnier."

Mable did as she was bid. "After all I heard about the Fairies, I can't help but think that they might be…I don't know, cruel? Evil." Mable admitted. She glanced up through the greenhouse window and shivered at the thought of what lay in the woods beyond.

"Is a mother bear evil for protecting her cub?" Madame Cecile asked. Mable could hear the subtle reprimand under the gently-spoken words. "Is Mather Theo evil, for turning himself into a monster to protect his people?"

Theo, evil? "No, of course not."

Madame Cecile's smile told Mable she had given the correct answer. "The Fairies consider themselves the caretakers of the wild places; the forests and the lakes, the deer and the birds. Their magic is as wild as the places they call home and tends to act in…unexpected ways. That is why the Fairy elders were reluctant to help Master Theo with his original plan. They wanted to defend the castle and the surrounding wilderness they called home, but the magic of the Fairies can be unpredictable enough to make Master Theo's plan too much of a risk. What would happen if those men didn't just flee, like they thankfully did, but came back with even more humans to destroy the so-called 'beast'? What if the spell went too far in the other direction and Theo lost all of his humanity, not just his human appearance and revealed the Fairies and their homes to the whims of human greed?" Madame Cecile turned her head to look Mable in the eye. "It was not a form of magic but pure luck that saved us from such fates."

"So why did Rianon cast the spell, if it was so dangerous?"

"Even Fairies suffer from pride." Madame Cecile told her dryly. "Each Fairy is mentored by an elder for several years before they are allowed to cast such spells. From what I understand, Rianon was at the very end of her studies with her mentor and wanted to use the opportunity as a way to prove herself."

"So, change the Master into a beast to chase the humans away, turn him back, and be known as a hero among your people." Mable summarized.

"Yes, essentially."

Mable thought about it. "Do you think that is why that Fairy attacked us? Maybe he was just trying to prove himself too." She didn't get a good look at him, but he hadn't looked that old.

"It's a possibility, I suppose." Madame Cecile didn't sound like she believed it. "I honestly do not believe he was trying to hurt you or young Maddie, at least not irreparably."

"Maybe…maybe if their magic is as unpredictable as you say, he meant to do something else but the power got away from him." Mable considered. He had smiled at her, she remembered, before the ice had broken. Was it the smile of someone who was just trying to be friendly, or one of a person who wanted to cause harm?

Unless they found the Fairy boy and interrogated him, there was no way to tell.

There was also no way to tell what Madame Cecile was truly thinking. The woman was staring at the woods outside their window, brows knit in a delicate frown, as if she had found a piece of some puzzle. "Perhaps. But I can tell you this; I do not think for a second that you or Maddie was the intended target of that display."

For a moment, Mable could have sworn she saw fear dart across the woman's face. But she must have imagined it, because Madame Cecile face was back to its usual, tranquil amusement when she turned to smile at Mable.

"Come, cherie. Why don't I escort you to the kitchens and see if the cooks will pack you a picnic lunch? We can get you into some winter things and take over some food to Theo and the others at the barracks."

Mable was startled by the abrupt change of topic. "All right." She gave her little gardenia a final caress and followed the other woman out of the greenhouse. For the first time, in all the weeks she had been here, it felt like the motherly woman was lying to her.

Mable stumbled up to the stable doors some time later, huffing and puffing with the effort. Trudging through the thick snow with the six layers of jackets, scarves and pants Madame Cecile had forced her to wear was no easy task.

"No need for you to catch another cold, dear." Madame Cecile had said fussily as she shoved Mable into the jackets like sausage into a casing. "It will be warm in the stables, but it is a bit of a walk."

Cecile had followed Mable to the door of the stables. "I must head back to the castle. I do not really like spending my time in the stables, what with all the men and the horses. I much prefer my plants. But here," She handed Mable a bag of carrots, "for the horses. I believe Labelle said she was visiting here as well, so you go and have some fun. I'll be sure to check on you before dinner."

"Well, if you're sure." Mable pulled open the stable door, turning around to find Madame Cecile gone.

The soft shuffling of horses was soothing in the dim light. Forgetting about all her layers, Mable happily went inside the cozy stables. She heard a whicker, and with a grin, went over to stroke the nose of the friendly Palette. She reached into the bag and was going to give the mare a treat when she was interrupted by a muffled snort of laughter.

She turned to narrow her eyes at the owner. "What?"

Theo was standing further down the narrow aisle, paw pressed over his mouth.

"W-what are you wearing?" he choked out.

Mable glared. "Blame Cecile. She's the one who wrapped my up like a-a fragile Christmas present." She placed the bag of carrots on the floor, much to Palette's regret. Sighing, she started to tug off all coats. She was already starting to sweat.

Theo shuffled over to her, making several horses snort from their stalls as he walked towards her. Mable finished pulling off her third scarf and reached down for the bag of carrots. Glancing into Palette's stall, she saw the horse had backed herself into the very corner, away from Mable.

"What's the matter" Mable asked the mare, who didn't do anything other than roll her eyes at her.

"It's me." Theo mumbled from behind her. Mable turned to see catch regret on Theo's face. "All the horses act like this since I've been cursed."

Mable reached into her bag and pulled out a carrot. "Nonsense," she retorted, feeling strangely defensive, as if she wanted to prove him wrong. "It's probably that get-up you're in. It would scare anyone."

She didn't think she was completely wrong about that. Theo had on his normal black pants, but over his shirt he had on a black, vest-like garment that looked almost like the bullet-proof vests Mable saw on TV. However, Theo was clearly too big for a normal vest, so someone had taken at least two more and sewed them together to create a patchworked mess that covered Theo from his chest to his paws.

Theo glanced down at himself. "This? This is just what I wear when Jacques and I practice swordsmanship. We usually practice unarmored, but I haven't practiced in the weeks, so Jacques insisted I wear this as protection. Not that I need it." He gave her an arrogant smirk. "That is what I wanted to show you."

Mable stared at him. "You're going to be sword fighting?" She had never known anyone to actually do that.

"Practicing. Normally we practice inside, but Jacques and I agreed that we would put on a quick match in one of the outside rings. A show of strength, so that the Fairies understand just who they are dealing with." The dangerous growl in his voice made the hair on the back of her neck stand up.

She stared at him. "But what if what happened yesterday was just an accident? We don't know why that Fairy did what he did."

"Even if it was, there is no harm in showing the Fairies that we haven't just been sitting around getting lazy while we are imprisoned." Theo pointed out. "Besides, this is most likely the warmest day we will see again in quite a while. It will do us all some good to get out in the sunlight for a few hours before we are forced to spend the rest of winter indoors."

She had to agree with him there. The day was unseasonably warm for early December in northern Vermont, which usually led to a harsher January or February. If she didn't find a way home soon, she would find herself snowbound until spring at the earliest.

Mable bit her lip. "I guess you are right. Let me just give Palette a treat, and I'll come watch. I haven't ever seen people swordfight except for on television." She turned back to the horse, who was still backed into a corner.

"You're going to spoil her." Theo warned.

Mable ignored him and held the carrot out to Palette, whose ears swiveled back and forth indecisively. "Come on, girl." she crooned. "It's yummy, see?" She took a quick bite of the carrot to prove it.

Theo smothered something that sounded suspiciously like another laugh.

Palette, on the other hand, eyed her from her position against the back of her stall. Mable pushed the carrot a little closer to her nose, so she could smell it, but would have to come closer for a bite.

"Come on," Mable cajoled. "You know you want a bite. Just a couple of steps, sweetie."

The horse snorted but ventured forward to grab the carrot daintily from Mable's hand.

Mable stroked the horse's broad nose, feeling oddly triumphant. "See, not so scary." She said and gave the mare a few more pats before reaching for another carrot.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Theo standing there with the strangest look on his face.

"What?" Mable demanded.

Theo jumped back as if she had tried to hit him. "Nothing, nothing at all." He looked embarrassed, as if she had caught him out on doing something he wasn't supposed to. "I'm impressed. Palette is known for her flirtatious behavior with the men, but she is quite aloof with the women."

Mable felt a nose nudge her back and grinned. She gave Palette another carrot and told Theo, "Palette knows a kindred spirit when she sees one. No drama for us, huh, girlfriend?" She gave the horse a third carrot.

"Enough." Theo laid a gentle paw on her arm. "Leave some for the others, or they'll all get jealous that you are not paying any attention to them."

The paw on her arm and the gentle affection in his voice made her blush. She needed to get outside in the chilly air, where all of these complicated emotions could be frozen until she was ready to deal with them.

"Yeah, let's go." She mumbled and hurried to the stable doors. Her feelings for Theo kept changing, and she wasn't at all sure she liked it.