Chapter Twenty One
Mable made her way to the other side of the stable, trying to follow the path of churned snow that Theo had left when coming to retrieve her. Theo was right, today was a good day to spend time outside before winter set in for good. There wasn't a cloud in the sky, and the day was warmer than most. That was certainly for the best, since she had left the extra coats and scarves Madame Cecile had given her inside.
Mable had walked almost completely around the stables before she found the practice ring Theo was talking about. A wooden fence shaped in a large oval was placed on a flat section of land just a few feet away from the woods. The inside had been cleared of snow and replaced with dirt and straw, presumably so that the two fighters wouldn't end up covered in mud.
As Mable approached the entrance to the ring, she noticed that it was occupied. Labelle and Maestro stood in the middle, entwined so passionately that Mable was half-surprised that the snow outside the fence hadn't melted yet.
Mable remained quiet, allowing herself a few seconds of wistfulness, with a touch of envy. Not because she wanted Maestro for herself—she spent most days grateful that he spent the majority of his time in the barracks so that she hardly saw him—but because she didn't think she had the guts to be kissed like that where everyone could see.
She was starting to feel a bit like a voyeur, and she could heard Theo approaching, so when it seemed unlikely that the two would come up for air, she gently cleared her throat.
"M-Mable." Labelle stuttered as she pulled herself out of Maestro's embrace. She nearly lost her balance, and Maestro had to support her as she whirled around, cheeks flaming. "This, ah, this isn't…"
Mable had to press her lips together to keep her amusement hidden. "I do think I know what it looks like, Labelle."
"Oh, well…" Mable had to fight to keep from chuckling at Labelle's flustered attempts to regain her composure. "The men weren't here yet, so we thought we were alone." Labelle took a breath and steadied herself. "This is terribly improper, I know…" she began, but Mable let her off the hook.
"Relax, Labelle." She laughed. "I'm not traumatized by the sight of you and Maestro kissing in a practice ring."
"They were kissing in the practice ring?" Theo's deep voice made her jump. "Typical. I leave them alone for five minutes and they are already groping at each other." Theo lumbered up to lean on the fence next to her, making Mable uncomfortably aware of how close he was.
"We weren't groping!" Labelle hissed. She growled something in French and hurried over to the fence. Maestro followed behind her, the lazy smile on his face telling them that he was not nearly as mortified as Labelle.
The Captain of the Guard was dressed much like Theo, with a similar vest but without Theo's endearing awkwardness. He was even more handsome in the sunlight, which sank into his black hair and highlighted his well-built frame. He moved with a grace that came from years of training. Mable thought that he was like one of the Fairies, from one of the darker sections of the woods. He had that blend of charisma, beauty and danger that seemed to come from the wilderness.
His enchanted sword, Mable was relieved to note, was safely sheathed at his side.
"It is a pleasure to see you again, Lady." Maestro lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it. "I am glad to hear that a dip in the pond had no ill effect."
Mable stared at him. She had come to expect only indifferent courtesy from this man, but suddenly it changed. He seemed almost pleased with her.
"Be charming another time, Jacques." Theo sounded annoyed. "Where are the rest of the men? I'd like to get started."
"Of course, Master." Maestro bowed, and made a gesture. Men streamed out of the barracks, as if they had been waiting for Maestro's signal. There were about ten or fifteen, at Mable's count, all dressed in the same dark clothing with swords or knives in their hands. They lined up along the other side of the ring and bowed, but the formation was ruined when a few men sent winks or friendly waves in her and Labelle's direction. They all seemed excited, like this was a break from their normal routine.
"We were just waiting for you." Maestro sounded amused, of all things. "Labelle, why don't you and Lady Mable stand on the other side of the fence? Try not to be a distraction."
"If your men can't remain focused on the task at hand, then that is hardly our fault." Labelle huffed, but she climbed over the fence post to join Mable.
"So what, is there going to be some sort of sword-fighting match?" Mable was confused. "We're not expected to keep score, are we?"
Theo smiled. "I asked a few of the men to demonstrate their skills out here where the Fairies, who I am sure are watching us, can see. We'll have one or two demonstrations with different weapons and then Jacques and I will spar. A show for the Fairies, so that they do not think we are still capable of defending ourselves."
"It's also a chance for the men to have some fun." Labelle added. "Jacques drills them every day, of course, but this is a chance to show off in front of their Master and take a break from the normal tedium. Besides-"she winked at Mable. "Who wouldn't want a chance to flaunt in front of such lovely women like ourselves?"
Mable grinned. "You know, I didn't think I would find sword fighting that interesting." She told Labelle. "But the idea of a bunch of good-looking guys showing off so they can impress me is kind of appealing. I'm suddenly a lot more invested."
Labelle laughed. Theo scowled.
"I'm going to talk to the men." He muttered and was at the other end of the fence in three strides.
"What did I say?" Mable asked as she watched him chat one of the men. "He seemed upset."
"He did, didn't he?" Labelle's smile was pleased and a little smug. "Don't fret, my dear. He'll relax once we get started. See? He's already in better sorts."
It was true. Mable watched, fascinated, as the men greeted Theo without a hint of fear, unlike the servants inside the castle. The effect on Theo was instantaneous, and he laughed and joked with them in a way that Mable had rarely seen him do with anyone, except for herself.
Maestro whistled sharply, and two of the men broke off from the group and faced each other in the middle of the ring, swords drawn.
The sounds of steel hitting steel rang in the air as the two men started. Mable was distracted from her thoughts as she witnessed real-live fighting with swords. The movies made it look simple, but even in the cold Mable could see sweat beading on the men's brows as they fought. Maestro strode around the outside of the ring, calling out encouragements and advice. He gave Mable a civil nod as he passed, to her bemusement.
The matches were faster than the movies too. In minutes, one of the men had disarmed the other, and the winner was congratulated by Theo and the men when he returned to the fence. Losing didn't seem to be a great shame, because the disarmed man received a few sympathetic shoulder pats as Maestro called out two more names for the next match. His easy nature now completely restored, Theo leaned on the fence post next to the soldiers. He was so much taller than the rest of them he resembled a lion sitting among a bunch of housecats. The sight made Mable smile.
She glanced sidelong at Labelle. "Maestro seems to be treating me…differently." She said delicately. She and Labelle had spent plenty of time gossiping and chatting about their personal lives, but Mable had always been careful when it came to the subject of Maestro. "You don't know why, do you?" Labelle was obviously head over heels for the guy, but Mable still couldn't forget the veiled threats he had made.
But every time he passed them he gave Labelle a smile—warm enough to make her cheeks flush in response—and offered Mable a friendly nod.
Labelle pursed her lips as she studied her beloved. "I think it is because of what you did for Maddie. My Jacques has quite the soft spot for children, you know. Before the curse, we discussed when we were going to marry, how many children we were going to have. We're both only children, so we knew we wanted a large family." Mable was horrified to see tears well in her friend's eyes. "But after everything happened…well, there is really nothing we can do. We're stuck until the curse is broken." Labelle wiped hastily at her eyes.
Mable laid a gentle hand on Labelle's shoulder. "I'm sorry." She meant it. Being trapped here was the worst kind of purgatory, and she wondered how many other men and women in the castle couldn't experience their dreams because of the curse.
Labelle waved her away. "It's just a mood, cherie." She gave Mable a watery smile. "Even if you do not plan to break the curse the normal way, just the thought of you somehow finding a way out of this place is enough to give us hope. Because if you can escape then, someday, so can we."
Mable removed her hand from the woman's shoulder and gazed out into the ring, not even noticing who was taking their turn. She couldn't bear to tell Labelle that she hadn't come close to finding a way to escape this curse. That she was starting to get attached to this place, and the friends she had made, and she wondered if that was starting to interfere—that it was not a lack of power with the spell, but her own determination that was waning.
How could she tell that to a woman who wanted-no, needed—her to prove that there might be some hope at a future?
"Oh, look." Labelle's voice broke through Mable's glum thoughts. "It appears Theo and Jacques are finally going to begin."
Mable was yanked back to the world as Theo and Maestro faced each other. Theo stood a few good feet taller than his childhood friend, and for a few moments Mable wondered if that was going to be the deciding factor. But after a few strikes on Theo's part, it was clear why the Captain of the Guard was nicknamed Maestro. He moved with a skill and ease that was breathtaking and made up for the size difference in speed. Theo, who was hampered by his bulk, had trouble getting his sword to make an impact.
Theo made a high, cutting motion with his sword that Maestro easily deflected. Maestro came in low, towards Theo's gut, and Mable felt her own belly tighten in response. Theo dodged to the side, the sword inches from his side. Maestro came slashing up again, but this time Theo blocked him. Theo managed to get his footing back and lunged towards Maestro, and sparks flew as the two swords collided. When Maestro danced back, and lunged towards Theo again, Mable's heart jumped into her throat.
Theo adjusted his stance and let Maestro's blade hit, leaning his full weight against it to try and push the other man back. It worked, but as Maestro slid away, Theo had too much momentum and fell forward.
"Stupid." Labelle muttered under her breath. "You know better, Theo."
Mable's nails bit into the wood as Theo used his fall as a way to roll and jump back to his feet. There were hollers all along the other side of the ring as Theo danced nimbly to the right as Maestro lunged again, and swung his sword up low. Maestro must have been expecting that, because he maneuvered his blade away so that Theo only struck air.
Maestro came at Theo and in a move that made everyone in the vicinity gasped as the man disarmed Theo with a casual flick of his blade.
Mable let out the breath that she hadn't even known she'd been holding.
There was a tense moment while everyone waited for Theo's response. He blinked at Maestro, then let out a laugh.
"Well, I suppose that is what I get for not practicing more often. I bow to a true Maestro." And he did.
Maestro gave an elegant bow in return. "I thank you, Master."
There was a round of applause from all the spectators, Mable included. She grinned when she heard the clink of coins being traded as the men all collected their bets. Apparently quite a few had bet against their Captain.
Labelle shook her head in mock woe, dark eyes twinkling. "Such disbelievers, thinking their Captain would be taken down by someone like Theo." They waved as the men, through with their sport, went back to the barracks. "They'll be talking about this for a while. It has been a long time since their Master has joined them for a sparring match."
"I should rectify that." Theo said, rambling toward them with Maestro in tow. "But am I to believe you bet against me, ma soeur?" He gave her hair an affectionate tug.
"I would never be so crass as to place a bet." She sniffed, smacking his paw away. "Though if I did, it would be my duty to bet against you, because I would be considered the most hateful shrew if I bet against mon amour." She gave Mable a playful nudge. "Mable, who would you bet on, Theo or my Jacques?"
"Like I have any money to bet with." Mable kept her voice light. "You are all just trying to trick this poor little peasant girl out of her savings!"
"No need to place the girl on the spot, Labelle." Maestro said, glancing out at the woods pensively. "I don't suppose we'll ever know if this plan worked. It's not like the Fairies are just going to come out and stare at all of us."
"No, but you can bet they are watching us." Theo glared out into the trees. "And now they know we have trained fighters here to protect the innocent." This was said loudly enough that it echoed through the woods. "So, if they come here again, it will be at their own risk."
"Here, here." Maestro smiled. "If you all will excuse me, I must get back to the barracks. I believe Carnier has sent us out some lunch, and I am sure my men will have questions about today. Labelle?"
"Theo, you can escort Lady Mable back, can't you?" Labelle's eyes were all for Maestro, who had leaned over to caress her cheek. They should have looked ridiculous, but instead the air seemed to brighten around them.
"Of course." Theo agreed. Mable glanced at him and saw the same blend of wistfulness and envy in Theo's gold eyes that she experienced earlier.
Maestro gave Mable another pleasant nod. "It was good to see you again, Lady. I'll be sure to visit you the next time I am up at the castle." His smile was genial, but he was handsome enough that she bet that it was all he needed to make the women in the castle sigh with longing.
Instead, Mable just blinked at him. This abrupt change from threat to friend was making her head hurt. "Sure, that sounds good."
As the two of them walked away, Theo gave her one of his good-natured smiles. It wasn't as sexy as Maestro's but for some reason it had a stronger affect, and Mable felt her pulse hitch when he held out a paw. "Shall we return to the castle and find us some lunch?" he suggested.
"All right." She placed a gentle hand on his paw, but kept her face tilted so he couldn't see how flustered she was.
Her emotions were all tangled because of Labelle and Maestro, she tried to assure herself. Once they got back into their regular routine, everything would go back to normal.
But she couldn't help but wonder why it felt like such a lie.
Overnight the temperature fell and Mable woke up to a thin veil of ice on her bedroom windows. Shivering, she hurried through her morning shower and pulled one of the thicker sweaters out of the closet.
She put the rose necklace around her neck—she wore it every day—but hesitated when she reached the closet door. She should go down to the library for breakfast, she thought. She had plenty of work to do, and if she didn't show up, Theo would worry.
But that was the sticking point, wasn't it? Spending time with Theo was just complicating things further. She needed more time to clear her head. It would be better if she just took her time and walked down.
What was the matter with her, anyway? She thought as she made her way down the hall. One minute she was fully ready to get out of this place, and the next she found herself contemplating if it would really be so bad if she stayed.
Which was ridiculous, of course. She had to get home, to her family. She couldn't just disappear from their lives without warning. She loved her father, her sisters, her nieces, and even her brother-in-law. She couldn't bear to put them through the torment of not knowing where she was.
Mable gave an absent nod to one of the maids she passed. That was another thing, too. Her finding a way out of here some sort of symbol of hope for the castle residents. If she could do it, perhaps Labelle or Theo could find a way to break the curse on their own.
Maybe, if they broke it, they could come find her, she thought dreamily. She and Labelle could stay friends, and Maddie would have a blast with her nieces. She grinned at the mental image of Monsieur Carnier's face seeing the tiny kitchen she had grown up with.
It was all a fantasy. But hadn't the past month been like a fantasy anyway? Why shouldn't this be one?
Mable halted in her tracks, making a face as she looked around. Great, she was just as confused as before, and now she didn't know where she was.
She sighed and started to backtrack, but stopped again when she saw a wide pair of double doors to her left. Curious now, she checked the nameplate.
Ballroom, the sign read.
She had yet to see the ballroom. She was just about to open the door when a voice rang out down the hall.
"Mable!"
She jumped a foot. She whirled to scowl at the new arrival. "Theo, you scared me half to death."
Theo's legs ate up the ground as he strode towards her. "Sorry. I thought you noticed me." He smiled down at her and again, she felt that odd jump in her pulse.
What was wrong with her?
"You were late to breakfast, so I went to check on you." Theo didn't notice Mable's dilemma. "I was just on my way up to your room when one of the maids said she saw you come down here." Talking with the maid had been difficult for him; she saw it in his face.
She couldn't tell him she had been avoiding him, it would just hurt him even more. "I was on my way there but realized I hadn't gotten to see the ballroom yet." It wasn't quite a lie, but not the whole truth either.
Theo eyed the doors and wrinkled his nose. "Well of course you can see it if you want, but I warn you, it's nothing special. We haven't used it for years, and I don't think it's even been cleaned since the curse. Not much to celebrate." He added, suddenly morose.
"Just a look. Please?" she wheedled. The fur on his face twitched as he held back a smile, and she gave herself a mental pat on the back.
"Here. See for yourself." He opened the door to let Mable inside.
Mable thought Theo had been overreacting a tad when he said it looked horrible. In her opinion, it was amazingly well preserved over the long years of disuse. True, there was an inch of dust and dirt on the hard wood floors, so much so that Mable couldn't tell what kind of wood it was. But other than the fact that it needed serious cleaning it was incredible. It was big enough to almost take up an entire floor all on its own, with giant floor-to-ceiling windows all on one side. This gave them a spotted view of the elegant veranda and the dark forests beyond. Mable stepped further into the room, whirling around in the dust. Mirrors framed the gilded walls, fogged with neglect. Candelabras glittering with crystals were placed intermittently throughout the room, their golden bases dull with age. Mable glanced upward and smiled at dozen petite chandeliers that hung from the ceiling, cobwebbed and grimy with dirt. The ceiling was painted with bright, white clouds slowly merging into a picture of the night sky on the end closest to the balcony. It reminded Mable of the enchanted ceiling in the library.
"Wow." That was all she could manage.
Theo shrugged. "It is rather spectacular, but as I said, it has not been cleaned since the curse." He didn't budge from his place in the doorway.
"Yeah, but you must have had some wild parties back in the day." Mable had to raise her voice to reach him. She had wandered over to a corner of the room where, hidden in the cobwebs and shadows, was what appeared to be a grand piano. Some enterprising person had thought ahead and covered it with a thick dust cover. She pulled it up enough to caress the piano keys, and gently pressed down.
The note echoed, sounding as forlorn and forgotten as the empty room.
"There's not much else to see, I'm afraid." Theo said from the door. "Though if you do want to play the piano, I am sure we can make arrangements…"
Mable shook her head. "No, I can't play." She replaced the cover on the keyboard and went back to the door. "It's just a shame." She said as she urged Theo ahead of her. "I would have liked to have seen the ballroom in its formal glory." She gently nudged the ballroom door closed.
Theo glanced at the room sadly. "I wish you could have seen it too. It used to be magnificent."
Mable's hand was still on the knob to the ballroom door, so she jumped when she felt a zing along her palm, like static electricity. They both whirled when a soft thumping sound reverberated from the room they had just left.
"What was that?" Mable asked out loud. With Theo right behind her, she re-opened the door and stared.
"Well…that's different."