Chapter Thirty-two

The others studied Rianon warily before turning to Mable once again, but she just smiled tiredly back at them. She felt happier than she had ever felt in her life, but now that the adrenaline had faded, she was rather wishing they could finish this up so that she could take a nap. She was incredibly glad that Theo stood next to her, making it possible for her to lean her weak, aching body against his. Theo himself was trying to look serious, but Mable kept catching his lips twitching in an effort to hide a grin.

Monsieur Lune asked her, "Lady Mable, I think we all want to know how you did it!"

So Mable told her entire story, from the moment she left her house to the moment she met up with Rianon. When she got to the part about the Fairies, Maestro stopped her.

"Wait a moment. You convinced the Fairy Court to let you pass?" He sounded impressed.

Mable shrugged, a little uncomfortable. "It's not really as remarkable as it sounds." She told him. "I mean, what else could they do? They had to risk putting their faith in me, otherwise the curse might never have broken and the land would have torn itself apart."

"It's still extraordinary." Rianon murmured from beside the fireplace. "The Court does make such decisions lightly. And they very rarely forgive past transgressions." Her eyes were sad, and Mable knew she was thinking of the mistake which led to her banishment.

Mable shook her head, and finished her tale with Theo's transformation.

Labelle embraced Mable again, her tears gone and a beatific smile its place. "You were fantastic, Lady Mable. I don't think I could have done half of what you did today. It is quite a tale, no?"

"I wouldn't put it quite that way, but yeah, I guess." Mable said sheepishly.

Theo caressed her hair, but frowned at Rianon. "That still leaves a few questions. For instance, why do the others still have their powers? Those were only for the war."

Rianon squirmed. "I…am not sure." She admitted. "I thought that the act of true love would break the curse entirely. It seems to have worked on you," She waved a hand in Theo's direction, "but I am not entirely certain why the others still have their power. Perhaps," she raised her brow at Lune and the rest, "it is because they do not truly wish to give them up?"

Monsieur Lune eyed the Fairy speculatively. "That might be so." He agreed, sounding pensive. "Transporting myself from place to place has proven useful in my work."

"I agree." Labelle piped up. "Works just goes so much quicker when I don't have to worry about silly things like locked doors!"

Mable smothered a laugh.

Maestro caressed the hilt of his sword. He narrowed his eyes at Rianon "Can these…abilities be removed if we want them to?"

Rianon nodded. "The powers I gave you and your men are part of a simpler spell than the one I used on Theo. Transformative magic," she glanced guiltily at Theo, "is not the same as granting humans a few…extra skills. If you do not trust me," she said hurriedly, because even Mable could tell that Maestro still did not find Rianon entirely trustworthy, "then I can ask my mentor, Fauve, to remove the spell."

Labelle lay a gentle hand on her beloved's arm. "We have much to discuss." She told the Fairy. "With our respective staff, and each other. Can this wait?"

Rianon nodded. "Of course."

There was a brief moment of silence, broken by Theo. "Now that that is settled, why don't the rest of you go and ask the others what they would like to do. Oh, and tell Carnier to start breakfast. I'm starved!"

Monsieur Lune picked Maddie up and carried her away, leaving Maestro and Labelle to give them one last look before they also departed. Theo waited until they had left the room completely, and his jovial expression melted into an anxious one.

"The spell is really over, correct?" he demanded of Rianon, "We can leave?"

Rianon smiled. "The force keeping your people trapped here was not of my making, remember? You are free to leave at any time, should you wish."

Theo grunted. "It also means people can find us now."

"True, though that does not change who and what you are. You are the Master of the castle and these woods, and our protector." Rianon pointed out. "Now that you are aware of the castle's enchantment, you can use it to reveal or hide the castle as you wish. Though I would suggest finding a way to get a road down this way; you are still out in the middle of the woods."

Mable limped back over to the chair to sit, her eyes fluttering as she fought to keep them open. She only half-listened as Theo asked, "Are the Fairies all right with that? I do not wish to anger them." He sounded apprehensive.

Mable remembered the cold way Alfric had dismissed Maddie's near-drowning, and couldn't really blame him.

Rianon pursed her lips. "You were never the subject of their ire, Theo. As long as you are still willing to keep their presence a secret, they have no fight with you. After all, if they lost the Master, they would be at the mercy of the humans." She tapped a finger to her lips. "Now that the curse has been broken, time is moving forward again. And with time comes change. My people have always understood that. I don't think a road through the woods is too much to ask."

She smiled at him. "But I would send a messenger to tell them, just as a precaution." Her eyes danced. "Perhaps Lady Mable would like the job."

"Thanks, but no thanks." Mable waved at Rianon lazily. "I do not want to end up in front of the Court again anytime soon."

Theo grinned.

"They would probably be more willing to listen to you than to me." Rianon told her dryly. "Even after I told Fauve that I believed you were the one who could break the spell, they didn't believe me. It wasn't until you talked to them on your own, then they finally listened."

"They might be willing now." Mable offered helpfully. "Fauve said that once this was all over, she wished to speak with you."

In all the time Mable had known her, Mable had never seen Rianon—well, Cecile, really—look so nervous. "Fauve wishes to speak with me?" She murmured, almost to herself. "Perhaps…but I don't dare hope that I have been forgiven." She sounded hopeful, despite her words.

"Even if you haven't," Theo's voice was quiet and sympathetic, "you will always have a place here…Cecile." He lay a hand on the back of Mable's chair, and she reached up to twine her fingers with his, squeezing in agreement and as a thank-you.

Rianon stared at them for a long moment, her brilliant green eyes dangerously close to tears. "I thank you." She said finally, her voice husky with emotions too strong to name. "I should seek out my former mentor, now. Is there anything you wish of me, before I leave?"

Theo smiled gently and looked down at Mable. "I have everything I wished for." He said tenderly, stroking Mable's hair.

Mable smiled up at him, love filling her until it seemed to run through her very veins. "Same here." It should have sounded corny, but it wasn't. It sounded right.

Rianon nodded once, and disappeared.

Theo breathed out a sigh. "Well, it has been an eventful day overall, mon couer. Now, we can fix up your leg, and then you have two choices; dinner or a nap." There was no answer from the chair, and with concern, his eyes moved from the door to where Mable lay curled up, fast asleep.

"Ah. Well, I suppose your leg can wait until later." He said warmly. He picked her up and carried her to his bed, more than willing to indulge in a short nap himself.

Mable woke up a few hours later, alone. She sat up, stretching luxuriously. The dread she had been feeling for so long was gone, contentment taking its place. She looked around the room. She must be in Theo's bedroom—it smelled like him. It was too dark for her to get many details, but his bed was just like the one down in her suite, only the bedposts were plain, the canopy above a deep, chocolate brown instead green.

She got up, wincing when she remembered the gash on her leg. She leaned down to check and found out that someone had re-wrapped it in clean gauze and some sort of balm that stung a little when she moved. She smiled in spite of the sting. It would heal soon, it wasn't that deep.

She glanced out the window of the parlor and saw that it was dark out, and her stomach was telling her that it was way past dinnertime.

"How long have I been asleep?" She said to herself aloud, staring out at the shadowed trees and the starlit sky.

"About three hours." said a deep voice, and nearly making Mable vault out of her skin in surprise. She whirled to see Maestro standing in the doorway, beaming at her.

Mable ran a hand through her hair nervously. She had never seen Maestro smiling at her like that before; it was a bit unnerving. "Don't do that." She half-laughed, "God, I'm shocked I didn't jump up into the attic, you scared me so bad."

Maestro chuckled. "I am sorry, my Lady. I did not mean to startle you." His smiled faded when Mable only stared at him.

"Yes?"

"Sorry, you've just…well, we've never…" She wasn't quite sure how to tell him that she wasn't used to him being this comfortable with her. He had always been so stilted, so formal.

His face fell. "Ah, yes. I must apologize for my behavior in the time you have been here. I was eager to be free of the curse, to get my life back. To get my people's lives back." He let out a long sigh. "When you told me how much you wanted to leave, when my friends and family were suffering…well, I was too upset to bother thinking about how your own family might be suffering from your absence. After seeing what Theo was like, after you left so unexpectedly…I can certainly understand your determination to find your way back to them, so as not to cause them more pain." He strode over and picked up her hand, bowing over it. "I sincerely apologize to you, Lady, for not understanding how much your family's well-being means to you. Truly, Theo has found someone as devoted to her people as he is to his own."

Mable blushed. "It's all right, Maestro." She said, gently pulling her hand away. "I'm sorry I was resistant to the idea of being the Lady. That kind of responsibility…I was certain I could never handle it. Please, you don't have to bow to me."

Maestro straightened up. "How do you feel about being the Lady, now?" he asked.

"I belong here, with Theo." She told him simply. "I'll accept whatever responsibilities I am given, as long as I have him to do it with me."

Maestro gave her a slow smile. "Oh, I am quite sure he will be pleased to assist you with that." He told her. He held out his hand to her "Now, my Lady. I bet you're wondering where dinner is?"

Mable laughed brightly. "As a matter of fact, I was." She said, taking his hand. "Where are Theo and the others? Celebrating?"

"Naturally. It was Theo who sent me up to get you in the first place. We're to meet him in the ballroom" Maestro led her out into the corridor. Mable followed, admiring the new glow to the hallway paintings, the added spice to the flower's scent.

She smiled ruefully as they walked down the smoother, gleaming marble steps. "It shouldn't be all that different from before, but somehow it is." She admitted. "You'd think just removing the spell would be enough, but now…everything looks amazing."

Maestro grinned. "It's because the depression we have all felt, while we were trapped here, is gone. We have new hope, new promise in the days to come. That, along with the dissipation of the spell has made the castle and its residents more brilliant than it has ever been before." He led her into the stairwell.

Mable eyed him sidelong. "Did you guys ever decide what you wanted to do with your powers?" she asked as they trotted together down the staircase, Maestro bouncing on each one like a boy. She wondered if, when they had gotten their powers removed, Fauvre or Rianon had altered Maestro's entire personality while they were at it.

Maestro stopped on the last stair, gazing up at her. "We decided we would keep the powers the Fairy gave us." He said, running his thumb along the hilt of his sword. "Labelle was right; they are quite useful, after all." He hesitated. "I know she didn't mean to, but I don't think any of us wanted a Fairy—any of them—using magic on us, even if it was to remove a spell rather than cast one."

Mable opened her mouth to argue—after all, Rianon was really Madame Cecile, and Madame Cecile was her friend—but closed it. There was no point in fighting about it, not now. Not when the curse had only just been broken. And if Theo could forgive Rianon, surely, after some time passed, the rest of them could too.

Maestro stopped outside the ballroom door, black eyes dancing wickedly. "I hope you are ready for this." He said, his deep voice full of amusement. "They are going to want to express their gratitude to you and it will be quite…chaotic for a while." He opened the door.

Noise rushed out from the room into the hall, laughter and merriment jumping around Mable and seeming to gallop throughout the rest of the castle. Mable walked into the bright, festive room. The candles were all alight, the mirrors shining and reflecting the images of dozens of radiantly happy faces. As soon as she took another step, all of the castle's residents- maids, warriors, stable hands, footmen, chefs- all turned to look at her. Mable felt her face flush, and was acutely aware of the fact that she was wearing jeans, a grungy sweatshirt and her hair wasn't brushed.

That didn't seem to matter after the first glad shout of welcome, and then another, and another. Soon the entire room was filled with voices, welcoming her back, thanking her. Women came forward to hug her, men kissed her hand. Mable stepped back hurriedly, stunned by their enthusiasm. She felt a warm chest against her back, and turned to look up into Theo's dancing gold eyes.

"I was wondering when you would wake up." He said cheerfully, and kissed her. The room, which was full of noise a minute ago, quieted down in an instant. Mable felt her face heat slightly, but was too interested in the kiss to really notice. Love had swelled up inside her when she realized who was next to her.

Theo finished the kiss and beamed down at her from his considerable height. "Hungry?" he asked, touching her face, as if he couldn't get enough of her. "Well, you're in luck," he said, repressed laughter making his voice deepen even more. "We have so much food here we could probably feed the entire forest!" He rotated her so she could see a long table, laden with every kind of food imaginable, pushed up against a wall.

Theo turned towards the rest of the guests. "Now, the rest of you get back to the celebration and let her eat." He ordered, and the mob filtered backwards until only Mable's closest friends were coming forward to talk to her.

Mable grabbed a plate and hungrily tore into the food. Lune and Labelle, who had come over to talk, realized how hungry she was and let her eat in peace, talking with Theo while she wolfed down her food. Maddie pulled over a chair so Mable could rest her hurt leg. Theo stood next to her, one hand on her shoulder, as if he was afraid that if he stopped touching her she would disappear.

Carnier pushed his way over to their side of the room, bellowing for people to move over so he could see his "brave, soldier of a woman", Margot rolling her eyes in his wake. Maestro also found his way over, and the group of them sat in a pleasant, friendly circle, talking amongst themselves while the rest of the castle ate and drank, discussing plans for the future, voicing dreams that could now be fulfilled.

Mable finished her meal, feeling happier than she ever had in her life. She smiled up at Theo, who returned it with just as much enthusiasm. "So now the question remains," Mable started after putting her plate back on the table. "What's going to happen?"

"What do you mean, Mable?" asked Labelle curiously. "Do you wish to return home again?"

"I myself would like to meet this family of yours. Do they know you are here?" Theo asked with interest.

Mable gasped indignantly. "Of course they know I'm here," she huffed. "I wouldn't have just taken off again. I actually should call them to let them know everything's all right. They think I'm insane, but at least they know I'm not disappearing like last time."

"Why would they think you're insane?" Labelle asked, her beautiful face shocked. "Didn't you explain things to them?"

Mable laughed at Labelle's naiveté. "Well, something like that. I'll tell you the story later…it is going to take a while." She put her hand in Theo's. "But what I meant was, what are we going to do now that the curse is broken? Are you going to keep hiding up here in the woods?"

Theo shrugged. "I don't want to hide anymore." He told her honestly. "My people want to go out, explore the world. I want to go out and explore the world." He said, and blinked. He seemed a bit surprised, as if the thought had only just occurred to him. "I still want to live here, but I want to see what has changed while we have been concealed here."

"If you want someone to come with you, I'm available." She offered with a smile.

It wasn't long before they left the party. Mable was glad everyone was happy to be free, but she was secretly relieved that she could get away and relax up in the study with Theo, alone. She tucked herself up next to him on a couch in front of the fire, languid with contentment. He played with her hair idly, and for a few minutes they both watched the fire, indulging in a moment of romance.

"You haven't told me much about your trip home, mon couer." He said after a few moments. She glanced up at his face. She noted with a stupid little squirm in her belly that a strand of hair had fallen over his eyes. It made him almost look like he had before the spell was broken, which she found oddly adorable. "How is your father, your sisters? Are they well?"

Mable told him about waking up back in her old bedroom. About how her sisters had placed her father in a nursing home, how furious Colette had been when she had tried to explain where she had been for the last few months.

"The thing is, Theo, I don't think they can ever really know the truth. I don't think they're ready for it at all. Yes, maybe if they came here, saw the castle…but what's to stop them from going to the police, or the news? I love them, I do, but I don't want you, or the Fairies, to go through all that just because one of them can't keep their mouth shut. Again, for the record, I love my sisters." She said quickly, making him chuckle.

"So, what do you suggest?"

Mable tucked her head under his chin. "We'll invite them over. They should know I'm not about to live with crazy people." She said, and felt his chest rumble with hidden laughter. "But I think it's best if we keep the magic stuff to a minimum. They'll accept the fact that I'm living with some eccentric guy in the woods. They might not like it, but it's a story they can live with." And they couldn't cart her off to the asylum if some of her story proved to be true.

"Are you sure?" he asked, his eyes worried. "To keep this a secret from your family—"

"I'm not keeping everything a secret. Just glossing over some of the more…fantastical parts." She smiled at him. "And I have a family here too, remember? And they know what happened. You know what happened. That's enough for me."

Theo stroked her hair. "If that is what you want." He kissed her forehead, and shifted so that he could lean forward, his eyes watching the fire thoughtfully. "I never gave much thought," He told her, "to what would happen after the curse was broken. I was more concerned with the curse lifting than I was with the effects of it. But Rianon—Cecile, whatever she wants us to call her now—was right. There are things we need to think of." His voice warmed with humor. "Like connecting the castle gates to a road so people won't come upon us unexpectedly."

"Preventing chances of strange women showing up at the door in a snow storm." Mable said playfully.

"Yes, because that only works once." He agreed.

"We can always tell people that you have been living here for a while, but liked your privacy. And once we tell people that you are fabulously wealthy, they won't care anyway." Mable stood and went to get herself a cup of tea from the tray that had been brought up for them.

She turned to find him staring at her, his brows furrowed.

"You do realize I'm not necessarily wealthy anymore, right?" he asked, searching her face. Mable realized why and laughed.

"Theo, I don't have any intentions of leaving you just because you aren't rich!" she said, and flopped back on the couch next to him. "Do you really think I would have gone through all this if I only wanted you for your money?" She lay a hand on his shoulder. "I love you." She told him sincerely. "Rich or poor, cursed or uncursed." Theo's lips twitched, and with satisfaction she noted the tension draining from his shoulders. "We'll find some way to get by."

"Indeed. Perhaps I could take over your father's business. What did he do for a living?"

"He was a businessman all right. He worked in retail." She laughed at the bemused expression on Theo's face. "He was a salesman at a store. Not the most glamorous of jobs, but it paid the bills." She said, and cocked her head at him. "Rethinking your decision now that you realize you are in love with a peasant?"

Theo grabbed her face in his hands and kissed her, chasing every thought out of her head. "Never." He said fiercely.

Mable leaned against him. There were so many details they had to hash out, plans they needed to make, but in that moment it didn't matter. All she wanted to do was to bask in the knowledge that she was here, with Theo. That the curse was broken, and Theo was back to normal. That she had fallen in love, and he loved her in return. That the friends she had made here were free, were allowed to go and live, instead of wasting away behind stone walls.

Mundane things like roads and money could wait another day.

She yawned so hard her jaw cracked.

Theo turned to smile at her. "Tired?"

"I shouldn't be." She grumbled. "I took a nap. But I can't seem to keep my eyes open." She yelped when Theo launched upwards and pulled her up with him

He carried her into the bedroom and dropped her on the bed. "What the hell!" She cried, half-annoyed, half-amused. "Some warning next time, maybe?"

"You looked like you were about to fall asleep on the couch." He told her, his voice a delightful rumble in her ear. "Trust me; you'll feel a lot better tomorrow if you sleep in a bed."

She wanted to argue, but she bit back another yawn. Theo leaned down with her so he was lying next to her on the bed, the warmth from his body cocooning her.

"Mable?"

"Hmmm?" She opened one eye lazily.

"I love you." The words filled the space between them, binding them together.

"I love you too, Theo." She intertwined her fingers in his, and fell asleep curled up next to him, feeling far more content than she had in a long, long time.