This appeases the other woman somewhat. Before Aeva can offend her further, the duchess enters the room followed by Ismae. We all curtsy.
After she greets us all by name, she turns to me. “Have you been fitted for your gown?”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
“Good,” the duchess continues. “Once you have finished with Aeva, I need you and Ismae to attend me. The councilors are gathering in the great hall.”
For a moment, guilt raises its insistent head, but I hold Captain Dunois’s reassurances close. I glance down at the harried seamstress. “How close are you to having all that you need?”
“Close enough,” she mumbles around the pins in her mouth. “What I don’t have, I’ll guess.”
Aeva brightens considerably. “That is a good plan.”
“You may work on Tola’s gown,” I tell the seamstress. “I will help Aeva out of hers.”
The seamstress rewards me with a relieved “Thank you, my lady,” before hopping to her feet and hurrying toward the younger Arduinnite.
Aeva smirks. “Are you my handmaiden now?”
“Hardly. Step down from the pedestal, you belligerent goose, so I can get at your lacings.”
I can see by the set of her mouth that she wants to shove me away and claim she can do it on her own, but she cannot. To assuage her wounded pride, I tell her, “It is merely an excuse. I have something I must ask of you.”
A spark of interest causes her suspicion to recede, and she steps to the floor without further argument. “What?”
“Turn around so I may tend to your gown.” I give a silent prayer of thanks when she complies. It is hard enough to ask this vexing woman a favor, especially one that is so important to me. I would rather she did not see my face when I do it.
She pulls her long braid out of my way, exposing the marque of Arduinna at the nape of her neck. My fingers long to touch it and see if it is raised like a brand or merely stained upon the skin. Instead, I begin untying the lacings at her waist. “I request the protection of Arduinna.”
She starts to turn around to look at me, but I tug on the laces to keep her facing forward. “For yourself?”
I cannot decide whether I am insulted or flattered by the incredulity in her voice. “No. For my two young sisters. Ismae and I are to accompany the duchess this morning, and I have run out of people I can trust to watch them.”
“Watch them against whom?”
“Our brother. He wants custody of them but does not have their best interests at heart.” I can only hope the words I don’t say speak as loudly as the ones I do.
She turns to face me, her prickliness and animosity gone. “We will gladly help protect them.” Her words are as solemn and binding as an oath.
My throat tightens in response. “Thank you. Once you are back in your own clothes, I will take you to their chambers.”
* * *
Dressed in their short fur robes and leather leggings, bows slung over their shoulders and knives at their hips, Aeva and Tola accompany me to my sisters’ chamber. Lazare and Graelon wait just inside the door.
Graelon nods a pleasant greeting, but Lazare studies the others with equal parts suspicion and defiance. In the final confrontation between the duchess and France, before the king decided marriage would be the better option than war, many followers of the Nine banded together to aid their country, the Arduinnites and the charbonnerie included. But these two are as prickly as hedgehogs. Having them in the same room together will be like carrying dry grass and tinder in the same bucket and hoping it doesn’t catch fire. “I do not believe you have met before. Aeva and Tola are followers of Arduinna and have agreed to help watch the girls. Aeva and Tola, may I introduce you to Lazare and Graelon, two of the charbonnerie who have not only loyally served the duchess, but are my friends as well.”
As they study each other with wary eyes, Tola comes to the rescue.
“That was quite a trick with the cannon fire when the army was at our gates,” she says with true admiration. “I would give much to learn how to do that.”
Lazare turns to the younger Arduinnite. His lip gives half a curl upward, which for him passes as a smile. “Pretty words won’t pry that secret from me.”
Tola’s eyebrows raise slightly. “Is that a challenge, charbonnerie?”
Lazare leans against the doorjamb and folds his arms. “If you care to take it as such.”
Baring her teeth in what some might call a grin, Aeva leans toward him. “We are up to whatever challenge you care to issue.”
Lazare blinks lazily, but it does not hide his spark of interest. He is hungry for a challenge, and the Arduinnites are happy to provide it.
“Excellent.” I nudge Aeva and Tola into the room. “You can compete over who is better at overseeing the safety of my sisters.” By the time I close the door, Lazare is smiling to himself.
Tephanie hurries forward to greet us, her eyes wide and her mouth open in surprise. “M-my lady. I did not expect you to return so soon.” Although she is speaking to me, her gaze is fixed with fascination upon the other two women’s unusual attire and the bows slung across their shoulders.
“Louise? Charlotte?” I call out. “I have people I’d like you to meet.”
Louise jumps to her feet and comes running, while Charlotte follows at a slower pace. Louise stops short when she is close, apparently somewhat taken aback by the appearance of the Arduinnites. Giving the girls a moment to adjust, I perform the introductions.
When I have finished, Charlotte says, “Are they here to guard us?”
I glance at her sharply. “If I meant that, I would have said so.” I do not know if she is trying to worry her sister, or poke at my tender places, or if she simply has a natural talent for doing both at the same time.
Tola squats down in front of Charlotte so that they are nose to nose. “Who do you need guarding from?” There is no mockery or dismissiveness in her manner, which is what wins Charlotte over in the end.
“Our brother.” Charlotte studies the two women. “Which of you is more skilled with the bow?”
“Oh ho! You go straight to the heart of the matter, don’t you? Well,” Tola says in a conspiratorial tone, “Aeva would claim that she is, but she would be wrong.” She leans closer to Charlotte and whispers, “I am better.”
Aeva rolls her eyes and offers her hand to Louise. “Come, let me tell you a story about who is truly better with a bow . . .”
Shyly, Louise takes her hand and allows herself to be led from my side. As they all make themselves comfortable in front of the fire to better hear Aeva’s story, the constricting tightness around my heart eases a bit. Two of those I love are safe and protected. Now there is only one that I must worry about.
?Chapter 20
y concern over Beast is like a nagging suitor who will not take no for an answer. It is ardent. Insistent. And wholly invasive.