Lady Alma

by A. G. Marshall

  Paint.

  I squinted at the floor. A trail of footprints cut through the middle. I followed them to the rose garden.

  It was harder to follow the trail when marble floors gave way to gravel paths, but the moonlight was bright after being in the dark ballroom. I followed the faint footprints until they disappeared, then formed a soul loop and searched the garden.

  I sensed a faint soul loop nearby. Someone without training. I snapped my fingers and trapped the girl with her dress.

  She screamed, and I froze mid-step.

  “Mirella?”

  I hid behind a sculpture so she wouldn’t see my cursed form. Carlo had tried to stab the admiral, but surely that didn’t mean-

  “Alma? Where are you?”

  It was definitely Mirella. I ducked behind a fountain and moved to the trellis closest to her, staying hidden in the shadows so she couldn’t see me.

  Mirella struggled against her dress a little longer, then gave up and slumped her shoulders in defeat.

  “I thought you didn’t train in magic, Alma.”

  “I didn’t.”

  “Then someone else is holding me captive with my clothes? You didn’t have to lie to me, Alma. I could have kept the secret.”

  I sighed. There was too much to explain, and it would just sound like I was making excuses.

  “What are you doing here, Mirella?”

  “The ballroom went dark. People were screaming. I thought it would be best to leave while I could.”

  “You’re lying.”

  She glared at the trellis, trying to see me.

  “Let me go, Alma.”

  “Not until you explain why you ran. I saw Carlo try to stab the admiral.”

  She slumped even further, until I was holding her up with her magically stiffened dress.

  “I didn’t have anything to do with it, I swear. Just a few suspicions, but I couldn’t take the chance.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “My parents are angry about the treaty, Alma. Very angry. They didn’t want me to come tonight, but I insisted. Then the lights went out, and people started screaming. They knew, Alma. My parents knew something was going to happen.”

  “Mirella, what are you saying?”

  Tears glistened in her eyes.

  “They’ve been whispering since the Salarians arrived. Plotting. I was afraid they were responsible. And if you saw Carlo attack the admiral, then I was right.”

  “Why would they do that?”

  “I don’t know. But if they talked Carlo into helping them, no one will believe that I’m innocent. And I am innocent, Alma. I haven’t studied magic. I don’t care about the guilds or-”

  Footsteps interrupted her. Someone called my name.

  Lorenzo.

  Mirella’s eyes widened in panic. She stared into the shadows, still trying to see me.

  “The penalty for treason is death, Alma. They’ll kill me.”

  I swallowed.

  “Mirella, no one will think you were involved.”

  “Of course they will. Please, Alma, let me go. I’ll hide until things calm down. Until the Salarians leave.”

  “Alma! Are you there?”

  Lorenzo was getting close. I studied Mirella from the shadows. Was she telling the truth? Her eyes pleaded with me, and tears streamed down her face.

  I lowered my arms, and her dress loosened around her. She sighed in relief.

  “Thank you, Alma. I’m sorry I was jealous.”

  “Mirella-”

  But she was gone. She pushed through a gap in the hedge and disappeared.

  Chapter 38

  “Alma, are you there?”

  I stepped out from under the trellis and hurried towards Lorenzo. He wrapped me in a hug.

  “Alma, I was so worried. They said you’d chased someone to the garden. And you took off your necklace. The curse!”

  He paused, taking in my fully bloomed figure. Then he realized I was only wearing my chemise and looked away, blushing. I snapped my fingers and formed the top layers of my skirt into a makeshift bodice.

  “I’m fine,” I said. “I took the necklace off to save the admiral. I needed magic.”

  Lorenzo examined the garden and relaxed when he saw it was empty.

  “You shouldn’t run off alone. What if someone attacked you? Or saw you?”

  I glanced at the hedge Mirella had slipped through.

  “A woman ran from the ballroom, but I couldn’t find her,” I said. “She must have escaped.”

  I hated lying to him, but I had to give Mirella a chance to hide. Just in case she was right. Just in case they would accuse her along with Carlo.

  Carlo. Had I really seen him, or had the dim light played tricks on my eyes? Why would he try to stab the admiral?

  “Whoever she was, the guards will find her. You can put the necklace on now.”

  I studied Divinia’s necklace in the moonlight. The silver glowed and reflected my fully bloomed face.

  “Maybe I should stay this way a bit longer. I might need my magic.”

  “It isn’t your magic. It’s a curse.”

  I put my hands on my generous hips and narrowed my eyes.

  “I saved a man’s life tonight, Lorenzo. The admiral’s life. That’s more than your guards did.”

  “I’m grateful you stopped the assassin, but you’re a donna now. If anyone saw you-”

  I glared at him, and he shook his head.

  “Please, Alma. We don’t have time for this.”

  The sound of approaching footsteps kept me from answering. We hid under the trellis when someone called our names.

  “Your Highness? Donna Alma? Are you there?”

  The voice sounded familiar, and it was getting closer. Lorenzo fixed a silent gaze on me, his eyes pleading.

  I sighed and clasped the fairy necklace around my neck. My skin flashed gold, and I shrank into myself until I was merely a bud. The magic that had been holding my bodice together dissolved, and the fabric fluttered to the ground.

  I should invest in a nicer chemise if people were going to see it so often. I pulled my skirt up to cover myself, but it did little to disguise the fact that I was in my undergarments.

  “We’re over here,” Lorenzo called.

  I tried to sense whoever was coming, but I couldn’t even feel my own soul loop with the necklace on. I might as well be blind.

  The footsteps quickened to a sprint, and Eduardo and Renata ran around the corner.

  “Your Highness, are you well?” Eduardo asked. “We saw a flash of light.”

  “Nothing to be concerned about,” Lorenzo said. “Just a stray enchantment.”

  Eduardo seemed to accept this, but Renata raised an eyebrow. I spoke before she could ask any questions.

  “Is that Ethan’s cloak?”

  The laundry apprentice grinned and handed me a bundle of dark green fabric.

  “Yes, miss. I thought you would want it right away.”

  Lorenzo looked at Renata in confusion.

  “Alma, who is this?”

  “Your Highness, allow me to present Renata, a laundry apprentice at my estate. I asked her to look for the missing cloak.”

  Renata curtsied to Lorenzo but kept her eyes on me.

  “What happened to your gown, Donna Alma?”

  “There was an attack,” Lorenzo said. “The real question is what happened to the guards in the ballroom.”

  He fixed a cold gaze on Eduardo. The guard swallowed.

  “Overpowered and locked in closets, Your Highness. The same with the Light Guild members and servants. We’re freeing them now, but this young lady said she had important information for you. I thought you would want to speak with her.”

  Lorenzo nodded.

  “You did well. Go back to your post at the gate and send all available guards to the ballroom. We’ll need them.”

  Eduardo nodded and turned to me.

  “I don’t suppose you want to borrow a cloak, miss?
”

  He unfastened his cloak and handed it to me before I could answer. I draped it over my shoulders, feeling much more comfortable now that I was covered.

  Once Eduardo was out of sight, Lorenzo turned to Renata.

  “Where did you find the Salarian’s cloak?”

  “It was hidden in Laundry Mistress Beatrice’s private chambers. She’s been acting suspicious lately. More grumpy than usual, and she’s been locking her room, which she never did before. A friend helped me break in to investigate.”

  “Tullio?” I asked.

  Renata flushed red and nodded.

  “He’s trustworthy, Your Highness, and I didn’t tell him what we were looking for or why.”

  Lorenzo studied Renata. She blushed even more at his attention. He turned from her to me, deep in thought.

  “You two are about the same height,” he said finally.

  Renata nodded.

  “Both petite enough that we have to hem our dresses, although I’m a bloom and she’s a bud.”

  “Renata, you’ve done a great service for Castana tonight. Would you be willing to do another?”

  She nodded nervously. Lorenzo smiled to reassure her.

  “There was a magical attack at the ball, and we need someone to take credit for saving the admiral’s life. Someone who knows fabric magic. Someone about your height and size.”

  I gasped. Renata looked from me to the prince.

  “I don’t understand.”

  “You won’t need to do anything. Just stand and agree with what I say. You can choose any reward you like. Perhaps a noble title?”

  Renata shook her head.

  “I’ve worked too hard at my magic to give it up. Could you give me a place working at the royal laundry? I have friends there.”

  She blushed again. She really needed to learn to keep her face under control when talking about Tullio. Although if he was willing to break into a locked room to help her, he must care a lot.

  Either that, or he harbored criminal tendencies.

  “Done,” Lorenzo said. “Go back to the ballroom and wait for me by the dais. Through that door and to the left.”

  Renata hurried through the door. Lorenzo turned to me, his expression firm.

  “Alma, they can’t know it was you. They can’t know you worked magic.”

  “It’s clever of you to give Renata the credit.”

  I managed to sound like I meant it. At the least, I truly was happy for Renata. Lorenzo shook his head.

  “Alma, I can protect you, but I won’t be able to protect everyone tonight. I can’t show mercy. You understand?”

  I remembered Mirella’s panicked face. Carlo pinned to the floor by his cloak.

  The penalty for treason was death.

  I had known Carlo my entire life. We had played together as children. But after tonight, it seemed I hadn’t known him at all.

  When Lorenzo had talked about the responsibilities that came with the crown, I hadn’t imagined anything this dire. I met his gaze.

  “I understand. You’re the king.”

  His shoulders sagged with relief.

  “Thank you, Alma.”

  He offered his arm, and I took it. We walked back to the ballroom together to face the traitors.

  Chapter 39

  A single star still lit the room. We pushed through the crowd. Nobles hurried to clear a path when they realized the prince was the one pushing. Several Salarians stood around the dais holding salt charms that cast a soft glow.

  Father and the rest of Lorenzo’s council had gathered around the admiral. Don Diego and a few younger men stood beside the dais guarding the would-be assassins.

  Donna Senona now held four figures captive by their clothes. My heart sank as I recognized them.

  Carlo still lay on the floor. Martina and Rafael stood behind him, stiff in their cloth prisons. Mirella had been right about her parents.

  The woman who had tried to choke me was Beatrice, our Laundry Mistress. I shuddered. Had she been the one who attacked me every time? Was she the one who sneaked into my room?

  A curious crowd of nobles had gathered around the light. They examined the prisoners with interest, and a few cast sideways glances at Donna Senona. She was being as discreet as she could, but she had to keep waving her hands to maintain the enchantment.

  Lorenzo nodded to a dark corner. After a moment of squinting, I saw Ethan hiding behind a pillar. Rosa stood beside him, waving her arms to create the star near the ceiling.

  “Wait with them,” Lorenzo said. “This will be easier if you stay hidden.”

  I wanted to protest, but he was right. I wouldn’t be of any use without my magic. I ducked through the crowd, which thinned at the edge of the room.

  “Can you guard Rosa?” Ethan asked when I reached him. “I want to check on my grandfather.”

  I nodded, and he hurried towards the dais.

  I should do something more. Help Donna Senona hold the prisoners. Help Rosa maintain the star.

  I waved my hands and tried to summon a soul loop. Nothing happened. I thought of Mirella to stir my emotions, but that only made me feel sick.

  “Dons and Donnas, please give me your attention,” Lorenzo called from the dais.

  His voice carried through the ballroom, and the whispers stopped. Everyone turned towards him.

  “These traitors have attempted to undo our peace treaty with Salaria by murdering an ambassador. This is an unprecedented act of treason. They will be imprisoned and tried accordingly.”

  A murmur rippled throughout the room, and Lorenzo’s council nodded with approval. Only Father looked conflicted, but he made no move to interfere.

  Martina and Rafael stood taller, as if the prince’s proclamation didn’t apply to them. Fear flickered in Carlo’s eyes. Beatrice glared.

  I stepped forward, but Rosa pulled me back.

  “Don’t, Alma.”

  She was right. My first instinct was to loosen the magic around Carlo’s clothes so he could escape with his life. He was my neighbor. My friend.

  But even if I had my magic, I couldn’t. Not after what he had done.

  I moved deeper into the shadows.

  Lorenzo gestured to Renata, who stood by the dais wringing her hands. He helped her onto the platform with some effort.

  “This brave member of the Laundry Guild used her fabric magic to stop the attack. We all owe Miss Renata a debt of gratitude. She has expressed interest in a place in the royal laundry. It will be given to her at once.”

  The crowd of nobles clapped politely, and the council nodded. Renata curtsied and hurried away.

  “A pretty reward, Your Highness,” Martina said. “You are swift in dealing out judgements.”

  Lorenzo’s eyes flashed with anger.

  “I am acting in accordance with the law. You will have a chance to defend yourself in court.”

  “But the laundry maid isn’t the one holding us now.”

  “That is enough,” Lorenzo said. “What matters is that you were captured. Your conspiracy failed.”

  “You think so? This movement is so much more than the four of us. The guilds will not be shut out! We will not be denied our rights! Our livelihoods!”

  “No one is denying you anything,” Lorenzo said. “You had a chance to petition the crown, but instead took matters into your own hands. Justice must be served.”

  Martina’s eyes gleamed in triumph. What was she so happy about?

  “Will you be that expedient serving justice to everyone who broke the law tonight?”

  “Someone gag this woman!” Lorenzo ordered.

  A piece of Martina’s cloak stuffed itself in her mouth. She winked and nodded towards Donna Senona, who had hidden in the crowd. It was as much movement as Martina could make while wrapped up in her dress.

  But it was enough to set the nobles chattering. They stepped aside, leaving Donna Senona and her magic exposed. She tried to hide her movements, but it is only possible to be so subtle when
holding four people prisoner by their clothes.

  Lorenzo pretended not to see her. Guards finally poured through the ballroom door, and he took advantage of the distraction.

  “Guards, take these traitors away!”

  They pushed through the crowd and grabbed the four prisoners. Donna Senona dropped her hands and released them as soon as the guards took hold.

  Rosa and I sighed in relief. Father looked straight ahead, trying not to show his emotion.

  “Your Highness has showed admirable decisiveness tonight.”

  “Thank you, Don Francisco.”

  Lorenzo nodded to dismiss the man, but Don Francisco continued.

  “As acting king, you have been swift in dealing out justice. Surely you wish to complete the process.”

  He nodded towards the crowd of nobles. Towards Donna Senona.

  My heart sank.

  “Father, the assassins have been removed,” Don Diego said. “Surely that is enough for tonight.”

  Don Francisco dismissed his son with a wave of his hand. Don Diego’s mustache bristled with outrage.

  “Treason was not the only crime committed tonight, Your Highness. Smaller crimes must also be dealt with.”

  He gave Father a nasty look, but surely he wasn’t accusing Father of something?

  “I hardly think-” Lorenzo began.

  The nobles around the throne started whispering, and he didn’t finish the thought. They all stepped further away from Donna Senona, so she stood alone in front of the dais.

  “There are countless eyewitnesses,” Don Francisco said with a smile. “I don’t think a trial will be necessary.”

  Lorenzo’s eyes darted around the room like he was looking for help. A way to escape. The nobles fell silent and waited for his decision.

  He swallowed and stiffened his shoulders.

  “Donna Senona.”

  I flinched at the way he said her name. She had been a hero tonight. She had saved the admiral’s life as much as I had. Surely he wouldn’t punish her for that.

  I shared a quick glance of alarm with Rosa then turned back to the scene on the dais.

  “I’m here, Your Highness.”