CHAPTER 431: READY OR NOT

Arabella bit down on her nails so hard that they threatened to cave.

The hour was nigh and yet no sign of her husband to speak of. Still out in the wind, as far as she knew, seeking the slightest trace of Allegra.

Ada’s hand lay on her shoulder but it was barely felt. It was as though it weighed nothing, "Please, temper your breathing," her friend pleaded.

"How can I?" Arabella only stopped gnawing at her fingernails to retort, "What if he doesn’t return in time? I will have to greet that halfwit all on my own!"

"He would never do that to you! He’d never let you face him alone. He wouldn’t allow it under any circumstances," Ada shook her head, attempting to smile in her friend’s face.

"Not if he is taken by something he cannot skip," Arabella murmured.

"Even then! You wouldn’t be alone. We would all stand with you,"

With all of that, Arabella pushed her thoughts about their cryptic behavior in order to focus on the arrival of the prince.

In a desperate attempt to keep her nerves from lighting on fire, she walked out the entrance door to check on the progress.

"Oh good! The red carpet has been rolled out already," she squeaked, "Please," she turned to one of the maids sweeping some fallen leaves out the way, "Make sure it remains spotless until their arrival. All of us came from the same place. We all know what those people are like,"

"Don’t worry yourself with that," Morgana’s voice blared from the entrance, behind Arabella, "I made sure to cast a spell upon it, similar to the ones in the trophy and legacy room. Not a speck of dust shall land upon this rug," she grinned.

"Thank you for all the help, madame," she smiled meekly, "You’ve put all of your work on hold for our troubles. I hope we can repay you for everything someday,"

"None of my work would have turned out a lick as well known and profitable as it is without Persephone and Emeric’s help so... Consider it gratitude instead of a favor,"

Morgana’s gaze turned distant as if walking through and contemplating aisles of shelved memories.

Arabella did not enquire on her words and merely smiled in reply, believing that there were more pressing matters.

Matters such as, "Have you reached any new development as to Allegra’s case?"

"I am sorry, dear, but none so far," the witch shook her head.

The biting of nails returned until Ada gently took her arm by the wrist and pulled it out of her teeth’s reach.

"May I ask about the sort of spell you are conducting?"

"That you may, of course," a sweet chuckle escaped Morgana, "Allegra left some of her hair on her clothes and bed. That’s what I’ve been using to try and track her whereabouts,"

"Since you’ve been unsuccessful so far, I dare assume there is witchcraft involved in concealing her," Arabella half asked, half suggested.

"Very safe to assume that, indeed," solemn nods came along with the words.

That conversation served as a bit of a distraction from the burning that consumed her stomach.

"I am curious as to how that works," a tad sheepish the young woman seemed, "I mean, I hear you are the most powerful witch around so... I suppose my question is...," Arabella trailed off, unable to utter her thoughts out loud.

"You wonder why I can’t crack through whatever spell is concealing Allegra’s presence," Morgana chuckled, "You can ask me, you know? Very little offends me nowadays,"

"Yes," she gave her a nervous smile, "I suppose that is what I wanted to ask,"

Morgana took a deep breath and brought her gaze onto the maids and butlers that rushed for a last-minute sweep before the arrival of the crown prince, "Witchcraft isn’t only about power. It is mostly about knowledge. The more you know the better and more options you have to remedy a certain situation," she then looked down at her own hands, "Most witches use their own spells, and most do well to keep their rituals a secret because the more you know about them the easier it becomes to decipher them or counter them,"

"Is that the reason you can’t find her?" it was Ada that spoke, "The witch concealing her is using her own spell," she half asked.

"Not only is she using her own spell, but she’s also quite good at covering her tracks, this one. There is no tell, no loose thread. Nothing I can cling onto as a start to solve the puzzle that is her spell,"

"I will be honest and say that I would understand this better if I knew more on witchcraft," Arabella’s hand went to fiddle with her brooch for comfort.

"Here they come!" a masculine voice announced.

"Who? Oh dear! Is it time already?" Arabella panicked at the idea to meet the one she fled. Even worse, meeting him without her husband.

True it was that far in the distance, a dust tempest was in the works, dancing towards them, seemingly slowly, but Arabella knew better than to believe that.

Those horses would be there in less time that is needed for her to collect herself.

"It’s alright, stay calm. It could just be our day guards coming back from the search," Ada tried to ease her strain.

"I highly doubt that, my dear," Morgana sighed, "Their leading cavaliers are brandishing the Lustrisian royal emblem on their flags," she crossed her arms.

"Oh Lord! What am I to do?" the young woman turned every which way that was possible for her neck to, "Please, let the maids stand in line by the butlers! Call for all the daytime staff to drop their doings and come!" she flung her eyes elsewhere again, "Are you sure their rooms are ready? And for his guards and servants as well! And where is-"

A gust of wind blew right in front of her, freezing her every motion before the figure that had appeared.

Silas’s hands cupped her cheeks, silencing her at once.

"With you I stand," he said very calmly, "Breathe,"