Aunt Serena followed her father and appeared just as livid as him. Uncle Gabriel looked like he was going to burst a blood vessel. First, he called to some of his guards and gave them the precise location of the bandits.
“We really need to have a talk, young lady,” said Uncle Gabriel, turning his blue eyes on me. “Do you not understand the dangers that surround you, or do you openly want to defy authority? Tonight’s performance has greatly disappointed me.”
I hung my head in shame. I didn’t want to be a disappointment, I just wanted to have some fun and learn about this world so that I wouldn’t be as ignorant about the dangers anymore.
“How could you sneak out of the castle without telling us?” Aunt Serena added. “I was almost eighteen summers before I was allowed out of the castle alone. You’ve only been here a few days and already you are sneaking out and getting caught by bandits in the woods. What if there were something else out there other than just bandits? You may not have been so lucky.
“And you,” she said, turning her icy gaze on Erien, “have you no sense? Aurora has no way to defend herself yet. Do have any idea what losing her would mean to us, to the kingdom—to all the kingdoms? I cannot even begin to think what will happen if she—”
“Enough, Serena.” Uncle Gabriel put his hand on his daughter’s shoulder. “This is not the time or the place to talk about this. We shall retire for the night, and in the morning we can decide what has to be done.”
Aunt Serena’s gaze softened, but her tone did not. “All right, let us go back inside. It’s late and you must be very tired.”
I nodded.
“And Erien.” Aunt Serena’s eyes were like ice chips when she looked at her son. “You are confined to your quarters until I say otherwise. Is that clear?”
Erien rolled his eyes and threw his hands up in the air. “Great.” He gave me a thin smile.
“It wasn’t his fault; I made him take me. I threatened him,” I lied, trying to save my cousin from a seriously long grounding. I hated lying, but it would be horrible if Erien were blamed because of me.
Uncle Gabriel’s eyes narrowed. “I highly doubt that, but all the same, I will have to have a talk with you, young man. Now, I don’t want any more arguments from you, Aurora. Get to your room immediately, and stay there.”
I knew better than to argue when he was in this mood and nodded. I had expected the punishment to be worse.
“Sorry, Snow,” I said to the pegasus in my mind. “I nearly got you captured again.”
“I’m fine. Just get some rest, my dear,” said Snow.
I half turned to see her being gently led away by one of the grooms.
“Snow?” I sent out the thought to her. “How come you let the Duke ride you? I thought only the royal fae can ride a pegasus.”
“No, my dear one, a pegasus has a choice whom they allow to ride them,” said Snow, still walking away. “Your uncle came to me, told me you may be in danger, and asked for my help to get him there in time.”
My eyes widened. “You can speak to others too?”
“Not exactly. I can understand what people say, although I cannot reply.”
“Thank you,” I said sincerely. What would I have done without her?
“No, my dear little princess. I am here to protect you. Call to me whenever you are in trouble. Wherever I am, I will come to you,” said Snow as she walked away gracefully into the duke’s magnificent stables, her beautiful wings shimmering white in the moonlight.
The next morning was awkward. Uncle Gabriel didn’t speak to me at breakfast. I guessed he was still very angry about last night. Aunt Serena made polite conversation, and Erien, completely unaware of the tension in the room, tucked away into his eggs and fried ham like it was his last meal.
Breakfast at Silverthorne Castle was served on the veranda, shaded from the morning sun by a white marble trellis blooming with beautiful lavender wisteria. It was similar to a gazebo and was attached to the informal dining room of the castle, overlooking the vast gardens.
The food here was delicious, but I couldn’t eat anything that morning. I played with my boiled egg and nibbled on a slice of freshly baked bread filled with delicious dried fruits and nuts. I then washed it down with a cinnamon-infused honey and milk concoction, which was apparently Erien’s favorite and something the cook always made when he was residing in the castle.
I was supposed to go straight to my room after breakfast, but I meandered a little, strolling through the flowering courtyards and long corridors until I ended up, quite unconsciously, outside Uncle Gabriel’s study.
I heard Aunt Serena mention my name, and I moved closer to have a small peek, since the door wasn’t completely shut. I knew it was wrong, but my curiosity got the better of me.
“She must go,” Uncle Gabriel was saying.
“It will be difficult for her to stay hidden,” said Aunt Serena.
The door opened suddenly, and Uncle Gabriel’s stormy face came into view. “Come in, Aurora.” Uncle Gabriel sounded exasperated.
How did he know I was eavesdropping? Aunt Serena smiled at me and shifted uncomfortably in her chair as I entered the room. What had they been talking about when I had very rudely interrupted them?
“Well.” Uncle Gabriel’s tone was curt as he rubbed his temples with his fingers. “Sit down, Aurora.”
He sounded tired. I was getting a little worried about where the conversation might lead. I tried to fight the panic that had started accumulating in my chest. Would they throw me out because I went into the woods? Would they punish me because I was eavesdropping? I had no idea what they were going to
