Twelve Days of Faery by W. R. Gingell Read Free Book Online

turned to wariness when she saw the two doctors beside Markon, and he fancied he saw them narrow slightly.
    “I understand you wish to speak with me, your majesty,” she said formally, curtseying.
    Markon saw Doctor Romalier open his mouth to speak, and said quickly: “Doctors Romalier and Fenke have discovered an espionage spell in my library that leads back to your rooms. I told them that you’d be happy to open your suite to us in order to clear yourself.”
    “And so I am,” said Althea, though he thought she looked rather shocked. Her eyes weren’t on the floor, but he was certain that she was thinking very quickly indeed. She opened the doors for them, her eyes following the same line of sight as the two doctors, and all three of them gazed in silence at the dressing table across the room, where Althea’s combs were set out.
    “You see?” said Doctor Romalier in triumph. “The spell is grounded in that comb! What have you to say for yourself, enchantress?”
    Althea studied the comb in silence, and Markon wondered if it was just his imagination, or if she really had grown paler.
    “Well?” demanded Doctor Romalier. “Well, enchantress?”
    “Steady on, Romalier,” protested Doctor Fenke uncomfortably. “Give the enchantress a chance to breathe.”
    Markon, with a sour edge of dismay beginning to curl in his stomach, said: “Can you explain this spell, lady?”
    “Certainly,” said Althea. There was a lightness to her blue eyes that Markon wasn’t familiar with, and he wasn’t quite sure what it meant. “This isn’t human magic, Doctors. It’s fae magic. But don’t take my word for it: see for yourselves.”
    Doctor Romalier’s eyes bulged. “What? That’s impossible!”
    Doctor Fenke, fumbling eagerly with a pair of circular, ground-glass spectacles, said excitedly: “I never would have thought to check! Egads! She’s right, Romalier! Look at this!”
    “I can see perfectly well from here, thank you!” snapped Doctor Romalier, fending off the comb as Doctor Fenke thrust it under his nose.
    “Fancy that! Fae magic! Who would have thought, eh? Well, this certainly clears the enchantress of any wrongdoing, I’m glad to say.”
    “Thank you, Doctor,” said Althea primly.
    “On the other hand, it opens up a rather more dangerous proposition,” remarked Doctor Fenke. He didn’t look as though the prospect was unpleasant: Markon got the distinct impression that he was still immensely excited. “It seems that you’ve got a fae running around your court, your majesty.”
    “Come now, it’s a little previous to be making that sort of judgement!” protested Doctor Romalier. “A fae in the Montalieran Court?”
    “Doctor Romalier,” interrupted Markon; “I assume that you’ve also absolved the lady of all wrong-doing?”
    “Well, in a manner of speaking– it does seem that– and if it really is fae magic–”
    “It is!” said Doctor Fenke in surprise. “You can see it as well as I can, man! Can’t think why we didn’t check in the first place.”
    “Well, I don’t really see how the enchantress can be responsible,” said Doctor Romalier reluctantly.
    “Thank you so much,” said Althea. “Would you all mind if I dismantle it now? I’m rather uncomfortable with it being here in my room.”
    “Go ahead, go ahead,” Doctor Fenke said affably. “I’d very much like to see you work, lady.”
    But Althea’s eyes had flicked up to meet Markon’s, and it wasn’t until he nodded that she took the comb from a sulky Doctor Romalier, whose assent was also grudgingly given.
                  Doctor Romalier may have been grudging, and he may have been outspoken in his dismissal of enchantresses in general and Althea in particular, but Markon noticed that he watched her with narrowed eyes for the entire operation. To Markon it seemed as though all Althea did was scrape the back of her thumbnail against the tines of the comb, back and forth, back and forth: but the