The servant left quickly, knowing his master would take it out on him.
Quentin didn't understand what was happening, and it was driving him crazy: the queen should have announced her intentions with a letter, it was a matter of etiquette!
Why resort to such subterfuge?
Still, he thought, there was no way she could prevent what he had in mind. Quentin Sorton fell back into his chair with serious eyes and tight lips.
Along the path, an elegantly decorated white carriage was moving steadily, followed by a second, simpler carriage, at the same pace as the first. Armed knights on powerful horses followed and directed the small royal caravan; one of the guards turned to signal the soldiers to slow down, as the road would become more rugged a little further ahead. The royal carriage slowed first, and the queen leaned forward to speak to one of the knights: "How much longer?" The man approached, grabbing the horse's bridle and approaching the window, from which his regent appeared:
"We will reach the Marquis's mansion within half an hour, Your Majesty."
The woman nodded and returned to her comfortable seat beside the princess. She raised her eyes to Astrael, then returned her attention to the most important person in the carriage and in the entire world. "How are you feeling?" She whispered softly, her fingers brushing the fabric of the dress the beautiful girl was wearing: it was a blue gown with embroidered lace on the chest and a touch of red pigment among the threads decorating the bust. Snow White met Astrael's gaze before turning to her queen:
"Good. I'm just a little nervous and wondering what might happen in the next few days. At least we won't be alone when all the other nobles arrive..."
"We don't know who opposes the crown, but I have a pretty good idea who the most prominent rebel is." Grimhilde pursed her lips in disgust, thinking of Sorton Quentin and his games. She should have expected—and indeed she did—that they would try to harm her while she was away from the royal court, but it was unavoidable: she had to take risks to defeat the strategist. What he would not tolerate, however, was risking Snow White's life, which is why Astrael had been tasked with following her and defending her in times of need.
Obviously, at the cost of giving him a few poor souls to amuse himself as he wished.
"Exciting, don't you think? I can't wait to make some noble cry!" the demon interrupted, his eyes sparkling. He was elegantly dressed, all black, except for the thick necklace on his chest, with a pendant set with a red ruby. His appearance gave a detached vibe, strong and decisive at other times. If only they had known he lacked even a shred of humanity and rationality...
"We clearly have different ideas about the definition of exciting. Dealing with nobles who dare to cross me and betray their homeland is not exhilarating. I'll be satisfied when I've put them all in chains."
"Oh, right. What's exciting for you is what you do with your princess—" The queen reached for the sword at her side and gave the demon a warning look. "I know you won't die by the sword, but it's been dipped in sanctified water and it's going to hurt, trust me."
"Did I strike a nerve?"
Snow White placed her hand on Grimilde's left wrist and tightened her grip on the white fabric. That day, she wore dark trousers, a white shirt of luxurious fabric under a double-breasted suit of the same colour; the whole thing was decorated with precious gems set in a necklace similar to Astrael's, only more regal. Men's clothing was functional in Grimilde's eyes, as she wanted to be comfortable in a uniform that would allow her to defend herself without the hindrance of a skirt far too long for her taste.
Moreover, it wasn't unusual for her to dress that way; after all, when she trained with the sword or went horseback riding, she always wore trousers. At court, the queen's dress code had never been challenged; always austere and charming, she was breathtaking in whatever outfit she wore, and no one wanted to oppose her. Snow White loved Grimilde's boldness and the confidence that seemed to have accompanied her since birth.
"Have you ever met the Marquis in person?"
"Only once, but I haven't had a chance to find out what kind of man he is. That said, his actions tell me what kind of person he wants to become."
"The classic power-hungry megalomaniac?" Astrael commented, his eyes studying the pattern of the decorations inside the carriage. "He certainly won't be the only one."
The princess met the demon's eyes just as she was tracing the decorative lines of the seat fabrics.
"A megalomaniac, a fanatical madman, a naive traitor... so many charismatic men you're meeting along the way!"
"You forget to mention yourself." Snow White snapped, grimacing.
"Princess, I am all three and more." His grin deepened. The princess's cold look prompted Grimhilde to intervene: "Astrael, I advise you not to underestimate the princess."
The queen thought back to the previous week, when Snow White had begun her training with the sword and riding. Grimilde had managed to find time to watch and follow some of her training and, since she too had received excellent instruction in the art of the blade, she knew how to help the princess.
Some knights took the opportunity to playfully challenge the queen to a duel, but they were surprised by her strength. She won against each of them.
A veteran retreated before even removing his sword from his belt. "The queen is unmatched; she surpassed me a couple of years ago," he had commented, smiling at his soldiers. His proud gaze made it clear that he respected the regent and was her undisputed supporter. Snow White had the opportunity to watch her fight a couple of times before finding herself face to face with her.
Thinking back to a few days earlier, she found herself blushing.
Queen Grimilde had approached her one evening while she was training alone with a wooden sword and a dummy stuffed with hay. She would have to practice for a long time, if only to build the muscles she lacked to hold a real sword, which was still too heavy for her.
"I can offer you a private lesson," she had said with a smile, and Snow White had agreed immediately. The queen grabbed a wooden sword from the pile that stood at the edge of the courtyard where knights trained and then advanced toward the princess with confidence.
Grimilde eyes turned serious. The match started and the princess was clearly at disadvantage. She couldn't even remember how many times she had felt the queen's sword on her body, light but with the intent of understanding how fatal were her blows.
Exhausted from her training, she was ready to give up, but Grimilde had seized the opportunity to take the wooden sword from her hands and place one foot behind hers to unbalance the princess. Before Snow White could fall to the ground, the queen wrapped her arm around her waist, holding her close.
On that occasion, the ebony-haired girl's heart had pounded, reverberating even in her ears, perhaps from fear or from the regent's proximity.
"I won't always be there when you're in danger, but I swear on everything dear to me in the world that I will do everything I can to help you and potect you from harm."
She had said these beautiful words with absolute reverence, then she had grasped the princess's hand, kissing the back of it with deep adoration.
Snow White blushed, but fortunately for her, no one present noticed the change in her emotional state. Astrael had his eyes closed, his head resting on the back of the seat, while Grimilde kept her face tilted towards the window, watching the outside world through the drawn curtains of the carriage.
Plans were not foolproof. They could fail due to unpredictable variables, but the princess, for the first time in her life, had the chance to protect her kingdom and its citizens, and she wouldn't be intimidated by a uncertainty.