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“I—” Ravi called out to her.

But the rest of his words were lost as the door to the dungeon slammed in his face.

CHAPTER 48

Dagmara

The wedding day had arrived.

Dagmara checked the Scribestone every moment she had, but there was nothing for her. No word from Magda, and nothing else from Bernadette or Teos. She decided to send a message directly to Magda, asking her to respond before she went through with the wedding. Only Magda would be able to read it if she even made it to the Flaustran Scribestone. The note was a little desperate, but so was Dagmara.

She had one last minute fitting with the wedding gown, after all the alterations had been made. Dagmara stood in front of a floor length mirror, letting Urszula and two other handmaidens lace up the back of the gorgeous gown. Meanwhile, Dagmara was muttering under her breath, practicing her words in Ilusaurian before she would have to say them at the ceremony.

There was a soft knock on the door.

“Come in,” Dagmara said, and the door opened, revealing Madame Annette.

“You look beautiful princess,” Annette said with a smile that didn’t reach her eyes.

“Thank you,” said Dagmara.

“I have a visitor for you.”

In the mirror, Dagmara could see the entrance to her chamber. She watched as Annette opened the door wider and Queen Bernadette stepped inside.

After the initial wave of shock, comfort flooded through Dagmara to see such a familiar face. She shooed away the handmaidens so she could turn and get a better look.

Queen Bernadette’s face was unamused. “Where’s my daughter?”

A pit formed in Dagmara’s stomach. “I-I know mom,” she stammered, “I hardly recognize myself either.” She ended in a forced laugh.

Bernadette clasped her hands in front of her dress, waiting for the explanation.

“We will give you some privacy,” Madame Annette said. She fired a suspicious glare at Dagmara. “Come.” She gestured to the handmaids and Urszula who quickly scurried out, bowing to Queen Bernadette as they left.

The door closed, but Bernadette waited for the footsteps to recede before raising an eyebrow. “What is going on?” Her tone was frighteningly calm.

“I can explain.”

“I hope so.”

Dagmara heaved up the wedding dress before stepping down off the rise. “Magda decided it was safer for me to take her place, worried that Claude was behind the assassinations. If she arrived and Claude tried to have her killed, I would have died in her place.”

“That is exactly why I told her not to go through with the betrothal in the first place.”

“Yes, but how could we find out if he was behind the assassinations if someone wasn’t here to discover that information?” Dagmara blabbered on, trying to defend their stance. She couldn’t tell Bernadette half of the truth: Magda had magic belonging to Guardians of Soul and if she accepted Claude’s proposal, she could have easily exposed herself.

“And where is my daughter?”

“With Queen Sanyal.”

“Who is protecting her?”

Dagmara winced. “Odie?”

Bernadette glowered at her. “Have you heard from Magdalena? You know she’s safe?”

Dagmara nodded. “She’s much safer there than here.” It wasn’t a complete lie. She prayed Magda was safe. By the guardians, why hadn’t Magda sent a message?