“Your father and mother request your presence, Princess.” A servant bowed from the door.

Angelica nodded, a smile on her lips. She had spent much more time with her parents over the previous days since her return. They made sure to take at least one meal with her, just to talk about the day’s events. She had never gotten along with her parents so well before. She was sure that when they thought they had lost her, they had come to realize how much she really meant to them.

Lunch was already laid out as she entered the dining hall. Her parents had been talking, but looked up as she entered.

“Come sit, Angelica.” He father motioned with his hand. “It seems Kenneth should arrive in time for the celebration tonight.”

“I am looking forward to seeing him again.” The princess smiled.

Lunch was boar basted in honey and apple slices. There were plates of steamed vegetables, fruits cut in fancy designs, and assorted nuts.

“Are you finishing up your packing?”

Angelica nodded. There had not been much to pack. Her servants had taken care of all of her clothing, but she found that she had very few personal items that she cared about taking. Even though she had lived in that room for all of her life.

“You know, my dear, I could come and do up your hair for the party.” Her mother said.

The young woman halted the fork on the way to her mouth. “Uh…”

“You like leaving it down don’t you? Maybe I can do some small braids with ribbon tied in it.”

“Um…well I would…like that.”

The queen smiled.

After lunch was over, Angelica went out past the gates and whistled for Wirith. The gryffin dove out of the sky as if she had been waiting all day for the call, immediately butting her head up against the woman and purring loudly.

“Things have been so much better since I’ve gotten back. And tomorrow is Dusty’s naming ceremony. He has Jeffery and Chae to help him, and Archangel Zedekiah and Archangel Saleah to protect him. And I’ll get to go back to Millian with my parents. It’s really nice spending time with them.” Angelica spoke to the gryffin as she continued petting her.

Suddenly Wirith bristled and there was a rush of wings as the gryffin snapped her beak around a sword and pulled it from the hands on the man who wielded it. Angelica scrambled to her feet, having been thrown off balance by the sudden movement.

There were five figures that had come out of the forest, each with a wicked blade brandished at her. Their outfits betrayed no affiliation and a visor on their helmets covered their eyes. Angelica reached for her own sword.

“Identify yourselves,” She declared over Wirith’s hiss.

There was no response and four of the men moved forward together. Angelica fully unsheathed her sword and blocked the incoming attacks. Who would be attacking her, and this close to the palace? Perhaps whoever had put up that bill for her assassination was not happy that the job had not been done. Attacking during the day simply meant they were more desperate.

Wirith attacked one of the men, drawing him to the earth with vicious claws. Suddenly she squealed and a net of glowing brown pulled her down. The man who had lost his sword stood back. She could see magic swirling around him.

The man Wirith had attacked climbed to his feet, wounded, but not as badly as she had expected. Angelica continued to defend herself while looking for openings. She could not seem to find any with all of the attacks. Usually when a group attacked one simply waited for the next to be done and then attacked, but these men seemed to have training in working together. Their blows came well paced but fast enough that she could not gather herself for a counter attack. At this rate they were going to wear her out before she could do any damage.

The gryffin thrashed under the net of magic, but it held firm. One of the swords cut into Angelica’s arm and she cried out. Even though Dusty had told her to not use magic, she knew she was in trouble if she did not.

“Light of thunder.”

Lighting streaked out of the sky, aimed for each of the men. Two dodged nimbly out of the way but the other three were struck, looking dazed for a moment before they all attacked again.

“Bands of ice.”

Ice formed over the men’s feet, stopping them in their tracks. One fell over trying to move, and Angelica kicked the sword that fell from his hand far away. She disarmed another and kicked him so that he fell over backward.

One of the men melted through his ice with a spell she did not catch, and came at her with a yell. She fended off the blow but now able to focus on one opponent, he quickly lost his sword and she put her own at his throat.

“Who sent you?” she demanded.

The man was silent, glancing at his fallen companions.

“What were you supposed to do? Kill me?”

There was a flare of heat and the ice dissipated, and the men ran. Angelica gave chase for a few yards before Wirith’s cries brought her up short. The woman turned back, kneeling by the gryffin, but the spell that had been cast over her held fast. She knew nothing about binding spells.

“Shh, it’s okay Wirith. Lay still.”

The gryffin lashed out against the net, trying to flare her wings, and crying out when she was unable to do so. She was quickly becoming more tangled in the magical threads.

“I’ll get help.” Angelica ran up toward the castle, going immediately toward Dusty’s room. She slowed as she approached. As she entered though, he was deep in conversation with Jeffery. An assassination attempt would bring him away from what he needed to do before tomorrow. She could not distract him like that.

“What do you need, Angelica?” He looked up. “What happened to you?” Dusty was on his feet.

“Oh.” She looked down and noticed she had several wounds and was dirty. None looked too serious, which is why she did not feel them yet. “I was just sparring, got a little carried away. You should see the other guy.” He had more important things to attend. She glanced at the two angels standing in the back of the room. “Do you think Archangel Saleah could help me with something?”

Dusty glanced at the angel. “Saleah, would you mind?”

“No, sire.”

Angelica bowed to the angel as she came out of the room. An angel coming specifically to help her? The young human led the way out of the castle, running to where Wirith lay panting, having exhausted herself trying to get out of the magical net.

Saleah bent down without a word, tracing her hands over the net. The demon hissed weakly. “Would you mind telling me what happened?”

“I…” she wanted to lie, but the idea of being untruthful with an angel made her body go cold. “Some men attacked me. They cast this spell on Wirith. Don’t tell Dusty, I don’t want him to worry. He has too much going on already.”

“You know he cares for you, correct?”

“Well of course. We’re friends.” Angelica said. “Your Mercy” she added quickly.

The net dissipated and Wirith jumped up and away from the angel. Angelica went to her, hugging her quickly.

“You really care for that beast, don’t you?”

“Yes, she’s my friend too.”

“It is still a demon.”

“She’s never done anything that would make me think she would hurt me. In fact she’s protected me on many occasions.”

“And His Majesty keeps that other one around. Perhaps he does not trust us to protect him.”

“Of course he does. Candith is just his friend too. I just don’t think demons are as bad as you think they are. Not all of them anyway.”

“So you’re saying the Choir is wrong in forbidding contact with them?”

“No.” She replied hastily. “Some of them are very dangerous. They’re just not all dangerous. Just like not all magic is bad.”

Archangel Saleah stood, and after studying her for a moment, said. “Is that all you needed help with?”

“Yes, thank you, Your Mercy”

The angel nodded and moved back toward the castle.