Page 53 of Bianca and the Monsters

I snort oddly and they all gawk at me, but I just shake my head rather than explaining how my mind got tripped up with titles for rom-coms involvingMy Four Monsters, orFour Monsters and a Dad,or evenClumberton Hill. To stop the insanity, I ask, “How far is it? Do we need to pack? Give me the details.”

Pennie thankfully takes charge. “Bastien, see to Lady Bianca and prepare her to travel. We’ll take care of everything else. Archie, ensure that Mr. Weston is properly dressed—I’m guessing he is accompanying us.”

“I sure am,” my dad says in a tone that means business.

Remy steps toward me, bowing formally. “My Lady, I admire you, regardless of how badly this is going to go. My knights and I will accompany you to the castle and even provide you with an introduction.”

“Thank you for that, and I’m ignoring your negativity. We’re going to have to work on that if you want to find a woman of your own. Don’t ever tell a lady that she’s going to fail or that any pair of jeans doesn’t look amazing on her. Just keep that in mind.”

Remy is flummoxed again, but nods. “Duly noted, my Lady.”

I squeeze my dad’s hand. “Archie will take good care of you and we’ll chat more along the way.”

A boyish sparkle lights his eyes as he smiles at Archie, who looks stiffly on at my dad as though he’s the king of the universe. Then I realize they haven’t even been formally introduced.

“Dad, this is Lord Archibald Maximillian Clumberton of the ancient Clumberton lineage; Pendragon Xavier Witherspoon, the Ninth; and Sebastien TheodoreWeston.” Bastien beams at his new last name. “Nico is Nicodemus Percival O’Henricksbergh. They are my family now. And this is my father,SirJameson Daniel Weston—probably SirJimmywould be most appropriate.”

“So many syllables,” my dad mutters to me. “I totally called it.”

“Welcome, Sir Jimmy,” Archie says, “it is an absolute pleasure to welcome you to my castle. Come, right this way. We don’t want to keep Lady Bianca waiting.”

My dad winks at me and follows Archie toward the stairs, moving like a young man, not an old one with crappy knees. Pennie gives me a nod and escorts Remy out of the cavern, but not before Remy truly gapes at all the shimmering gems, making me wonder whether caverns like this are as rare as Tarans or free parking back home. But that’s a question for another day.

“Is it just me or have we spenta lotof time getting wet and then getting fancy again?”

Bastien nuzzles my cheek. “You have no idea how much pleasure it brings me to attend to you, Mistress.”

As our song becomes hopeful, I think I feel his belief that I will reunite our family even if I have to snatch some crusty queen’s crown right off her head. “I really like having you close.”

“Forever, Mistress.”

“Forever, my sweet Bastien.”

Chapter39

Bianca

“Just like horses, huh?” my dad mutters while staring at the sketchy, monstroussteedsawaiting us.

They are bigger than elephants, but nowhere near as charming. They look like the result of a crazy orgy involving saber-tooth tigers, velociraptors, and woolly mammoths, with some minotaur action thrown in for good measure. Fangs, scales, horns, hooves, thick manes, and scorpion stingers at the end of their tails. Their heads and bodies are roughly horse shaped, but with all the rest of that going on, the comparison is wildly problematic.

The verdict: I’mnopeingthe heck out of getting too close to these guys and my dad is clearly in agreement. Besides, if I had to straddle one of those things, my hips might never be the same. It’s not like we can drag Pennie’s pool with us, though the image of one of the steeds pulling a shiny jacuzzi makes them a little less terrifying.

To my enormous relief, Remy directs his knights to bring an ornate golden carriage from what appears to be the castle’s garage. Like everything else involving monsters, the carriage is huge.

“My Lady, I believe this conveyance would be most appropriate for you and your father.” Remy appears amused by my distaste for his steeds, but I’m too grateful to launch any verbal arrows right now.

“Thank you, we’re most appreciative,” I answer demurely.

In response, Archie scowls at Remy and throws a pensive look at Pennie, whose irritation spikes as he glares at Remy like he’s a one-monster invading army. I don’t know why their snippiness toward Remy delights me, but it does.

Under Remy’s direction, the knights attach a harness and then hitch the carriage to the steed. Remy then selects a knight to be our driver, while Pennie supervises the loading of several large trunks onto the back.

Bastien bounces on his heels as he watches the preparations. His opinion about the steeds is entirely different from mine, but I get the feeling that something else is spurring his excitement.

Pennie notices and gives me a wink before speaking to Bastien. “How about riding with me, so our Lady and her esteemed father can discuss all the changes in their lives without an audience?”

Bastien’s song pulses like an EDM rave as he throws a sheepish look my way. “Would you mind terribly, Mistress?”

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