Page 18 of Poisoned Heart (The Emerald Realm 1)

Aurelia looked to me with understanding, then widened her eyes with a smile. “That’s not a problem!” She ran around the front of her carriage. “Roger dear, would you step down for a moment?” she called toward her footman who had been sitting on the exterior bench with the driver.

“Yes, my lady?” he asked as he stepped down to greet his mistress.

“Would you care to do me a favor?” Aurelia turned to me and plucked the elixir straight out of my hand before I could even protest. “Please deliver this to Sylvia Putnam at the Woodlands Laundry. Any of the ladies there should be able to bring it to her. It is only about a ten-minute walk from here, and I shall send the carriage back around to pick you up after we have returned home. Can you do this for me?” She stretched out the elixir to him with a sweet smile.

“Of course, my lady.” The footman took the package with a bow. “It would be my pleasure.”

“Wonderful! Thank you, Roger. We shall see you soon.” She spun back to face me with an unapologetic grin on her face. “Well then? Shall we?”

I couldn’t help but laugh at her spunky boldness. She held out her arm to me as an escort would.

“We shall.” I laughed wholehearted as I took her arm and followed her into the carriage.

chapter eleven

Nestled within its own corner of the woods, the Lockly estate was beautiful and oozed with rustic charm. The beautiful stone walls were interlaced with creeping green ivy, and the gardens were just the right amount of overgrown. As we stepped inside, it was like walking through time. The exterior of the house may have looked rustic, but the interior contained only the most modern décor. Everywhere I looked, there were imported rugs, hand-carved furniture, and polished crystal. None of the furniture had even the slightest appearance of use and for a moment, I thought we were standing inside a window display at the capital. As we adjourned to the parlor, I couldn’t help but feel reminiscent of my own lavish home. It had been so long since I had even imagined being back at the castle, and I hardly even felt I missed it anymore. As expected, Aurelia filled the vast space with endless chatter. We talked about her family, local gossip, and even about each girl at the mill. She seemed to be endlessly amused about the goings-on of each of our lives in comparison to hers.

“Oh, Annie, your job sounds so lively,” She fawned in between bites of jelly smothered biscuits. “It must be so amusing to have so many fellow workers to chat with. I would love to have such fond company every day.” She took another bite of biscuit, then dabbed her crumb-coated lip with a linen napkin.

“They certainly help pass the time.” I reflected before biting into my own biscuit. It had been so long since I had eaten something this sweet. The flakey biscuit practically melted in my mouth as the sweet jam danced across my taste buds. As incredible as it was, I still found myself thinking about Glenda’s freshly baked bread.

“So, what do you usually talk about when the days get long?” Aurelia asked, leaning in with interest.

“Usually gossip.” I furrowed my brow as I struggled to think of a more specific answer. “Oh! Recently, the girls have been spending their time fantasizing about other people’s romantic prospects.” I giggled recalling all their dreamy scenarios. “They love to create these drawn-out love stories on even the most mundane gossip.” Aurelia’s jaw dropped open with amusement.

“Oh, that sounds hilariously entertaining!” She let out a small laugh then leaned back into her plush arm chair with an inquisitive look on her face. “I wonder whom all they fantasize about. Let me guess!” She sat back up with a jolt, earning another giggle from me. “I bet the royal family is a hot topic!” My smile froze stiffly. “Between the princess’s disappearance and the engagement between the Drancos’ king and Queen Minerva, I am sure there is plenty to send the imagination into a frenzy.” She began to laugh but slowed when she noticed my lack of reaction. “Annie? Is everything alright?”

Realizing my absence of words, I sat up with a start. “Oh, sorry… I was only spacing out for a moment.” I tried to sound convincing, but she looked at me with concern. That was when I started to consider something. Aurelia was well-educated and of noble birth. Surely, she would have studied political affairs at some point. Maybe she would have some insight on how to disband a royal engagement?

“Aurelia? Could you enlighten me…?” I asked as mildly as I could. She raised an eyebrow at me but looked intrigued.

“Is something on your mind?” Her expression was one of genuine fascination. Her big blue eyes dug into me with the longing to understand what was troubling me.

“It’s nothing serious. I just was curious on your thoughts,” I lied cautiously. This was anything but unserious. “The king of Drancos and Queen Minerva are engaged, correct?” She nodded quietly, still looking perplexed. “Well, say for instance, the people of Isalla wanted to reject King Garrett. Do you think there would be a plausible way to dissolve the engagement without risking political backlash?” I held my breath. This was risky. Aurelia was kind and trustworthy, but there was no reason for a lowly commoner like Annie to ask such an in-depth question. I dug my nails into the soft arms of the chair in an attempt to channel my nerves anywhere other than my facial expression. I watched tensely as she pondered my question with a thoughtful look. The seconds that passed felt like hours before she finally opened her mouth to speak

“Well, naturally there would have to be a way to annul an impending marriage.” She tapped her chin as she thought. My nails sank deeper into the plush furniture and I began to fear I would tear it. “Say, for instance, an engagement was formed, but then one of the parties involved tried to display power over the other. If they used the advantage of the impending alliance to threaten the opposing kingdom, then they would essentially be breaking the alliance before it was even formed.” She lowered her hand from her chin and looked at me for a response..

I ran her words through my mind for a moment before replying. “I think I understand your perspective.” I released my grip on the chair and rested my cramping fingers against my mouth as I thought. “So, what you’re saying is that a marriage alliance cannot be formed if the terms are not upheld during the engagement.”

“Essentially yes,” she replied, clearly engaged in the discussion. “An engagement is a binding contract on its own. I don’t see why the marriage should be upheld if the contract is broken before solidified with vows. However, there would have to be an inciting incident that allows for such a claim to be made in the first place.” She gazed back at me and took a long sip of her tea. This must have been fascinating for her, but hopefully, not enough for her to question my curiosity.

“That would make sense.” I considered the events of the past week for such an incident. An idea popped into my mind, and I felt the biggest smile span my face. “So, it just needs proof!” I nearly leapt out of my seat, startling poor Aurelia. “If evidence is provided that an act of aggression occurred during the span of the engagement, then the marriage could be dissolved! Not only that, but the aggressor would be put into a position of defense given their breach of the agreement. The only requirement would be presenting evidence before the court!” I wanted to sing with joy, but Aurelia’s befuddled expression brought me back to reality. “Pardon my excitement. I am very fascinated by politics.” Shrugging, I sank back into my chair, but she continued to stare with her mouth agape.

“So it would seem…” She brushed a blonde curl away from her face as she searched my eyes for any clues on my absurdity. “Are you sure everything is alright, Annie?” Her blue eyes narrowed in suspicion. Her gaze pierced through me with an unspoken desire to know more than what I was verbalizing.

“Everything is just perfect,” I said airily. A weight had been lifted off my shoulders and not even Aurelia’s suspicion was going to threaten my joy. “To be completely honest with you, my friend, I have had a lot on my mind lately. Speaking with you has given me a much-needed release, and I am ever-so grateful.” Her expression softened at my gratitude. I had risked a lot speaking with her on this topic, yet I had felt entirely comfortable talking with her about my true dilemma.

“Annie dear, you know you can tell me anything.” Her voice was gentle and sweet. She truly had become a friend to me, just like the girls at the mill. “I get the feeling that there is something you can’t tell me.” My heart skipped a beat as a small sense of panic spread through me. “But that’s alright!” Her smile shined like gold, and I wanted to hug her right then and there. “Everyone has a few secrets, but I hope you know that you can trust me to keep yours, whether you tell them to me or not.” She winked and I couldn’t help but let out a laugh of relief.

“Thank you, Aurelia. That means more than you know,” She stood from her chair and pulled me into a needed hug. After a moment of embrace, she broke away, still holding me at arm’s length.

“After all, you keep my secrets too.” She grinned, back to her perky self. “My parents would probably disown me if they knew about my visits to the mill. They think it is positively vulgar for a young lady to form friendships with anyone below her own status.” She rolled her eyes in annoyance as she turned back to her previous seat. I returned to my chair as she sighed.

“Well, the girls at the mill all adore you,” I said brightly.

Aurelia smiled vividly from the flattery, then jumped from a thought. “How could I have forgotten? We need to create a list of supplies to send to the mill!” She rushed out of her chair and scrambled to find a quill and paper, knocking over various items as she fumbled. Once she procured the necessary materials, she sat back in her chair, bracing the paper against an adjacent side table. “Let’s see here… I shall send some food packs, of course, some healing herbs, and a new tin of eastern tea…” She rolled her eyes up to the ceiling as she tried to conjure more ideas. “What do you think Sylvia would like?” She looked to me expectantly, and I spent a moment to consider some options.

“Perhaps a pillow would be nice?” I thought back to Sylvia’s sickly form scrunched up in the clothing mountains. A proper head rest might be an appreciated comfort.

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