Page 32 of Framed in Florals (The Emerald Realm 3)

“I understand, captain, but please, continue to investigate them. Hopefully one of the leads will have an ounce of truth.” I sunk into the nearest arm chair, attempting to rest my weary bones for even a moment.

Almost immediately after the guests were cleared to leave the castle, a notice was sent out that the girl known as Daisy was wanted by the crown. We had offered a hefty reward for anyone who could disclose her whereabouts, but unfortunately, we ended up attracting a bit more confessions than we had intended. For some odd reason, we couldn’t concoct an accurate description of the girl for any of the announcements. No matter how many times I reflected on our time at the ball, I couldn’t remember any semblance of her physical appearance. I knew she had brown eyes from our initial meeting in the garden, but other than that, I could recall nothing. Her hair color, skin tone, height, build, all of it was blank. Because of our lack of description, it seemed that half the kingdom suddenly had a villainous, brown-eyed servant who had attended the ball. The thrill of a royal pay sum, and the title of heroic citizen, had appealed a little too greatly to the kingdom. Unfortunately, I didn’t know enough of Daisy’s characteristics to narrow down the search. The only memory I had of Daisy’s appearance from the ball was how beautiful she was to me—and not necessarily because of her appearance, but because of who she was.

Pain seared through my heart at the memory of our time together.It had all been a ploy…She had been using me from the start, likely even from our first meeting.The thoughts pricked painfully at my mind as I thought through all the letters we had exchanged.Had that really all been an act?I would have never believed it if the proof wasn’t directly in front of me. Inches away from me, on my father’s desk, sat the small strip of lavender silk, identical to the dress Daisy had worn. Despite my faulty memory, I was certain of her dress. It had been utterly unforgettable, and every guest in attendance could recall it too, despite not remembering her features. I stared at the scrap of fabric with a broken gaze, unsure how to answer the questions that stung at my mind.

Why had she done it? What was she doing in my father’s office?

Nothing was discovered to be missing in the space, so we had yet to theorize why she had been in here. The head housekeeper, Prunella, had officially sighted her in her office as well, but we had assumed that she wandered in there by mistake while intending to find the king’s office. There was a great deal of theorizing behind it, but that was the only thing that made sense.

Daisy had excused herself from me immediately after meeting my father, and she even knew where he was going to be after he announced that he would return to his box seat. After her departure, she was spotted in the housekeeper’s office, and then appeared at the ballroom in time to watch my father die. The timeline, the witness, and the evidence all lined up to her being up to misdeeds. As much as it hurt to admit, there was no logical explanation to her being innocent.

Except for her eyes…

My mind flashed back to the image of her standing atop the staircase with the man gripping her hand. She had looked so scared then…And not the type of scared that came with guilt, but the fear that only stemmed from the unknown. She appeared so honestly shocked that I couldn’t let go of the thread of hope that she may not have wanted this to happen. Unfortunately, her sudden disappearance wasn’t helping her case. The official announcement that she was wanted for the crown’s custody had offered her plenty of time to surrender, and the innocent didn’t run.

Unless she couldn’t surrender…

“Do you have any other orders sir?” the captain asked stiffly.

“No, that is all for now,” I said with a sigh. “Please inform the guard of my commands, then get some rest. If we receive any solid leads, I’ll need you at your best, so please care for yourself in the meantime.”

He opened his mouth as if to protest that he was fine, but a yawn overtook him almost the instant he tried to speak. I raised an eyebrow at him, challenging him to debate my order, and he simply bowed.

“As you wish, Your Highness.”

As he began to gather his belongings from the office, I dug into my mind for any solid memories of Daisy’s appearance. It was beyond strange. The entire ballroom had laid eyes upon her, yet no one could describe her. I had held her only inches from my face, yet when I tried to imagine her eyes, I could only picture the girl covered in mud. I sunk deeper into the chair with a frustrated groan, earning a skeptical side-eye from the retreating captain. My head ran through the evening step-by-step, trying to remember any clues that would aide us.

We already knew she liked flowers, so the guard was focusing on confessions from families who had enough land to grow a substantial flower patch. I knew she had a proper education due to our letters, but that extended even past the nobility. I pressed my thumb into my forehead as if I could squeeze out more information, but instead, I found myself daydreaming about our time on the dance floor. It stung to recall the memories, but at the same time, the feeling of her wrapped tightly in my arms still brought me calm. I had loved her, I truly had, and now… I just needed answers.

I sat up a little straighter as Captain Orion finally stepped out the door, my thoughts played through the steps of our dance one final time, and suddenly, I jumped.

“Captain, wait!” I nearly shouted as I sprang up out of my chair. The man quickly turned back into the room with a confused startle.

His mind was definitely too exhausted to process the situation. “Yes, Your Highness?”

“I have another piece of information to share with the guards,” I explained a little calmer. “Daisy never had shoes on when I met her—both at the garden and at the ball. She was barefoot both times.”

The captain’s face contorted into a puzzled look. “Is that so?” He pressed a hand to his tired chin. “Very well, then. I think I know how this information could be beneficial. We will tell the guards to ask each of the families what type of shoe their surrendered servant wore to the ball. If they give us a straight answer, then we’ll know they are lying.” He lowered his hand from his chin with a pleased expression crossing his face.

“That should work splendidly,” I confirmed. “I doubt anyone else noticed her lack of footwear, and no one would expect a young lady to forgo shoes in a ballroom. This fact should be just bizarre enough that no one will think to fabricate it.” A sense of comfort washed over me.This could certainly expedite the process.

“Consider it done, Your Highness.” The captain bowed, then left to inform his men, leaving me alone in my father’s empty office.

I sank back into the familiar armchair with an uneasy sigh, trying to block out the grief that chewed at my heart. There would be a time to mourn, but first, I needed to avenge my father. No matter what feelings I still harbored for Daisy, I couldn’t let them get in the way of giving my father the justice he deserved. I leaned back in the chair and closed my eyes for a brief moment.

As the soft leather enveloped me, a brief moment turned into a long, exhausted nap. When my eyes finally peeled open, Marlon was standing above me with his usual stoic expression. I bolted upright in my chair at the sight of his unexpected presence, while simultaneously wiping a trail of drool off my chin. The messenger paid no mind to my sloppy state, but instead, calmly presented me with a letter. I narrowed my tired eyes on the envelope, and nearly passed out again when I recognized the handwriting.

“Is that from—” I stared at the note as a swirl of emotions ripped through me.

“It was in the usual spot sir, underneath a daisy.”

Daisy…

I quickly accepted the letter, but I couldn’t find the willpower to open it.This might be a message from my father’s murderer…My chest tightened as I considered the possibility.This could very well be her way of gloating, or perhaps even a new threat. My grip tightened on the fragile paper as I felt my previous anger stir. My mind battled as I debated opening it or burning it. Marlon watched with a curious eye as I withheld from opening the note.

“Your Highness,” the man said calmly.

I looked up from the clenched paper, nearly forgetting he was still there. “Yes, Marlon? Was there something else?” I asked with a distant tone, my gaze still fixated on the letter.

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