Page 29 of Framed in Florals (The Emerald Realm 3)

“I ain’t gonna lie to nobody,” Beatrice huffed. “If they want the truth, they gonna get it. Yer innocent and I’m not gonna ignore that. I don’t care who’s toes I step on.” She gritted her teeth, and I looked at her pleadingly.

“Beatrice, please,” I begged. “You’re all as innocent as I am. Don’t let these villains take any more victims than necessary.” I cast my gaze to Yvette and Chester, who nodded reluctantly.

“We’ll keep quiet.” Chester sighed. “If you’re right about this prince, then we shouldn’t have to keep our lips sealed for long.”

I felt my heart grow heavy at the mention of Jasper.Was I right about him? Would he believe my tale or even listen to it?I tightened my grip around the reins. “I hope I’m right. He doesn’t seem like the type to jump to conclusions, but he also just lost his father last night. It wouldn’t be surprising if he decided to close me out entirely. I can only prove my innocence if he’s willing to listen.” Stress molded a knot in my stomach, and I noticed Sapphira move away from the rented coach. I need to leave.

“Go,” Yvette said, reading my thoughts. “We’ll do what we can here. Now hurry.” She waved me off and I gave her a grateful smile as I flicked the reins.

Pumpkin took off at full speed, dashing straight past my dumbfounded stepmother. Out of the corner of my eye, I watched her startle turn into fury as she shouted toward the rented coachmen. Fortunately, my head-start was too great for her to send a pursuer after me. Once the manor was out of sight, we slowed to a calmer trot in order to blend more seamlessly into the capital’s crowd. As we passed through the town, I noticed the look of grief lingering in the eyes of the people. My heart sank at the memory of yesterday’s events.

The king is dead, and they know nothing about the culprit, other than they were in cahoots with a girl in a flowered dress.My grip tightened on the reins as I instinctively dropped my head lower. I knew I couldn’t be recognized since the dress’s enchantment had protected my identity, but I likely didn’t have long before Sapphira spread rumors that her disgrace of a stepdaughter had snuck into the ball. Pumpkin trotted smoothly along the road as my ear tuned into a few morsels of gossip.

“They say it was a woman,” a stout baker murmured to his customer. “She ran the whole operation. Turns out, she was trying to make the prince fall in love with her so she could steal the throne after the king’s death.”

I bit my tongue, longing to detest the man’s rumors. Another passerby chatted with her richly-dressed friends who walked alongside me.

“I watched it all happen,” the girl squeaked. “The girl was beautiful, clearly intent on snagging the prince. Something must have gone wrong, though, because she ran off after the murder.”

Her friend gasped. “I think I know why! My elder sister was there, too. She said that the guards were talking about a girl who broke into the king’s office. Maybe she wasn’t supposed to get caught and had to run.”

“I bet she was looking for some top secret trade document or something!” a third girl said shrilly.

The group chattered more to themselves about the matter, and I pressed Pumpkin forward, uninterested in the rest of their theorizing. Just when I thought I was free of the running mouths, a group of children ran in front of me, shouting and playing in the middle of the street.

“Do ya really think it was a girl!?” a young lad shouted.

“Uh-huh!” a round-faced girl chided back. “They even found some of her dress torn off in the king’s special spot!” She smiled broadly as I carefully maneuvered Pumpkin around their antics.

“Girls are super tough!” another petite girl shouted as she ran out from behind me. “I hope she gets away!”

I pushed Pumpkin onward, leaving their comments well behind me.The entire kingdom thinks I’m responsible.I felt my breathing grow shallow as I realized the amount of danger I was currently in.Those men… the real killers had somehow managed to convince all of Drancos that their plan relied on a helpless girl in a borrowed dress.I swallowed, feeling sick to my stomach at the thought.Who would do such a thing? To not only murder a kind and gentle ruler, but to blame an innocent?

My memory flooded back to Camille. Shemust have known… Or, at least, part of it.All I knew for certain was that it wasn’t an accident that she had received the dress. The men had clearly pinpointed me in it and even expected me to recognize them. She definitely had known more than she let on, and I was going to find out what. But first, I needed to do as much damage control as I could.

As I pulled Pumpkin into the palace garden, I took a quick glance around to inspect the surroundings. As expected, there were many more guards patrolling the grounds than normal, however, there were a lot more people, too. Dozens of citizens filled the walkways and benches, all mourning the loss of their king. My heart seized at the sight. I swung down from Pumpkin and tied her off to a tree. It was definitely risky to come here, but with so many people, and nobody knowing my true face, there wasn’t much to fear.

As I approached my regular spot, a few nobles were already there, meandering around the flowers. Despite the crowds being helpful coverage for blending in, they were also a challenging obstacle. I needed to leave a letter, but I couldn’t do it without looking a little suspicious. After waiting patiently and taking in the roses, a couple that occupied the bench stood to their feet and made their way to a different section of the gardens. Once they were gone, I took the opportunity to steal the seat and begin my letter.

I took out a piece of parchment and a pencil from my bag, but froze as I touched the graphite to the paper.How am I supposed to say this?There may not be a single word in the realms to convey the sorrow I felt for him or the desperation I had for him to believe me. This man cared for me—maybe even loved me—mere hours ago… but now he thought I had aided in his father’s murder. How can I expect him to hear me out after such a betrayal?The honest answer was that I couldn’t and I wouldn’t blame him if he never looked at a flower for the rest of his life. But whether or not he wanted to believe it, I am innocent, and I’m not going to go down without attempting to clear my name. He may never care for me again, but maybe he’ll at least let me live freely.

A tear slid down my cheek, splashing delicately at the top of my blank letter. I pressed a hand to my face, surprised by the unannounced emotion.Had it really stung me that much to think he might never speak with me again?Another tear formed in my eye, but I blinked it away. I had never imagined that I would fall in love, especially not with a prince. It was hard for me to know what love was, considering I had received very little of it since my father’s passing. However, I had received love through friendship. All the servants who cared so greatly for me would do anything to protect me, and that was how they showed their love. Last night, when Jasper thought I was being kidnapped, he showed that same protective quality but stronger than I had ever seen. When we danced, he held me close, as if I were the most fragile creature. He had wanted to keep me safe, and that made me long for him now that I wasn’t.

I inhaled a shaky breath, trying to keep my emotions at bay. Jasper had been deceived just as I had been, and this was my only opportunity to explain that. I rubbed my eyes one more time for good measure, then pressed my pencil to the paper.

Jasper,

I know how this all must look to you, but please hear me out. I never hurt your father, I never broke into his office, and I had never seen those men until the night of the ball. I understand that you probably won’t believe a word I say, and I cannot blame you for feeling that way. Those men… they planned it all. I don’t know who they are or where they are from, but they want you to think I was involved with them.

I wish I could explain the entire story to you now, but it’s not safe for me to stay here. I’m going to look for answers, and when I have them, I will turn myself in. Until then, I have a request. Please allow me to prove my innocence.

My true name is Kalina Aristi. There is proof of my innocence at my family’s estate. If you’re willing, seek out my gardeners—Yvette, Beatrice, and Chester. They can lead you to the gown I wore the night of the ball. The proof is within it. I know this is asking far too much of you when I am in no position to do so, but I’m hoping you’ll find it in your heart to believe me.

I paused for a moment, considering my next words. It was likely that half of the guard would end up reading this note at some point, so I didn’t want to say anything too personal. I began to sign my name, but then my traitorous heart stopped my pencil from moving. I sighed, then added on to the letter.

And Jasper, I’m so sorry if I hurt you. I never knew any of this would happen, and I’m sorry I broke my promise to you. I really was looking forward to that dance.

Your Daisy,

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