Page 40 of Framed in Florals (The Emerald Realm 3)

In addition to searching for Kalina, I had been busy unraveling the crimes of her stepmother. Sapphira Aristi had successfully swindled Kalina’s entire financial support after the death of her husband. The servants had informed me that the money wasn’t the only thing withheld from her; she had been denied basic necessities, such as clothing, shoes, and even simple freedoms. The more I learned, the more I wanted to find Kalina. She had lost her father just like I had, but when he was gone, she was left with a family of monsters.

Once enough evidence had been collected to prove the Aristi family had been misusing the crown’s funds, I sent the guard to place them under house arrest until further notice. All their staff had been dismissed with a full pension, so the Aristis should enjoy doing their own housework until an official trial can be held.

My blood still boiled at the thought of that horrid woman. She deserved a far worse punishment than scrubbing her own dishes, but I had needed to focus my efforts on finding Kalina. I needed her to be safe in my arms first, and soon, she would be.

After delivering his news, Captain Orion left my office, but was instantly replaced by another familiar face.

“Good morning, Your Majesty.” Prunella, the housekeeper, bowed kindly.

“Good morning, madam. May I help you with anything?” I asked cordially. Prunella wasn’t the type to approach me or Father directly, so it was a rare sight to see her in the office.

“Yes, Your Majesty.” She stepped forward, lightly placing a thin stack of papers on my desk. “You see, despite the recent chaos, I have still been performing my duties in preparing for the anticipated wedding.”

I stiffened at the reminder. With everything happening, I had completely forgotten about my need to wed. The ball had been an utter disaster, so no betrothals had been made. Although, if things had gone differently that evening…

“I’m sure the wedding is the last thing on your mind at the moment,” the woman said knowingly, as if reading my mind. “But you see, Your Majesty, as I was going through some of the potential applicants for the event, I came across a rather peculiar one…” She slid the top paper forward to me, and I quickly skimmed over the name.

Shock jolted through me as the nameKalina Aristiseared into my eyes. Instantly I recognized the name, but simultaneously, I noticed that it wasn’t Kalina’s handwriting. I snatched up the paper with heightened interest as I quickly read through the rest of the application. My face scrunched up with distaste as I suffered through the horrendous writing—every word was spelled incorrectly and the skills listed were ridiculous.

I looked up in confusion at Prunella. “What in the realms is this?” I snorted, waving the vile paper in the air. A memory flooded through me as I placed the paper back on the desk. Kalina’s servants had mentioned something about an application… I looked back down at the paper and sighed. “Never mind, I know exactly what this is. Kalina’s servants explained that her stepfamily tampered with her letter. It’s no wonder the poor girl snuck into your office; she was likely trying to retrieve this monstrosity.”

Prunella gave an agreeing nod before she slid the second paper to me. “I had a feeling it was falsified,” she explained calmly. “This application was also in my stack. It would appear that Miss Aristi was partially successful during her sleuthing.”

I picked up the second letter and was instantly surprised with a beautiful, dried bouquet in the center. The clean handwriting at the top of the note was a perfect match to Kalina’s, and the crafted bouquet in front of me made it all too clear that this was how she truly wanted to represent herself.

“She’s a talented girl,” Prunella said softly. “If I had known the truth behind why she was in my office that night, I wouldn’t have kicked her out. She’s a very brave and determined young lady. Not many girls have the courage to take back what others have stolen from them. I know it isn’t my place to say, Your Majesty, but she possesses a great many qualities that your mother, the late queen, did.”

I looked up from the letter just in time to see Prunella complete her exiting curtsey. As she stood, a slight smile curled her lips before she turned to leave. A small laugh escaped me as I examined the beautiful, dried blooms in my palm. Warmth swam through me as my fingers gently traced the brittle petals. The soft fragrance of the flowers still remained despite their age, and I found the scent reminding me of Kalina at the ball. The fresh scent of flowers had been intoxicating and almost as beautiful as the girl who adorned them. I leaned back into my chair, inhaling the sweet scent once more.

“I couldn’t agree more.”

chapter twenty-six

The carriage ride took two full days for me to return to the capital. I nervously chewed strands of my hair as we pulled in front of the grand palace. It didn’t take long for the royal guard to fetch me after I made it to the Arkam village. Apparently, news of my endangered status had reached even the farthest ends of the kingdom. Once I told the villagers who I was, they instantly treated me with the most gracious care and alerted the nearest outpost they could find. Since then, I had been carted half-way across the kingdom by military carriages.

My injured cheek and feet had been well cared for and bandaged, and I had been given the most fattening meals they could muster. Everything seemed like it was going to be alright, but I couldn’t shake the fear that loomed over me when it came to meeting Jasper.

I loved him; there was no doubt in my mind now. With each passing day I spent in isolation, I found myself desperately missing his soothing words and touch. Now that I was freed from my captors and the forest, I could finally see him again. This should have been an incredible feeling, but all I could feel was fear.

What if he doesn’t love me now?So much had happened between now and the ball. I was certain he had loved me back then, but what if he changed his mind? He had seen my home, met my family, and seen how I lived. Had the hunt for me simply been due to my accidental involvement in the king’s murder? I had wanted to believe that he wanted me found because he cared, but how could I be sure?

The doubts were all loosely based, except for one that dug deep into my brain.What if he doesn’t like the way I look?

Ever since we first met, my true appearance had been shrouded, either by mud or magic. He had seemed so infatuated with me at the ball, but what had he truly seen? The dress had been beautiful, but what did he think about the girl inside of it? Had she been pretty? Average? Did she even have brown hair or eyes? My stomach twisted into knots as I was escorted out of the carriage. I wanted to see Jasper so badly, but I was terrified of him seeing the real me.

It would just be me—with no magic or filth to blind him. It would just be Kalina, the penniless, orphaned, low-ranked noble who loved him more dearly than she should probably be allowed.

As we approached the palace steps, I felt the memories flood over me of the first time I walked them. It felt like a lifetime ago that I had worn that dress and walked these stairs. Before we actually took any steps upward, the guard who was leading me took a sharp turn and began to lead me along the side of the stone walls instead. I followed him curiously, uncertain of our new destination. The longer I followed him, the clearer it became that I wasn’t going to be meeting Jasper inside. We were going to the garden.

Butterflies twirled within me as my nerves overwhelmed my thoughts. When the guard pushed a small wooden gate open, I was led into a familiar spot. The sun glistened off the quaint pond, sparkling light onto the birch bench and wild flower patch. Standing in front of the blooms, with his back facing us, was a tall, blonde-haired man.

My heart fluttered to life as I instantly recognized Jasper. He turned slowly at the sound of our approaching footsteps. His eyes fell straight on me, and I felt my knees weakening at the blinding blue that held me in place. He was looking at me, the real me. My breath hitched in my throat as I stared at him dumbly.

He looked away from me for a brief moment to address his guard. “Leave us.”

The guard gave a respectful bow, then disappeared back out of the gate, leaving me alone with the prince. His gentle eyes fell on me once more, and I felt my nerves heighten.Well? What is he thinking?My heart threatened to pound out of my chest as the prince slowly pulled a parchment out of his jacket. He unfurled the paper in front of me, then flicked me a glance before reading the paper aloud.

“Kalina Aristi,” he read aloud. “Flower Designer, special skills including growing thorny weeds, occasionally being punctual… Oh! And my personal favorite, screeching like a dying bird upon request.” His jesting smile lit up his whole expression as I felt my face turn as red as the roses beside me. He laughed softly. “It would seem that this Kalina has a great deal of talents…” He folded the paper and stepped forward, closing the space between us. “She can screech unworldly noises, design breathtaking bouquets, survive the wrath of a horrendous stepfamily, and escape the grasp of a dastardly foe.”

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