Page 43 of Framed in Florals (The Emerald Realm 3)

The boys ran over, but Chester stayed back a step, holding a small box in his hands. I looked over at him curiously as he lingered behind our cluster with a cheeky grin.

“What do you have there, Chester?” I inquired, looking down at the box he gripped.

“Oh, this?” He raised the box up toward his smile. “It’s just a little wedding gift I threw together… Would you like to see it?”

Before I could even answer, he began to pull the top off the box. I laughed at his giddiness, then sucked in a breath when I saw what the box contained.

“Chester, are these...?” I lightly touched a hand to my mouth as my eyes misted over.

“They’re your mother’s roses,” the boy confirmed as he pulled out the beautiful flower crown. “After Sapphira uprooted the bush, I repotted it and have been tending to it ever since. Your betrothed introduced me to a couple of casters who worked in the palace gardens. They helped it bloom in time for the big day.” His bright eyes illuminated with excitement as he lifted the pink blooms out of the box. “May I?”

I nodded, still pressing a hand to my mouth. “Please.” I swallowed back my joyful tears as Chester gently placed the crown of roses upon my head.

“If you ever want to see the bush again, it’s in the palace garden,” Chester smiled, “in your favorite spot, of course.”

Wordlessly, I pulled the boy into a hug, and he embraced me fully. Not even Sapphira had been able to destroy my parents’ memory. My heart overflowed with joy and relief at the thought of being able to look upon my family’s blooms once more.

After Jasper and I became engaged, I was able to confirm all my step-family’s mistreatment. As punishment for their crimes, the entire family estate and fortune was given to me, and all three of them were stripped of their titles. Now that I was becoming a queen, I had no use for my inheritance, so I gifted the house to the servants and donated most of the money to a newly flourishing tavern. I didn’t want to leave Sapphira and the girls homeless, however, so I offered them jobs at the palace. My once prudish stepfamily now spent their days fertilizing the palace gardens with only the freshest manure.

Once I was safely in the capital, Jasper sent out the guard to fetch Camille. She was in rough shape but has healed up nicely over the past month. Jasper pardoned her from any involvement with the Ashbourne assassins, and she and her mother were getting along rather well now. We had actually become good friends since the incident and wrote to each other regularly. In fact, I was expecting to see her at the wedding today.

For two weeks, the kingdom mourned the loss of King Garrett. There had been a beautiful memorial service held amongst the palace gardens, and even the king and queen of Isalla joined us to express their condolences. Queen Arabella and I spent a great deal of time together reminiscing about our time with the kind ruler. She greatly enjoyed my company since her pregnancy kept her from being too active. She and I had also become quick friends, but she was unable to attend the wedding since her delivery could be any day now. However, they did still send us a lovely gift of a dozen apple tree saplings to add to the palace grounds. They made a beautiful addition to the public section of the garden.

Everything had fallen perfectly into place. The only unresolved issue left was Ashbourne…

As soon as news spread beyond Drancos that King Jasper had chosen a bride, Ashbourne went silent. Our wedding was a display of our knowledge of their misdeeds, and instead of attempting to negotiate a peace, they cut themselves off entirely. The kingdom of Isalla has been allied with Ashbourne longer than Drancos, but after they received word of King Garrett’s assassination, they sided with our kingdom. I don’t know much about the world of politics, but I know enough to acknowledge that a war is brewing. If Ashbourne doesn’t start confessing any crimes, we’ll likely be taking the issue to their borders. A small shiver ran down my spine at the thought, but I shook it off. There would be a time and place to worry about such details, but today wasn’t that day.

“It’s time, Kalina!” Yvette chimed into my thoughts.

Smiles surrounded me as they led me toward the doors. My excitement sent nervous trembles through me as I was escorted through the palace halls. Each servant I passed beamed the sweetest smile as they looked upon their future queen. Nerves trickled through me as I realized that with each step I took, I was one step closer to ruling a kingdom, but even better, marrying my true love.

As we stepped outside, I instantly noticed the perfect blue sky. It was the most beautiful day for a garden wedding, and I couldn’t be happier with how everything turned out. Arrangements of roses and lilies lined the pathways, filling the palace grounds with their sweet scents. Once I was close enough to the clearing where the ceremony was occurring, my entourage split off from me to take their seats. I stood alone at the back of the aisle, a beautiful hedge of azaleas standing between me and my new role as a wife and queen.

My toes wiggled happily inside my soft leather boots. Despite owning more shoes than I could ever count now, I had still chosen to wear Jasper’s gift for the wedding. No shoe could compare to the boots that my soon-to-be husband had chosen, plus they were far too comfortable. They may not have been grand bejeweled slippers, but that was what I liked about them. They reminded me of where I came from. Today I might become a queen, but I always wish to stay grounded to who I once was—the girl who loved her family, adored the outdoors, and took chances to be brave, even when it wasn’t wise.

My smile gripped my face as Prunella signaled for me around the side of the topiary. “We’re ready for you, Your Majesty.” The older woman said the title with a wink, and I felt my chest seize with nerves and elation.

With a shaky step, I walked around the azaleas and looked across the sea of people. So many eyes turned upon me, each one full of wonder and awe. My cheeks grew pink at their gawking glares, and I felt a rush of déjà vu from when I had entered the ballroom in my fresh floral gown. My heart began to pound as I felt the pressure of the eyes around me. Before my nerves could halt my steps, I looked forward…

There he is…

At the end of the aisle stood Jasper, his eyes wide with astonishment. A heartfelt smile crept up his face as we caught each other’s eyes, and I felt all my nerves vanish. I crossed the aisle in slow motion, letting the soft music lull my steps to the man who held my heart. As his blue eyes grew nearer, I felt my smile grow brighter. When I reached the end of the aisle, his gaze held onto me as if I were the treasure he had been searching for his whole life. He took my hands, and we started our own new beginnings.

Together, we began our happily ever after.

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