A smile beamed across my face as I chuckled lightly. How charming. She has chosen a name for herself. I read the letter over again. She saw me as a friend now, and as much as that excited me, I felt the desire for more. I appreciated how her chosen name represented new beginnings, because I too felt that our companionship had much more room to grow.
Wait...? What am I thinking?
I pressed the letter face-down on the table. The preparations for the upcoming ball must have been clouding my thoughts. I was meant to choose a bride from the noble class, who had been selected to attend, so that must be why my mind was on romance. Daisy, as she calls herself, had been a wonderful distraction, but perhaps she was a little too distracting… I didn’t know her name, or her station, or even what she looked like, so there was little chance that she would be selected to attend the ball. Henceforth, she wouldn’t be eligible to become queen if she wasn’t a lady of status, so there was no use in pursuing her. And besides, she thought of me as a friend, wasn’t that enough?
I picked the letter up once more and sighed heavily.
“Goodness, boy.”
Startled, I instantly released the letter as my father’s laugh filled the quiet space. “This maiden must really be special if she already has you pining for her.” The king laughed heartily as he stepped into the library.
I felt an irritating redness creep up my neck. “I was not pining,” I retorted firmly. “And what makes you assume this letter is from a woman?” I held the paper up with a questioning glare. Father had always been one to jump to conclusions, but this time I didn’t intend to humor his gamble, even if he was right.
“Son, don’t play dumb with me,” he said in a knowing huff as he sunk down into an armchair. “Marlon has been running your love notes back and forth from the flower garden for weeks now. Did you really think I wouldn’t notice?” He crossed his arms and gave me an amused glare.
I remained silent for a moment, then placed the letter down with a sigh. “It would seem that I need to have a discussion with Marlon about his stealth.” I pressed my palm against my forehead, leaning my weight against the desk.
Father chuckled. “Oh, Jasper, you can’t hide anything from me under this roof.” His aged eyes gleamed cheerfully. “So, who is the young lady? I presume she’s the poor girl you tossed into the mud. Have you learned anything about her family?”
My face fell slightly at his question. “Yes, it’s the girl from the garden. However, I know nothing of her family other than she has one. At first, I assumed she possessed some level of nobility, but now I’m not certain. She’s clearly educated but appears to share most servant knowledge as well. It’s likely she won’t be in attendance at the ball.” I felt no need to hide the disappointment in my tone; Father could always see through me.
“Ah, I see...” he acknowledged while scratching his graying beard. “Well, my boy, it would seem you have a predicament on your hands. If only you had access to the royal invitations…” A sly grin spread across his lips.
“I do, Father.” I gave him a curious look. “But only ladies of rank are permitted to be considered for betrothal. If this mystery girl turns out to be a commoner, then I’m merely going to embarrass her in front of polite society.” I watched as Father calmly shifted amongst his seat, pondering my words.
“Perhaps she’s a commoner, perhaps not, but you want her there, nonetheless,” he said with a perceptive smile. “And if I’m honest, I wouldn’t mind meeting the young lady myself. She must be stunning if she has managed to turn your stubborn head.”
“Well, she looked rather ravishing in a mud bath, but I cannot say much else about her appearance.” I smiled at the memory. She may have been utterly filthy, but her kind brown eyes had spoken of an inner beauty that I had already begun to uncover.
“If that’s the only time you’ve ever seen her, then I’m certain she can only get better from there.” The king chortled, and I smiled in shared amusement.
“I guess I’ll need to acquire an invitation, then.” I grinned. With Father’s blessing, I would be able to invite Daisy without any reservations. Who knows, perhaps she was already in line to receive an invitation, but if not… “Father? If she attends, and she truly is a commoner, would I be permitted to propose to her?”
We both sat in silence for a moment. My question surprised even myself for a moment.Would I truly be interested in marrying Daisy? Would she be interested…?My heart twisted as I recognized how anxiously I awaited Father’s response.
“I suppose we will have to cross that bridge if we arrive to it,” he finally answered. “I’m not going to deny you a chance at love, son, but the court may need some persuasion. Your mother was from humble means, but times were different back then. I can at least promise that I will do everything I can to help you achieve your happiness, son. And besides, if this young lady is half as charming as you make her out to be, then I don’t believe we’ll meet much resistance.”
“Those are odds I can work with.” With a new excitement flooding me, I eagerly pulled out a quill and a blank letter. As my hand cascaded ink across the fresh page, I couldn’t help but feel a bundle of tension wind tight within me. Would she even want to attend the ball? What if she couldn’t afford a gown? If she truly believed us to be friends, would inviting her to a match-making ball scare her off?The questions tumbled through my mind like an equation I needed to untangle. For a moment, I considered searching for a textbook that would alleviate some of my questions, but then I remembered that no book in the world could fully interpret a woman. My fretful thoughts must have wandered into my expression because Father began to laugh again.
“You’ve got it bad,” he teased. “Relax, Jasper. If she wants to come, she will. If she doesn’t… well, there will be an entire ballroom full of young ladies whom you can choose from. I honestly couldn’t care less about which one you choose, as long as there’s a wedding happening by the end of next month…” He stood from his chair, fatherly warmth glowing in his eyes. “And, of course, as long as you’re happy.” He turned, and left the library without another word, leaving me to my whirling thoughts.
An eased calm settled over my mind as my father’s words sank in. Everything will be fine.I was fortunate enough to have a father who didn’t force me into the most convenient alliance—if that had been the case, I would have married the princess of Isalla two years ago. Father had married for love at my age, and my mother, the late Queen Ava, —despite being from humble upbringings—had been adored by the people. If Daisy was truly a commoner, then perhaps the people would accept her as well?
I shook my head, straightening my wandering mind. I was getting far too ahead of myself. True, I had interest in the girl, but I wasn’t prepared to offer her a proposal. She still had to accept the invitation to the ball… and I still had to send her one…
My eyes cast downward to the unfinished letter before me.
I suppose this was step-one. Step-one of our new beginnings.
chapter seven
“Oh, Kalina, it’s perfect!” Yvette praised energetically as she inspected my sample arrangement. “You’ll be a shoo-in for that palace job. I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a remarkable talent.”
I blushed slightly at the older woman’s flattery. “Thank you, but it’s not perfect yet… I still feel as though it’s missing something, but I can’t put my finger on what.” I turned the miniature bouquet around in my hand probably a dozen times, closely viewing each individual element. The summer sun illuminated each petal’s curve and vivid color in perfect detail, yet I still felt the need to look closer.
Yvette and Beatrice shared an amused expression, then Beatrice smiled sweetly in my direction. “Yer just fretting too much. It looks beautiful as it is.”
The three of us sat clustered on a rickety wooden bench in the center of my garden, with me sandwiched in the center of them. Once I had been freed of my stable-cleaning sentence, I had instantly resumed spending my days in the garden. It had been rather difficult to collect the necessary flowers for my sample bouquet during my punishment, since the stable was on the opposite side of the property from my garden. Each chance I received, I snuck away to pick and dry flowers—and, of course, visit the palace gardens. As far as Beatrice and Yvette knew, my palace visits were simply for inspiration… but there had beenotherreasons as well.