My previous boldness dissolved entirely.What was I thinking?This was a horrible time to be brave. Bragging to Sapphira was only going to make things more difficult on me. I slowly sank back down into my seat.
“Nothing, stepmother,” I answered in a deflated voice. “It was merely a thoughtless dream. Please, pay it no mind.” I attempted to return my attention to my plate, but she kept her venomous eyes trained on me.
“Kalina, what is in your pocket?” Her sharp gaze darted to where the flyer lay tucked inside my skirt. My face must have flashed a guilty expression because she instantly narrowed her eyes. “Let me see it. Now.” She stretched out her hand to me with her long fingers twitching impatiently.
I considered denying the flyer’s existence for a moment, but it was no use. She must have seen the paper poking out of my dress when I stood. Leave it to Sapphira to hone in on even the smallest sign that I might be expressing independence. In a dragged-out motion, I slowly pulled the paper from my dress and passed it across the table. The instant the paper grazed Sapphira’s fingers, she snatched it out of my grasp and unfolded it to read. We all sat quietly for a moment as she scanned over the contents of the flyer. Finally, the silence broke with a twisted laugh.
“A royal floral designer?” Sapphira cackled mockingly as she crinkled the paper into a wadded ball. “Oh, Kalina, you need to possesstalentfor those types of jobs. A royal event planner won’t consider an applicant who doesn’t even own a pair ofshoes.” A fresh round of laughter roared from the woman, and her daughters followed in her lead.
I felt so small. My stepfamily’s insults never fazed me when they teased my looks, my apparel, or my time outdoors, but hearing them insult the one thing that I felt passionate about… I was ashamed to admit that it stung.
“Then what’s the harm in trying?” My quiet words surprised me as they escaped my lips. “Even if I’m not chosen, there’s no shame in striving for the best.” I gave a shy shrug as their glares felt far more powerful than they had before.
“Oh, there’s plenty of shame to accumulate, my dear,” Sapphira spat coldly. “It would be an embarrassment to the family. A dirty, shoeless, seventeen-year-old girl has no place applying for a job at the palace. As a matter of fact, you are forbidden from submitting any form of application to the palace. If I catch wind of you doing so behind my back, I assure you... the consequences will be severe.” Her ice-blue eyes seared the warning into me with a commanding authority.
“Yes, stepmother.” I sighed solemnly as I lowered my head, feeling unable to take their imprudent glares any longer.
This was my own fault. I had been a fool and shared my one dream with the worst company possible.What am I going to do now?If I disobeyed Sapphira, who knows what wrath she would bring down on me. She might lock me up until my birthday, or worse, destroy my flower garden. My heart lurched at the thought. I couldn’t let that happen, but I couldn’t let her destroy my life, either. This might be my only chance to make a name for myself before Sapphira ruins what little reputation I have left.
“I’m glad to see you come to your senses, dear.” Sapphira spoke with a wicked smile. “Things are better this way. You wouldn’t be able to handle the responsibility of such an important role, anyway. Your father was the same way. He couldn’t handle working with influenza, so he gave up and died on us all. Maybe if you lessen your ambitions early, you’ll turn out less weak.” Her curled lips parted for a bite of food, and I made a secret wish that she would choke on it.
“My father was not weak,” I returned, my voice steel. “He endured being married toyou.”
chapter five
Two weeks of cleaning the stable, that was my punishment for my dinnertime outburst. This was the second day in which I had been refilling water troughs and shoveling horse manure, but in all honesty, I had expected a far harsher form of discipline. I was quite pleased to find that my punishment at least allowed me to work outside. Corliss wasn’t bad company, either; so all-in-all, my outburst had been well worth it. The appalling look on Sapphira’s face had certainly been a welcomed form of entertainment. I had nearly gotten my wish when she gagged on the piece of roast duck. I smiled at the memory.
The other benefit to working the stables was that I always knew when the girls were going to be out of the house. For instance, the three of them were going to attend the changing of the guard today. This meant that I could escape to the palace gardens the instant they left. All the bribed staff worked inside the manor, so I could easily sneak out of the stables without fear of being snitched on. Sapphira had actually done me a favor.
As Corliss and I harnessed Pumpkin up to the carriage, I sighed in dismay, feeling a little saddened that I would once again be robbed of my favorite mount. I had helped raise Pumpkin from a colt, and even named her. She had the most vibrant red-brown coat that glistened like a fall squash in the sunlight. It was nice to spend some quality time with her in the stable, but I was disappointed that I could never ride her. Sapphira always insisted on having the young mare pull her carriage instead of the slower, well-aged Burlap. It was just like Sapphira to avoid anything or any creature that would associate her with aging.
Once the carriage was prepared, I hid inside the stable, pretending to be wrapped up in sweeping the stalls. From the corner of my eye, I noticed Brielle and Odelia snicker at my laboring. I directed my gaze toward the floor, attempting to feign a miserable expression. Sapphira boarded the carriage behind her daughters and gave a slight smile at my displeasure.
Their prudish glares didn’t faze me, because as soon as the carriage began to roll down the road, I rushed to saddle up Burlap.
“Corliss, is it all right if I take Burlap for a little ride?” I asked without even looking at the boy. My hands were already busy tightening the saddle around the mare’s torso.
“Of course, you both could use a little freedom for a bit.” The boy laughed as he passed me a knowing look, and I smiled gratefully.
“We won’t be gone for long,” I replied cheerfully as I continued to prep my mount. “I just want to visit the palace garden for a little bit.”
Corliss crossed his arms. “The palace gardens, hmm?” He raised an eyebrow at me. “This wouldn’t have anything to do with that job request the mistress forbid you from applying for, would it?”
I remained silent. That wasn’t actually the reason I wanted to visit, though it was still in the back of my mind. In reality, I was curious if the mystery mud-man had been serious about leaving me a message. It was unlikely that he remembered or had even been earnest about his intent to do so. However, none of the assumptions sated my curiosity enough to simply let it be. Since I had the opportunity to sneak out again, I might as well inspect the gardens… right?
My silence must have provided Corliss with an assumed answer because he was now grinning mischievously. “Alright then, don’t admit it, but know that I’m on your side, Miss Kalina.” He walked behind me to grab a mounting block. “I, for one, think it would be incredible if you got a job at the royal palace. We all know you work hard enough, and your talent with flowers is unmatched. I wouldn’t blame you if you submitted an application while staring straight into the mistress’s eyes. She could use a good dose of humility if you ask me.” The boy laughed as he assisted me onto Burlap’s back.
“I couldn’t agree with you more.” I snorted. “However, I’m trying to withhold my boldness for wiser moments. It’s not hard for me to be brave, but I have a terrible habit of using my courage to dig myself into deeper predicaments.” I watched with humor as the stable boy opened his mouth in protest, but then closed it in defeat.
“That’s fair enough.” Corliss chuckled. “You do enjoy stirring up trouble for yourself.”
I gripped the reins, and turned my mount to face him. “Someone has to keep things interesting,” I countered with a flamboyant flip of my braid. I flicked the reins and Burlap took off out of the stable, Corliss still chuckling behind us.
As we made our way to the gardens, I couldn’t help but think about what Corliss had said. Maybe I should submit an application after all? Sapphira had threatened me, sure, but what could she really do? I only had a few more weeks before I was free of her jurisdiction. As long as I didn’t flaunt the application in front of her, I should still be able to send it in. The worst thing she could do was lock me in my room until my birthday, but by then, the letter would have already reached the palace, and even Sapphira couldn’t get it back. A sly smile crept across my face.
I guess I had two reasons for visiting the garden today.
As we arrived at my favorite spot, I dismounted Burlap and tied her off to the tree. A new joy bounced through my steps as I approached the vibrant patch of flowers. If possible, the blooms seemed even more striking today than they had two days ago. My hungry eyes darted across the feast of natural beauty, only lingering when they caught sight of the remaining mud patch.