“No, you shouldn’t have them.” My words flew out rapidly. “The sap or stem, or—I don’t quite remember. They cause a rash.” My eyes flung to the rising sun. “Sun exposure heightens their effect.” The facts my mother once taught me so long ago streamed out as if she had spoken through me. “They aren’t grown locally. They’ve been eradicated in dense populations—only found in remote areas.”
“I didn’t give those to you,” Ryder said.
“What? No!” Maris thrust the flowers to the ground, her hands scratching more intensely. “Did you do this? Was this you?” She stared at me.
“Of course not.” I threw my hands up in front of me,realizing I’d been the only one unharmed out of the three women being courted by the prince.
“How would you know where to find buttercups if you weren’t responsible for this? You had access to my room! And Allura’s too!” Maris’s eyes shot to Ryder. “There has to be something done about this!”
“Where did you get the flowers?” Ryder stood, inspecting the yellow spray scattered across the ground.
She stepped to him, but he quickly retreated from her flared skin. Her hands continued to scramble over herself, nails digging in like she were going to peel her skin from its bones.
“You should remove the flower from your hair.” I pointed to my head. “You need to find some water and bathe. Maybe only rinse so you’re not sitting in a tainted bath.”
“How do you know all of this if you weren’t the cause?” Maris accused again, “She’s obviously the one responsible! How would she know otherwise?”
“Perhaps a book,” Grave mused. “Some peopledoread.”
“My mother.” I looked to Ryder and then to the table of people, hoping they’d believe me. “I only know because my mother grew flowers when I was young, before focusing on food. I swear, I had nothing to do with this.”
Leanna put a hand on my shoulder. “We know you’d never harm anyone.”
If she knew my plans to kill her father, her opinion would shift, but I was grateful for her support. Without it, everyone else would likely share Maris's accusatory stare.
“Thatcher,” Ryder called to the guard, “take her to the healer and keep my sister updated.”
Maris stomped off, scowling at me as she passed.
“Let’s eat.” Ryder sat and grabbed the platter of fish. He placed a portion of salmon on his plate and started to put a piece on mine.
“None for me, thank you.” I raised a hand and took the plate,passing it to Leanna while holding my breath. If the smell of the fish wafting in front of me hadn’t already made my stomach sway, allowing the creature to sit on my plate next to the food Iactuallywanted would ruin my appetite altogether.
Ryder tilted his head. “You live in Rivale, yet you don’t eat fish?” He let out a chuckle and looked around at the others, inviting them to join in. “Who doesn’t like salmon?”
“Me.” I raised a hand timidly and shrugged.
“Maybe you haven’t had it properly cooked.” Ryder gestured to Leanna. “Put a small piece on her plate—she’ll love it.”
I gave her the slightest shake of my head.
She hesitated, looking between her brother and me. “I think she knows what she does and doesn’t want to eat.”
“I don’t suppose he knows what she likes in her mouth yet,” Hunt barked from behind. The prince’s head snapped to the man, but the guard retreated before he could be scolded. Hunt simply ducked his head and preemptively moved to the far corner of the garden; he was a slow learner.
Amalee served a portion for herself and set a fillet on Grave’s plate as well. Maybe out of kindness, she placed the dish toward the other end of the table, far away from me.
“Another time then,” Ryder continued, scooping food onto his plate and then onto mine.
An hour later, I’d eaten until I became uncomfortably full, but was eager to get moving. With Ryder’s busy schedule, I’d at least have until lunch, possibly dinner, to look for an alternate route to the royal quarters. There had to be passages accessible to staff, separate from the main ones.
“Rodrick and I have plans, but if you and Amalee need anything.” Leanna looked to Grave. “Or if you’d like entertainment of any sort, please let a guard know. I’d be happy to come.”
Was she flirting openly? She was a married woman and a princess, no less.
“My sister and I appreciate the offer.” Grave looked at Ryder. “Since your guest would like to visit her father, I will accompany her into town myself. To ensure her safety, of course.”
Ryder’s eyes flew to me as if I were the one who’d made the suggestion. “No.” He drew a breath. “With the other women ill, I will be escorting Audryn on a ride along the cliffs today.”
