Secrets of a Rose (Royal Blood Series Book 1) by Adina Chiles

Author:Adina Chiles [Chiles, Adina]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Midnight Tide Publishing
Published: 2022-06-08T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter 13

TREES OF REMEMBRANCE

Perfection in a person doesn’t exist—this I learned at an incredibly young age. I also discovered that there are those who come closer to perfection than others, but still, none of us ever obtain it.

During my sixteen years of life, there have been three individuals who have made my list of almost perfect beings. Of course, my mother is number one. Biased, I know, but I’ve found little toxicity in her being.

The next is Harold Hensley. A truly selfless man who caters and provides for the women in his life. Not once have I ever heard him complain about anything.

The last on my list, and I know a few people who might argue that she was more perfect than my mother, is Danica Ordway.

I remember her gorgeous olive skin, and I never saw a single strand of her auburn hair out of place as it feathered down her back.

When we were children, she had always packed us extra snacks for our adventures. Not once did she forget about Jewels’s intolerance to nuts or my hatred of pormick fruit. Too many seeds and little taste. I would have eaten the nasty little red things had she packed them, so as not to hurt her feeling, but she never did.

My fondest memory of her was when I was eight. I had fallen out of the treehouse at Kandora Pond, and my knee landed perfectly on a rock below as an unhumorous pain shot into my leg. I started bleeding and limped all the way to Krispin’s house.

Seeing us from afar, Danica rushed out of the house and wasted no time trying to stop the bleeding and cleaned up the wound. To keep me distracted, she told me a story. Not just any story but remembering my favorite. She recited every word from The Boy and His Crown.

Krispin leads us into the Trees of Remembrance, and there is no point in asking what he’s searching for.

Trees scatter evenly around us and, just like in the castle’s garden, there is a large carving in each

trunk. In the hollow space stands a small statue of the dearly departed, guarding a small box that

contains the person’s ashes.

Lanterns hang from every tree and dangle from posts along our path. Surrounding the trees are flowers. Traditionally, a person chooses the flowers around their tree. If it is sudden, then a family

member will select them, but if you have no family or make no declaration before your passing, then they choose Jasleen flowers, Zyra’s official flower.

Before we stop, I spot snowdrop flowers.

Danica.

After she died, there was a small memorial for her at the Ordway home. This is the first time seeing her remembrance tree. Darkness cloaks the tiny statue, but the mix allows the others to see it clearly. Excluding the olive skin and brown eyes, Jewels says it looks precisely like her.

“May I ask how she died?” Zie stares at the figure that hypnotizes us.

Krispin forces down a lump in his throat, and I prepare for a rude remark, but his voice gives off a surprisingly gentle tone.

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