"Do not speak to anyone."

"Speak?"

"Yes. Because whoever caught us only knows your voice."

Caroline swallowed and composed herself.

Iyana gave her a stern look. "Do you understand, milady?"

Caroline nodded. "Yes," she whispered.

"Good." Iyana straightened. "Lady Sasha is expecting all Belles to join her for breakfast."

As Caroline dressed, her heart was hammering hard against her chest.

When she came down to join the other Belles, she found Sasha's gaze already locked on her.

"Good morning, my lady," she greeted, and to the other Belles already seated around the two long tables in the dining hall, she said, "Ladies."

Her eyes settled on Delaney, who had an unoccupied chair beside her. And since the woman's eyes met hers, Caroline had no choice but to take the spot. She did not want the woman to think she was avoiding her.

"Good morning," she greeted the ladies nearby. "Good morning, Delaney."

The woman just nodded, slowly chewing her food.

Across from her was Jade, beaming at her with excitement.

Famous! She was surrounded by Belcourt's worst wenches.

After breaking fast, most of the ladies retreated to their rooms to prepare. Caroline stayed with Ruby in the parlor for some tea before the woman also excused herself. Jade had disappeared, saying the gentlemen would arrive soon. It was best to prepare.

By luncheon, Caroline deliberately shared the same table with Delaney just because she believed the woman hated her very presence. Most of them had their hairs tied in ribbons to set their curls for later. As soon as Sasha left the table, everyone else did the same.

It was only very much later, approximately an hour before the ball, did Caroline see one shadow of a Belle. And when she did, she felt utterly lacking. Everyone was in their best dresses. Never had she seen anyone wear anything so extravagant save for the Kings Ball or anyone held by the royal family.

Jade wore the white gown Caroline suggested. Ruby was out of her typical red gown, replacing it with a royal blue trimmed with gold lace. As to Caroline, she had on a green emerald gown she had worn twice before. While the other ladies seemed to have showered in jewels, her hair was adorned with simple pearls that seemed to camouflage with her horrid fake blond

It would only be later that she would learn why everyone made extra efforts to prepare for the Orphan Ball.

The ball was held in the Great Hall that connected to the Common Court. Large golden and purple cloths draped the ceiling. The candles on the chandeliers gave the entire place an extra golden glow. Music was exquisite, produced by a group of established musicians.

There was no sign of the Maidens. They were not expected to show themselves, Ruby said. Nor the High Priestess.

Caroline was standing in one corner with Robert, who seemed perturbed.

"What is the matter?" she murmured beside him.

"There are women in green cloaks."

"Soldiers."

"Why?"

"They're looking for one woman who trespassed the Palace a few weeks ago."

He stiffly turned to look at her. Then he just nodded.

Caroline saw Trent laughing with Aaron, the two of them with their Belles. A few other Belles were being entertained by three or five gentlemen. Delaney was standing in one corner with one Belle, the two of them talking. Behind them were two soldiers, one of whom Caroline was familiar with—Gabrielle. The woman's red hair was unseen, covered by the hood of her cloak. She was scanning the hall with her eyes and when they landed on Caroline, she smiled and gave her a nod before returning to her task.

Just earlier, benefactors of the orphanage had arrived, all of them prominent, and mostly titled. At the moment, they were walking around the hall, greeting each other, forming their own little groups. Some dared to be adventurous and joined the Belles and other gentlemen.

But just as Caroline thought the children would soon appear for their customary musical performance, a trumpet interrupted everything, drawing everyone's attention to the platform in front of the hall.

Someone wearing a black gown, obviously from the Service, said at the top of her lungs, "Ladies and gentlemen, His Royal Highness, Prince Emory of Sutherland!"

Caroline stiffened. Emory?

The trumpets greeted the second son of the king, also second in line for the throne, a slim man with dark blond hair and blue eyes. He looked majestic as he always was. Caroline turned to the side when he walked past her.

Then the woman on the platform added, "His Royal Highness, Prince Albert of Sutherland."

"What the bloody hell," Caroline murmured beside Robert, who was as stiff as she was. Just as Albert was about to walk past them, Robert slowly moved in front of Caroline to block her from view.

Everyone was suddenly excited, most particularly the benefactors. But not because they were surprised; it was more because they had been anticipating the princes' arrival.

"They always attend," said Jade moments later when Caroline and Robert joined them in one corner to avoid attracting the attention of her cousins.

Trent was pretending not to mind her presence by engaging Robert in a conversation with Aaron. "Isn't Emory looking more delicious by each passing year?" Ruby asked beside her with a dreamy sigh. "He was once a secret flower, you know."

"He was?"

"Yes."

"To whom?"

"I cannot spill secrets. I only found out by accident," Ruby said with a wink.

When Robert asked her for a dance, Caroline was reminded of why she was here. She did not even dare look at Trent as they walked by him and Jade.

Robert deliberately chose a much crowded part of the dance floor. "Be very observant," he said under his breath. "This is the best chance for us to discover many things."

"There are too many strangers here. Too many distractions."

"Exactly why it is the perfect time for anyone to meet and discuss business openly." Robert looked over her head. "You watch the Belles. I shall keep an eye on the princes. Trent will watch the other benefactors."

She nodded.

"Smile."

She looked up and frowned when she discovered the awkward smile on his face. "No, you stop smiling. For Christ's sake, Robert, you will scare the entire ballroom with that smile."

His face returned to his resting stoic face.

"Good. Much better." With a wide smile, she added, "I'll do the smiling."

⠒♣◆♣⠒

By the time everyone's excitement over the princes' presence had waned, the festivities began. Ten or so Belles with their flowers entertained the guests with a perfect, synchronized waltz.

"Now you understand why I had to reject the invitation to take part," Caroline murmured to Robert while her eyes wandered from one Belle to the next.

"I can definitely dance better than those men," he replied with unwarranted confidence, his eyes on Prince Emory. "Albert has not yet returned."

Caroline looked to her left. Jade and Trent were laughing with other couples, seemingly unaware of their surrounding. Aaron was with a few gentlemen Caroline knew were also present in the Islefield party.

"Ruby is not here." She looked to her right. She also noted that Delaney was not where she remembered her to be in earlier.

"I will find her."

"You do not have to—"

"I have to," she insisted with a smile that did not reach her eyes. "Stay here."

It was easy to get lost in a crowd of extravagant gowns and laughters.

There were only a few gaming rooms arranged for the balls, and they were within the Common Court itself, in three of its drawing rooms.

Those were full. When she poked her head into the first two gaming rooms, she found no sign of Albert and Ruby. Or Delaney. On the third one, Caroline was surprised to find Delaney inside, playing faro with other gentlemen and Belles.

The woman's smile disappeared when she spotted Caroline at the door. "Forgive me, I am looking for Robert."

"He's not here. You can join us, Carol," invited Summer.

"Perhaps after I find my flower," she said, closing the door and looking down the other end of the hall.

Biting her teeth, she looked over her shoulder.

"Ah, bloody tarnation," she said under her breath, rushing to the next door.

It was an empty schoolroom. She went to the next. Another empty schoolroom.

At the end of the hall was another corridor that led to the right. She opened the first three rooms, which turned out to be a dining hall and a parlor. The fourth was a heavy door, unlocked, but hid a very different sight. Nothing was inside save for a chair with leather straps around its arms and forelegs.

There was nothing else. No signs of any tools for torture.

Bloody tarnation, what sort of punishment did Belcourt give its children?

The thought caused her stomach to churn. The thought of the girls strapped to that chair was unimaginable. No wonder some of them turned out to be crazed murderers!

Knowing she had not time to delve into the disgusting discovery, Caroline tried the other doors. An indoor garden, a library, and more schoolrooms.

Then she stopped. And she turned, retracing her steps to the library. She stopped just outside the door, pressing her ears against it. She might have just imagined it, but she could not get the picture out of her head.

Moistening her lips, she slowly opened the door again, just a crack.

Her heart raced. There, on the wall with red floral patterns, were two moving shadows. It was not obvious, but once she looked closely, it became clear—a man and a woman, seated facing each other.

She craned her neck to look at the opposite wall.

"It has been a long time since we played like this, don't you think, Sasha, dear?" Albert's voice asked.

Caroline swallowed, her eyes flying to the floral wall. Separating their shadow was a table. On top of it were tiny pieces.

Chess. They were playing chess.

Caroline blinked in confusion.

"Are things fairing well, darling?" he asked her.

"Yes. Terrific, as a matter-of-fact, because I am winning this game."

Albert laughed.

"I missed your bluntness."

"I missed beating you in this game."

A slight pause. "I hope you are fine. After what happened with Blackwood, I feared for a while that you may have been suffering."

"Whyever would you think that?"

"It was clear you were quite fond of him."

"He was a mission, Albert. Nothing else."

Albert laughed again. "Ah, bloody hell. I lost!"

"Again," Sasha added.

"Another game?"

Caroline had to step away and very slowly close the door.

She swallowed.

Why was Sasha with Albert? There were too many possibilities. One, of course, was the fact that Sasha became aware of Delaney's secret meetings with the prince outside Belcourt when the woman was no longer a Belle.

She jumped on her feet when she heard distant sounds of footsteps. Then she whirled around and took a different route.

She got lost twice, and when she finally reached the vestibule to the ballroom, she found Ruby with Aaron and Jade. She looked around for Trent, but he was not there. So was Robert.

"Carol!" Ruby said, beaming at her, beckoning Caroline to join them with her hands.

Caroline reluctantly did while she searched for Trent and Robert.

"It's about to start," Ruby whispered to her, pulling her to the side.

She did not have to ask because the arrival of the children dutifully answered her question. Ages five to ten they entered the hall in white dresses and smiling faces.

The music began, and everyone's attention was to the children. Caroline tried to remain calm, aware of the Soldiers roaming around the hall, probably searching for her.

Nearly a quarter of an hour later, the children's dance was over and they were greeted with a collective applause from the crowd. They filed in a big circle and stopped in front of Prince Emory, who was surrounded by the other benefactors, and gave him their most respectful and graceful curtsy. The handsome prince smiled widely, clapping his hands.

Prince Albert was still absent, and others were wondering where he was.

"He must be in the gaming room. You know how he loves his games," said one man.

As the children exited the room, another batch came in, hopping on their toes with sticks and ribbons. Another round of applause.

Caroline then found Trent and Robert entering the room. In their hands were drinks, as if they just returned from the gaming room.

"Where have you been?" Caroline whispered to Robert.

"Gaming room," he replied, looking around. She saw Trent settle beside Jade, looking like the Trent that he was whenever he was with his Belle. Behind them was Aaron, with Ruby standing beside him looking at the back of Robert's head.

Caroline's head was reeling. She did not understand what she was feeling, but she knew... she just knew something was up.

And when Delaney and the other Belles entered the hall as well, all of them chatting quietly while the older children danced around the center of the hall, Caroline swallowed.

The last performance was held by the oldest girls, all ten of them holding string instruments to play everyone a goodnight song.

As the melody wafted through the hall, lulling everyone with its perfect harmony, a dreadful scream suddenly erupted, echoing from somewhere far, disrupting the peaceful pause in the hall.

Everything stopped, so did Caroline's heart. She turned along with everyone else, searching for the source of the scream.

It was not a woman's, or that of a man's.

It was that of a child.

It came again, and this time, it was not just one child.

Soon, an army of Soldiers rushed out the hall. Moments later, two male royal guards strode in and rushed toward Emory. One of them whispered something to his ear. Caroline saw the blood drain from her cousin's face before he was rushed—no, almost dragged—out of the hall, the two male royal guards pushing everyone in their path to the side as if everything in their path was an enemy.

"What's happening?" someone asked. That question broke the silence, and suddenly the hall was abuzz. Caroline wanted to go to Trent, but she knew she could not. Not when Jade was clutching him by the arm, acting as confused and concerned as everyone else.

From the corner of her eye, she saw Sasha calmly walk in from the vestibule that led to the garden, and saunter across the hall to approach Lady Eastwell, the Mistress of the Palace. Lady Aisling and Lady Miranda soon joined them. All four Mistresses huddled their heads together. Sasha was talking and Lady Eastwell was nodding. Soon, Lady Miranda briskly made her way out of the hall, followed by Lady Aisling.

Lady Eastwell lifted one hand, and two cloaked Soldiers came to her. They nodded as their Mistress gave them instructions and they, too, disappeared out of the hall.

"What is going on?" Jade asked they heard more screams from outside the hall, from somewhere within the Common Court.

Caroline's eyes never left Sasha. The woman stiffly turned, face unreadable, and their eyes met.

She gulped, watching as Sasha approach them, her steps quick and precise.

"Ladies," she said to the Belles when she reached them, "gather everyone else and return to the Secret Garden at once." Turning to Robert, she said, "Gentlemen, the ball is over, but none of you may exit Belcourt."

"What?" a flower incredulously cried out. "You cannot stop us from—"

"It is not my orders, gentlemen. This order comes from Belcourt and Prince Emory."

"Why? What happened?"

Caroline held her breath as she waited for Sasha's reply.

"The crown prince has been murdered."