Thrice Upon a Marigold Read Online Free PDF

“is Vlad, the ex-poisoner-in-chief.
My
father.”
    Marigold gasped again, but more quietly this time. “I
knew
you looked familiar,” she said.
    Chris patted the queen’s hand absent-mindedly. “Yes. You’re Phoebe, and you’re Sebastian,” he said.
    â€œYou knew?” Sebastian asked.
    Christian nodded. “I’m the king. It’s my business to know.”
    â€œBut,” Phoebe went on, “we’re nothing like our fathers. At least I’m not. I don’t know him very well”—she gestured at Sebastian—“so I can’t be sure, but I think he’s okay. And I do know our fathers were close friends and that this is exactly something they would do. Boris was so outraged about his exile that he vowed revenge. He said it was best served cold, whatever that means.”
    â€œIt means that you can make a better plan for vengeance and carry it out more effectively when your anger has cooled off and you’re icy and merciless,” Sebastian said.
    The word
merciless
was so accurate and so chilling that Phoebe shivered. “Oh. Then that’s what he meant. And it sounds awful, doesn’t it?”
    â€œIt does to me,” Marigold said. She turned to Chris. “Do you mean there have been other threats against Poppy? And you didn’t tell me?”
    He put his hand over hers. “I didn’t want to worry you, my love. Rollo and I had it under control. Why spoil your happiness with Poppy?”
    She yanked her hand away. “I thought we were best friends! I thought you told me everything! How dare you keep something like that from me? Have you forgotten I’m also the
queen?
You don’t need to
protect
me. I’m perfectly capable of deciding for myself how much something worries me. And I can’t do that unless I know what the problem
is.
It’s insulting, that’s what it is.” Furious tears welled in her eyes.
    Since he’d married Marigold, Chris had learned a thing or two about what
happily ever after
really meant. He was smart enough to recognize that he’d just screwed up and that a real apology (not one of those that somehow suggests that another person is actually at fault because they couldn’t take a joke or were too sensitive, or something like that) was called for. Immediately.
    â€œI’m sorry, precious,” he said. “I thought I was saving you from worry, but I see that I was wrong. Can you forgive me?” A good apologizer offers the offended party an opportunity to be generous in forgiveness—but doesn’t count on it. Some people (luckily Marigold was not one of them) can hold a grudge forever.
    â€œProbably,” Marigold said. “In fact, I’m sure I can. But first I want to hear what else Phoebe and Sebastian have to say.”
    â€œOh,” Phoebe said. “Nothing, really. We told you all of it.”
    â€œSo you don’t know who M. is, or where the pigeon was headed?” Chris asked.
    â€œNo,” Sebastian said. “But I’d guess it was going to your personal quarters. Anybody who could get close enough to Princess Poppy to snatch her would have to be someone who knew how to get to her. Someone who knew the castle well. Don’t you think?”
    â€œIndeed I do,” Christian said. “Don’t you, precious?” he asked Marigold, who nodded. “So the first thing we’re going to do is increase the security in the nursery.”
    â€œAnd you should probably find everyone in the castle whose name begins with
M
and start investigating them,” Sebastian said. Then, realizing how presumptuous he’d been, he stammered, “Except the queen, of course.” He bowed in Marigold’s direction. “Don’t you think? Your Highness?”
    â€œYou make perfect sense,” Christian said, then looked at Marigold. “What do you think, precious?”
    â€œThat’s exactly what