บท 163: Something Green

"Oh, this?" Daphne gulped and her face fell as she saw the stormy look on Atticus's face. "It's a bracelet from Prince Nathaniel. He said he prepared this for my supposed arrival months ago." 

"Oh?" Atticus asked. 

His expression turned thunderous as he flipped her hand back and forth to look at the tinkling jewelry. The glistening, polished beads caught the light of the golden sun, reflecting it beautifully across the smooth surface. He pressed the seed in between his fingers, squeezing lightly.

Then, he said, "Do you know what this is when you accepted this gift?"

"This is  a seed bracelet souvenir?" Daphne replied hesitantly, her answer more of a question than a statement. From the way Atticus's face darkened minutely, Daphne knew her answer wasn't quite right. "Should I have not accepted it? I thought it would be fine since it wasn't a jeweled ring. Do you want me to give it back to him?"