Crystal Hearts • Book 2 Of The Crystal Trilogy • ⏸

-| 3 / number one suspect |-

Caroline and Phoebe were going to meet up with Margaret and Andy to discuss how they'd begin their investigation on what happened to Faith and who her killer was.

It was hard; they had no leads and it had been a long time since she'd been killed, but they needed to try.

They started their investigation with the last known person to see Faith alive; a servent named Esmeralda Dow. She was an orphan, found by Andy seventeen years before and had been brought up by him and his wife, being like a sister to Faith. After her death, Esmeralda had stopped being the upbeat, carefree and joyful person she'd once been and had kind of disappeared. After a month of hiding in the shadows and more work than anyone could handle, she'd been forgotten by the people she used to call friends.

She'd stopped talking and did nothing but work, keeping herself busy and distant from everyone who thought they knew her.

They found her tidying up an already clean room that wasn't just clean and tidy, but also unoccupied at the time and left to collect dust.

"Esmeralda?", Margaret called. The blonde jumped in surprise and stared at everone with big, green eyes.

"Yes?", she asked, looking nervous. Caroline suspected that she wasn't surprised to see them and that her reaction resembled mostly one of a scared person.

"We want to talk to you about some things.", Andy told her calmly, trying not to scare her any further.

Esmeralda gulped. "About what?"

"Faith.", Caroline replied. The servant paled and took a couple steps back.

"I- I don't understand.", she started sweating nervously.

"Esme, calm down. We just want to talk.", Margaret reached ot for her.

In an attempt to get out of the confrontation, Esmeralda dropped everything she was holding and ran to the balcony, closing the door behind her and jumping to the next room's. Before anyone had the chance to react due to their surprise, she locked the door to the room she was hiding and the one of the balcony, trapping herself inside.

Everyone ran to the door, apart from Phoebe who stayed behind to keep watch at the balcony.

"Esmeralda, please open up!', Caroline begged her, banging her fists on the door.

"No! I don't know anything! Leave me alone!", the servant yelled.

Andy sighed. "Stubborn as always...", he muttered, motioning at the princess and his wife to steer clear off the door. He charged at it, kicking it open and barging into the room.

Esmeralda failed to stiffle a scream. "I swear, I don't know anything! Please leave me alone!", she pleaded.

"Esme, what are you talking about?", Margaret asked her worriedly.

"Nothing! I told you, I don't know what happened!"

"Then why did you run?", Caroline questioned her. The poor girl tried to make a run for it again, but found Phoebe standing near the door, blocking her way out.

And then she burst into tears and uncontrollable sobs.

"I swear, I had nothing to do with it! I- I'll tell you everything, just please don't tell the king!", she cried.

"What are you talking about?", Phoebe asked her.

"You want to talk to me about Faith, don't you? You're looking for her killer."

"Well, yeah. What do you know?", Caroline asked her.

"Most things...", Esmeralda bit her lip. She approached the door and looked up and down the hallway suspiciously, before getting back inside and closing it. She sat down on the bed, trying to calm herself. "Faith and I were outside in the gardens when I last saw her. We were approached by a couple of high-rank soldiers and the king himself.", she said quietly. "They told Faith they needed to talk to her about something and King Alastor left with her and one of the guards. The other one stayed behind to make sure I didn't follow.", Esmeralda explained. "I didn't see her again. That night the King found me and told me that if I ever said anything abut this to anyone, I'd have the same fate as her.", she sobbed.