Yes. It was the sapphire Cole had given me.
Four years ago, I’d worn it while we were out on a boat. When it slipped and fell into the lake, I panicked and jumped in after it.
The currents beneath the surface were treacherous. I’d almost drowned.
Even then, I hadn’t found it.
I’d thought that gem had vanished forever into the lake’s depths. I never imagined this sailor had fished it back up!
The expressions around us were strange.
The sailor, oblivious to the shift in mood, beamed. “I saw how much Your Highness loved that sapphire, so I knew it had to mean a lot to you. I dove for it for a few days. Thankfully, I found it in the end.”
“After that, I never saw you again, so I could only keep it. Now I can finally return it.”
My breathing went shallow.
Of course he’d never seen me a
