The fireplace in her special pleasuring chambers was unlit on her own request, but as Kit stood pacing, waiting for Eli to arrive, she thought perhaps she should’ve had a fire to take a bit of the chill out of the room. Wearing a robe over her thin chemise wasn’t quite warm enough with the autumn evening air slipping through the stone castle walls. Of course, she realized the room would heat up in a different way as soon as her Representative made his appearance, and she had originally thought that would be enough. Now, she ran her hands across her arms in an effort to keep from shivering as she waited.
He wasn’t late. In fact, she’d never known him to be late to anything in all of his years. But she’d come from her regular chambers a bit early because she wanted to be alone to think, and her ladies-in-waiting wouldn’t stop chattering about the joust. While much of the discussion was about how brave certain contestants had been, and how fri
Eli must’ve felt the same way. He slid his teeth together to enclose gently on her lower lip and tugged at it as he released her mouth. Kit’s head tilted back in a deep sigh, and he pulled her chemise off over her head. When he realized she was wearing nothing else, Eli gasped. Her eyes met his as his grin widened, and he gathered her up and dropped her onto the bed.His lips were on her once more, teasing her earlobe before tracing her neck as one hand kneaded her breast and the other nestled against her hip. Normally, Kit liked to take her time at this stage, letting her suitor explore her body with his hands and mouth, preparing her before he completely took her breath away, but with Eli, she was never patient enough to wait for him to tantalize her too long. She wanted him inside her, and she wanted it now.Despite the fact that she slipped her knee around the outside of his hips, attempting to coax him further between her legs, he continued to take his
Leaving Kit before the sun began to rise was one of the most difficult tasks Eli had ever been faced with, which was saying a lot considering what he’d seen in battle. She was still sound asleep and didn’t even stir when he’d kissed her goodbye. While he had a feeling Rona wasn’t going to end him that day, whatever she had in store was bound to be unpleasant. Defying the queen was never a good idea, but when your last name was Goedwig, it was the worst possible choice one could make. He might not disappear from Kit’s life altogether that day, but Eli knew his days with the princess were numbered, so long as the current queen sat on the throne.The halls were deserted as he made his way to the queen’s chambers, dressed in the same gray and purple he wore as Commander of the Princess’s Guard, though it wasn’t his uniform. He was hoping to remind the queen that he’d done a great deal to serve her, but he had a feeling none of
Waking up to an empty bed didn’t surprise Kit too much, though it did disappoint her. She had a feeling Eli wouldn’t be there when she awoke. Unlike the other Representatives, he usually wasn’t. She knew it was because his duties had never allowed him to sleep much, and by the time she awoke, he was usually hours into fulfilling whatever tasks needed to be done in order to ensure her safety. Still, this particular morning, finding the other side of the bed empty alarmed her, and Kit had a sinking feeling in her stomach that something was the matter before her feet even hit the floor.Kit gathered her discarded clothing from the night before and put it on thoughtlessly before she headed back down the hallway to her regular chambers. The hall was mostly empty, save the two guards who walked along with her in silence. She looked into their eyes to see if either of them might give away a secret, something awful that might’ve happened while Kit slept, but n
Staring at him did her no good as he refused to glance in her direction, but she could tell by the pallor in his face and the sweat beading his forehead he wasn’t himself. He made an attempt to eat and drink something, but it was clear he wanted to do neither, and Kit’s insides tangled up again.Since Eli wouldn’t look at her, she returned her attention to Cassius, hoping for an explanation. When she caught his eyes, he shook his head slightly, as if to say, “Don’t do it, Kit.” Her breath was still caught in her throat, and a rage began to boil inside of her like nothing she’d ever experienced before. Her mother had done something to Eli, but what it was, she didn’t know. How could she sit next to this woman and pretend everything was as it should be?The queen didn’t mind pretending. “There he is. Must’ve overslept.” She giggled in a malicious way and took a swig of wine. “It’s too bad
Eli’s room was further down the hallway from the dining room than Kit’s own chambers, and around a corner. He also had a room in the guard’s quarters, but this one was closer, and she assumed it is where Cassius had brought him. When she arrived, she knocked lightly. There was no answer. The door wasn’t locked, so she let herself in.He was lying on his stomach on his bed, his shirt off with some sort of poultice on his back. Kit gasped at the sight of multiple welts and bruises and felt the same rage from earlier welling up inside of her. She took a few deep breaths, thinking now wasn’t the time to let her anger consume her. That’s not what he needed, and it would do her little good to focus on that when clearly her mother had done something terrible to one of the men she loved.His face was turned away from her, so she quietly walked around the other side of the bed. His breathing was even, and she watched the rise and fall for a m
“We want Rona to think she’s won,” Eli countered. “If she has any idea whatsoever that you’re contemplating rising up against her, Kit, what she did to me is the least of our worries. I have no doubt in my mind the next time it will be far worse. And if we’re not ready, if our allies and confidants aren’t informed, we will all fall, no matter how just or true our cause is, and no matter how many of the citizens would prefer you to her.”Kit wanted to argue, but she was afraid he was right. She slumped back on the pillow, staring at the ceiling for a moment, trying to come up with a response that let her slap her mother across the face and still pretend she wasn’t considering usurping her power and taking the throne. There didn’t seem to be a way.“There are others who will also be angry. I’ve asked Cassius and Jate to speak to them, to let them know they cannot be hasty either. Those who are in pow
“If they will not fight for her, what makes you think they might fight for me?” she asked, her voice low but still laced with resentment.“Because they believe in you. They know that you are fair and that you would never expect them to do anything without proper compensation.”“What if I can’t? What if the reason my mother isn’t paying them is because we do not have the funds?” Was it possible the queen was just in a difficult position because of the failure of the crops in some provinces and the depletion of the mines in others?“I don’t think that’s the case. With a proper army, we wouldn’t have to send funds across our borders. Then, you would have the money to pay them. Not to mention, I am convinced Rona is hoarding gems and other valuables.”Kit pondered that statement for a moment. It wasn’t the first time he’d mentioned it. “I wouldn’t put it past
Kit spent the rest of the afternoon in her chambers, looking over notes she’d made for a project assigned to her by the council. She had always considered these assignments trivial busy work, but this one could potentially be different. Initially, she’d been asked to consider the current system for upkeep on the wagons that were used to transport goods from the castle to the provinces, but she decided perhaps there was more she could do with such a topic and was able to come up with several questions to pose to those in charge of making the transports. Having the guise of the assignment to hide behind might just give her the opportunity to dig deeper into exactly what was happening with the goods coming into Wrenbrook.Her thoughts were interrupted when Avinia announced it was time to prepare her for the evening meal. She hadn’t eaten much of anything all day, only nibbled on a bit of bread and fruit while she worked, so she was famished, but the thought of
Eventually, Kit stepped back, signaling she was done, and her party faded into the hallway. Eli was right, there was much to be done, and Kit wasn’t even sure where to begin with the task of restoring the realm to its former glory. But there was no doubt her first appointment with the council would be to approve the new law that would allow her to rule before the end of her Choosing, one that would allow her to keep all seven of the men who stood around her now.As if reading her mind, Zora, her great-aunt and a distinguished member of the council stepped forward. “Queen Katrinetta, I would like to present to you a new law, passed by the council earlier this day. All it needs is your signature.”Confused, Kit took the sheet of parchment and began to read. When her eyes reached the bottom of the paper, she looked up. “How did you know...?”“Junno explained everything to us,” Nil said, stepping forward. “And we agree
“We love you, Kit. We’ll always be here for you,” Jate said to her right.“Even when we’re broken,” Danyen added, getting a giggle out of her and the others.“It’s our privilege to be with you,” Drake said in his deep, steady voice.Reeve took her hand. “Your belief in us has shaped us into who we are.”“And given us the confidence to stand with you as you become queen,” Landon said in her ear.“It’s all been well-worth it, Kit, to see you take the throne.” Cassius was still battered, but he looked much better now, with a smile on his face, than he had since Kit had found him in the dungeon.Kit shifted her eyes to Eli, assuming he would also say something. His eyes darted around several times, and she could tell he was attempting to come up with something no one else had said, but they’d all expressed themselves so well, it was a difficult
No longer frightened of the woman who used to terrorize her, Kit raised her arms between her mother’s bringing them down to the sides quickly so as to prevent her mother from ever making contact with her neck. Rona’s arms snapped down and she winced in pain. Her eyes bulged in surprise at her daughter’s strength. Kit took advantage of her mother’s stunned expression long enough to plant her fist in Rona’s right eye. Her mother rocked backward, grabbing at her face as Kit felt Eli’s familiar hand on her shoulder, seeking to calm her. Clearly, the older woman was no physical threat to Kit or anyone else.The bejeweled, golden crown atop Rona’s head wobbled as the queen staggered from the blow. It slid free, tumbling toward the floor. Kit reached out a hand and plucked it from the air. “The goddess have spoken!” she declared, ignoring the fact that it was the force of her own strike that had dislodged the crown. Nearly everyo
Watching the battle take place from the hallway had been unsettling for Kit, especially when she saw Eli faltering. For a moment, it had looked as if Vin might be victorious. Her attention had been pulled away when she learned Danyen was injured. Despite Galter’s best efforts to stop her, the princess insisted on going in and tending to him, and she had been there, placing pressure on the wound when Armant arrived. Danyen apologized for not being as handy with a sword as he was a quill, but Kit had only kissed him and assured him he was perfect in her sight.And then she’d seen hesitancy in Cassius and Eli as they considered mercy for Vin, the monster who had hurt and tortured so many. Ending him seemed like the right thing to do for all of the people of Yewforia, though she could never fault her men for weighing the costs of taking a life, even when that life was as worthless as scar face’s.She’d been stunned to see Jecob standing on the dais,
Across the room, Eli heard a shout and a roar of laughter. He could hardly let the situation distract him, but his head flickered in that direction for a moment, and he saw Danyen on the ground, grasping his middle. Drake was there and ended the laughing soldier who’d stabbed Danyen, but the Representative looked seriously wounded. Looking around the room, as he saw Vin trying to take advantage of his distraction, out of the corner of his eye, Eli spotted a member of his own guard who had just finished a man off. “Nen! Go to the infirmary and fetch Armant, as quickly as you can!”Eli hardly had time to see the guardsman nod in understanding before Vin’s persistence paid off, and his sword caught Eli in the left shoulder. It was a glancing blow as Eli dodged to his right, but this wound was deeper than the last and hurt more. It was not enough to slow him, though. Eli came flying back at Vin with a vengeance, thinking of his comments about Kit, how he h
The scene in the throne room was chaotic at best. Looking around, Eli quickly ascertained the situation. While the revolutionaries and several members of the Princess’s Guard had the upper hand, there were still twenty or thirty members of the Queen’s Guard and military doing their best to defend the door to the queen’s chambers.Across the room, Eli caught sight of a familiar set of dark eyes grimacing in his direction, and the Commander narrowed his focus as he stared him down. Scar face didn’t take his eyes off of Eli as he began to work his way through assailants, cutting them down easily as he moved toward his target. As he advanced, the aura of pure evil shifted the room such that darkness seemed to blot out everything around them until only Eli and the man who’d tried to end him remained. One of them would not walk out of this room.His concentration was broken when he heard another recognizable voice shout, “Goedwig! You&rsqu
The door to the castle was nearly nonexistent. Shards of wood hung from the upper posts, a few clung to the doorjambs, but for the most part, what had been an elegant entryway was now reduced to nothing but splinters and flecks of gold paint, thanks to the battering ram Eli had mentioned earlier.Realizing the only weapon she had was the small dagger, Kit scoured the ground for a sword. She saw one lying on the floor just inside of the castle entrance and picked it up, certain the poor fellow reposing nearby would no longer need it. She turned to tell her ladies they should do the same but noted they were already armed. Seph and Isla both had swords, though not as large and cumbersome as the one Kit had just procured, and Avinia had a bow she must’ve been carrying on her saddle, a quiver strung to her back.Armant and the other men who had come along with him stepped forward. “This is where we must leave you. We’ll head to the infirmary and check on t
“Are the two of you at peace now?” Kit asked Eli and Cassius.“I suppose so,” Eli began. “If he wants to go off and get himself killed, there will be one less person to share you with.” He smiled at Cassius, a mischievous twinkle in his eye, and the larger man reached around Kit and popped him in the arm.“You’d better not get yourself killed. Any of you.” Kit looked around and saw all seven of the men she’d chosen nearby, five of them already saddled and ready to go, the other two done arguing. While she hadn’t made Drake’s appointment official, she would, as soon as she knew the outcome of the battle at hand.Kit’s hip was still aching from where she cut it on the door earlier. Normally, she’d be able to mount Belle by herself, but with her leg torn up, she decided it would be easier to ask for help. Turning to Eli, she asked, “Will you give me a boost?”&ldq
Avinia had quite an entourage with her, including several wagons’ worth of food and water, clean clothes, a few weapons, and Armant with medical supplies. She’d enlisted some castle servants to drive the wagons, and as soon as they reached the remaining prisoners, they also helped the physician as he began to assess wounds and care for the sick and injured. Bea, his nurse who was also a faithful member of the revolt, was there to help as well.Kit wasn’t sure who to go to first. Both of her cousins, along with their husbands, dropped down from their horses, and Kit could see Avinia’s eyes searching for her through the crowd. But she also wanted to run to Drake and Danyen, who were bringing up the end of the line, along with Gavin, Asher, and a few of the other remaining Representatives.The men would have to wait. Avinia rushed over, embracing Kit quickly before she backed up. “You smell terrible.”“Thank you. I just sli