Even the most sensible shoes she owned were no match for standing on the stone dais for hours, and by mid-afternoon, Kit’s feet ached, even though they had taken an hour to dine not that long ago. So far, she’d met a few interesting candidates, but when the delegation from Warchester Keep arrived, the day suddenly became more interesting.
A full foot taller than the man before him, the one she assumed would be doing the introductions once they passed through the security line, Kit caught the Representative’s easy smile and instantly remembered him from her eighteenth birthday celebration. His green eyes sparkled and his curly mop of dark hair caught the breeze. His eyes never strayed from her face, and for the first time on what was becoming the longest day she could remember, she was intrigued.
“Your Majesty,” the stooped older man began, addressing her mother first, “may I present the representative from Warchester Keep, Cassius of
Jaterius of Rockdale was presented to her a moment later. She didn’t catch his family name as she’d been distracted, but he had lovely hazel eyes and a kindness about him Kit had yet to encounter in any of the other Representatives. “It’s lovely to meet you, my Princess,” he said, bowing low to her. His smile was warm and affectionate but there was something unassuming about him, as if he were unsure of himself.“You as well,” Kit replied, offering her hand, which he took and planted a soft kiss near her knuckles. “I trust your trip was comfortable enough?” She felt as if she was always asking the same question, but then, none of the delegates would know that unless they had a discussion about her later, something she doubted would be happening just yet.“Comfortable enough, my Princess,” he replied with a nod. He wasn’t much taller than she was, which also struck her as different. Most of the Repr
“Your Majesty, Queen Rona, I am Lita of Noblewood. May I present to you my grandson, Jecobian of the family Noblewood of Eastbury.”“How do you do?” Rona asked, and Kit noted this was the most pleasant her mother and been all morning. In fact, she greeted them with a smile much wider and more genuine than any of the others Kit had seen since the welcoming ceremony had begun. “I heard of your difficulties, and I am pleased to see you’ve made it through unscathed.”“Yes, it was quite the hardship,” Lita said, making a tsking sound with her tongue. “We are happy to be alive, aren’t we Jecob?”Startled by the question, the Representative asked, “What’s that, Grandmother?” Kit did her best to hold back a giggle, but she knew why he hadn’t been listening to the older woman. His eyes had been locked on hers the entire time.“I said we are
The rest of the line of people came by, but Jecobian’s dazzling smile stayed in Kit’s mind’s eye, and once the next delegation came into view, down the road quite a ways, Kit thought she might not make it through another meeting such as that one. She needed a fan, some water, and a place to lie down.“You liked that one, didn’t you, darling daughter?” her mother asked, a hint of excitement in her tone.“I did,” Kit admitted. “He has been one of my favorites thus far.”“Good,” was all her mother said in response, and Kit wondered what it was about Jecobian that made her mother so pleased. She doubted she’d ever find out. Questions about what really happened in the attack lingered, but she knew she’d not get answers from her mother whose lips were sealed tight on that matter—and most others.It took an hour for the next delegation, presenting Owin from the province Ald
The scent of Wrenbrook was unique, like the castle itself, and as Eli made his way through the towering metal infused doors on the west side of the castle, the odor washed over him, triggering a flood of memories. It seemed odd to him that mustiness, the scent of stone, carved wood, and sweat from thousands of bodies, could all mingle together to create such a distinctive, all encapsulating experience, but there it was nonetheless, and for part of him, it was as if he’d never left.Dozens of greetings were flung his way as he made his way down the long hall that led to the army bunkers. A member of the Queen’s Guards had caught up with him as he was dismounting and ordered him to go there until Her Majesty sent for him. He wasn’t surprised. Apparently, he was a threat to the queen, despite the fact he’d proven himself incapable of completing even the first step that would’ve been necessary for him to thwart her, and despite all of her apprehensio
Two more guards opened the doors to the queen’s private throne room. Her essence filled the space, even though she was seated a great distance from the door. Something about her presence overpowered the other dozen or so women who sat near her, as if their authorities combined couldn’t begin to compare with that of the queen, but Eli was glad they were here. At least, if Queen Rona tried to send him to his own execution for no reason, he’d have witnesses to the injustice, not that anyone would likely dare to interfere.He bowed low, and she offered her ring, which he kissed, though he was certain the idea of his lips anywhere near her was almost as repulsive to her as it was to him. Nevertheless, that was custom, and she left him staring at the red and gold carpet for much longer than necessary before she finally gave him the command to rise, likely just to show him she was still in charge. He hadn’t forgotten.When he met her eyes, he noted she
Rona watched Eliason leave the room, her eyes staying on him as if he were an insect, and she might need to squash him at any moment. Thoughts from her past intermingled with the present for a moment, and she narrowed her eyes even further. Why she had allowed him to stay in her castle for so long momentarily escaped her, and part of her wanted to fling him out into the world, sending him as far away as he could go.“It’s a shame,” Zora said quietly. Rona’s head swiveled slowly to face her cousin. The queen did not speak, only waited. “I know he hasn’t spent much time in his home province, but Katrinetta has always been fond of him.”A chirp escaped the queen’s lips. “You can’t actually be suggesting Eliason Goedwig would’ve been a good choice for my daughter?”Zora shrugged. She was one of the few council members who never seemed to care if she raised the queen’s ire. “I’m
Three long days of standing in the heat, greeting guests, meeting many attractive, and a few not-so-attractive, men had Kit exhausted, and she was beginning to wonder why she’d ever consented to this ridiculous Choosing in the first place. Of course, then she remembered she hadn’t. She’d been born to it, and whether or not her aching feet approved, she was bound to continue.“Don’t worry. Today will be much easier,” Avinia assured her as she brushed out her long hair. “You’ve already received all but ten of the Representatives, and according to the scouts your mother sent out, only four or five of the remainder will arrive today.”“Which means you may sit in your chambers until you are called for,” Isla noted.Her mother had explained the situation the day before, but Kit was fairly certain that the closest delegation would arrive within the hour, so she would still have to trek all the way out to
On the sixth night of the welcoming, her mother declared the next day Kit would be free to speak to the Representatives, and while she was glad to finally have the ban lifted, the proclamation made everything seem much more real.Kit took refuge in her flower garden, the one place where she still felt at peace. The sun was beginning to set, and two of her guards kept watch for intruders off in the distance, but their backs were turned, and she doubted they were truly paying her any mind.She hadn’t seen much of Eli, and sometimes she forgot he was back at all until she came across him in the hallway. He’d always smiled and greeted her, and she’d arrange her face so that she might appear to be happy if he weren’t studying her too closely and then go on about her business. She’d always just assumed he wouldn’t be here for all of this, and if she ever saw him again, it would be after she’d already chosen the man she’d spend
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