Chapter 102

The sound of footsteps had Kit turning her head. At first, she’d hoped it was Eli, come to find her amidst her books again, but when she saw it was Pierce, she tried not to look too disappointed. In the past few days, she’d been doing her best to find interest with him. He was nice looking, intelligent, and from what she could tell, a good fellow to have around when one needed information. But despite her best efforts, seeing him didn’t cause her heart to soar the way it did when her eyes fell on some of the others.

“Ah, there you are, Princess,” the blond said with a smile. “I have been searching for you.” He pursed his lips together in a quirky grin.

“Good afternoon, Pierce. How are you today?”

“Good, good,” he replied coming to a halt next to her. “I have found out some information I thought you might want to know.”

Kit’s ears perked up, and she sat a little straighter. She hadn’t mentioned she’d been curious about the house in the forest, but perhaps he’d come into that information the same way he seemed to discover everything else. “What is it?”

“Well, your mother was overheard telling one of the council members that because of the weather, the noblewoman she plans to enlist as your lady-in-waiting has been delayed and may not be here until late next week.”

He finished with a knowing nod and that stupid smile, and Kit only stared at him, unmoving, for several seconds before she asked, “Is that it?”

“What do you mean?” Pierce asked. “Yes—that’s it. I thought you would want to know.”

Kit drew in a deep breath. She’d all but forgotten that her mother had brought on another spy to replace the one Kit had almost beaten in the hall for telling the queen the princess had been kissing Eli in the library. “Very well, then. Thank you,” Kit said, trying not to roll her eyes.

“Are you not pleased?” Pierce looked wounded, as if he couldn’t believe the princess wasn’t happy with his message.

“It’s not that,” she replied, trying to be more kind. “It’s only... I was hoping the information might be a little more useful. I had assumed the woman wouldn’t be traveling in the rain, not even from Eastbury.”

“Yes, well, I thought you would like confirmation.”

“And I appreciate it.” She was aware the smile on her face looked forced because it was forced.

Pierce sighed and move so that he was leaning against the window ledge, near her feet. “Princess, is something troubling you? The last few days, you’ve seemed... solemn. It is my understanding that you had cross words with your commander in the forest and that he is unhappy with you. Is that what’s vexing you?”

Once again, her eyebrows shot up. She had no idea that anyone thought she had had a quarrel with Eli or that he might be angry with her. “No,” she said, once she’d found her voice. “I did not have a disagreement with Eliason. It’s only....” Kit hesitated, not sure if she should ask Pierce to find out information about the house for her or not. If her mother found out she was snooping around, the queen would come undone. And the last thing she needed was to deal with an angry queen, particularly one that would not only want to punish her but take her wrath out on Eli as well. Deciding she could be careful in her request, she asked, “Do you know anything about the lands on the east side of the castle?”

“The forest we were riding through the other day during the hunt?” he clarified. “Very little.”

Kit nodded. “I’ve always thought the place seemed... enchanted. But I don’t know its history. I should like to know.”

“And you’ve tried asking those who’ve lived here longest? Your mother and father? Eliason, perhaps?”

“Yes,” Kit said, trying to keep the disappointment out of her voice. “It seems the forest is a mystery.”

He didn’t quite buy that explanation, and she couldn’t blame him since it wasn’t quite true. “Do you want me to see what I can discover?” he asked, timidly.

“Do you think you might be able to find out anything? There’s a house out there, a shell of one, actually, and I’ve always wondered who used to live there, who it belonged to.”

“A house?” Pierce echoed, folding his arms and leaning back slightly. “Is that what you’re interested in, or is it the trees themselves that have your curious?”

“Both, actually,” Kit replied, though she was afraid she may have already said too much. “If you could find out the origin, or any information about those particular woods, back in the northeast corner, near where the stream turns, a bit away from where Landon caught the fox, then I should be forever grateful.”

His eyebrows raised in what Kit could only describe as an attempt at seduction. “How grateful?”

Thoughts of inviting Pierce into her bedchamber made Kit swallow hard. She knew what he was implying, and while she would be thankful enough to him for solving the mystery, the words wouldn’t quite slip through her teeth.

So he said it for her. “Would you... be willing to invite me into your private chambers?”

Kit hesitated. She wasn’t even sure why. Pierce wasn’t repulsive; in fact, she was a bit attracted to him, sometimes, when he was dressed a certain way or had a specific expression on his face. But she wasn’t used to being propositioned, and the whole thing felt a little sleazy to her for some reason she couldn’t quite put her finger on. The Choosing wasn’t about favors; it was about who she liked, who she was attracted to. Nevertheless, she found herself saying, “Yes, that can be arranged.”

A broad smile spread across Pierce’s face, causing Kit to think he was even more unattractive now than he had ever been before. “I shall see what I can discover.” He stood, took a few steps, and leaned in, his lips hovering over hers for a moment before he leaned down and kissed her, forcing his tongue between her lips, and Kit thought if that was the way he pleasured a woman, she would need to make sure he used a lot of lubricant.

This time, he tasted slightly more appealing than last. There was no garlic aftertaste anyway. His hand cupped her chin, and then with no warning, he slipped it down to her breast, squeezing more tightly than Kit could ever imagine any woman appreciating. She gave him a nudge with her elbow which he didn’t seem to notice before she pressed a little more firmly. He got the hint that time and stepped back. “I’ll find out as soon as I can.”

“All right,” Kit said, resisting the urge to wipe his spit away from her lips while he was still staring at her. “Be careful. Whatever it is about those woods, it seems some people would like for it to stay a secret.”

Pierce nodded. “Don’t worry about me, Princess. I can take care of myself.” He gave her a wink and then turned and headed for the door, pausing once to smile at her before walking out, and then he knocked twice on the doorjamb with glee and bounded off down the hallway like a student done with lessons for the day.

Kit took a deep breath and wiped her hand across her lower lip. There was far too much liquid there to be considered pleasant. She brushed it in on her gown. As much as she wanted to know the secrets held by the house in the woods, part of her wanted it to take Pierce a long time to unravel.