Chapter 109

The rain had let up for a little while a few hours ago, but now, as Cassius stood in the hallway near the door that led to the barn and Kit’s favorite garden, it was pouring again. At least there was no lightning or thunder this time. He prayed, wherever she was, she was safe.

He’d been in the Representative’s room that morning, visiting with several of the other men, when his liegeman had come to tell him Snowduster was missing. Ral had said that, during a break in the rain, he’d gone out to the barn to check on him, and the steed was gone. The stable boys assured him there was nothing to worry about, but they wouldn’t tell him who had taken the prize stallion.

Cassius had run out to see for himself, and when he noticed a few other boys washing off Belle’s hooves, he had an idea what had happened. He would’ve ridden after her if he hadn’t also noticed Aeros’s stall was empty. So... wherever the fair lady who had absconded with his horse had gone off to, he had to believe she was in capable hands.

That didn’t make the waiting any easier. He was aware Kit was infatuated with that house in the woods, though why or what it was, he had no idea. He’d gathered the notion that she used to go there with Eli when they were younger, but to him, that seemed like a silly reason to go riding off to visit it in a rainstorm. As well as he had gotten to know the princess, there was still much he did not understand. He was willing to take as much time as necessary, though, because he was quite certain he was already in love with her.

So he was willing to stand there and wait, no matter how long it took for her to reappear. A few of the others had come to check on him, Jate and Landon, Reeve and Danyen, but they all knew he was the one who needed to be there waiting when she came back, and despite their longing to be with her just as much as he did, they respected it. The horse was his, and right now, the girl would be his, too, unless she came riding in with a grin alongside Eli and it turned out she didn’t need Cassius after all, but he had a feeling that wouldn’t be the case.

He spotted the horse before he made out the rider. Through the haze, across the mud and muck, he saw a glimmer of white appeared between the distant trees. She was alone, although he had a feeling the commander couldn’t be far off, even if Kit didn’t know it. Once she reached the castle grounds, he took off for the barn, thankful the rain had let up some though there was no doubting he’d be drenched by the time they got back inside. Luckily, he was wearing dark blue and not anything that couldn’t be incinerated later if necessary.

The moment she noticed him, her eyes widened. He could see it even from far away, and a smile came to her face. She sped Snowduster up and rode him hard, which was no problem since he was anxious to see his rightful owner as well. The horse sprang to a stop in front of him, and he moved around the side to help her down. “There you are, you horse wrangler,” he teased, grabbing her around the waist and lifting her off into his arms.

Kit wrapped her arms around his shoulders, and the uncomfortableness of standing in two inches of mud in the rain all melted away. “I’m sorry,” she said into his neck. “I didn’t think you’d mind. I tried to take Belle, but the mud was too thick....”

He cut her off. “You’re forgiven.” He tilted his head up, and she came down to meet him, their lips brushing together in a sweet kiss. He could tell something was wrong, and it wasn’t just her wet clothing that had her upset. “We should get you inside.”

“You can put me down.” She smiled at him, and he reluctantly sat her on her feet, sliding her hand down his arm to intertwine her fingers in his.

Already, the stable hands were moving to get the horse out of the rain. Cassius petted his nose lovingly and then led Kit back to the castle, thankful she was back safely. She sneezed, which alarmed him, but she brushed it aside like it was nothing. “Is everything all right?” he asked, hoping she would know it wasn’t just about a potential cold.

“Not in the least,” she admitted, and her shoulders slumped to show it. “I can’t talk about most of it, though.”

“Eli didn’t... hurt you did he?”

“Not physically,” she said quickly. “Not intentionally.”

The fact that he had hurt her at all made a ball of anger well up inside of him, but Cassius kept it at bay, knowing the quarrel was not his, and Kit was able to manage herself. Still, the idea that anyone would harm her in anyway made him furious.

“I think I should like to take a hot bath and leave all of it behind me,” she said with a loud sigh as they reached the porch. He pulled the door open for her, and they made their way down the hall.

“If there’s anything I can do...” he began, but as soon as they rounded the corner, his words caught in his throat. At the end of the hall stood the queen and several of her guards. This was worse than he had thought.

Kit exhaled slowly, as if she were trying to control her breathing and failing. Her eyes flickered from her mother, dressed all in red velvet, a substantial crown on her head, and Cassius’s face.

“Katrinetta, come with me at once.”

“Yes, Mother,” she replied, both of them bowing slightly at the ruler. Before she stepped forward, she tugged on his arm. “Will you go to my chambers and ask my ladies to start a hot bath for me? I am hopeful this will not take long.”

“Yes, of course.” The fact that her mother wouldn’t even allow her to change out of her dripping wet clothing didn’t seem fair, not that he could question the queen.

“Thank you.” She smiled at him with her eyes and took a step in the queen’s direction before she turned back and whispered, “Wait for me?”

He tried to keep his grin contained so that the queen wouldn’t see it, but he nodded at the princess, and Kit headed off toward her mother, her head bowed, a streak of water trailing her down the marble hallway.