Chapter 110

Queen Rona walked at least fifteen steps ahead of Kit the entire distance to her throne room, which was so far away from her own chambers, Kit always felt like she was in a parade or taking a constitutional by the time she got there. Her mother turned down a side hallway headed for her private throne room, which was less intimidating than the larger one she used for visiting dignitaries and other important events, like meting out justice. The smaller room was more intimate but just as highly decorated, and Kit was slightly embarrassed to be dripping rain water all over the red carpet.

Her mother took a seat on her throne, waving her hand at the guards, who closed the doors behind them, and Kit lowered her head, waiting patiently for her mother to give the signal that she may rise. After thrusting her ring in front of her daughter’s face, letting Kit kiss it, and then taking several more beats of silence just for her own amusement, Rona said, “Rise, daughter.”

Kit straightened up the best she could, suddenly very aware that her stay was missing. Perhaps her mother wouldn’t notice, what with all the sogginess everywhere. Whatever it was her mother wished to ask her, she prayed to all the goddesses above she managed to answer without getting Eli in trouble and hopefully without having to lie to her mother. The queen was accomplished when it came to discerning untruths.

“Where have you been?” Rona rolled her thumb and first finger around in a circle like she was holding a miniscule object, her red fingernails looking a bit too much like claws.

“Out for a ride in the forest,” Kit replied, trying to keep her tone nonchalant. “I felt cooped up inside after all the rain.”

“It’s still raining,” the queen reminded her.

“Yes, Mother, I know it is now. But it wasn’t when I left this morning.”

Rona considered her statement and then asked, “Have you seen Eliason?”

Kit’s eyebrows raised. She was getting straight to the point—unusual for her mother, the queen. “I saw him this morning, in the dining hall.” It wasn’t a lie, not exactly. “He didn’t go with me on the ride.”

Twisting her head to the side so that she was peering at her daughter out of one eye, Rona studied her. Kit tried not to swallow too hard or blink too heavily. “Did you see him in the woods?”

“No, I didn’t.” Also not a lie. They had been in the house the entire time she’d been looking at him....

“Funny you should both go missing at the same time....”

“Mother, it honestly doesn’t surprise me at all. Eli is always concerned about my well-being. Knowing him, he followed me at a distance, just to keep me safe. I don’t know for certain if you saw me arrive back at the castle, but I know your guards must have. I was alone, wasn’t I? Cassius met me out by the barn, but I haven’t seen Eli.” She stopped short of saying “for a while.” Obviously, she had seen Eli. It was up to the queen to determine what length of time she was referring to.

“Where did you go?” She was agitated now, not liking the answers she was getting. Clearly, she’d hoped to turn this into something, though what she had in mind, Kit wasn’t certain. It wasn’t as if Kit couldn’t spend time with Eli. He was a Representative, after all.

“I told you, Your Majesty. I went for a ride in the woods. It started to rain too hard; I turned back.”

“You didn’t go anywhere specific?”

“I went out near the stream, the one we crossed the other day when we were hunting Frick. But it was swollen with rainwater, so I didn’t tarry long. I rode around a bit. Snowduster is a magnificent beast. You should ride him sometime. I’m sure Cassius would love it if you did.” Kit was doing her best to throw her mother off now. “When I started to sneeze, I headed home. I wish I’d planned a little better. A hooded cape would’ve gone a long way toward keeping me dry.” She glanced down at her gown, thinking it was likely ruined. Burning it would not hurt her feelings in the least after the day she’d had.

Rona stopped rolling her fingers and adjusted in her chair. “Katrinetta, are you telling me you didn’t go out to that blasted house in the woods, the one I warned you never to visit again?”

“House?” It was no use trying to avoid outright lying now. She’d have to. Or tell the truth and suffer the consequences. She’d plead ignorance. “What house?”

“Surely, you remember. You used to ride out there with Eli. A ruined, old thing, falling down. Pierce was asking about it today.”

“Pierce?” The fact that his task had gotten back to the queen infuriated Kit, but she couldn’t show it. “Mother, Pierce is doing all he can to try to impress me with his knowledge of all things related to Wrenbrook and my life here. I have no idea why he might think I’d want to know about an old burned out house. He’s an odd fellow....” A look of dissatisfaction crossed her mother’s face, and she remembered the queen was fond of Pierce. “But I have decided to give him an opportunity. Tomorrow night. After the play.”

At this news, her mother’s eyes lit up. “I’m glad to hear that, Katrinetta. He is a fine young man.”

“Yes, he is.” She bit the inside of her cheek, hoped her mother didn’t notice, and let it go. “I’m certain he was only trying to be useful. He told me just the other day that he thought the rains may have delayed my new lady. When can we be expecting her? I do hope she makes it before the labyrinth run.”

“Yes, I am hopeful that she will make it in time as well. It should be a wonderful time.” The queen’s face lit up and Kit imagined she was thinking about watching all the Representatives chase the noblewomen through the maze. Kit had been out to the labyrinth several times when she was younger, and it was always a good time. For her own event, she was already working on a strategy so as not to get caught.

Kit sneezed a few times, and her mother’s nose twitched. “Pardon me.” Kit wished she still had Eli’s handkerchief, but she didn’t. And even if she did, she couldn’t use it in front of her mother, although she was fairly certain there were no identifiable markers on it.

“Are you getting ill? Katrinetta—if you come down sick after all of that gallivanting....”

“No, Mother. I’m not.” She had no idea how she meant to protest catching a cold, but she refused to do so. “I’ve asked Cassius to tell my ladies to draw a warm bath.”

Queen Rona settled back into her chair, her expression relaying that this may have been the first sensible thing her daughter had done in years. “Very well. You should head back to your room.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.” Kit bowed her head but waited, certain her mother wasn’t through.

“Cassius is a good man, Katrinetta. Pierce is as well. There are others. Give them a chance. Don’t waste all of your time on a man who isn’t good enough for you, who wouldn’t be able to put his own needs aside and serve you. Strong will, leadership, intelligence, those are all fine skills to have as a commander of men, but those are not the talents you are looking for in a duke.”

Kit waited until her mother was finished and then nodded in understanding. She had received the message—loud and clear. “Mother, you may want to know, Eli and I had a quarrel recently. It was over something silly, but I thought it might make you feel... relieved to know we are on the outs, at least at the moment.”

A soft grin of satisfaction pulled back the corners of her mother’s mouth. It was the closest thing to a smile Kit had seen from the queen in a long time. “I’m sorry to hear that,” she said, but her eyes said differently.

Shrugging in indifference, Kit bowed her head again. Her mother need not know that her heart felt less than whole any time Eli wasn’t fully in it. “Will that be all, my Queen?”

“Yes, daughter. You may go.” Rona waved her hand, and Kit backed to the door, thankful when her feet crossed the threshold into the hallway and her mother’s guards closed the doors between them. She didn’t look at their faces—they were all the same to her. Evil men who would do whatever the queen said without thinking twice about the moral implications. The only one who ever stuck out in her mind was the one with the jagged scar and that was because the wickedness radiating off of him was even more profuse than the others.

Kit turned to see two of her own guards waiting for her and smiled up at them. They both nodded, not showing their own joy at serving the princess while in front of the Queen’s Guard, and then they all moved back down the hallway together, Kit half a step ahead of them.

Once they rounded the corner, she breathed a sigh of relief. Despite her soaked gown and her difficult day, she was happy to be back among friends. “Tem, Lok, how are you today?”

“Glad to be in your service, my Princess,” Tem replied. He was older than Kit, possibly in his thirties, with a full red beard and curly hair. He had a wife and two children, and Kit often thought of him like an older brother whenever he was on duty, he was always so paternal and kind.

She turned to Lok, a dark haired fellow who had only started working in the guard a few months before her Choosing began. He couldn’t have been much older than her. “Are you having a fine day?”

“I was happy to see the rain slow down for a bit,” he replied.

Kit agreed, although she might’ve added she wished it had stopped for as long as she had anticipated when she’d left the castle. She waited until they were nearly to her chambers before she quietly asked, “Have either of you seen the commander recently... since I’ve returned to the castle?”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Tem said, and by his tone, Kit could tell there was something wrong. “He went to the infirmary as soon as he returned.”

Kit stopped in her tracks. “Is everything all right?”

“I believe so, Princess. Galter insisted he go. They came in together. I believe he may have inhaled some smoke. I’m not quite sure.”

“Smoke?” Kit asked. She knew she’d doused the fire.

“Yes, apparently the Queen’s Guard set a structure on fire in the woods, and he meant to put it out. Or something of that nature.”

Her heart stopped for a moment, and Kit’s hand went to her chest. Leave it to her mother to make sure she never went out there again! Poor Eli, having to watch his house burn for a second time.

“Are you all right, Your Highness?” Lok asked, concern in his voice.

“Yes. I’m fine. I’ll be fine, thank you.” She walked the rest of the way to her chambers in silence, hoping Eli wasn’t hurt—physically or emotionally. But something told her the latter would be far more scarring than any smoke inhalation or burns he may suffer from.