Chapter 140

The labyrinth maze had been a tradition in every Choosing as far back as anyone could remember. Kit’s grandmother, Junno, liked to tell the story of how her own great-grandmother had been kissed in the labyrinth by her great-grandfather, that it was that day, during her Choosing, Queen Wyn had known that Luf was the one for her. Likewise, Junno said she had been kissed by Kit’s deceased grandfather, Nalt, for the first time during her maze run. Rona had never been caught during her own labyrinth run, so no one had kissed her. Kit hadn’t been surprised to hear that; her mother probably cheated somehow or threw elbows at anyone close enough to rein her in.

The maze itself was a vast structure situated a few leagues away from the castle. It’s upkeep was critical to the queen, though the labyrinth was only used during royal Choosings and from time to time whenever the queen wanted to throw an elaborate party and let her friends run through it. Kit had seen it a few times and always marveled at how tall and straight the hedges were. The queen assured her the paths would be different than the last time she was here so there was no point in trying to remember the way to the exit, not that Kit even recalled escaping the last time. She did have fond memories of her father chasing her down, scooping her up, and tossing her into the air before he tickled her while she squirmed and giggled.

The memories put a smile on her face, despite the fact that the carriage ride took them over some bumpy ground. The skies were an off-gray color, but the queen had assured all of them the rain would stay away. How she knew that was anyone’s guess, but Kit hoped she was right. Excitement bubbled up from deep within her as she thought about the game. While part of her wanted to win, she also thought it would be exciting to be caught and kissed by one of the men she liked best. Thoughts that someone like Pierce might be the one to catch her were not so appealing, and she prayed her mother hadn’t somehow managed to give him a secret advantage.

“Go over the rules again,” Isla requested as they made their way down the muddy road. Kit had been staring out the window, hoping to catch a glimpse of the maze through the trees, but the forest was thick, and she could see nothing of it yet.

“It’s quite simple,” Avinia assured her cousin. “We each have ribbons tied to our wrists.” She dangled hers in front of Isla so she could see. “If we are caught, the Representative who catches us may request a ribbon or a kiss on the cheek. If we give him a ribbon, he may trade that in for a kiss from the princess if she is caught by anyone. If he requests a kiss from us, we keep our ribbons. Once we are out of ribbons, we have lost, and no other Representatives can capture us.”

“What of the princess?” Seph asked, sitting next to Isla on the bench across from Kit. “If she is caught, what happens?”

“Whoever catches the princess can kiss her and take one of her ribbons. In order to win, a Representative must exit the labyrinth first with a ribbon from the princess before she exits.”

“So the first Representative who exits the labyrinth wins?” Isla asked.

“Only if he has a ribbon from the princess,” Avinia corrected.

“And if he gets a ribbon, he also gets a kiss.” Seph’s smile was a little mischievous, and it made Kit grin back at her until she realized she might have to kiss someone she didn’t want to. She was done pretending with some of these gentlemen who needed to go home. Even with the cuts she’d made the night before, it wasn’t enough.

“When do they trade in their ribbons for kisses from the princess?” Isla wanted to know.

“After the maze is over.” Avinia shrugged as if that didn’t make any difference. “We are to beguile them into kissing us instead to save Her Majesty’s royal lips.” She winked at Kit, which had her giggling.

“Yes, please, steal as many kisses as you can—from certain Representatives, anyway.” There were a few men she hoped would rather have a ribbon than a kiss from any of these lovely ladies.

“Well, if Landon tries to kiss me, I might just have to turn my mouth toward him,” Avinia teased, getting a laugh out of everyone, even Kit who knew she was teasing. The Representatives were only allowed to kiss their cheeks.

“I’m sure your husband will love that.” Kit shook her head at her naughty cousin as they all continued to laugh.

“In these outfits, what man wouldn’t want a kiss from any of us?” Isla shook her breasts, causing the giggling to ramp up again.

“We do look rather fetching,” Avinia noted. “I can’t believe women in the neighboring realm of Antoinetta wear these sorts of gowns every day!”

Kit glanced down at her own dress and had to agree with her cousin. Her mother had thought it would be lovely to have a theme, so all of the women were dressed in the more revealing gowns of a realm to the west. The bodices of the gowns pressed their breasts up above the low cut neckline so that there was little left to the imagination while the skirts were wide at the hips, though still free flowing, unlike the paintings Kit had seen of the Antoinettians. Her mother still wanted the girls to be able to run through the maze. The fabric was lightweight and sheer, and Kit appreciated that the gown she was wearing was green so perhaps she would blend in with the shrubbery a bit more and be able to escape those who would take her ribbon.

“It’s the bloomers that are scandalous, really,” Seph added. “I mean, whose ever heard of crotch-less knickers?”

“They are not comfortable, that’s true,” Avinia said. “But... I assume it will make using the loo a bit easier!” That brought a roar of laughter.

“Or giving access to the winner in the carriage ride home!” Isla had a spark of mischief in her eyes, and Kit swiped at her cousin with her hand, unable to believe she’d suggest such a thing. “What? You will be joining the Representative who claims victory all alone in that hansom carriage on the way back to the castle.”

Kit was aware that the prize included a ride back to the castle with her alone in her mother’s most elaborate carriage, one where every edge, every decoration, every trinket possible was decorated in pure gold. Still, it had never crossed her mind that her knickers would allow such a thing. “The ride back to the castle is relatively short,” Kit reminded her cousin.

“That’s all right. Make it a quickie!” Avinia had them all roaring in laughter again until Kit caught sight of the maze off in the distance. The size of it took her breath away, and she stared in awe as she had as a little girl.

“It’s magnificent!” Seph declared, seeing it for the first time.

“Wait until you see it close up,” Avinia said. “There’s a large fountain in the center with ornate cherubs and large-mouthed bass. It’s gorgeous.”

“It’s so much larger than I remember,” Isla noted.

Kit agreed. Despite the fact that she was smaller the last time they’d ridden out to this place, she thought the walls of green shrubbery seemed enormous. Her mother had declared them to be twelve feet tall, but to Kit, they seemed larger still. Even Eliason wouldn’t be able to climb over top of those shrubs, as he had done before to access her garden at the castle.

Dozens of other carriages began to pull in behind the princess’s, which pulled up behind the queen’s. Rona waited to exit until everyone else had assembled in front of the maze. Kit paid little attention to the footman who offered his hand, she was too busy gaping at the shrubbery. Perhaps the recent rains had something to do with the vibrant green and plush, velvety texture the labyrinth gave off. She took her place across from her mother’s coach and waited.

Many of the Representatives had chosen to ride their horses rather than in carriages, and it was the sound of them approaching that had Kit’s head turning away from the spectacle of the maze at last. She caught Cassius’s eye first as he alighted from Snowduster and handed the reins to his liegeman who came alongside him on a much less illustrious horse. Seeing Jate reminded her of the night they’d shared together, and she felt her cheeks instantly turn to pink when he smiled at her. Landon and Reeve both nodded hello, and then she caught sight of Eli.

He was riding Aeros, which wasn’t a surprise, but there was no one with him to take the reins, so he went over to tie the horse up himself. Kit knew he could’ve let Aeros stand there unattended and the beast wouldn’t have moved an inch without permission, but the Representative from Eastbury didn’t seem bothered to take care of his own horse. Still, Kit wished she could appoint him a liegemen from one of the guards. It made little sense that he didn’t have one.

When he finally looked in her direction, she turned away quickly and immediately regretted it, thinking she likely offended him in doing so. She only wished she’d had a chance to speak to him about what had transpired in his family home. The thought that she could have if she was really trying entered her mind, but she pressed it aside. So much had happened since that day—the incident with Merek being the primary event—and then, when she’d returned from dinner the night before, after his long ride back from Eastbury, she was content to lose herself in Jate instead of searching out the commander. It seemed the longer she put their discussion off, the more difficult it would be to broach.