Chapter 142

Kit wasn’t exactly sure what that pointed look was supposed to convey, but it made her swallow hard. She had an idea that her mother had something up her sleeve, and Kit didn’t like it. It occurred to her again that Pierce may have some sort of an advantage, since he was her mother’s favorite, and she wished she could get word to some of her other Representatives that he may be allowed to cheat. But she didn’t have time to think on it as she was ushered into position by one of her mother’s guardsmen who were in charge of security at the event.

“What happens if we get lost?” Seph asked in Kit’s ear as they both walked toward the center opening.

“Once there is a winner, you will have a few minutes to exit yourself before the guard will sweep in and escort anyone left in the maze to the exit. They know the path. They will hold up large flags that you can see over the walls in order to find them.” The fact that her mother’s guardsmen were intimately acquainted with how to navigate the maze made Kit even more curious as to whether or not Pierce had been given any tips. She looked over to where the Representatives were assembled and saw that he wore a cocky smile, and her intestines started to burn. She needed to work her way through as quickly as possible; the last thing she wanted was another night with Pierce, even if the last one had ended abruptly.

“What are you looking at?” Seph asked as both women positioned themselves to go through the opening in the center of the maze, as well as a few of the other women. Kit noticed Avinia down at the first opening and Isla at the third.

Leaning in closely so that she may not be overheard, Kit whispered, “Pierce. What if my mother has given him an advantage?”

Seph glanced toward where the Representative from Metfirth was standing for only a second before she turned back to the princess. “I see. Try not to worry, Kit.” She straightened her skirt. “We shall handle it.” A wicked smile spread across Seph’s pretty face.

Kit’s eyebrows shot up. She looked from Seph to Isla and then down to Avinia and realized her ladies had some sort of a plan to disrupt Pierce. She thought that must be why they were so spread out. Taking a deep breath, Kit said, “Thank you,” but then returned her attention to the maze opening. She still wanted to get as far away from Pierce as possible. If anyone was able to catch her, she thought it should be someone skilled enough to track her down, not a cheater.

“Cassius! I’m going through the first opening!” Junno called, making them all laugh again. Kit only stole a glance at Cassius over her shoulder and noted he was blushing before she refocused on the task at hand. She was smiling, though. Her grandmother was so different than her mother; Kit wished she had been Junno’s daughter instead of Rona’s.

But then, she wouldn’t belong to her father. She wished Remont had been invited. He was not among the half-dozen or so gentlemen on the decking above them. The thought hurt her heart, and she had to bury it for the moment. It would take everything she had to get ahead of the Representatives.

“All right, ladies!” The queen’s voice was loud and clear despite the fact that she was soaring above their heads on the decking. “On my command, you may enter the maze. Remember, the goal is not to get caught, but if you do, use your beguiling nature to keep as many ribbons as you can!” Kit saw Seph glance down at her own wrists, decorated with six purple ribbons. She wondered if Eli would take a ribbon or a kiss from his old flame....

“On your mark, get set... enter!”

Kit didn’t have time to think about anything else as she shot off into the maze as quick as she could go. She was wearing sensible shoes for once in her life. They were boots with a small heel on them which should help her if she encountered any mud, though she noted as soon as she entered the maze that the groundskeepers had done their best to dry out the ground within the walls of the labyrinth. She was running on a bed of wood chips. A sharp cedar odor hit her nostrils, and she hoped she didn’t start to sneeze. There was a chance she may need to hide at some point, and sneezing wouldn’t do.

The maze walls were not completely straight as one might think. From time to time, there was a small opening, an alcove, one could duck into where they might be missed. She wasn’t sure if the Representatives were aware of this or not, but she hoped they didn’t know. Of course, Eli would likely be aware, but then, as she ran, her fists full of her skirts, she thought she wouldn’t mind all that much if he was the one who caught her.

Kit came to an intersection and had to determine which way to go. She knew she would have many choices to make, and some of them would run her straight into a wall of green, but this early on, she couldn’t afford to make any costly mistakes or else she’d be caught from behind for sure. It was her understanding that her mother would give her about a five minute head start, though it was truly up to the queen’s discretion. If she wanted to, she could release the Representatives right away. Kit hoped she’d give her a little more time, or otherwise, she’d be out of ribbons first thing, which didn’t seem like as much fun even for the spectators as watching to see if the princess got away might be.

She chose to go left and was relieved when she didn’t see a wall straight ahead of her. Instead, there was a narrow opening to her right, and she skirted through it, then turning left again, thinking that she should make as many turns as possible before the men were also in the maze. Surely, that would make it more difficult to track her down. Unless, of course, she was only wasting time and there as a more direct path to her destination.

The other women were nowhere to be seen, nor could she hear any of them, which she thought was a little odd. She didn’t expect to outrun all of them. But then, she was the only one truly on a mission. She imagined Junno hadn’t gone very far at all and was probably waiting for Cassius back by the entryway. Kit smiled, knowing it would likely slow him down, but he probably wouldn’t be trying his best to win the event unless his pride overcame him, and she’d never known him to be too full of himself. She remembered how terrible he’d been at the archery contest the day after she’d first spent the night with him. He’d laughed at his own failures. The confidence in knowing he’d be with her again, whether he won or not, likely allowed him to indulge her grandmother a little more, and Kit was thankful for that since it clearly meant a lot to the woman she loved so much.

The wind picked up slightly, stirring the hedges, and Kit thought she caught the scent of rain on the horizon. She couldn’t see much of the sky, but directly above her, it was still blue. She prayed the rain would hold off until after the event, though it did cross her mind that her mother and the rest of the audience may have to retreat if the skies grew fierce. She wouldn’t mind having less eyes on her. The weight of them following her every move was distracting.

She came to another intersection and decided to go right this time. It was a bad choice. A few steps in, she realized she was surrounded by green and had to backtrack. Her mother chose that moment to announce that the men would be starting in a few seconds, and as Kit returned to her previous position, the queen unleashed the Representatives.

Kit understood how Frick the fox must feel being chased by all those horses and a crowd of people. Even though she knew none of them would harm her, she wanted to escape. She took another glance down at her wrists, glad she still had all six ribbons, and then headed down the path she should’ve taken the first time. She knew once she began to hear the sound of water from the fountain, she’d be nearing the halfway point. With everything she had, she concentrated on seeking out that sound and putting one foot in front of the other.