Chapter 151

The loud knock on her antechamber door at a quarter till three in the morning didn’t startle Kit at all. In fact, she was waiting for it. With a deep breath, she smoothed back her skirt, the same one she’d been wearing since the assembly in the throne room, and pulled the door open a crack, sticking her head out into the hallway. “Yes?”

It was scar face again. She wondered if he ever slept. Alongside him were a whole host of her mother’s guard who had pressed her own set of guardsmen away from the door. He had his hand wrapped tightly around Seph’s upper arm, and it was evident she’d been crying again. “Unhand her,” the princess demanded, but he didn’t do so.

“Your lady has been caught sharing a bed with one of your men, Princess.” His gravelly voice sent shivers down Kit’s spine. She narrowed her eyes at him, daring him to keep his grip on Seph’s arm. Rather than merely letting her go, he flung the girl away. Kit would’ve reached out to steady her if she could’ve done so without opening the door further, but Seph recovered and pulled her arm against her side.

Kit raked her eyes over Seph, who was dressed in a nightgown and robe, before returning her attention to scar face. “Which Representative would that be?” Kit questioned. “And where is he?”

His voice dripping in defiance, scar face replied, “Eliason Goedwig of Eastbury. We caught them red handed, but he managed to get away. My men are out looking for him now.”

Kit’s eyebrows shot up and she went back over his statement. Interesting he’d said “his men” and not the queen’s. “Is that so? If you caught them together in Eliason’s room, how did he manage to get away?”

“That’s truly none of your concern, Princess. You will need to accompany me to the throne room so that the queen may address the traitors together, in your presence.”

“Even though you do not have Eli in custody?” she countered.

“I am sure we will have by the time the queen is ready for an audience.” He seemed confident on the surface, but under the layers, she could see him wavering a bit.

“Are you certain it was him? Could it have been someone else? Did you ask my lady?”

“I am certain it was him. We were tipped off by another Representative who heard him planning the rendezvous during the maze run. Now, come along, Princess.”

“I beg your pardon, Captain,” Kit said, looking down at his lapel to make sure she had his rank correct, “but I’m afraid I don’t take orders from you. Especially not since I am certain you are sadly mistaken. Whomever you walked in on, it wasn’t Eliason Goedwig.” She let the door fall open, “As he has been here with me the entire evening.”

The captain looked shocked as Eli stepped up beside Kit, and she watched his eyes as he groped for something to say. Instead, Seph spit, “I told you it wasn’t what it looked like.”

In an attempt to recover, scar face shouted, “How do we know that he didn’t just run to your room so that you could set up an alibi for him?”

“Because I have plenty of witnesses, Captain.” Jate stepped up over Eli’s shoulder, followed by Avinia and Isla. “Is that enough, or do you need more?”

He shook his head, his beady eyes tearing into Kit’s. “Do you have more?”

Eli and Jaterius stepped aside so that Grandmother Junno could come forward. “You go and tell the queen you’ve been misinformed. Tell her that her own mother has been in company with Eliason Goedwig for several hours, and whomever it was you saw Sephorina visiting, it wasn’t Eliason. Do you understand?” Her voice was as sweet as sugar, though still full of the authority of an ex-queen.

Scar face had nothing more to say. With a growl, he spun on his boot, hauling his men away with him, but Kit knew this wasn’t over. Her mother might’ve been foiled this time, but that just meant the rest of her plans would be more secretive until she managed to get what she wanted, unless of course, Kit found a way to outsmart the queen, which wouldn’t be easy.

Once the guards were gone and the door was shut, there was a small collective exhale as the group assessed the situation. Seph was still holding her arm, but other than that, she seemed all right—physically anyway.

“Do you think she’ll send for you this evening?” Seph asked Kit.

“No, I don’t think so,” Junno answered for her granddaughter. “By the time she tries to make heads or tails of what’s transpired, it’ll be early morning. I’d worry about it on the morrow, dear. But she can hardly be mad at you, Seph. You did precisely what she told you to do.”

“She never told me to tell you, though,” Seph pointed out.

“She won’t know that you did that unless someone in this room tells her, and that won’t happen.” Avinia sounded optimistic.

“You don’t think she’ll just assume I must’ve told? Why else would Eli be in here and not in his room?” Seph countered.

“There are lots of times I’m not in my room. I’m in here because I was conferring with Kit, simple enough.”

“But she’s supposed to be alone with Jaterius, on the queen’s orders.” Seph was obviously worried.

“Really, Seph, don’t worry about it. I’ll handle it. She will have to call me to her chambers tomorrow, and I will make sure she doesn’t suspect you were the one who told me.” Kit knew it would be difficult to convince her mother that it was someone else, but she would at least put Seph in a position where her mother thought she could still be of value.

With a reluctant nod, Seph headed toward the door. “I’ll walk her to her room,” Jate volunteered. He stopped to kiss Kit goodnight and then followed Seph out into the hallway.

“I will be headed back to my own side of the castle.” Junno managed a smile before she hugged her granddaughter. “Try not to worry.”

“I’m just glad you’re on our side,” Kit replied.

Junno slid her hand down to grasp Kit’s fingers, and looking her in the eye, she said, “Le atsa.”

Kit couldn’t think of a single more important ally to have with her than her grandmother, and even though the queen would be a formidable opponent, should it come to that, at least she had the former queen in her yard.

“Shall I walk you back?” Eli asked, stepping toward the door behind Junno.

“Heaven’s no. You stay with the princess. I’ll ask one of the guards to take me.” She reached up and patted Eli’s cheek before entering the hallway.

“Will you be needing us anymore this evening?” Avinia asked.

“No, I don’t think so,” Kit replied glancing around. She was still in her gown, but Eli had gotten her into it, and she was fairly certain he would know how to get her out.

“Very well. We shall see you in the morning—later in the morning.” Isla noted the time and then bowed her head before the two cousins left the room.

Kit turned to Eli and fell into his open arms, exhausted. She’d taken a short nap earlier in the day, but now that it was the middle of the night, she felt as if the days had all compounded into one extremely distressing period, and she was hopeful her mother would at least let her sleep in tomorrow morning, though she doubted that would be the case. As soon as she awoke, the queen would be looking for answers.