Chapter 155

Landon and Gavin went flying at each other again, and Kit grabbed hold of her armrests, praying to every goddess in the heavens both of them would manage to make it through unscathed. This time, Landon landed a solid blow on Gavin’s shield, and the rider from Brendrake’s lance broke cleanly. Queen Rona signaled a point for Landon, and the crowd began to cheer for the young man.

“See, he’s just fine,” Avinia smiled, removing her hand from Kit’s shoulder to clap.

Letting out the breath she’d been holding, Kit nodded, glad that the next pass would be the final of the match. The score was two to one for Gavin, and if it was a tie, it would be up to Kit to determine the winner. While she liked Gavin, a gangly man with curly, unruly brownish hair that always seemed to hide one of his brown eyes, Landon was certainly her choice, and not just because he had a way of making her weak in the knees. He’d overcome the difficulties presented by a horse that seemed to have a mind of its own. But he’d have to win the next point to force a tie. This would be the fifth pass as no one had scored on the first one, and from her experience, the last one was always the most violent. Kit scooted back a bit in her chair and resumed her grip on the armrests deciding she may actually fool onlookers into thinking she was calm if her white knuckles weren’t on display along the fence railing.

Her prediction was right, and once readied, a signal was given, and both horses went flying down the lane at full speed. Landon’s stallion seemed to recognize the seriousness of the situation and didn’t throw his head this time. Gavin’s aim looked true, but Landon hit harder, and when the collision occurred, it was enough to send Gavin off of the back end of his horse. Shards of Landon’s broken lance went up in the air and rained down on his opponent as he brought his horse to a stop to assist.

Kit was up on her feet, her hands over her mouth. This wasn’t the first time a rider had been knocked off of his horse during the tournament, and she knew it likely wouldn’t be the last. They weren’t wearing full metal, only chainmail and extra protection around their faces and shoulders, but Gavin still made a terrible noise when he hit the ground. Kit was just about to scurry down the steps and run to his side when he sat up, removed his helmet, shook his head a few times, and then reached for Landon’s hand to pull him up.

Inhaling deeply through her nose, Kit wiped at a tear that made its way down her cheek. Gavin waved at her, assuring her he was fine, but Kit was still on her last nerve. She couldn’t even force a smile in his direction. Instead, she sank back into her seat and waited for the knight marshal to signal to her the arena was ready for her verdict.

“Katrinetta,” Avinia began in her soothing voice, “you can’t let your mother see you like this. She’ll take it for weakness.”

Her cousin was right, of course. The last thing Kit needed was to indicate to her mother that she was in a compromising situation or that her emotions had gotten the better of her.

“Besides,” Isla continued, leaning in on Kit’s other side, “if this ends up as it might, the situation will be much more dire than a simple contest.”

Kit turned and looked at her cousin, not sure at first what the lady was saying. But then reality rushed in, and she understood. If Kit was seriously considering taking on her mother for the throne in the not-so-distant future, an idea that had entered her mind more and more since she’d seen the state the people were living in, the danger she was presenting to those who would do anything to protect her would be a lot more real than a friend holding up an easily splintered pole and charging.

The knight marshal gestured in Kit’s direction, and she stood. “The score in this match is two points for Gavin of Wanesborough, and two points for Landon of Brendrake.” She paused for a cheer from the crowd and watched the anticipation on both men’s faces as they stared up at her. Whomever she announced as the winner would make the quarter final of the tournament and have a one in eight chance of winning the entire contest. The loser would have to sit out for the rest of the joust.

With a deep breath, she said, “Due to superior horsemanship under trying conditions and a finishing blow that left no doubt in my mind, I am awarding this joust to—Landon of Brendrake!”

The cheers were louder this time as the knight marshal lifted Landon’s hand into the air. Gavin looked disappointed but nodded and shook Landon’s hand. Once the congratulating on the ground was finished, Landon climbed back into his saddle for a victory lap, plucking a flower from one of the decorations and bringing it to Kit.

She accepted the red carnation and couldn’t help but smile at him. It had become a tradition for the winners to bring her a flower since Cassius had won the first round and done so. And she’d rewarded each of them with a kiss on the cheek. “Well done,” she whispered to Landon as she leaned over and pressed her lips to his warm, sweaty cheek.

“Thank you, my Princess. I may not win the tournament, but you can be sure I’ll give it my all.”

“I have no doubt,” she replied. She squeezed his arm, and he beamed back at her before spurring his horse to finish his round as the next two jousters got into position and Kit tried to still her pounding heart. At least it was beating out of her chest for an acceptable reason this time. Landon’s blue eyes were enough to leave any lady quaking in his wake.

Danyen and Drake would be next, and as they readied themselves, Kit returned to her seat, took a sip of wine, and tried to calm herself. It was going to be a long day, and if she felt like this in the preliminary rounds, she could only imagine what it would be like in the final joust of the tournament. For once, she allowed her eyes to drift over to where the other five Representatives stood who would be participating in the quarter final along with Danyen, Drake, and Landon, who was taking his horse back to the stall.

She felt like all five of them were staring at her, though Jate dropped his eyes quickly enough when she looked over, and Eli was observing everyone at the same time somehow. Cassius winked at her, Reeve smiled, and Zane, who she didn’t know as well as the others, actually waved. Kit’s hand went up in recognition as he beamed at her, his red hair damp with sweat from when he’d taken Pierce out a few minutes ago.

Kit wondered if a more handsome group of men had ever been assembled. Add to that Landon’s boyish grin, Drake’s broad shoulders, and Danyen’s athletic physique, and it was no wonder she was having trouble breathing. How in the world was she ever supposed to whittle this group down to seven—let alone one? It was a ridiculous notion, one she’d never be able to follow through with. Kit’s eyes went to her mother, and for once, the queen didn’t seem to be glaring at her. Instead, she had a pleasant smile on her face, almost like she knew something Kit didn’t. It made the princess’s stomach roll over slightly, but then, she had secrets, too. The jousting might be taking place on the tilt in front of them, but the true contest hadn’t even begun yet.