Chapter 162

Leaving Kit before the sun began to rise was one of the most difficult tasks Eli had ever been faced with, which was saying a lot considering what he’d seen in battle. She was still sound asleep and didn’t even stir when he’d kissed her goodbye. While he had a feeling Rona wasn’t going to end him that day, whatever she had in store was bound to be unpleasant. Defying the queen was never a good idea, but when your last name was Goedwig, it was the worst possible choice one could make. He might not disappear from Kit’s life altogether that day, but Eli knew his days with the princess were numbered, so long as the current queen sat on the throne.

The halls were deserted as he made his way to the queen’s chambers, dressed in the same gray and purple he wore as Commander of the Princess’s Guard, though it wasn’t his uniform. He was hoping to remind the queen that he’d done a great deal to serve her, but he had a feeling none of that would matter now.

Two guards stood outside of her room, as always. These two were unfamiliar to him. It seemed she was constantly adding new minions to her group, possibly because the others failed her and had to be disposed of. Or perhaps the queen was in the process of growing her own army. It wouldn’t be a bad idea if she were; she was going to need to find as many loyal servants as she could find in the coming days because, once she realized there was a storm on the horizon, she’d quickly understand not everyone was as loyal to her as she’d thought.

A middle-aged man with an ugly mug and bad breath pulled the door open for him, a snarl on his face that let Eli know word had gotten out that Rona was meting out justice that morning. Eli didn’t even bother to nod his thanks only stepped inside Rona’s large bed chamber, a place he’d been summoned many times before, and awaited the queen’s acknowledgment.

But before he even bowed before her, he noticed something different. Eli drew in a deep breath, his insides tangling into a mass of nerves as he fought back the fear that threatened to overwhelm every strain of consciousness. Just in front of her large four poster bed, to the side a bit, she had erected a whipping post. It seemed Rona was bound and determined to leave an impression, and what better way to do it than with a cat-o’-nine-tails?

The queen was standing in front of her bed, two of her henchmen on either side of her. Eli recognized one of them. Vin—the scar faced, vile, piece of trash she’d recently promoted to her Commander despite the fact that he had only been in her service a few months. The other, a man Eli didn’t recognize, was stout and muscle-bound with a glint in his eye that said he was looking forward to this. Just the sort of maniac one wanted standing behind him when tied to an inanimate object.

“On your knees!” the queen commanded, and Eli complied immediately. It would do no good to try to prevent her plan from unfolding. While it was true he could call for the Princess’s Guard to come to his aid and could likely even rally some troops from the army barracks if needed, now was not the time to show his hand. Whatever Rona had in store for him, he’d simply have to endure it.

Rona took a few steps closer, the hem of her black gown and her pointy black slippers all that was visible in his current position with his head tilted to the floor. “You may think you can defy me and get away with it, Eliason Goedwig, but today, I’m going to teach you a lesson. All of these years, I’ve put up with you, overlooked your disobedience, tried to focus on your assets—your leadership abilities, your handiness with a weapon. Still, this time you’ve gone too far. I should’ve known better than to ever permit you to take part in this Choosing. In fact, I should’ve made you disappear long ago, back when my daughter first started to show an interest in you. I may have been a fool before, but I am one no longer.”

Eli heard what sounded like a snap of her fingers and then both of her henchmen lurched at him, pulling him to his feet and ripping his jerkin and tunic off so that he was shirtless before her. Both of them gripped an arm so severely, Eli was certain there would be fingerprints on his forearms for days.

With narrowed eyes, Eli looked into the queen’s face and saw nothing but malice. Rather than responding to her accusations, Eli remained silent, waiting for her to ask him a direct question before he spoke, should she even bother to do so.

“Your defiance will be your downfall, Eliason, and while I have decided not to end you today, know that if you should ever directly disobey an instruction from me again, that day shall be your last. Do you understand?”

Before he could even form a response, the guard on his left whose name he didn’t know, punched him in the shoulder hard, jarring him forward. Eli caught his breath and bit back any sign of pain. “Yes, Your Majesty, Queen Rona.”

Satisfied, she gave one sharp nod. “For your antics yesterday at the jousting tournament, you’ve earned yourself 40 lashes with a leather belt. The only reason I’ve decided to be lenient and make use of a strap rather than a whip is because you are still a member of the Choosing. However, should you step out of line again, you should know I shall not be so merciful the next time. Is that understood?”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Eli said even as the hammering blow from Vin almost knocked the wind out of him. Both of his shoulders were burning already, and he hadn’t even been tied to the post yet.

“Very well, then. Let’s get this over with. I have important matters to attend to and do not wish to waste any more of my time on the likes of you.”

The guards began to pull him over toward the post, but Eli went willingly. He would not let Rona make a coward out of him. While he was relieved she’d spared the whip, he knew that the leather strap would administer a different sort of pain. Thick and heavy, each blow would cause a bruise, and if administered sharply enough, was even capable of breaking bone. He had a feeling Rona wouldn’t go that far, not if she was still trying to keep this from the council. Obviously, that was her true reason for sparing the whip. If the council members found out she’d done this, she could potentially be tried for breaking Yewforian laws, and rules about the Choosing were quite strict. She had to think he wouldn’t say anything or else she assumed the council was fully behind her—but then, if they were, why not go the distance and use the whip?

All of those thoughts jumbled together in his mind as Vin and the other guard pulled his arms up and tied him so securely to the post that the ropes cut into his wrists. Blood began to trickle down his arms, and the leather hadn’t even struck him yet.

Rona stood to his left, her arms folded. Part of him wanted to look away, to hide his face from her. But as the guards readied the leather straps and got into position, he knew the only way he could defy her now was staring into her black eyes and taking every lick like a man.

The first blow came from his right, Vin, and it stung so badly Eli almost flinched. The pain was similar to falling off of his horse and landing on rocky terrain. He kept his eyes trained on Rona and readied himself for the next one.

It came quickly and from his left. This brute wasn’t quite as strong as Vin, but it still hurt and landed just below the other. By the time they were finished, his back would be one purple and red mass of welts and bruises. Still, he kept his eyes focused on the queen who was smiling for the first time in as long as he could remember.

By the fifth blow, Eli’s mind was fuzzy. He never wavered from concentrating his gaze, but in his mind, he had to go elsewhere. He slipped away from them, back to Kit’s bed, back to where he was the night before, wrapped in her arms, and even though the pain was becoming excruciating, he managed to make it through each of the pounding shots with the leather by imagining his princess’s beautiful face.

When they were finished, the guards untied his bleeding arms, and Eli struggled to stand up right. The pain was intense and all consuming. He couldn’t let them see him falter, though. If they did, the victory would be even more satisfying to Rona, and she didn’t deserve any more than what she’d already claimed.

His tunic and jerkin were slapped back into place with rough hands that paid no mind to the hell they’d just meted out, and then Vin and the other guard, whom he’d learned was named Zet through the course of his torture, each took an arm and started to drag him out of the room. Eli didn’t want their help and pulled away from them as soon as they were out of the queen’s chambers. Vin chuckled maliciously. “Think you can make it on your own, you miserable piece of shite? All right—go ahead.” He shoved Eli forward down the hallway with a blow almost as vicious as the strap.

Stumbling on weak knees, Eli almost landed face first on the marble, but he caught himself in time and managed to stay on his feet. He didn’t bother to look over his shoulder at the two because now was not the time to pick a fight. These two would get their reckoning, sooner or later. Eli would make certain of that.

Somehow, he managed to make his way back to the hall where Kit’s chambers were, where his own rooms were located. As he entered the hallway, three members of the Princess’s Guards saw him and rushed to help. With his arms over two of the guard’s shoulders, Eli urged his feet forward until he was at the room he’d been assigned as the Commander of the Princess’s Guard, which was closer than his chambers for the Choosing, though not as large or comfortable. As long as it had a bed, that’s all that he cared about. He collapsed on his stomach, not even hearing what his fellow guards were talking about as he only caught a few words. He prayed none of them would tell Kit what had happened, if they could even discern what was ailing him, because he didn’t want her to do something drastic when he couldn’t prevent her from lashing out at her mother. But the world was fuzzy again, and a deep fog seemed to be rolling across his mind. Losing consciousness was a blessing, and Eli welcomed it, hoping Kit would be all right until he managed to find the strength to stand again.