Chapter 169

The meal was served in the formal dining room on the other side of the building. It took almost fifteen minutes for them to traverse that far, accompanied by several members of the Princess’s Guard. When she arrived, trumpeters announced her presence, and Kit walked in, fighting eyes that wanted to narrow at the presence of the queen.

Rona’s dark gaze traced her carefully as Kit bowed for the necessary amount of time in this situation and then proceeded to her seat and waited for one of the butlers to pull it out for her. She wasn’t late, but nearly everyone else was already present when she came in, not that she’d done more than scan the room.

“How was your day, daughter?” Rona asked, her voice infused with a little more cheerfulness than normal. Kit imagined that was because she wanted to see how her daughter would react to her newest atrocity.

Taking a sip of water to give herself a few seconds to respond, Kit thought of a fitting response. She set her goblet down. “Insightful.” Her mother raised an eyebrow. “I’m working on a project for the council.”

Her mother’s eyebrows fell. “Oh? You’ll have to tell me about it some time.”

The trumpeter announced the arrival of the Queen Mother, and Kit stood along with everyone else except the queen as her grandmother was escorted in to take her seat on the other side of Kit.

Junno patted Kit’s knee lovingly beneath the table, which let her know that her grandmother was aware of what had gone on. Kit looked her in the eye, and Junno slowly shook her head back and forth, a warning that Kit needed to contain herself.

The first course was served. Kit did her best to choke down her mother’s favorite bitter soup. The queen was engaged in a conversation with Duchess Zora on her other side about the color scheme for the next ball, which would be held in a few days. Kit remembered a time not long ago when the thought of an upcoming ball would’ve consumed her thoughts for days as she worried over what gown to wear and who she might dance with. Now, the thought of twirling around the ballroom floor while citizens had no shelter and were going to bed hungry seemed a frivolity she wouldn’t even like to take part in.

As her mother chattered on, Kit’s eyes roamed down the tables of Representatives. There were much fewer now than there had been at the beginning of her Choosing, but still, she had some she would need to send home. At this point, she had shared her chambers with most of them, though not all. Besides the three she had roomed, only six were truly still of interest to her. But she hadn’t sent the rest home because her mother insisted she must keep Pierce—and Kit knew she liked and trusted him least of all. It seemed unfair to send anyone else away when he was allowed to stay.

Eli’s face was as pale as the tablecloth in front of him. Not only that, her mother had moved his seat as far away from the door as possible so he’d had to walk all the way across the lengthy room. She’d also rearranged the normal assignments so that he was sitting next to Pierce of all people and across from Zane. Kit had no doubt Zane would be helpful if he had any idea what the problem might be, but she doubted he had any clue. All of the other men who would certainly be aware of Eli’s condition were on the other side of the room.

She caught his eyes for a brief second, and he somehow managed to smile at her. Kit’s heart melted, but the anger she’d been fighting all day threatened to morph into a rage and bellow its way out like a fiery volcano exploding and tossing over tables and chairs. He, too, gave her the small head shake that was supposed to remind her not to do such a thing. Kit dug her fingernails into her leg through her skirts to try to stave off the urge.

“I see your commander managed to make it to the dining hall on time. Lucky for him. Not that you’d dismiss him for breaking the rules anyway,” Rona chided.

All of the laws the queen had broken during Kit’s Choosing came to mind, as did the fact that they were both aware Kit wasn’t the one who did the dismissing or punishing. She inhaled deeply and chose her words as carefully as she could. “It isn’t like him not to be punctual.”

“Indeed. And yet he was late this morning. I wonder why.”

She was prodding her now. When Kit turned to look at her mother, she saw a twinkle in her eye, a rare sort of evil Kit had only seen once before, in a cougar about to pounce her in the woods, one Eli had frightened away. “Eli doesn’t like to discuss everything with me, Mother. He’s a man with many secrets.”

Rona seemed satisfied that Kit wasn’t aware of what she’d done. The queen nodded. “Not the sort of man that makes a good husband.”

That might’ve been the case if it were true. While Eli had kept secrets in the past, Kit was confident that was no longer the case. She decided to change the subject. “I would like to Room someone tonight.”

The queen’s eyebrows flew up again. “You would? I had no idea you had decided on a fourth suitor.”

“Yes, well, it’s been almost a full moon’s phase since I Roomed Jate, and I think it’s time.”

“So long as it isn’t Eliason....”

“It’s not.” As much as Kit wanted it to be, she had a feeling that would be the kiss of death for him. She’d need to be better prepared before she dared make that announcement.

“Please tell me it’s Pierce then,” Rona said, taking a bite of her salad just before the third course was presented. Kit tried not to scrunch up her nose at the scent of baked salmon. While she didn’t mind it sometimes, it was one of her mother’s favorites, and they’d been eating an awful lot of it lately.

“Mother, you know you are much fonder of Pierce than I am,” Kit said, picking up her fork despite the fact that she’d have to choke the course down. “He doesn’t appeal to me in the least.”

“You’ve hardly given him a chance,” the queen retorted. “Metfirth is one of our most affluent provinces.”

Washing the fish down with a long drink of wine, Kit pondered her mother’s statement. Metfirth was one of the last provinces where the farming was still yielding high crops. It was a long province that stretched from the upper west side of the realm to Yewforia’s border with Antoinetta. Recalling her history lessons, Kit believed part of the lands of Metfirth had been claimed from the neighboring kingdom in the Great War for Peace. Perhaps her mother thought having Pierce as the duke would make it easier to hold the peace should Antoinetta ever decide to reclaim their lands.

Taking her fork back in her hand, Kit replied, “Mother, I have given him enough of a chance to know I do not have feelings for him. He... doesn’t appeal to me.”

Rona scoffed and finished chewing before she said, “Pish posh! You don’t know what appeals to you, child. Just because he can be a little rough doesn’t mean he wouldn’t make a proper husband. You shouldn’t dismiss him without giving him a chance.”

Kit opened her mouth to respond but then closed it quickly. Her mother narrowed her eyes in confusion, and Kit could see her going back over what she’d said. The princess didn’t want her mother to get there, to discover she may have slipped up, so she did the only thing she could think of to distract her. Kit started to choke.

Nearly every eye in the room was on her now, and most of the Representatives looked like they were about to leap out of their chairs, even Eli. A swift wallop on the back from Junno, and Kit held up a hand waving them all off. She was fine.

Her mother looked more annoyed than alarmed at Kit’s coughing spell, but at least she’d forgotten what she had said. Kit couldn’t give her the opportunity to revisit it because there was something there she didn’t want her mother to know she’d caught. It might be nothing—but it might be important—and if it was, Kit would have to exploit it later. For now, they needed to move on.

She took another drink, this time from her water goblet, and then said, “If you don’t mind, my Queen, I should like to offer a Room to Landon from Brendrake.”

Rona didn’t look surprised. Her eyes roamed the Representatives landing on Landon, who wasn’t too far away, as she considered it. He was talking jovially with Gavin, and Kit imagined they were speaking about the jousting competition. “I will allow it,” the queen said, despite her earlier statement that Kit was in charge of the Choosing.

“Thank you, Mother.” She tried to choke down another bite of the fish but it would be her last. She’d just have to pretend to eat more or else she’d make herself sick, and there had to be at least three more courses to go.

“Is there anyone you wish to eliminate?” Rona’s fish was almost gone from her plate, which was astounding to Kit, but then she was also relieved that the next course would have to come soon.

The answer to her question wasn’t worth stating because Kit wouldn’t be allowed to send Pierce home, and he was the only one left she was certain she did not want to keep. “No, Mother. Not now.”

“Very good. As soon as we have had our dessert, we shall make an announcement.”

The queen seemed finished with her daughter with that statement, and Kit was glad when she turned to the duchess on her other side to converse. It left her in tranquility for a few moments until she glanced over at Eli again and saw how much pain he was in. Kit couldn’t look at him long because it would make her angry, or at the very least, make her want to cry.