Chapter 195

Exhaustion accompanied Kit to the morning meal and promised to stay with her for the rest of the day. By the time she’d finally fallen asleep, the sun was coming up, the first rays of light spilling in beneath and between her curtains, and it seemed like only moments later Avinia was urging her to climb from under her blankets and start the day.

Any idea of protesting had morphed into something else when Kit remembered what she had witnessed the night before. A rush of panic and repugnance overtook her, and Kit had sprung from her bed so rapidly, Avinia had asked if she was well.

“No, I’m not,” Kit had replied, though she wasn’t sure how much she should disclose. Somehow, she’d managed to put off her cousins’ questions as they prepared her, but now, sitting next to the queen, every ounce of flesh on Kit’s entire body seemed to be crawling with tiny insects, and all she wanted to do was throw her plate at her mother and scream in her face.

She didn’t do that, though, only kept her eyes trained forward and avoided all of her mother’s attempts to draw her into conversation. If the queen had any idea that her daughter had been spying on her the night before, she gave no indication. Kit didn’t think her mother would be able to conceal a revelation of such magnitude, but then if the queen was saving that information to use against Kit later, she would take whatever actions necessary to keep Kit from knowing she was aware of her daughter’s scheme.

Eventually, Rona gave up, telling Kit she was “in a vulgar mood” and turned her attention to Nill. Kit was glad for the reprieve, but every time she looked at Pierce, sitting across the table from Gavin, eating his eggs as if they were the most delicious thing he’d ever had in his mouth, her stomach squirmed as she imagined what else had been there recently.

Junno’s hand came down on her knee, and Kit turned her head toward her grandmother, who gave her a sympathetic smile. It was apparent the Queen Mother knew what had transpired. Kit’s eyes went to Eli, but he was pretending not to be observing every movement she made. He wasn’t fooling her. She knew for certain she couldn’t take a breath without him knowing how long it had taken her to inhale. If he had been the one to tell her grandmother, Kit would not get that information from a quick glance in his direction.

It would do her no good to ask now since the queen was also keenly observant. Thankfully, Rona announced a few moments later that she would be off to her chambers to prepare for the archery contest. Kit glanced at her mother’s gown and wondered what in the world she needed to change but didn’t argue. Once her mother and her attendants were gone, Kit returned her attention to her grandmother who had stayed, telling the queen she needed to finish her porridge.

“How do you know?” Kit whispered as her grandmother scooped up the last bit of the thick cereal.

Junno shrugged. “I am old, but I am not blind or deaf, dear. I see things. I hear things.”

“But you didn’t see or hear me last night did you?” Kit’s heart leapt into her chest. If Junno had noticed her, chances were so had others.

“No, no, honey. As far as I know, your mother is unaware that you have any inkling whatsoever about what is going on between her and that man.”

Relieved, Kit took a deep breath and a sip from her goblet, which only contained water. “Then how do you know?”

“Eli came to me, asking advice. He is concerned about your... audacity.”

It seemed like a strange word choice, one that Kit found more than a little offensive. “I needed to know what he was up to.” She hoped that her grandmother would insinuate that by “he” she meant Pierce.

“Yes, yes. I don’t blame you. It’s only... should you choose to call her out, you must know there will be consequences.”

“But she’s broken so many laws!” Junno cautioned her granddaughter to lower her voice, and Kit looked around. As far as she knew, the only person in the room more loyal to the queen than to herself was Pierce, but her grandmother was right to use caution.

“I understand that, dear. And more members of the council are also aware now than had been previously. But we cannot simply bring charges against the queen, not for something of this nature. We will need more, and even then, it will be difficult. Her guards are incredibly loyal, and while I do believe many members of the military would follow, it is hard to say for certain. And they are not a presence in the castle the way her henchmen are.”

Kit mulled her grandmother’s cautionary tale over in her mind and knew that she was right. It helped to hear the voice of wisdom also be the voice of reason. Junno had a way of dissuading her that Eli had not yet mastered. “What do you think she would do if I dismissed him?”

“Would you ask her permission first?”

Kit only shook her head.

“She would be outraged. I have no idea what he might do, but I’m certain she would seek vengeance.”

“And... if she does so, and we can catch her in the act, would that be enough for the council to act?”

Junno lowered her eyes and stared at her empty bowl for a moment, puzzled. “I’m not certain, Katrinetta, but it would be a great risk. Someone could get hurt. Or worse.” Her grandmother’s eyes went to Eli before she turned toward Kit, and the princess understood what she was implying.

“I suppose the same could be said if I were to Room him.” This time, she hoped Junno knew she meant Eli.

“That, I believe, she is expecting—eventually. She would never consent to it, but she has said more than once she dreads the day it happens.”

“Would she harm him again?”

“Not right away, I don’t think,” Junno replied with a shake of her head that made her white curls dance. “But if you should give any indication that you intend to make him the winner....”

“There will be no winner, Grandmother. I intend to keep all seven.”

Junno’s eyebrows arched. “You do? Forever?”

Kit nodded, hoping her grandmother would understand.

A smile pulled up the corners of Junno’s mouth, and she let out a giggle. “I can’t say as though I blame you, child. I suppose your plan is to amend the law that says you must choose before you can rule then?”

“Yes. Either that or I’ll have to call myself something other than the ridiculous title my mother carries around.”

“I feel as if the council will understand your reasoning, granddaughter, and amend the law, should you successfully manage to end this reign of self-righteous indignation, so I wouldn’t worry on that. As far as I can see, it is the least of your problems.”