Chapter 205

The hallways were alive in a way Kit had never heard them this time of night. It was well past the midnight hour, and normally, if she were awake and out, she would rarely see another soul, and if she did, it was usually a lone guard or a pair returning from their detail. As Jate led her down the hall to her other room, they passed several members of her guard rushing off in various directions. The uneasy feeling grew.

Once inside her chambers, Kit went to her armoire and selected a gown she hadn’t worn in ages. It was red, a color her mother never liked for her to wear because she felt only a queen should wear a color so bold. The same had gone for deep purple and dark blue, with most of Kit’s dresses in much lighter shades. She carried the gown over to the bed and dropped it with a satisfying smile.

“Are you certain?” Jate asked, eyeing the gown and then the princess.

She nodded and went to her drawers to secure the appropriate undergarments. If she were going to make a statement, it needed to be a confident one.

By the time Seph and Isla arrived, Jate had most of the hooks in back fastened. “Let us,” Isla insisted, and he stepped out of the way. “We are better at dressing, though I’m sure you do a fine job of undressing.”

The teasing brought a welcome smile to Kit’s face. Her mind was clouded with thoughts of what she might do if Eli were not found or if he was harmed in any way. She couldn’t bear to think of what would happen if the scenario were even worse.

“There,” Isla proclaimed, smoothing her hands along Kit’s shoulders. The princess was sure her cousin had noticed the significance of the color, though she kept her thoughts to herself.

Kit sat down on the stool by the mirror, and Seph brought over an extra lamp so that Isla could see what she was doing. Kit’s hair was down but not excessively tangled since she’d only slept on it an hour or two. The thought entered her mind that she hadn’t been laying on the back of her head much during Jate’s pleasuring either. A blush came to her cheeks, and she caught his eyes for a moment in the mirror. He was standing behind the girls, near the headboard, his arms folded, restless, wearing the same dress outfit he’d worn to dinner the night before in red and gold. At least they matched now. If he was thinking of their encounter, he was better at keeping it hidden than Kit.

“No word yet....” Seph said under her breath as she crossed the room to prepare Kit’s jewels.

“No, I suppose not.” Kit assumed someone would let her know as soon as Eli was located—hopefully, the man himself. She checked the time and saw that she had only been back in her chambers a quarter hour. It was half-past two in the morning, and they should all be asleep instead of pacing and wringing their hands.

It took Isla longer to finish her hair than it would’ve if Avinia were there to help, which was expected. When she slid in the last pin, Kit looked it over and was satisfied, though it wasn’t as complicated an arrangement as she usually wore, it would certainly do. Seph helped her with her earrings and necklace, but Kit didn’t put her crown on, not yet. Instead, she brought it with her and walked into the antechamber, taking a seat on the settee and resting her head back.

“Would you like for me to go see what I can find out?” Jate asked, stopping a few steps in front of her.

Tempting as it was, Kit shook her head. “No, I’d like for you to stay with me.”

His eyes went to the door, as if that might be impossible, but he nodded and took his place next to her, and Kit slipped her hand into his, her crown resting on one knee.

“I could go,” Seph offered. “I won’t be able to do much to protect you here, but I am an excellent surveillance gatherer.” A sly smile slid across her face, and Kit couldn’t help but giggle.

“Very well. Go ahead.”

Seph’s expression showed her relief as she shot out the door. Kit realized the viscountess was almost as worried about Eli as the princess was herself, and Seph likely felt caged standing in her chambers watching Isla style her hair.

Isla took a seat in a chair across from them, on the edge, not leaning back all of the way. It was evident she also wanted to go and see what she could find out, but Kit wasn’t ready to let her leave, not yet.

“Are you certain you don’t want to rest?” Jate asked in her ear.

She nodded. “Are you certain you don’t want to? You couldn’t have even gotten as much sleep as I did.”

“I am here to serve you, Your Majesty, and not sleepy in the least.”

“Good. Neither am I.”

It seemed like hours passed before the door flew open again. Jate jumped to his feet, his hand on his hilt, but it was only Avinia, out of breath, the dark cape she’d been wearing earlier, which Kit hadn’t even taken note of until now, flowing out around her. “Sorry,” she muttered as Jate relaxed slightly. Kit’s cousin was doubled over, sucking in air, as if she’d been running. “He’s... fine.”

Kit inhaled sharply through her nose as relief washed over her, certain her cousin meant Eli and not the guard who may have borrowed his room. “Where is he?”

She shook her head rapidly for a moment, still trying to regain her breath before she said, “Not safe for him yet. Cassius... took him somewhere.”

“Where?” Kit demanded, coming to her feet. “What do you mean it’s not safe?”

Avinia had mostly regained her ability to breathe now, and when Isla offered her a glass of water, she took a long swig before wiping her mouth with the back of her gloved hand and saying, “They don’t yet realize they’ve made a mistake, but once they do.... It shall not be good.”

Kit looked at Jate to see if he was as lost as she was. He was staring at Avinia intently. “Please, Avinia, have a seat and tell us what you mean.”

“I can’t. I have to go back out. Galter is still searching for Gy. Danyen did hear something last night, though he couldn’t quite decide what it might’ve been or where it was coming from. Gy was sleeping in that room, and no one has seen him. I explained to Galter what I had seen outside, and he is leading a detail in that direction to try to determine if the soldiers I saw are related to the missing guard. I want to go check in with him.”

“You want to go outside where there may be more of the Queen’s Guard prowling around to try to find Galter?” Kit couldn’t believe her ears. “That seems highly dangerous.”

“Possibly, but so is wearing that color, and you don’t see me insisting you change.”

Avinia had a point, though a small one. “Please, Avinia, stay here. While I am relieved to hear that Eli is safe for the time being, I would not like to think of anything happening to you. If her guard sees you up and about, they will be suspicious, particularly because of what you are wearing.”

Her cousin glanced down at her outfit. A dark, split skirt and bodice under a black cloak with high black boots, much like the ones that men wore, and black gloves. Her hair was gathered up on top of her head and would be hidden with the hood on. “Kit, while I understand your concern, I’m sure I’ll be fine.”