Chapter 210

Kit’s eyes grew wide with fear, not that her father would be found but that the timing had been such that her mother could question her immediately. She did the only thing she could think of and feigned shock, covering her mouth. “Father is missing?”

Ignoring her, Rona did her best to control her own surprise. “Remont? How is that possible? He has guardsmen stationed at his door every hour of every day. Did they see him leave?”

“No, Your Majesty,” the soldier replied.

“Were they sleeping? He can’t have just vanished into thin air!”

Pierce spoke for the first time. “Is there a passage, my queen?”

Rona was quick to answer. “In Remont’s chambers? Heavens, no. Do you think me so daft as to allow my husband free roam of the castle via an alternate exit?”

Kit bit her tongue, wanting to ask why he couldn’t go wherever he pleased, but she decided it was best to stay out of the discussion altogether unless she was asked a direct question. Mentioning that perhaps it was her father Vin had seen leaving in the middle of the night instead of Eli would certainly not do Remont any good, so Kit did not offer that solution, only waited to see if she might be dismissed.

“Your Majesty, in light of what we’ve heard in some of the surrounding provinces, I would be cautious. It is possible this is some sort of movement against you.” Vin’s words were coated in secrecy, but Kit was wise enough to decipher an indication that the queen was at least partially aware that there was talk of a change in regime within some of the provinces. She kept her eyes wide, hoping to convey surprise and fear, and her mouth shut tight.

“Do you trust the guards that were on duty?” Rona asked Vin.

He hesitated. “They’ve never given me any reason not to. There was a change in shift halfway through the night. Four guards in total could’ve been overseeing his... safety... when he left.”

Vin was more careful with his words now than even the queen had been. “I would like to speak to them,” Rona ordered, and the guards who had come in to alert her of Remont’s disappearance bowed and backed to the door, intending to bring the men in. Kit felt sorry for the four guards, knowing they’d have no answers and would likely be severely punished for something they had no hand in. But then, the fact that they were loyal to a woman who would have her own servants thrown out into a muddy pit to rot was entirely their decision.

“Mother, may I return to my chambers? Father’s absence has me quite unnerved. I think I may need to lie down.”

Before Rona could answer, Pierce spoke up. “My queen, if the duke has been absconded, as your Commander has mentioned may be a possibility, it might be better to secure the princess elsewhere, in a place where her safety can be assured.”

Kit’s eyes widened. “Whatever do you mean? My own guard is capable of keeping me quite safe, as I’m sure you will recall from the night Merek broke into my room. It was my guard who protected me then.” She bit off the addition of “not you.”

“That may be, Princess, but the man who saved you at that juncture is no longer in the castle, now is he?” Pierce replied, a twinkle in his eye that let her know he would have an answer for everything.

“My new advisor is correct,” Rona began.

“Advisor?” Kit watched as Pierce's smile widened. Had the council approved this?

“You must be kept safe at all costs. Vin, take the princess to the East Tower and secure her there until we have determined what has happened to the duke.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Vin had a grip on her wrist before Kit could even begin to protest. As he was dragging her to the door, she attempted to pull away but got nowhere. “But Mother, I’ll be safe in my own chambers. I don’t know what threat it is you fear, but I assure you, my men will protect me.”

“Katrinetta, don’t make such a fuss! It isn’t as if you are a prisoner. I am only looking out for your welfare, child.” The queen’s snarl of a smile showed her teeth, and Kit could see that none of this was what it looked to be on the surface. This had all been planned....

“Let go of me!” Kit insisted tugging at her wrist with her free arm as Vin dragged her down the hallway. She was no match for his strength. He wrapped an arm around her and pulled her to his chest. The scent of sweat and blood filled her lungs as he continued to heave her down the hall, the rest of the guard who’d accompanied them earlier, and several more, falling into step with them.

“Come along, Princess, there’s no need for that. If you continue to fight me, I’ll have to find another means to get you safely to the tower,” Vin explained as he half-carried her down the hall that led to the stairwell and her new prison. “I don’t think you will like the other methods.” He glanced over his shoulder, and Kit’s eyes followed.

One of the men behind her had a long twine of rope in his hands, and Kit imagined that meant Vin would tie her, possibly even gag her. Since there was no one else in the hall, and there was no way Kit could ever fight off all of these men, she stopped struggling. “All right. Release me, and I shall walk along with you.”

Vin stopped in his tracks and stared intently at her before he pulled his arms away. “If you try to run, you will regret it. You may be royalty, but accidents happen, and sometimes bones get broken.”

Kit narrowed her eyes at him, silently counting all of the ways she’d like to see him die. The threats wilted in her head as she realized actions would speak louder than words. Certain her men would come for her, she kept her thoughts to herself and walked along behind Vin until they reached the staircase.

The door at the bottom was guarded, made of solid oak, and locked. The man standing there was not wearing the same uniform as these men. Rather, his colors indicated he was one of the Prison Guards, the men who worked the dungeons. Kit only saw the gray and blue uniforms at executions and trials. He had the face of a boar and his short stature and thickness also contributed to the idea that he was more like a wild pig than a human.

“Open it,” Vin commanded, and the man fetched a keyring from within his waistband. He knew precisely which one to use and had the door opened a moment later. Kit started up the staircase, hearing the door lock behind her.

She counted the stairs to pass the time and to know how far down she’d have to flee. Counting used to calm her, to give her a sense of order, but as the numbers grew higher and higher, and her breath grew shorter and shorter, Kit realized this was the highest in the castle she’d ever been, and a sense of panic started to well up inside of her.

At 809 steps, they rounded a corner and a small landing came into view. Here, another jailer sat on a chair, his head drooping. A swift kick from Vin against his chair leg, and the man was up, wiping drool from his chin. “Open the door, lazy ass!” Vin ordered.

“Yes, sir.” The man pulled out a similar keyring and opened the door. Kit imagined there must be more than one chamber here with so many keys and a guard watching an empty door, but when the heavy wooden barrier swung open, there was just one small room.

It had been recently cleaned. A small cot sat in one corner, the linens fresh. Clean water sat in a basin on a small table, and there was a chair, as well as a bookcase with a few volumes. Across the room, a curtain was hung over what she assumed was the privy. Two narrow windows let in a bit of light. Neither had curtains. The floor was stone with a small rug over by the bed. An armoire stood near one of the windows, the doors askew, nothing in it.

“I trust you find your new accommodations acceptable,” Vin said, his lip curling with a sarcastic smile. “Hopefully, your father will be found soon, and then you can be released.”

A chuckle escaped her lips before Kit could hold it back. Slowly, she shook her head as he turned to meet her eyes. “We both know this has nothing to do with Remont, does it? Am I to assume these linens are changed on a daily basis in the off chance a prisoner of high status is in need of a place to convalesce?”

Vin’s upper lip pulled even closer to his sharp nose, the scar on his face stretching as if it might tear with the effort. “You’re very clever, Princess.” He took a few steps closer to the door. “But not as clever as your mother. You shouldn’t forget that.”

She spun on her heels to watch him step through the door. He paused and his eyes roamed up and down her, making her feel uncomfortable to say the least, but her face never betrayed her as she kept her shoulders back, her chin lifted. “We shall see.”

“We shall indeed.”

Vin closed the door, and the sound of the jailer turning the lock twisted inside of her, the screech of metal on metal echoing through her soul like the resonating sound of utter defeat.