Chapter 29

The scent of Wrenbrook was unique, like the castle itself, and as Eli made his way through the towering metal infused doors on the west side of the castle, the odor washed over him, triggering a flood of memories. It seemed odd to him that mustiness, the scent of stone, carved wood, and sweat from thousands of bodies, could all mingle together to create such a distinctive, all encapsulating experience, but there it was nonetheless, and for part of him, it was as if he’d never left.

Dozens of greetings were flung his way as he made his way down the long hall that led to the army bunkers. A member of the Queen’s Guards had caught up with him as he was dismounting and ordered him to go there until Her Majesty sent for him. He wasn’t surprised. Apparently, he was a threat to the queen, despite the fact he’d proven himself incapable of completing even the first step that would’ve been necessary for him to thwart her, and despite all of her apprehension about him over the years, never once had he disobeyed her.

Well, that wasn’t exactly true. There was that one occurrence with Kit, in the woods. But it hadn’t been more than a fleeting kiss, an experiment between friends, and he’d known at that moment it could never be more. Still, he could understand why the queen didn’t want him back, and yet here he was, right underneath her nose.

“Commander!” one of the soldiers he’d served with in the Princess’s Guard, now dressed in an army uniform, shouted as he entered the bunk room. “It’s wonderful to see you.”

“I’m glad to be back,” Eli replied, grasping an outstretched hand. “I didn’t realize you’d been transferred.”

“Oh, yes. The queen has shaken up the princess’s detail quite a bit these past three years,” Rogo explained, running a hand through his rough, red beard. “Anyone who might’ve gotten a little too close to the princess needed to be removed—one way or another.”

A pang of jealousy hit Eli right in the gut as he imagined that meant Rogo had been part of Kit’s Exploration, but it wasn’t a question he’d dare to ask even if it had been polite to do so. “I’m sure the army commander is happy to have you,” was about all he could manage to say.

“I don’t know about that,” Rogo laughed, as if he were a bit of a troublemaker. “You should head to the mess hall. I bet you’re starving. We’ve heard a bit about what happened on the road outside of Eastbury. Is it true?”

Eli had no way of knowing what word may have traveled to the castle, but he was famished. “I doubt it,” he said with a wink. “Most of what people say isn’t true.”

Rogo laughed heartily, and Eli turned to head to the mess hall, knowing that Her Majesty wouldn’t mind so long as he didn’t go anywhere else. He imagined it would be at least a few more hours before she sent for him, and when he did, he hoped she would be in a good mood, though it wasn’t likely. Standing outside with a fake smile on one’s face all day did not tend to make a person amicable.

After a quick meal of the cook’s best stew and warm bread, he headed back to the bunk house where the quartermaster directed him to an empty cot. He could lay his head there until the queen called for him. He closed his eyes and tried to fall asleep, but it was impossible. Though it had been from a great distance, and he could hardly make out her features, he’d glimpsed Kit on his way down the dusty road, and he couldn’t get her image out of his mind. It had been three long years, and he was certain she had changed dramatically since the last time he spoke to her. She was just a girl then, barely eighteen, and it had been the beginning of her Exploration. Now, at twenty-one, she was a woman. This Choosing was a celebration of her adulthood. And he would not be a part of it.

A piece of him wanted to stay, to be there to support his friend, but he knew it would be heartbreaking to watch her get to know the men and not even have the opportunity to present himself to her as an option, especially since the Representative from his own province was such a two-faced woman-eater. If he could stay, be reassigned to her guard, perhaps he could be of some service to Kit. But then, he knew Rona had meddled with the voting in his own district, that for some reason she had preferred Jecobian to the other candidate, the one who had come in second, and that there was no way in hellfire she would’ve ever allowed Eli to be chosen. He didn’t know all of the details of what made the queen despise his family, but he knew enough. His mother refused to speak of it, but his father had revealed the gist of it to Eli before he died. Rona would likely rather see her own daughter rotting in prison than wed to a Goedwig.

“Commander,” a voice at the door called, and it took Eli a moment to realize he was being addressed. He hadn’t been a commander in the army, only a captain, and now that he was back amongst those who knew him as the commander of the Princess’s Guard, it would take some getting used to. That is, if he even stayed. Most of him wanted to go, to be reassigned to Iceforge again, or some other distant province where Kit was just a fond memory of his youth. Part of him longed to stay there with her, but only the nonsensical part.

He sat up and swung his legs off of the bed, standing, as the soldier continued, “The Queen’s Guard is here to escort you to Her Majesty’s chambers.”

“Thank you,” Eli nodded, and then went through the bunk room doors. The two guards waiting for him were familiar. There were no greetings, though; the dispositions of the Queen’s Guardsmen was always ruthless. They headed down the long corridor that bridged the army barracks to the castle proper. It would be another long march to the queen’s chambers. He’d forgotten just how massive Wrenbrook was, but the passages and halls came back to him, and he didn’t feel lost for a moment.