Chapter 57

“Your tub is full, Princess,” Avinia announced as the guards took the buckets and disappeared out into the hallway.

Kit bit her lip on the word “finally” that wanted to shoot out of her mouth. She stood so that her ladies could help her out of her gown, Avinia mumbling about getting out the stain. As soon as she could, Kit scurried into the adjoining room, happy to be alone in the tub at last.

She sank in up to her chin, letting the fragrant smell of roses fill her lungs, glad her cousin had thought to scent it so heavily. The water was still hot, and it seemed to melt the knots in her muscles away as she leaned back into its open arms.

How many times had she come here during her Exploration, seeking refuge from the pressure of simply being herself, or to cry over her mother dismissing yet another one of the men who made her happy? She had spent countless hours here, letting her mind wander to what it would be like during her Choosing, or when she was queen. Now, she realized she had no idea what she was in for, not after what she’d been tricked into today. At least her mother had also had the wool pulled over her eyes. How long that might last, she wasn’t sure, and if Eli and his accomplices were found out, the queen would likely destroy them all with a snap of her fingers, never regretting any of it. Perhaps Armant would escape her wrath only because he was such an asset to the realm, but her mother would argue that the rest of the men, like most men, were easily replaceable.

Rarely did she let her mind wander to Eli, but she did at the moment, thinking about how it had felt to stand between his legs. She had aroused him; she could feel it on her hip. Sometimes she wondered if her feelings for him were purely one sided. Other times, she thought perhaps he felt as much for her as she did for him. He’d said he’d do anything for her, and she believed it. Only, there was nothing he could do under the circumstances. He could never be hers, and she could never be his, not even for one night. If there was any way in the realm she could possibly get around it, she would. She’d made that decision long ago, even if the possibility was fleeting. But while her mother was queen, there would be no chance at changing the law. By the time Kit was queen herself, she’d be married, and despite the rules of the Choosing, infidelity was highly illegal in Yewforia. Unless, of course, she could come up with some way to change the law or the Choosing itself.

For now, she would have to concentrate on the forty-one men, soon to be forty-two again, who made up her Choosing. She thought about this new man from Eastbury and wondered what the farmhand might be like. Likely tall with strong, but taut, muscles. She thought of the others. Cassius certainly caught her eye, as had Landon, Reeve, and a few others. She’d thought Pierce interesting if not a little well-informed for her liking. There were others she would’ve dismissed immediately given the opportunity.

Her mother had decreed tomorrow would be the night. There would be a ball, and then, Kit was free to start asking the Representatives to join her in her chambers. She would use the same room she had during her Exploration to preserve the sanctity of her own personal chambers, and that was fine with her. She liked having a separation between the place where she slept alone and the room she drifted off in after hours spent with a man. Sometimes, they would stay; other times she would dismiss them. She wondered whose arms she might find herself in first but had a fair idea of who she wanted to be with.

A knock on the door startled her. Kit sat up and said, “Come in.”

“Pardon, Princess,” Isla said, her eyes averted as if she’d never seen her cousin in the nude before, not that the soaps and flower petals weren’t hiding most of her now. “There are quite a few gentlemen wishing to see you. I said I would ask if you are up to speaking with them.”

“Gentlemen?” It took her a moment to realize that she meant her Representatives. “Oh? Did they say what they wanted?”

“Only to check on your welfare, Princess,” Isla replied. “Shall I get your dressing gown?”

The water was beginning to cool, and as relaxing as her bath had been, Kit decided it was time to get out and face the world again. “Yes, please. And a towel.”

Isla bowed and went out the door, and a few moments later, Avinia came in with the requested towel. Kit stood and began to squeeze the water out of her hair, which hung well past her waist when straight as it was now. Avinia dried her as best she could, and Isla held out her dressing gown. “I’d like to put on appropriate attire before I see any of them.” Most of the men may be seeing her in far less than her robe before too long, but there were some she planned to send home before they so much as saw her ankles.

Her cousins led her out to the main room and began to get her dressed as Blankka went about cleaning up the bath. Before long, she was wearing a deep blue gown that offset her eyes, and her damp hair was pinned up off of her neck. She decided it was good enough and slipped her feet into a comfortable pair of satin shoes while sending Isla to the door.

By the time Kit reached the adjoining room, the door was wide open, and Isla was talking to Reeve. Kit was surprised to see him first in a long line of gentlemen waiting to see her. She thought perhaps she should invite them all in one at a time and have a brief discussion with them, but there were so many, possibly twenty or more, she realized that would take hours. Instead, she stepped to the door. “Gentlemen, thank you all for coming,” she said, hoping her voice didn’t sound as tired or anxious as she thought it might. “I very much appreciate your concern.”

“We wanted to make sure that you are well, Princess,” Reeve explained, the worried look he almost always wore evident now. “We know you’ve been through a traumatic time.”

“Is there anything you need?” Landon asked, stepping up next to Reeve. Though a head taller, Reeve was much less broad in the shoulders, and Kit couldn’t help but compare the two. They were both handsome, and she was drawn to each of them. A glance around showed concerned looks on all of their faces, though she thought it odd Cassius was hanging back a bit, leaning on a window ledge as if he wasn’t interested in what the others had to say.

“I’m well, thank you. I cannot think of anything I need at this time, but I appreciate the asking.”

“A few of us went by the infirmary to see about Jecob.” Pierce stepped up, a worried expression in his eyes. “One of your guards said he is still alive, and the physician is trying his best to stitch everything up.”

There was no doubt they were all concerned about Jecob, though not because he was their friend. As far as she could tell, Jecob didn’t care for any of his competitors. Rather, they must’ve each stood there imagining what it would’ve been like to be in Jecob’s position, and the thought had to be terrifying.

“Armant is a fine physician, and I believe he will be able to save Jecob’s life. He is quite lucky my guards acted as quickly as they did to move him to the infirmary.” She hoped her story sounded believable and that no one was questioning what really happened. Had any of them been standing close enough that they could see Eli’s trickery?

“If you do need anything, please let us know.” The speaker was a lithe man with caramel colored hair who never smiled much, and Kit was having trouble remembering his name, though she did find him quite handsome. She believed he was from Farlington.

“Thank you,” she said again with a nod. “I do hope word has reached you that we are to have our first celebration tomorrow night. My mother has announced a ball.”

There were lots of cheers, though it seemed as if this was not original news. She heard Merek mumble, “Finally,” and wondered why he was in such a hurry. Surely, he must know he’d be sent home as soon as she was allowed to begin making cuts.

“We are looking forward to the festivities,” Jate said with a friendly smile.

“Perhaps we should clear out and give the princess some time to herself. She’s had a long day.” The recommendation came from Drake, a tall, dark man she thought was good looking but hadn’t seen much of. He had not participated in the slingball competition, and she wondered if he wasn’t interested in her, but the way he averted his eyes now made her think maybe he was just reserved.

The other Representatives agreed, though some were reluctant. Most waved or bowed, some stepped forward quickly to give her a peck on the cheek or hand, including Landon, who smelled like the woods and made her spine tingle. Cassius continued to sit on the ledge as many of the others walked away while Reeve lingered in front of her.

“Is there something else?” she asked the Representative.

He glanced over his shoulder at the others, not noticing Cassius who was on the other side of him. “Yes, I was just… would you want to have a stroll with me around the barn tomorrow, after the morning meal, assuming your schedule allows? I was thinking… I thought I heard you say you like horses, and since I am also fond of the beasts, I thought perhaps it would be an opportunity to get to know you better.”

Kit was more than a little surprised to hear his offer. She was under the impression Reeve liked to keep to himself. Perhaps she’d done a better job of making him feel comfortable than she had realized. “Yes, I would love that. I believe I have a few hours available.”

“Wonderful.” His smile met his eyes, and he let out a sigh of relief. “Very good. Have a lovely evening.” He skipped off down the hall, still paying no attention to Cassius, and only a few of the other Representatives looked back to see what was happening.

Once they were nearly out of sight, Cassius slowly pulled his musclebound body off of the windowsill. Kit couldn’t help but smile as he slowly walked over, paying no mind to her guards. “How are you really doing?”