Chapter 73

Standing on the dais next to her mother always made her heart thunder in her chest, but after the day she’d had, and in light of the announcement she was about to make, Kit could hardly breathe her heart was racing so quickly. Not to mention, the last of her forty-two men was waiting out in the hallway somewhere to meet her. It seemed like the Choosing would truly begin at that moment, when he made his entrance, and she was no longer waiting for anyone or anything. The fact that she’d already made connections with some of the other men, particularly Cassius who was standing almost directly in front of her now, looking as appealing as ever in his province’s colors of white and red, didn’t seem to make too much of a difference since she still had six more men to select. Her eyes glanced through the crowd, and certain faces caught her attention, men she wanted to know better, those who may as well go home now, and a few she couldn’t quite put her finger on.

The ballroom smelled divine, and Kit’s stomach might’ve been growling if her heart wasn’t insisting on center stage. There were tables of food set up all around the periphery, her mother’s newest idea for creating a unique experience. There was no place to sit, however, and the queen had explained to her daughter this wouldn’t be a problem because all of the menu items could be eaten while standing. Kit would have to see it to understand, but the scent of roasted meat caught her attention, and she was looking forward to attempting to eat a lambchop while dancing.

Large bouquets of flowers filled sconces on the walls in the royal colors of purple and red. There were also large spheres in the same shades everywhere Kit looked, including hanging from the ceiling from thread so thin they appeared to be floating. It was a striking effect, and Kit thought her mother had outdone herself this time. The music was a complete opposite from the last occasion; rather than an orchestra so large it filled a quarter of the ballroom, there was only a five piece ensemble situated in the corner at the far end of the room. Kit wondered if they’d even be able to hear the music over the din of the partygoers, but she wouldn’t dare question a queen who’d given pardon earlier when none had been required.

Her mother wore the same purple gown she’d been wearing during Kit’s audience, and Kit wished she’d known the colors the queen had chosen for the ball. Perhaps she would’ve also chosen purple or red, rather than silver and blue, but she wouldn’t dwell on it. Her ladies had insisted she looked as gorgeous as ever before she left her room the second time, still wearing the slippers instead of the heels, though thankfully they could not be seen beneath the hem of her gown.

The room was crowded with noblewomen and their husbands, as well as the delegations from the different provinces. This would be the last event before all of them were sent home, save one liegeman per Representative. Kit was thankful that she wouldn’t have to worry about meeting the families of all of the Representatives. It would be nice if she could meet the loved ones of the Roomed, but that would have to be discussed with the queen at a later time. Everywhere she looked, she saw smiling faces, except for a few of the Representatives she hadn’t gotten to know well yet who looked nervous, and she imagined some of them might be thinking the queen wanted to address them because Kit would be sending some of them home.

“Ladies and men!” Queen Rona shouted, gathering everyone’s attention. “Representatives, your loved ones and delegations, I want to thank you for joining us tonight. Though our festivities have been delayed slightly, it is with great joy that I announce the official start of my daughter, Princess Katrinetta’s, Choosing!” There were cheers and whistles from all sections of the room but particularly from where her Representatives stood. Kit smiled at all of them, taking her time to catch the eyes of a certain few.

“Now, despite this being the official start, I gave Katrinetta permission to begin to get to know the men over a week ago. In that time, she has spoken to all of them, taken meals with them, even participated in an unofficial contest or two. And tonight, the princess would like to announce her very first Rooming!”

Once again, the crowd went wild with applause, and Kit’s eyes caught many surprised expressions in the audience, particularly among the Representatives. She didn’t want to give anything away before she spoke, but she thought Cassius and Reeve both looked very nervous, and suddenly she wondered if perhaps she should’ve warned both of them. Would Reeve be disappointed it wasn’t him, or would he know better than to think it could be? Surely, Cassius had to know how she felt about him, didn’t he?

Her mother went on to say a few more words about the Choosing process, outlining what it meant to be Roomed, that the Representative would be given one of seven special rooms, closer to the princess, and that if she wished, Kit could now visit that Representative in his own Chambers. She explained that it was an assurance that the man would be allowed to stay until the first phase of the Choosing was over, that he was essentially one of seven finalists, and that it was a high honor for the Representative and his province.

She also explained how Kit could decide to send a Representative home at any time. As she rattled on about how a man shouldn’t feel rejected should he be sent home, Kit scanned the room again. This time, she wasn’t looking for the face of a man among the chosen few who could potentially become her husband. Rather, she was looking for the one she would’ve selected to be a Representative if given the chance to do so. But as she looked through the myriad of faces, she didn’t see Eli anywhere. Her hope was that he was outside with the delegation from Eastbury. Perhaps it would be easier for her to make the announcement about Cassius if she couldn’t see Eli’s face. But then, there was nothing she could do to make it any easier on either of them. She couldn’t choose Eli, and she had to choose someone. At least the man she’d selected for her first Rooming had her dear friend’s approval.

“So... it is with great pride, that I now allow the princess to make her announcement!” The queen finally concluded her long-winded speech, and there was another round of applause, though this one seemed shorter, possibly because at this point, everyone just wanted to get on with the Rooming, meet the new Representative, and then discover how one ate stew while gallivanting across the ballroom.

“Thank you, ladies and gentlemen,” Kit said, not caring that her mother groaned whenever she said the word “gentle.” She cleared her throat so she could be heard in the back. “It is with great honor that I announce to you this evening my first Rooming. This Representative is someone who is well-liked by all who meet him. He is handsome, strong, intelligent, and always knows how to make me laugh.” Kit wanted to keep her announcement short and impersonal because she felt it was no one else’s business why she chose Cassius. Now, it just sounded generic to her ear, but she didn’t care. With another deep breath, she pressed on. “Without further ado, I would like to extend an invitation for my first Rooming to... Cassius Peet from Warchester Keep!”