Chapter 91

The weather was perfect for a hunt, Kit thought to herself as she made it out to the stables to pet Frick and find her horse. There were soft, fluffy clouds up above her head, and the sky was a serene azure shade of blue, not unlike her eyes. It looked like there would be no rain, despite the stormy season approaching, and Kit was certain her mother would be pleased to see she would not have to postpone her first extravagant contest of the Choosing.

Several persons were milling about the stable including those who actually worked there, preparing the horses for members of the nobility who would be joining in the festivities, the liegemen of the Representatives who were also readying horses or bringing them up to the launching off point from where they’d been kept in back of the castle, and a few Representatives themselves. Kit waved hello to a cluster of them standing near the stable doors but proceeded to the small wooden cage set off in the distance instead of going over to visit the handsome gentlemen who seemed to quiet their conversation in order to gaze in her direction.

“Why do you insist on treating the fox as if he is a pet?” Avinia, her cousin and lady-in-waiting, asked with a smile that showed she meant nothing ugly by the question.

“Because he is,” Kit replied with a shrug. While she was fairly certain this Frick was not the same one she’d named years ago as a small girl, she liked to imagine it was, and she knew for a fact this very fox had taken part in the last dozen or so hunts she’d been on. Her mother, unemotional as she may be when it came to the treatment of humans, agreed that the fox should never be harmed and that he was simply to be hunted down and recaptured. Any dog that showed aggression toward the smaller animal was immediately relieved of his duties, and the one time a nobleman from a distance province had made to harm Frick, the queen had stripped him of his titles and his lands. She was quite serious when it came to protecting the caged critter.

Kit stooped down to his level as the handlers moved aside, smiling at her. The gown she wore was a perfect shade of forest green, split in the middle into two large sleeves that would’ve resembled men’s trousers if they didn’t flow like skirts around her legs. While she didn’t make a habit of riding astride a horse most days, she did during a hunt, as most of the women did. In the rough terrain, at the speeds the horses would be traveling, it was much more practical than perching on the side of the saddle, like a princess....

“How are you, dearest Frick?” Kit asked, reaching between the wooden beams and patting the animal on the head. He was tame by now after so much handling by both her and those who cared for him, and he nuzzled up against her hand the way a puppy would. She’d always longed for a pet dog, but her mother said dogs were for hunting and nothing more. Kit had decided long ago when she was queen she’d have a legion of pet dogs that would go everywhere with her, and if Frick was still alive, he could also join her menagerie.

“You’re spoiling him.”

She turned at Eli’s familiar voice and smiled up at him. He looked as handsome as ever in the early morning sunlight, his light brown hair reflecting the light so it looked golden on top. He was wearing the red and blue of his own province, and she imagined most, if not all, of the Representatives would be doing the same. He stood back a bit, his hands resting easily on his hips, grinning at her with that smile that showed his fondness for her and the creature she was stroking.

“He deserves spoiling.” She turned back to the forest animal, petting him a few more times as she said, “You run fast today, little friend. Don’t make it easy on them.”

Frick made a small sound sort of like the yelping of a small dog, and she slid her hand over his coat one more time before standing and turning to face her friend. Avinia and her other lady-in-waiting, her cousin Isla, moved aside a bit, giving her some space. “How are you this morning?” she asked, glancing back toward where the other Representatives were gathering. She saw a few faces she would seek out later, but for now, Eli had been the only one bold enough to step up to address her, and she welcomed the opportunity to speak to him.

“I’m well, Princess, thank you. And you?”

“Ready for an adventure. Once Mother arrives, I think she’ll have a few announcements to make, and then we shall be off.”

“Did you have an opportunity to speak to her at all yesterday?” He ran his hand through his hair and then folded his arms, and she wondered precisely what he was getting at.

“I spoke to her briefly. I was right in suspecting that she would like for me to reward the winner with more than a kiss this time.” His eyes widened, but then he nodded as if it wasn’t truly a surprise. “I also asked her if I could dismiss a few of the Representatives I am certain I want no part of. She agreed to four of the five I suggested, so that was something.” Kit had been stunned that her mother had gone along with her plan, and even though she still refused to allow Merek to go since his province was so powerful, the other four wouldn’t be missed at all. Kit looked around for a moment and saw a couple of them off in the distance, not even pretending to be a part of the larger group.

“That’s good news.” Eli nodded, his smile a little less strained than it was before until he added, “Unless of course I am one of them.”

Kit giggled. “Yes, of course. You were first on my list.”

“Now that the queen would certainly agree to.”

He was right of course, and she had the idea that the concern she’d seen on his face earlier had more to do with any mention of him from her mother than anything else. “You actually didn’t come up at all,” she assured him. “That is a good thing.”

“It is,” he concurred. Off in the distance, a trumpet pealed, announcing the arrival of the queen. “I suppose I should go saddle Aeros up.”

“You haven’t anyone to do that for you?” She was surprised. Certainly, her mother would’ve allowed him to appoint someone as a liegeman, perhaps one of her guardsmen.

“No, but then, I’d rather do it myself. It won’t take but a moment. By the time your mother works her way over to the starting line, I’ll be back.” He took a step backward, but before he turned, he reached out and brushed a loose strand of hair behind her ear, and Kit felt her heart skip a beat. She already knew from the conversation they’d had the day before he would not try to win the challenge that day, not because he didn’t want to be with her but because he wanted to give her some time, some space, to get used to the idea that he could be hers, and while Kit appreciated the sentiment, in that moment, she made a silent plea to the goddesses that he would find his way to victory, one way or another.

As Eli headed for the barn, Kit turned back the way she’d come. Her mother was off in the distance, mounting her stead, and it would take her several minutes to climb atop her giant black stallion, Warrior, and parade her way to where most of the field awaited. Her noble persons would also have to situate themselves atop their horses, and it was all a grand affair Kit wanted nothing to do with. Instead, she headed for a group where she’d feel much more comfortable than the stuffy bunch of older people vying for her mother’s attention.