Kit did not think Jecob’s comment about the other team being losers was funny, so she ignored it. “The other team will receive a kiss on the cheek from me, and the winners shall have a different sort of kiss!” More cheers went up, though some of the winners sniveled that it wasn’t fair that the losers received anything.
While Kit wasn’t looking forward to kissing some of the men, she thought this might be a good opportunity to gather some information. She thought nothing would get too out of hand, what with so many onlookers, and she was just about to step forward to begin the awards when Landon asked, “What about the commander? He played just as hard as the rest of us.”
“True. He scored nearly half of our points,” Jate agreed.
Kit looked around, not even aware that Eli wasn’t with the rest of them. He had his scabbard and chainmail back on and was headed away from them. “Yes, Commander, I agree.
Dinner with her mother and the rest of the council had been mostly chatter about the Representatives and more of the festivities her mother had planned. Kit was quite embarrassed and afraid her mother would screech when the duchess Zora mentioned she had walked by the window and noticed a fascinating game of slingball going on earlier and asked if Kit was happy with the outcome. Her mother quirked an eyebrow but otherwise didn’t question what her daughter chose to do with her men, and Kit was relieved when it was time to head back to her chambers.She was dressed in a long blue gown, her mother’s favorite color on her, with her hair up, also to appease her mother. The pearl tiara she wore was one of her favorites, as were the satin slippers that glided across the floor as if she wore nothing on her feet at all. Galter and another guard she couldn’t name had brought her to her mother’s dinner table, and they were the ones to bring her back to her chambe
After a moment, Jecob stepped back and took a deep breath, clearing his head. “Pardon me, Your Majesty. It’s just… I can’t get enough of you.” He lowered his eyes, and she rested her forehead against his, sinking into him for a moment as his eyes traced the curves of her breasts peeking out above her bodice. If only his eyes could be his hands, but that would have to wait. She just hoped he would remember that since he’d had trouble with the rules the night before and hadn’t even been drinking, as far as she could tell. She would have to admit he seemed like he had had some sort of artificial bravery when he climbed through the shrubbery.“Did you have a nice day today?” he asked in a breathy whisper.“I did. You’re an excellent athlete.”He chuckled and leaned in to softly kiss her lips. The urgency was gone this time; the kiss was sweet and soft. “It was nice to see you, but it was
“Pardon me?” Jecob asked, turning around to face the lady, Blankka.“I’m sorry. I wasn’t meaning to overhear. It’s just, I have several friends in Eastbury as well, and my understanding is that you got lots of practice in order to ensure you’d be one of the princess’s favorites should you ever have the opportunity to visit her chambers—not this one of course, the one you must be invited into. Do you know the history of how that land, the acreages you’d like to split up, was attained? I’ve not heard the entire story, but from what I do know, it’s not something you should be discussing either. You have no idea why that particular family was disgraced.”Kit wasn’t sure whether or not she should tell Blankka to mind her place or wait to see what Jecob would say in return. She was more than a little lost herself, only gathering they were discussing unfairly confiscated land. Wh
Kit knew that she was dreaming because the horse she was riding was flying. Through skies the color of the purple tulips Jecob had brought her, she glided, alongside a man with a perfectly sculpted chest whose face she could never quite see. He was just about to turn to face her, to plant a kiss on her lips, when her arm was tugged in the opposite direction, and she realized someone was calling her name.“Princess Katrinetta! Wake up!” Avinia was saying, pulling harder each time she said her name. “Your mother is requesting your presence!”The fact that the voice was not part of her dream finally registered, and Kit managed to open one eye. Sunlight streamed in, nearly blinding her. It had taken so long for her to fall asleep the night before, she could’ve happily rolled over and gone back to sleep. But something was wrong or else her mother would not be requesting her presence so early in the morning on a day when they had nothing schedul
The queen was seated on her throne, impeccably dressed as always, not a hair out of place, and her crown was perfectly situated on her head. The rest of the council also appeared as if they’d been up for hours. Kit approached the throne slowly, with her head held high, as Eli had suggested, and she tried not to be in a rush or seem upset at all by the information she’d discerned earlier. The fact that Armant, the royal physician, stood across the room, in front of the council members’ thrones alerted her that whatever was wrong, it was serious, and Kit did her best to keep her breathing even.She bowed and went through the process of greeting her mother, trying not to hurry through it to get on with the matter at hand. When she stood, she kept her shoulders back and her chin up, determined to keep her head on straight no matter what she was about to hear.“Katrinetta, thank you for joining us. Finally,” her mother chided, rolling her tongu
Raising an eyebrow, Kit leaned in, having no idea what her mother was suggesting. “The people?”“Yes. I can’t stand before them and show any sort of weakness. They will think I’ve lost all of my power and turn on me. So… I will allow you to make an argument for him, if that is what you wish. If you can convince the crowd that Jecobian should be spared, I shall come up with an alternative punishment. If you cannot, then he shall lose his head. Fair enough?”She imagined herself standing out on the dais, appealing to the masses, begging them to spare Jecob’s life, and knew the chances were slim. Everyone seemed to love a good beheading, and the fact that the princess was asking them for mercy didn’t sound like much of a deterrent. But it was the best opportunity Jecob would have to live. “Yes, Your Majesty. That sounds fair. Thank you. Your grace is much appreciated.”“Oh, don’t thank m
As soon as the door was closed, she turned and buried her face in his shoulder, hot tears splashing against his uniform as she could no longer contain her emotions. He wrapped his arms around her, whispering, “It’ll be all right, Kit. It’ll be all right. Just breathe.” She thought she heard her ladies’ footsteps behind her, but he waved them off, and she continued to sob, gasping for air as images of Jecob’s smiling face flashed before her eyes. Despite some of his less than amicable behavior, she’d already began to bond with the man, and now, his fate was in her hands.Eli continued to soothe her, and Kit fought to control her breathing and her tears, but just when she thought she had them under control, an image of Jecob as he leaned in to kiss her filled her mind, and she’d find herself gasping for air as another wave of sorrow hit her, leaving her sobbing again. Her knees felt weak, and she took a few steps backward, away fr
“It doesn’t matter. I only hope Eastbury is able to elect a finer candidate for you on their second try,” Eli said in response to Kit’s question about what Jecob had said to him on the slingball field.She remembered then that he would be leaving again the next day, and her stomach tightened. “It seems like every time I’ve gotten used to you being here, you have to go away once more.”“I know.” He sighed and readjusted, dropping his arm so that his hands were on her hip and knee now. The feel of his touch was comforting, and any thought of removing herself from his lap, now that she had control of herself, was quickly pushed aside. “I’ll be back soon enough, though.”“This man who came in second, do you think that is who they shall elect? My mother doesn’t seem to care for him much.”“I have no idea what they shall do. Eastbury is very divided right now. There