Once Eli had faded from her sight, Kit took a deep breath and reminded herself that he was gone—that he’d never been hers to begin with—and went to check on Jecob. He was losing a lot of blood, even though Armant seemed to be taking his time and cutting carefully, suturing up every blood vessel as he sliced through. It was slow going, and Kit had no idea how many hours it might take him, but she had a feeling he would be there a long time.
“Is there anything I can get you?” she asked the physician, peering over his shoulder in fascination. She’d always admired medical work even though she knew she’d never be allowed to practice because of her station.
Armant didn’t recognize she was speaking to him at first. When he did, he looked up and said, “Oh, no, thank you, Princess. It’s tedious work, but I’m hoping to spare his life.”
Kit nodded and decided she should go. If her mother were to find h
“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
Cassius knew her. Somehow, in just the few days that he’d been there, in the few times they’d spoken, he’d come to understand her. Kit wanted to confide everything to him but didn’t think standing in the hallway in front of her guards was the right place. With a deep breath, she asked, “Would you like to come inside for a bit?”A wicked grin spread across his face, and his green eyes twinkled. “Would I?” he asked, his hands already on her upper arms before he finished speaking.Kit let out a quiet giggle. “You know we are bound by law not to do anything… impulsive.”“Oh, I’ve given it enough thought there would be no impulsivity involved.”She snickered. “All right—immodest then. Inappropriate?”“Sexual?”“That, too.” Kit felt her face heat up.“I promise I shall mind my manners.” He looked at the
The barn was still one of her favorite places to visit, though Kit didn’t spend nearly as much time there as she used to. Still, as she walked along on Reeve’s arm, inhaling the scent of the horses, hay, and early summer day, she was happy to have the opportunity to show him around. She wore a deep green gown made of lighter fabric since the day had turned out to be warm. The change in seasons was certainly upon them, though the weather never got extremely hot at Wrenbrook, and the rains had not come as they usually did this time of year. Some of the councilwomen were betting on later inclement weather. Kit had never shown too much interest in what the clouds chose to do, but she would be disappointed if poor weather ruined many of the events her mother had planned for the next few weeks.Reeve looked handsome in the dark red and silver of his land, Erast Hollow. He was quite a bit taller than her, his shoulders not nearly as broad as Cassius’s but still wel
The ballroom was decorated more elaborately than Kit had ever remembered seeing it. Her mother had truly outdone herself this time with the amount of towering flower vases and blooms to the ceiling. The colors were purple and gold, the two shades best associated with the crown, and the fabrics that ran from the ceiling to the walls and then down to the floor were majestic and sparkling. The orchestra was so large, the music could be heard far down the hall, and the banquet table was overflowing with all kinds of desserts and other delicacies that could be easily eaten with one’s fingers. Perfect fare for a ball after a large meal in the dining hall. It truly was an impressive sight, and when Kit turned to her mother, she could tell she was well pleased with how her design had been carried out.The queen stepped to the middle of the dais in the center of the room along one wall, where she usually spent most of these sorts of festivities since she refused to dance with he
Without a word, Cassius grabbed her hand and led her out of the ballroom. There was no fanfare, no calling of goodnight, not even a word from her mother. The hallway seemed much longer now than it ever had before, but his legs were long, and she was spirited again, almost running to keep up with him as laughter escaped her lips. He didn’t make a sound, though, and Kit did her best not to trip over her long, red gown.Once they were a good distance from the ball, he slowed slightly. The sound of the orchestra still reached her ears, but it was faint, something from a dream. “Do you know where my alternate chambers are?” she asked in a whisper.He only nodded, still not speaking, and she thought it was odd that someone who always knew precisely what to say was silent. But she supposed he was introspective on the verge of such an important event. It crossed her mind that he may have been thinking about this moment for years whereas she had only been awes
The sound of arrows slicing through the air, and the reverberating thunk each one made as it contacted the target, reminded Kit of the pitter patter of rain as she watched the archery contest from a bench beneath a shade tree. Her mother had laid out the rules and then given the Representatives a few minutes to practice before the tournament itself would begin. Most of them would’ve taken a contest before the princess seriously no matter the prize, but the added bonus of a kiss from the princess for the winner was enough to inspire all of them to reach for victory.Of all the men before her, Kit was certain Cassius was the most distracted. She would’ve expected him to be capable of hitting the bullseye more often than not, yet he struggled. Every once in a while, he would turn and smile in her direction, and Kit would feel a tightening in her abdomen. He’d pleasured her one more time that morning before they parted ways, and she was still congratulating hers
The rounds wore on, and Kit pretended to care who advanced, though she was more interested in looking at the forms beneath the tunics and trousers. Landon’s bulging biceps and the way the cords in Jate’s neck strained when he concentrated had her shifting in her seat and even licking her lips from time to time. In the end, it came down to the two of them, and no one was surprised when Jate hit the bullseye right in the center in his final shot, edging Landon out for the win.“Ah, that’s too bad,” Avinia sighed. “I was hoping Landon would win.”“And I was hoping Jate would win!” Isla said, clapping loudly.Kit wasn’t really cheering for either of them, but she was relieved it wasn’t one of the unattractive Representatives or those who annoyed her who had won. Her mother congratulated Jate on his victory, and Kit hopped up off of the bench to bring him his prize.“Jaterius of Rockdale,&
Dinner had been as near a disaster as anything associated with the Choosing to date, except for, of course, Jecob’s trial, and by the time she was done and headed to her chambers, Kit was fighting tears. Not only did her mother spend the entire evening belittling her and questioning every choice she made (“Are you sure you need more gravy, Princess? Perhaps you’ve had enough. What? Another pastry for dessert?”) Cassius looked distraught. She could absolutely sympathize with his feelings, but when she tried to catch his eye, and he wouldn’t look directly at her, it occurred to Kit, not for the first time, that the trouble with choosing seven men is that six of them may feel unattended to. Despite Cassius’s assurance earlier that he understood, it still worried Kit. So did the fact that she had no idea how she would ever manage to choose just one man in the end and didn’t think it was possible. Granted, all of the men knew they would have to s