Eliason’s new room was by far the most luxurious accommodations he’d ever been provided, although it did occur to him that the queen had arranged for his chambers to be located furthest from the princess, and the empty room that would be granted to Kit’s last selection was between his room and the one Danyen was moving his clothing into. It wasn’t of a concern to Eli as he had a feeling he wouldn’t be spending much time here anyway.The furniture was a rich mahogany, the cushions and drapery a deep, golden yellow. Every piece of furniture featured plush cushions made of the finest fabric, and the bedspread, mostly silver-gray with notes of the same yellow tone woven through, was illustrious as well. If he were fond of such finery, this room would be ideal. However, he had never been comfortable surrounded by regalia and had already decided he wouldn’t be spending the night here. He hadn’t even bothered to collect the few changes of cl

A banging at the door brought Kit out of a deep slumber. For a moment, she wasn’t sure if what she was hearing was real or part of a dream, though it didn’t quite go with what she remembered of her dream—a peaceful meadow and all of her men. When the rapping sounded again, her eyes fully open this time, Kit knew it was part of the real world. Jate was pulling on his breeches and tossed Kit her nightgown, which she slid on over her head before her beau opened the door a crack.“Is the princess awake?” Avinia’s voice sounded slightly frantic, which for her cousin was a sign something was terribly wrong.Kit slid her feet over the edge of the bed and shot to the door. “I am now. What’s happening?”“I’m not certain, but I think it might be something.”It wasn’t the sort of answer Kit was expecting. “Whatever do you mean?”Avinia looked back toward the door to the

Rarely did Kit’s cousin Avinia call her by her nickname, so this was her making a point. Kit didn’t want to see her leave. She was worried enough about Gy and Seph, now that she’d let her go. “Please stay. Or change into your regular clothing first so that if they see you, they will only question why you are up and not your motivation. When my mother realizes my father has gone missing, she will start asking questions. She will believe he could not possibly have gotten out of the castle unassisted. Did anyone see you and Cassius?”“Only Fim who works in the stables.”“Did my father leave the castle alone?” The thought of the duke, who was in his late fifties now, riding out on his own to some distant land, made Kit uneasy.“Yes, but he didn’t have far to go to reach his first destination. He will have an escort after that.”She shook her head. Still terrifying. “How will we know

Though she would never admit it, Kit regretted her hasty decision to see the swamp where Gy and the others had come to rest. Almost immediately upon mounting Snowduster (whom she’d borrowed once more without expression permission) and following Galter and a number of her guards out into the night, she wished she hadn’t. It wasn’t just that she could imagine the sight she was about to lay eyes on would be ghastly to say the least, she was so exhausted, the only reason she was still awake was because sitting astride such a wide horse had put a cramp in her leg. The ache in her thigh was preventing her from falling asleep even more than the worry that this horse, along with Aeros, were still in the barn when she’d set out on her expedition.Jate had offered to let her ride along with him, and she probably should’ve taken him up on it, but she had decided to borrow Cassius’s horse instead in an air of independence that had never served her well

Kit’s eyes grew wide with fear, not that her father would be found but that the timing had been such that her mother could question her immediately. She did the only thing she could think of and feigned shock, covering her mouth. “Father is missing?”Ignoring her, Rona did her best to control her own surprise. “Remont? How is that possible? He has guardsmen stationed at his door every hour of every day. Did they see him leave?”“No, Your Majesty,” the soldier replied.“Were they sleeping? He can’t have just vanished into thin air!”Pierce spoke for the first time. “Is there a passage, my queen?”Rona was quick to answer. “In Remont’s chambers? Heavens, no. Do you think me so daft as to allow my husband free roam of the castle via an alternate exit?”Kit bit her tongue, wanting to ask why he couldn’t go wherever he pleased, but she decided it was b