Loved by the Princess

Chapter One The sound of music wound its way around Kit as she moved back and forth across the dance floor, not really paying attention to the man whose arms she was in, though she understood she was being impolite. Gavin of Wainsborough was a handsome man, with golden skin and hair to match. He had an athletic frame, though he was more wiry than some of the other men, like Cassius from Warchester Keep, who was currently the only Representative she’d Roomed. Cassius had shoulders broad enough to carry two of her. But Gavin wasn’t currently the man she was thinking of, and neither was Cassius for that matter. She needed to speak with Eli; the sooner the better. She glanced around the ballroom again. Several hours had passed since he was introduced to her as the newest Representative for her Choosing, and she hadn’t seen him in at least half that time. At first, she’d avoided him because she hadn’t wanted to cause a scene. The other forty-one Representatives knew the history between the two of them. They knew Eli had grown up here at Castle Wrenbrook and that he and Kit had been good friends. The others may have even suspected there was more between the pair. Certainly, Cassius had thought so. She’d spoken to him about it briefly before and could see it on his face when she’d looked into his eyes right after Eli had walked away from her. Cassius looked only slightly troubled, however, and Kit was reminded that he had mentioned to her before that he knew she’d be choosing seven men before she narrowed down the number and selected the one man she wanted to spend the rest of her life with—assuming she didn’t find a way to change the rules. Glancing around and seeing so many faces of men she admired and wanted to get to know better, she had no idea how she would ever make that decision, not even now that Eli was a possibility, something she would’ve never considered until the announcement earlier in the evening. “You’re anxious, aren’t you, Princess?” Gavin asked, still moving her around the dance floor as if he hadn’t a care in the world. She could tell by the tension in his shoulder he was simple putting on a brave face. “Are you looking for the Commander?” Seeing no reason to lie to the handsome man who had been nothing but understanding, Kit nodded. “I do need to speak to him. I thought perhaps I could dance with him next. But I don’t know where he’s headed off to.” “I believe I saw him exit through one of the doors leading to the balconies,” Gavin replied, gesturing with a nod of his head. “It was at the beginning of the song. I don’t think he’s returned just yet.” Kit wondered what Eli could possibly be doing outside, but then, she wouldn’t fault him for trying to escape. He was never one for attention, used to spending his time on the periphery at such events. As Commander of her guard, he’d been tasked with the duty of keeping her safe, something that he took very seriously. He was capable of moving through a crowd without even being noticed. Now that all eyes were on him, she could imagine he would want to get out of view, at least for a while. Swallowing a lump that had formed in her throat, Kit thanked Gavin for the information and asked him a question about his childhood, hoping to engage him in some light banter for the duration of the song. She found her mind wandering, though her eyes stayed attached to his handsome face, and by the time he’d finished speaking, she had no idea what he’d said. It was a good thing she was fairly certain he wasn’t one of the gentlemen she’d be keeping. Not that there was anything particularly unlikable about him. But if he couldn’t hold her attention enough to keep her mind off of Eli for even a few moments, he likely wasn’t a good candidate for Rooming. Before the final chords were even struck, at least a half a dozen hands were offered to her. Kit excused herself from all of them with only a glance at who they belonged to. Most of them were fellows she’d already danced with and no one she wanted to spend more time with that evening, though she would’ve appreciated the opportunity to speak with Pierce of Metfirth if she had a chance. He always had more information than anyone else, even though she’d already danced with him once, and he’d let her know he was just as surprised to hear Eli announced as she was. But any interrogation would have to wait until later because she had to find her Commander. The crowd parted for the princess despite the fact that so many young men wanted the opportunity to dance with her. With forty-two suitors, it would be hard to give everyone equal attention as it was. Now that she was clearly leaving the dance floor, some were wise enough to know the possibilities of getting a turn with her around the ballroom were even more limited. Yet, they stepped aside quickly as Kit raced between them, her silver gown flowing out behind her. It snagged once on the leg of one of the many tables her mother, Queen Rona, had set up along the periphery. It was a new idea of hers—food everywhere but nowhere to sit--and Kit had avoided eating much of anything because of it. Luckily, when she swiped her garment free, there was only a small snag in the satin and not a rip. A few more steps and she reached one of the long streamers of gauze hanging from the ceiling. It seemed with each party, her mother found a way to outdo herself. This streamer was purple, one of the royal colors, and it hid the exit Kit was looking for. In fact, these large fabric adornments hid almost all of the exits. The idea of what the party might do in case of an emergency crossed her mind for a moment, but Kit pushed it aside. She knew how to get out of the ballroom when she needed to. Pushing the door open, she caught the eye of one of her guards who had clearly followed her. Galter—who may actually be her new Commander now that Eli had other business to attend to—was one of her most trusted, and he only nodded his approval as she exited the building. It was summer, but this high above the velvety gardens, a light wind stirred her hair and a tingle of gooseflesh rose up on her bare arms. She blamed it on the change in temperature, not the man leaning against the balcony, though she was certain it could have been either or both. Eli didn’t turn his head as she took slow, careful steps in his direction. Just as she often knew when he was nearby through her sense of smell or some other unknown ability, he knew it was her. They were all alone with only the stars above them and a waning moon to witness their conversation, and Kit was relieved to have a few moments to discuss the unbelievable turn of events that had brought them to this juncture. She placed one hand on the cast iron railing beside him but didn’t look over. Ever since she’d gone out on her own small balcony with the man Eli had been selected to replace, she’d had an issue with heights. Jecobian had been reckless in more ways than she cared to count, and it was the fact that he’d been found to suffer from a contractible venereal disease that had cost him his chance with the princess. It had also literally cost him his manhood. Kit pushed those thoughts aside and waited to see if her friend would acknowledge her. He did. “You should be inside with your guests, Princess,” Eli said, only turning his head slightly to look at her out of the corner of one emerald green eye. “I’m certain there are plenty of Representatives waiting to dance with you.” “Yes, well, they can wait a bit longer,” she replied resting her elbow on the railing. “How are you?” Eli slowly turned to face her. Even in the dim light, standing this close to him, the sight of him made her catch her breath. There was a room full of handsome men behind her, but he had always found a way to stall her breathing. Normally, he wore a bit of stubble on his angular jaw, but tonight he was completely clean shaven, and his dark hair was parted on one side and slicked down. She preferred it the more natural, messy way he usually wore it but knew her mother would like it much better the way he was wearing it now. And Rona had never been fond of Eliason Goedwig. In fact, she was the one who tampered with the first election from Eli’s province of Eastbury. If Jecobian hadn’t found a way to get himself eliminated, Eli wouldn’t be in this position. Kit still couldn’t believe her mother hadn’t found a way to prevent this situation from occurring. “It seems odd to me that you should ask how I’m doing,” Eli said, his green eyes twinkling in the moonlight. “You’re the one who has just discovered the situation. I’ve had a few days to let it sink in.” “Very well, then,” Kit replied sarcastically. “How am I doing?” A smirk crossed his handsome face as he raised an eyebrow. Kit didn’t pause for long. “Honestly, I’m shocked. I certainly wasn’t expecting this. At first, I wanted to demand you explain to me why you said nothing earlier when you could have. But then I realized my mother would’ve had your head if she would’ve known you’d told me before the ceremony this evening. So I suppose I can’t fault you for that. And then I wanted to ask you how this all came to be. But I determined that if you even had an answer for that question, you probably couldn’t explain it to me without either going against whatever promises my mother may have sworn you to or directives she’s ordered you to follow. So... here we are with the impossible staring us right in our noses.” Eli held her gaze a moment longer before he said, “Your eyes look like brilliant blue sapphires tonight, Princess.” A blush warmed her cheeks, and she looked away. “Is that all you have to say then?” She glanced back up at him as the breeze stirred the few loose curls of black hair that hung around her shoulders sending a shiver down her spine that wasn’t completely related to the weather. “No, but I thought it was noteworthy.” He smiled much easier now than he had when she’d first come out to speak with him. “All I can say is, I was as surprised to hear the outcome of the voting as you were. I was aware that I’d received a substantial amount of ballots in my favor the first time, but as I told you before I left for Eastbury this last time, I fully expected the farmhand I told you about, the one who had come in second to Jecobian in the first election, to be the Representative. When I was announced after the ballots were counted, I nearly fell over and had to be propped up by my sister and her husband.” “I cannot even picture that,” Kit said, shaking her head. Someone as agile and strong as her own commander needed a shoulder to lean on? “And yet it happened just the same. I kept waiting for your mother to send one of her own guardsmen in to declare the vote erroneous, but that never happened. When I arrived back at the castle earlier today, your mother wanted to see me, of course. She already knew what had happened. She made me swear to say nothing to you about what we discussed and promised me that she would find a way to... end this. I think you know what that means.” Kit swallowed hard. She knew precisely what her mother meant. If Kit even began to consider choosing Eli, the queen would make sure that didn’t happen, one way or another. “What do you intend to do then?” Kit asked, each word measured. She held her breath as she waited for him to answer, thinking it would be quite easy for him to bow out, to say he’d play along for a bit and then let her send him home, whether that be back to the guard, to the army where he’d served for many years, or back to Eastbury. “Kit, I never even let myself think this was a possibility.” His tone was gentle. He stepped toward her, his fingertips brushing against her arm. “All of these years, you know I’ve valued our friendship. But there’s been... more. For my part anyway. I never imagined....” He stopped, holding her gaze for a second, and Kit felt her breath catch before she let it go in a soft exhale. He didn’t need to say anything else. “You’re not afraid of her?” “No. I’ve never been afraid of what she might do to me—only of what she might do to you. And it seems that she was unable to prevent this situation from happening. Maybe that’s a sign that the goddesses are on our side, or at least that they feel we need an opportunity to see if there’s more.” Kit’s head was moving up and down on its own accord before she even realized she was agreeing. “If you’re not afraid of her, then I would like for you to... stay. To participate. And we can see... what it’s like to be a bit more than friends.” Eli’s lips formed a small smile, and she mirrored the gesture before another thought entered her head, morphing her mouth into a tight line before she continued. “But... you should know... the others—I have begun to form relationships with some of them. I wouldn’t want to just walk away from them now.” He was shaking his head before she even finished the statement. “Nor would I expect you to. Kit, this is a long process. I know you have feelings for Cassius and some of the others, and I’m glad for it. I told you this afternoon in the library I thought he was a good man. He is. I don’t want to stand in your way. If there’s someone else who is better suited to you, who can make you happier, then I want you to find him.” “That’s a long way off.” Kit jumped in, stopping him. “I don’t have to decide anything right now.” It was just as much a reminder to herself as it was to him. “I have months, years if I want.” “Precisely.” He was still smiling, but she knew the idea of this taking years wasn’t appealing to either of them. Still, the idea that she could not choose, not now, not ever, was present in her mind. “All you need worry about now is finding seven. That shouldn’t be too difficult, do you think?” “Not as difficult as narrowing it down to one,” she replied. She had seven rooms to fill, and only Cassius had been assigned one of them, which left six more. Of the forty-one other men besides the one she’d already chosen, she thought there were ten or twelve that might be suitable for Rooming. The rest, she either hadn’t made a connection with or seemed to be here for the wrong reasons. Yet, her mother wouldn’t let her send any of them home for a bit longer, not until she gave her permission, which was completely against the laws of the realm. Kit had determined to let it be, though, thinking it was one small way to appease the queen of Yewforia without having to go to great lengths in order to do so. “Then... treat me as you would any of the other Representatives, Princess, and I shall do my best to forget our familiarities.” A giggle escaped her lips, though she tried to catch it before it filled the night air. “I don’t think that’s possible. I shall treat you as I always have—just with fresh eyes.” Eli tipped his head in agreement. “You should get back inside.” “Do you not wish to dance with the princess on the eve of your announcement?” She placed one hand on her hip and stared at him for a moment. He seemed to ponder the question before he replied, “Of course, I would love to dance with you. I just didn’t want to steal any more time away from the others.” “You should want to. They’re your competition.” “I disagree,” he replied. “We aren’t enemies. At this point, you have six of us to choose, and as I said, your happiness is the most important. So... if you want to dance with me, of course, I’d love to have the honor. But if there are others you need more time with, then, by all means, choose one of them instead.” His sentiments were similar to what Cassius had mentioned only a few days before, and it unburdened Kit’s heart. Knowing that the men were not thinking of each other as competition would make it easier for her to make difficult decisions. Anyone who was thinking of this as a contest had no place here. “I will dance with more of them, but first, I should like to dance with you.” “Very well, then.” Eli bowed and offered his hand, and she slipped her gloved palm into his. He led her toward the door, but just as he went to open it, a thought crossed her mind, and Kit stopped, pulling him back toward her slightly. “What is it, Princess?” She took a deep breath, searching for the right words. “It’s just... I thought you should know... I planned to ask Jaterius to my chambers tonight.” He raised his eyebrows, as if he couldn’t quite figure out why she was telling him this, but then nodded. “I think it might be best if you and I take a bit of time before... before we go there together. I wouldn’t want any of the others to think you have an unfair advantage, not more than they already will, that is.” Eli continued to show his agreement, but she thought she saw a tinge of shadow pass across his face—perhaps disappointment. She couldn’t blame him if that were the case. While he’d mentioned not allowing himself to think about ever being intimate with her since it didn’t seem like it would ever be a possibility once her mother had sent him away right before her three-year-long Exploration began, Kit had thought about him in that way more times than she could count. Now that the possibility was right in front of her, the idea of taking it made her stomach turn over. She wanted him in more ways than she could imagine, but the idea that their friendship would be something else was also a worry, so she decided now was not the time to think on such matters, and if she could use the other men as an excuse to put some distance between them, then she would fully take advantage of that opportunity. “Princess Katrinetta, this is your Choosing, and you have every right to select whomever you wish for your pleasuring.” Eli’s voice was soft and reassuring. “Now, would you like to accompany me to the dance floor?” Kit’s breathing evened out, but she was still unsure of her own decision. Nevertheless, she was certain that she wanted to dance with the man she’d been longing to spend her life with for as long as she could remember. Though she’d been in his arms many times, this one would be different. This one would be full of possibilities. “Yes, I’d love to,” she replied, and he led her through the solid wood doors, back into the ballroom not just as a friend but as the something more she’d been longing for as far back as she could remember.