Loved by the Princess

Chapter 2

Chapter Two

The song was just ending as Eli led Kit back inside, and as the new one began, he offered her his hand, placing the other on her narrow waist. He could tell that the anxious feeling he had inside wasn’t his alone but that she was also unsure of what this new development would mean for their friendship. In all the years that they had known each other, both of them had been fairly certain that the current predicament could never be—that even if somehow Eli were to be selected by his province, Rona would make sure that something occurred to prevent him from taking his place among the other Representatives. Now that he was here, it was difficult to digest what this could potentially mean.

The scent of honey and lavender filled his lungs as he pulled Kit’s body close and moved her around the dance floor. Her hand was warm, and the light touch of her palm on his shoulder was a comfort. Everything he could’ve possibly spoken to her about his hopes and dreams had been said outside. Now, it was just a matter of trying the situation on for size. The idea of sharing her was much more appealing than a world where she could never be his, and though it never escaped his thinking that she could potentially choose someone else to be with in the end, at least now he’d have a chance.

It was hard to look her in the eyes. Hers flickered about as well, as if they were somehow learning each other all over again. In a way, they were. The dance they’d been engaged in for so many years as friends wanting what could never be was different than this new entanglement they’d embarked on as something more, and Eli feared he didn’t know the right steps and would end up making a mess of everything if he wasn’t careful. He knew she needed space and time, and he was willing to give that to her. Eventually, he hoped she would come around to the idea that he was no longer f*******n, and perhaps they’d learn to move together in harmony once again.

Since he wasn’t capable of looking directly at Kit, his eyes gazed past hers, and he noticed Cassius standing in the center of a group of other Representatives. It was no surprise to see him there; everyone genuinely liked him, or so it seemed, at least the ones who were worth their salt. Eli thought back to the beginning of the ball when Cassius had approached him, congratulating him for his victory and welcoming him to their little group. He’d said, “You’ll fit in with those of us who are here for the right reasons straight away,” and shook Eli’s hand.

It was a kind gesture, one that hadn’t been necessary, but Eli appreciated it just the same. Even though he’d played a game of slingball with some of them just before he’d been sent back to Eastbury, he certainly didn’t feel like one of their group. Knowing that Cassius welcomed him would make fitting in all the easier.

Kit stirred in his arms, and Eli looked down at her. The soft candlelight glistened off her tiara. She was easily the most beautiful woman he’d ever laid eyes on. “Is everything all right, Princess?” he asked, coaxing a smile out of her.

“Yes, thank you. It’s just...” she turned to look over her shoulder, “the song will be over soon, and then I shall have to choose a new partner. I’m weary of making such difficult decisions.”

A chuckle caught in his throat. “I’m afraid you’re in the wrong line of work then, dearest.”

Pink tinged her cheeks. “Yes, I suppose you’re right.” Kit let out a sigh. “It’s so difficult when there are so many. I do wish mother would let me send some home already.”

“Why won’t she?” he asked, avoiding another couple who smelled of wine and were laughing so hard they weren’t paying careful attention to where they were going. He thought the man was one of Kit’s Representatives, one she didn’t much care for, and the woman was an invited guest of the queen.

“She wants to make sure all of the provinces believe they’ve had a fair shake.” Kit scrunched her lips to one side of her face in thought. “I am certain there are at least eight or ten I would like to never see again, but she won’t let me send any of them on their way just yet.”

Eli thought through the candidates he’d met while he was still serving as Commander of the Princess’s Guard. He could think of at least that many who didn’t deserve to be here. “Perhaps you should compile a list of those you’d like to send off, make sure you spend at least a small amount of time speaking to them, and then once your mother agrees, go ahead and dismiss them. That way, you only need to think on them once, and then you can put them out of your mind.”

A smile formed on her beautiful face. “What a perfect solution. See, I knew having you around would be beneficial. Although, this isn’t quite what I had in mind before. Not that I’m complaining.”

He knew what she was speaking of. Before he’d left for the election, she’d ask him to help her, to get to know the Representatives as her commander, and make recommendations based on his observations. “I can still do that, you know. You have six more gentlemen to choose. I certainly don’t mind helping you narrow it down.”

Her eyes widened in surprise. “You’d do that?”

“Yes, of course. Why wouldn’t I? Naturally, I will recommend myself.” He winked at her, and Kit giggled beneath her breath. “But seriously, I want you to find the men most suited to you, Kit, so I’ll do whatever I can to help you.”

“You already tried to warn me about Jecob, and I didn’t listen.” Her eyes fell to the floor for a moment. “I should know better than to let something like that happen again.”

Eli shrugged. “It’s not as if you were seeing him the same way that I did. Our families have known each other for a very long time. Yours was not the first Choosing where Goedwigs and Noblewoods have competed for the same woman.”

Puzzled, Kit tipped her head to the side. “It isn’t?”

It occurred to him that he may say too much if he wasn’t careful. “Our families have a long history of disliking each other.” He hoped that would be sufficient. Now was not the time to get into the history of Choosings. His eyes skittered over to Rona for the first time since he’d taken Kit out to the dance floor. The queen was staring at him, an angry glower on her face, and he wasn’t surprised in the least. If she knew he would begin to unwind the secrets he’d been carrying for so long, she would shoot darts at him with more than just her eyes.

Kit was looking around again, and the song was ending. “Perhaps you will be able to tell me all about it—some other time when we have more privacy.”

“Yes, of course.” It would be easier to agree to it now and then put her off later than protest at the moment.

The musicians played the last notes of the song, and as Kit had predicted, they were swarmed by gentlemen beckoning the princess to let them be next to swing her around the dance floor. Kit looked overwhelmed, not sure who to choose, and he imagined the choices would only get more difficult from here. Unsure what to do, he continued to keep his hands on her, waiting to see if she’d made her selection or if she needed assistance getting to the periphery of the dance floor.

Kit glanced past the row of men, over toward where Cassius was still standing, and Eli assumed she wanted to dance with him again. By his estimates, that would be at least the third time that night, though he may have missed a round. But it wasn’t Cassius she was looking for. “Jate!” Kit cried, pushing between two of the larger men who had asked her to dance. They parted for the princess, and she crossed the dance floor. Eli lowered his hands, resting them on his hips and watching her. She had slipped away so easily.

He only watched her for a moment to make sure she arrived at her destination before disappearing back into the shadows. Rona’s eyes were still heavily focused on him, and he didn’t want to draw any more attention to himself at this point. She’d already given him a stern talking to, and there was no point in generating a reminder. For now, at least he’d had the opportunity to speak with Kit, and they seemed to agree that from this point on, their relationship had changed. Whether or not that was for the better remained to be seen, but as the princess chose her new dance partner, Eli felt something bubbling up inside of him that he hadn’t experienced before—hope.

Jaterius had been aware of Princess Katrinetta all night, but it wasn’t until he actually heard her speak his name that he turned to acknowledge her for the first time. While he would’ve loved to have had the opportunity to dance with her, it just wasn’t in him to throw his hand in her face every time a dance ended as it seemed so many others were doing. He wished he could be as confident as Cassius, strolling up to her and demanding the others move aside through the power of his presence, but that wasn’t who Jate was either, so when he heard her soft voice calling his name, he was startled to see she was demanding his attention.

The men moved aside for her, though some of them seemed reluctant, and she came to stand before him, looking up into his hazel eyes. “Jate, how are you this evening? I haven’t had a chance to speak to you at all.”

Jate glanced at Cassius (whom had been in the middle of a story about dodging a stampede of frightened wild horses once when he was younger) and saw an amused look on his friend’s face. Cassius had danced with Kit a number of times, which seemed fitting on the night the Representative from Warchester Keep had been Roomed. The fact that Cassius was so nonchalant about the woman he was clearly in love with dancing with the other men—and taking them back to her room—left Jate in awe. While Jate was more than willing to share the princess, sometimes he found it slightly difficult to do so. Cassius made it seem so easy.

“Jate was just listening to me rattle of a story about a herd of angry horses. But I think it’s about time the pair of you took a turn on the dance floor.” Cassius literally nudged Jate in the shoulder, causing him to move forward slightly, toward Kit.

A nervous laugh escaped his lips, and he lifted his hand to his light brown hair. “Uh... yes, of course. Princess Katrinetta, would you like to dance?”

“I truly thought you would never ask,” she replied, a twinkle in her blue eyes.

Jate looked back at Cassius briefly, but long enough to see a look of amusement on his friend’s face. He offered his hand to the princess, and they moved onto the dance floor. The song was a mid-tempo waltz, and Jate was hopeful they’d have the opportunity to converse a bit while they danced. The first time he’d spoken to the princess, his words had flowed freely enough. At the time, he had absolutely no expectations, thinking she’d likely send him away within a week or two. But then, she’d seemed to take a liking to him. She’d sought him out a few times. After he’d won the archery contest, she’d kissed him in front of all of the others. He’d been so nervous, he’d pulled away from her, and he was certain that would be enough for her to think him strange and not want to have anything more to do with him. Yet, here she was, approaching him for a dance. However, if she found out the truth, the secret he was hiding, there was a good chance she wouldn’t want to have anything more to do with him.

A dark thought crossed his mind; perhaps Katrinetta wanted to dance with him so she could break the bad news. She’d announced her first Rooming earlier that night. Maybe she was also looking to begin sending Representatives home. A lump formed in his throat, and he did his best to choke it down. She was stunningly gorgeous tonight, as always, her long, dark hair wound around her head and pinned so perfectly. Her blue eyes sparkled even more than the gems in her tiara. While he was still getting to know her, she’d proven herself to be both kind and sweet, though she also had a fire burning inside of her. When she’d spoken to the crowd at Jecob’s trial and begged for mercy, Jate had stared at her in awe. If there was a more perfect woman in the realm, he couldn’t imagine who she might be.

“How are you enjoying your evening?” she asked, smiling at him. “Have you danced at all?”

“I’ve enjoyed myself, but I haven’t danced. I’m not much for dancing most of the time.” Her eyebrows knitted together, and he rephrased. “That is, I love dancing with you, of course, but selecting a different partner just for the sake of dancing isn’t something I’d be too interested in.” She nodded, an amused look about her pretty face, and he drew in a deep breath. “Have you been enjoying yourself?”

“I have,” she replied quickly before he turned her in step with the dance. When she came back to face him, she added, “Although, I must admit, I wasn’t expecting the surprise I got this evening.”

“No, none of us were,” Jate admitted. When Eli had walked in with the party from Eastbury, all of the Representatives had looked around in confusion. Realizing that the Commander of the Princess’s Guard would now be one of them was a little difficult to swallow. It seemed quite obvious he would certainly be Roomed and had the best chance to be her final Chosen. However, speaking to Cassius about it shortly after the announcement, Jate began to see things differently. Cassius reminded Jate and some of the others who were standing nearby—Landon, Danyen, and Reeve amongst others—that this was far from over. All they needed to do was let the princess know their own merits. There was no need to fear anyone else, at least not in this stage. Jate had let those words ruminate in his mind for some time and finally concluded that Eli could actually help him, if he let him. Although, none of that would matter if Kit had asked him to dance because she intended to send him home.

“I have a question for you,” the princess said, narrowing her eyes slightly. Once again, Jate found it hard to swallow, hard to breathe. “I hope you don’t mind.”

“No, of course not. Ask me anything.” His answer wasn’t completely sincere. There was certainly one thing he wouldn’t be willing to tell her—but then, she may find out for herself soon enough if he wasn’t able to find a way to continue to hide it from her. Again, that wouldn’t matter if the question was would he like to leave tonight or in the morning.

“After the archery contest,” she said, leaning in, and he reluctantly nodded, “you didn’t seem particularly happy with the prize. Why was that?”

He twirled her around again, glad that this portion of the song would allow him the opportunity to think for a moment before answering. Her eyes were penetrating blue orbs when she turned back to face him. “Pardon me for that offense, Your Majesty,” he said with a bow of his head. “I’m afraid I’m not used to getting that sort of attention.”

“Is that so?” she asked, tipping her head back in surprise. “Someone as handsome as you, not used to kissing girls?”

Jate could feel the heat rising in his face. If only she knew the truth.... But then, he had done his best to hide it thus far and wasn’t about to divulge all of his secrets now. “Well, not in front of a legion of her suitors.”

Kit giggled, and he hoped that meant she accepted his explanation. Perhaps he had a chance at staying a bit longer after all. “So... it wasn’t because you did not wish to kiss me?”

“No, my Princess. That was not the case at all.” He might not be completely truthful about everything, but he was certainly being honest now.

“Good,” she said, twirling around one last time as the song came to an end. “Because I would like for you to join me in my chambers this evening.”

Jate froze, completely caught off guard. He missed the next step, causing the couple next to them to bump into his side. He sheltered the princess from the impact by pulling her around at just the last moment, but Merek of Calster, a big brute of a man, barreled into him, almost knocking them all to the floor, including the scrap of a noblewoman the other Representative had in his arms.

“Hey, where did you learn to dance? Did your one-legged nana with t**s too heavy to lift off of the floor teach you?” Merek shouted at Jate before his eyes shifted to the princess. “Oh, beg your pardon, Princess. I didn’t realize....”

“You are an insipid cow, Merek of Caster!” Katrinetta shouted, glaring at him. “If I hear you use that word again, I’ll send you back to your own nana, do you understand, you filthy beast?”

Merek’s bushy eyebrows shot up toward his dome of a balding head, and for a moment, Jate thought he might actually say something ugly to the princess. If the bastard dared to do so, Jate would step in on her behalf. Merek might have fifty pounds on him, but the man was mostly lard, and Jate was certain there would be others who’d like to have a piece of the rowdy, dirty-mouthed jackass.

“Yes, Princess,” was all he said before he slowly began to back away.

It seemed like the entire crowd was staring at them now, though a glance around told him that it was mostly just the couples nearby. And the queen; Queen Rona was looking at him like she thought he was a bumbling i***t. Once again, Jate’s face turned pink.

A new song began, and several other couples danced around them. Jate was surprised to see no one else was at the ready, begging the princess for her hand, but perhaps the other Representatives had the good sense to give the woman a moment. “Are you all right?” she asked him, and Jate nodded, thinking he should be the one asking her that question. He’d nearly gotten her run over, after all.

“I apologize, Princess. I hope you haven’t been injured.”

Once again, Kit giggled. She rested her hand on his shoulder, and he realized how tense he had been. The warmth from her palm soothed his muscle, and he felt himself begin to relax. “I’m just fine. So sorry my question threw you so off guard. I thought, perhaps, you knew what it was about when I’d requested your company.”

“Not at all,” he admitted, though he didn’t go so far as to tell her he thought she’d been about to send him home. “I never would’ve guessed that.”

It was difficult to tell in the dim lighting of the ballroom, but he thought perhaps she was blushing a bit herself. “Well, my sweet Jaterius, you still haven’t answered my question.”

“I haven’t?” he asked, shaking his head to clear his mind. “No, I guess not.”

“You guess not?” Kit’s eyes were wide, and she tipped her forehead toward him in disbelief.

Hurriedly, Jate tried to back track. “I mean... that is to say... not that I won’t. I will. I guess I haven’t answered you. About your question. From earlier. I will.”

“You will answer me... or you will join me?” Kit still looked slightly confused, though the amused expression in her eyes was a clue that she had deciphered what he was trying to say well enough to no longer be offended.

“Yes—Princess. I will be there.” He drew in a deep breath, satisfied that his answer was clear now, and she smiled at him, which might’ve set him at ease if the reality of what he’d just agreed to wasn’t pressing so heavily on his chest.

“Wonderful,” she said, taking a step backward. “I shall let you know when I wish to retire.”

Jate nodded, and as if the rest of the Representatives suddenly realized his turn was over, they descended upon the princess, hands extended, even though the song was half over.

Happy to have a chance to gather his wits about him, Jate twined through the dancers, making his way quickly back to where he’d been standing before. Cassius was still there, though Reeve had moved on, and he thought he’d seen Danyen over with the others hoping for a turn to dance with the princess.

“You all right, my friend?” Cassius asked, clapping him on the shoulder.

“Yes, fine. Just fine,” Jate replied, wishing he had a stout drink in his hand and thinking he’d best find one sooner rather than later. If only Cassius was the sort of friend he knew well enough to talk about private issues with, perhaps the other man would be willing to assist him with his problem. But he didn’t know Cassius well enough to admit to him the secret he’d been hiding from the princess. Hopefully, even though he would be joining her in her chambers shortly, she still wouldn’t find out, though Jate had a feeling he wouldn’t be able to fool her for long.

He kept his eyes glued to the princess as she twirled around the ballroom floor on Danyen’s arm and tried to steady his breathing. Regardless of whether or not the princess discovered what he was hiding, at least he’d have the opportunity to pleasure her—or try to anyway—and that was more than a simple miner from Rockdale would’ve ever dreamt of. Though it might end up costing him his chance at being Roomed, it would be worth it to spend the evening with the princess.