Ruled by the Princess

Chapter One The sound of horses’ hooves beating against packed earth, cheers from the crowded stands, and the jarring clang of wood on metal were all drowned out by the sound of Princess Katrinetta’s heart beating out of her chest as she stared down from the riser. Gripping the wooden barrier that separated her from a fifteen foot fall to the arena floor beneath her, Kit’s knuckles were white, and despite the cool temperatures, a fine line of perspiration beaded her forehead. The princess loved a good jousting tournament. This one was different, however. These weren’t random noblemen or royalty from another realm visiting the queen. No, the contestants in this particular competition were all hers, and while it was difficult to decide who she wanted to win, one thing was for certain; she didn’t want anyone to be injured. Which meant every single time the horses came charging at each other, Kit held her breath and gripped the railing in front of her for dear life. It was only when both riders safely made their way to the opposite ends of the lane that Kit would let out her breath and steel herself for the next pass. An hour into the tournament, she was feeling a bit faint and wished she had boycotted this idea, not that her mother, Queen Rona, would’ve listened anyway. “Breathe deeply,” Kit’s cousin, Duchess Avinia, said over the princess’s left shoulder. “They are not going to harm each other. They aren’t even in full armor, so they know to be careful.” “I know,” Kit replied, believing Avinia’s advice was sound but not able to fully absorb it. “I just keep thinking something terrible is going to happen.” “That’s only because you’ve seen it happen before,” her other cousin, Isla, noted. “That was many years ago, and the circumstances were different.” Kit nodded, hoping Isla was right and that it was just a vague memory from when she was a small child troubling her now. Kit could remember attending a tournament when she was about twelve where a nobleman had been blinded by a piece of splintered lance. The memory of the man grasping his eye as blood squirted between his fingers had likely grown even more grotesque with years of distorted imagery morphing into her mind. Nevertheless, she was terrified that one of her Representatives would end up harmed and was thinking of calling off the whole contest that very minute. A glance across the arena at her mother told her not to bother. Rona was sitting in an even higher viewing box, and while Kit was considered the Lady of Honor, everyone bowed and acknowledged her mother just as frequently as they did the princess. In fact, it was Rona who signaled most of the scoring, which was just as well as far as Kit was concerned since she would’ve had to release the railing in order to do so, and she was fairly certain she wouldn’t be able to pry her fingers off just now if she had to. She found out quickly that wasn’t the case when Landon’s horse chose the wrong time to try to take its head, pulling the rider sharply to the left. Gavin’s lance was coming across just at the moment, and rather than hitting squarely on Landon’s ecranche, the lance was off target and hit him in the helmet. Kit’s hands flew to her mouth as Landon was jarred backward. But he kept the reins in hand and managed to right himself, though his own lance didn’t come anywhere near hitting the target. Rona signaled a point for Gavin, and Kit tried to withdraw her hands from her mouth. It was difficult to see the Representative’s face through his helmet, so when Landon reached the end of the tilt, he pulled his horse to a stop and lifted the visor. Kit thought perhaps he was hurt at first; maybe he’d lost one of his beautiful blue eyes. But then she realized he was winking at her, and he was fine. She took a deep breath and gave him a little wave. He smiled, dropped his visor, and lined up for another pass. Kit wiped her hands off on the skirt of the long orange gown she wore while Avinia patted her on the shoulder. The princess let her eyes roam for a moment, past the crowds of onlookers, mostly noblewomen and their husbands, to the other end of the arena where Gavin was readying himself as well. He gave a small wave, and Kit lifted her hand in his direction. If she allowed her eyes to keep going, she would’ve seen most of the Representatives congregated near the stable opening behind him, but she decided not to tempt herself into looking at the moment. Rather, she’d do her best to focus on the two in front of her and ignore the other thirteen. For now. Her mind wandered back over the last month of her Choosing. After the fiasco with Sephorina, her third lady-in-waiting, who was seated on the other side of Isla, the night of the labyrinth maze run, the queen had been biding her time. Kit was well aware that a silent queen was a brewing queen, and every morning when she awoke, she braced herself in case that day was the one when her mother came out of her cocoon and unleashed mayhem on them all. Even when Kit had begun cutting Representatives without always running it by her mother, Rona had managed to bite her tongue, for the most part. She’d let her displeasure be known the first time, partially because Kit had cut one of her favorites, Rulf from the province of Zoloris, one of the richer, more affluent areas of Yewforia. But Kit had found the courage to remind her mother that the laws specifically dictated that no one should interfere with the princess’s Choosing, not even a sitting queen. That hadn’t been enough on its own to quiet the monarch but coupled with a reminder from the council, Rona seemed to have let it go. Kit had no idea how Rona might react if she cut or Roomed someone of even more consequence without asking first. Kit was certain that the queen hadn’t actually conceded, however. Nor had Kit been forgiven for inviting Eliason Goedwig, the Representative from Eastbury and Kit’s childhood friend, to her pleasuring chambers on the night of the maze run when Rona commanded her to choose Jaterius of Rockdale instead. It wasn’t that Kit didn’t like Jate, only, Eli had won the maze, and his prize should’ve been Kit. What made matters worse was the fact that the queen had attempted to frame Eli, ordering Seph to his room at a specific time and sending the Queen’s Guard to find them there. When her plan was foiled, Kit knew for certain the queen was on to their charade—that Kit was aware that Seph was acting as an agent to the queen. What Rona didn’t know was that Seph was actually acting on behalf of the princess. That would come as an advantage to Kit if Rona should ever choose to employ that particular lady to strike again. Landon looked calm as he prepared to make another pass. His horse was still acting out a bit, and Kit wished she could do something to ensure he wouldn’t have to put up with another ill-timed rebellion, but Landon was strong and seemed accomplished enough to handle the steed, now that he knew what the horse was capable of. He was a well-formed man, the Representative from Brendrake. The youngest of all of the men, Landon was three years younger than Kit who’d just celebrated her twenty-first birthday shortly before her Choosing began. Landon was tall and muscular with light blond hair, blue eyes, and the sort of jovial grin that always sent Kit’s heart blazing when she looked at him. She was planning on Rooming him soon, but now that the field was narrowed, her choices were coming at longer intervals. She needed to be sure of the seven men she would choose to keep because she hoped they’d be with her indefinitely. The laws of Yewforia insisted she only choose one man to act as a duke while she ruled as queen, but Kit intended to change that—one way or another. She’d yet to petition the Royal Council or the queen toward that end, but she would have to eventually. Either that or grasp the throne by other means and then petition the council. The longer the Choosing went on, the more obvious it became that Kit would never be able to choose just one man. But she did feel as if she could narrow the field down to seven. That meant there were eight more men who’d have to go home, and while the task seemed daunting, she felt it was necessary. Splitting her attention between all of the men she genuinely cared for was difficult, and she couldn’t imagine having to juggle more than seven for the rest of her life, no matter how strong the connection to each individual, and no matter how frequently each of them reminded her that he was content just to spend a little time with her. They meant it, she was certain. It had been Cassius who had initially explained this thinking to her. The first Representative she’d Roomed, the man from Warchester Keep, had told her on one of his first nights in Castle Wrenbrook that he didn’t see this as a competition, that all he wanted was as much time as she could give him and for Princess Katrinetta to be happy. Each time she was with him, he reiterated the same sentiment, and others had said the same—Jate, Reeve, even Eli who never imagined he would have the opportunity to take part in her Choosing—but when her time alone with each man was over, Kit found it hard to let go. There was simply no way she could divide herself more than seven times and not lose her mind. But she could handle seven. She just wasn’t sure which seven. As summer had turned to fall, she’d debated whether or not she should go ahead and Room anyone else. It had been over a month since she’d Roomed Jaterius, the former miner from Rockdale, with hazel eyes and brown hair. He had been an obvious choice. Jate was the sensitive one of her bunch, and she could always count on him to be a shoulder when she needed one. She’d been considering giving Landon a room for weeks. The more she’d gotten to know him, the more she realized how deep her feelings ran for the youngest Representative. Perhaps if he won the jousting tournament, she would do so. That wasn’t likely, however. So far, both Cassius and Eli had done extremely well, and though she could tell both of them were taking the competition lightly, she had a feeling the longer the matches went on, the more set on winning the two would become. At the archery contest at the beginning of the Choosing, Cassius had shown himself to be a gracious loser. A head taller than most of the others, with broad shoulders, green eyes, and wavy dark hair, he had a wonderful sense of humor to go along with his masculine physique. While archery might not have been his forte, Kit had the idea that he wouldn’t go lightly in the jousting arena. Neither would Eli, though. She fought the need to look in his direction, knowing his emerald green eyes would be distracting. Even when they were small children, she’d see him out behind the barn practicing for a day like this. Since his father was a disgraced nobleman, Eli was never allowed to take part in any of the royal tournaments before now. This was his chance to show everyone he was just as skilled as any of the men he’d previously served as a valet, or those whose horses he’d swept up after. No, Kit would be shocked if Eli didn’t give it everything he had. Landon and Gavin went flying at each other again, and Kit grabbed hold of her armrests, praying to every goddess in the heavens both of them would manage to make it through unscathed. This time, Landon landed a solid blow on Gavin’s shield, and the rider from Brendrake’s lance broke cleanly. Queen Rona signaled a point for Landon, and the crowd began to cheer for the young man. “See, he’s just fine,” Avinia smiled, removing her hand from Kit’s shoulder to clap. Letting out the breath she’d been holding, Kit nodded, glad that the next pass would be the final of the match. The score was two to one for Gavin, and if it was a tie, it would be up to Kit to determine the winner. While she liked Gavin, a gangly man with curly, unruly brownish hair that always seemed to hide one of his brown eyes, Landon was certainly her choice, and not just because he had a way of making her weak in the knees. He’d overcome the difficulties presented by a horse that seemed to have a mind of its own. But he’d have to win the next point to force a tie. This would be the fifth pass as no one had scored on the first one, and from her experience, the last one was always the most violent. Kit scooted back a bit in her chair and resumed her grip on the armrests deciding she may actually fool onlookers into thinking she was calm if her white knuckles weren’t on display along the fence railing. Her prediction was right, and once readied, a signal was given, and both horses went flying down the lane at full speed. Landon’s stallion seemed to recognize the seriousness of the situation and didn’t throw his head this time. Gavin’s aim looked true, but Landon hit harder, and when the collision occurred, it was enough to send Gavin off of the back end of his horse. Shards of Landon’s broken lance went up in the air and rained down on his opponent as he brought his horse to a stop to assist. Kit was up on her feet, her hands over her mouth. This wasn’t the first time a rider had been knocked off of his horse during the tournament, and she knew it likely wouldn’t be the last. They weren’t wearing full metal, only chainmail and extra protection around their faces and shoulders, but Gavin still made a terrible noise when he hit the ground. Kit was just about to scurry down the steps and run to his side when he sat up, removed his helmet, shook his head a few times, and then reached for Landon’s hand to pull him up. Inhaling deeply through her nose, Kit wiped at a tear that made its way down her cheek. Gavin waved at her, assuring her he was fine, but Kit was still on her last nerve. She couldn’t even force a smile in his direction. Instead, she sank back into her seat and waited for the knight marshal to signal to her the arena was ready for her verdict. “Katrinetta,” Avinia began in her soothing voice, “you can’t let your mother see you like this. She’ll take it for weakness.” Her cousin was right, of course. The last thing Kit needed was to indicate to her mother that she was in a compromising situation or that her emotions had gotten the better of her. “Besides,” Isla continued, leaning in on Kit’s other side, “if this ends up as it might, the situation will be much more dire than a simple contest.” Kit turned and looked at her cousin, not sure at first what the lady was saying. But then reality rushed in, and she understood. If Kit was seriously considering taking on her mother for the throne in the not-so-distant future, an idea that had entered her mind more and more since she’d seen the state the people were living in, the danger she was presenting to those who would do anything to protect her would be a lot more real than a friend holding up an easily splintered pole and charging. The knight marshal gestured in Kit’s direction, and she stood. “The score in this match is two points for Gavin of Wanesborough, and two points for Landon of Brendrake.” She paused for a cheer from the crowd and watched the anticipation on both men’s faces as they stared up at her. Whomever she announced as the winner would make the quarter final of the tournament and have a one in eight chance of winning the entire contest. The loser would have to sit out for the rest of the joust. With a deep breath, she said, “Due to superior horsemanship under trying conditions and a finishing blow that left no doubt in my mind, I am awarding this joust to—Landon of Brendrake!” The cheers were louder this time as the knight marshal lifted Landon’s hand into the air. Gavin looked disappointed but nodded and shook Landon’s hand. Once the congratulating on the ground was finished, Landon climbed back into his saddle for a victory lap, plucking a flower from one of the decorations and bringing it to Kit. She accepted the red carnation and couldn’t help but smile at him. It had become a tradition for the winners to bring her a flower since Cassius had won the first round and done so. And she’d rewarded each of them with a kiss on the cheek. “Well done,” she whispered to Landon as she leaned over and pressed her lips to his warm, sweaty cheek. “Thank you, my Princess. I may not win the tournament, but you can be sure I’ll give it my all.” “I have no doubt,” she replied. She squeezed his arm, and he beamed back at her before spurring his horse to finish his round as the next two jousters got into position and Kit tried to still her pounding heart. At least it was beating out of her chest for an acceptable reason this time. Landon’s blue eyes were enough to leave any lady quaking in his wake. Danyen and Drake would be next, and as they readied themselves, Kit returned to her seat, took a sip of wine, and tried to calm herself. It was going to be a long day, and if she felt like this in the preliminary rounds, she could only imagine what it would be like in the final joust of the tournament. For once, she allowed her eyes to drift over to where the other five Representatives stood who would be participating in the quarter final along with Danyen, Drake, and Landon, who was taking his horse back to the stall. She felt like all five of them were staring at her, though Jate dropped his eyes quickly enough when she looked over, and Eli was observing everyone at the same time somehow. Cassius winked at her, Reeve smiled, and Zane, who she didn’t know as well as the others, actually waved. Kit’s hand went up in recognition as he beamed at her, his red hair damp with sweat from when he’d taken Pierce out a few minutes ago. Kit wondered if a more handsome group of men had ever been assembled. Add to that Landon’s boyish grin, Drake’s broad shoulders, and Danyen’s athletic physique, and it was no wonder she was having trouble breathing. How in the world was she ever supposed to whittle this group down to seven—let alone one? It was a ridiculous notion, one she’d never be able to follow through with. Kit’s eyes went to her mother, and for once, the queen didn’t seem to be glaring at her. Instead, she had a pleasant smile on her face, almost like she knew something Kit didn’t. It made the princess’s stomach roll over slightly, but then, she had secrets, too. The jousting might be taking place on the tilt in front of them, but the true contest hadn’t even begun yet.