Realm of the Chosen: A Reverse Harem Romance

Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven

The rain that had begun to fall soon after the hunt was over didn’t let up for the next several days. While Kit was thankful that it gave her the opportunity to get to know the Representatives a little better inside of the castle where they were less spread out and easier to access in groups, by the fourth day of torrential downpours, she was beginning to feel a little cooped up.

She was also frustrated with her search for more information about the house in the woods. Having already asked every person she could think of that she even remotely trusted and been turned away with either a response that they didn’t even know what house she spoke of or no answer whatsoever, Kit was aware there was more to the tale than others were letting on. Even her own beloved grandmother, the Queen Mother, wouldn’t speak of the place. When Kit snuck to her room one afternoon, aware that her mother’s guards would notice but hopeful that they wouldn’t alert the queen, Junno had pretended that she couldn’t hear the question almost a half dozen times until Kit caught on and finally gave up. If she couldn’t trust her own father or grandmother to reveal the secret, who could she trust?

Finally, it occurred to her that she had other friends and allies who were not people, and on the morning of the fifth day of the rain, she escaped to the library alone for a few moments. Walking into the room, she was reminded of the day Eli had returned from Eastbury. It hadn’t been that many days since she’d sat on the windowsill and asked him to kiss her, not knowing at the time she wasn’t breaking the law, and he was her new Representative, but it seemed like a lifetime ago. She’d hardly spoken to him the last few days. He seemed to have something on his mind. Or perhaps he was still upset at her for going up the stairs of the burned out house when she’d indicated she was going down the hallway. She couldn’t blame him for being angry, but she knew he’d get over it eventually. He had been the first to jump to her defense when that horrid Teodric had stepped toward her the day she’d let him go.

Kit hadn’t cut anyone else since that day, though she had gained her mother’s permission to release five other Representatives, including Merek. After his behavior during the hunt, even the queen wasn’t willing to put up with him any longer. Kit was only awaiting the right opportunity. There had been no outside events planned for the rest of the week after the hunt, though they had all enjoyed a concert a few nights ago, and there was to be a play in a few nights. She thought perhaps she might do it at the dinner after the theatrics were over, though she had a feeling Merek might engage in some theatrics of his own.

She also meant to Room Reeve. She’d invited him to her chambers a couple of nights after she’d first experienced a night with Landon, and she knew her relationship with Reeve was beginning to grow. It was difficult to juggle so many men, to get to know the ones she wanted to while still keeping the ones she knew she liked content. The whole situation made her head spin, and she had to keep reminding herself that she had plenty of time, that there was no reason to rush. Still, Rooming Reeve was the right decision, and she hoped to have an opportunity to make that announcement soon as well.

The scent of binding glue and paper filled her lungs as Kit walked through row after row filled with books of all ages, sizes, shapes, and textures. She let her fingertips graze their leather covers, let her senses explore the worlds that lived beyond those covers. If only she had more time to sit and read, as she had often done when she was younger. Any of the Representatives who mentioned a love of books would certainly win points with her, though so far only Jate had come right out and said he enjoyed reading. She supposed many of the others were too busy engaging in activities that built their muscles, not so much their minds.

Kit was looking for a specific sort of book, not the made-up stories she typical indulged herself with. She was hoping she could find a history of the kingdom, or the palace, perhaps a book full of maps. She knew there was one section of the library that held nonfiction books, but she had never spent a lot of time there, so when she found it, she had no idea what to look for on those particular shelves.

Hours passed as she pulled one volume off of the stacks and then another. While she often lost herself in interesting tales about the queens of old, her ancestors, nothing about the forest or the lands around the castle were mentioned anywhere. Nor did she find any useful maps. She did find one that showed the realm when there were only thirty-five provinces, before the western territories had been won in the Great War for Peace, a name she had always found ridiculous, but nothing gave any sort of clue whatsoever as to what the house might be.

Eventually, she gave up, sliding the last book she’d found that held any promise back onto the shelf. Kit crossed over to the window where she usually sat to let the sunlight illuminate the pages and watched the rain run down the thick glass and pool on the ledge outside. It had been raining nonstop, and the ground was saturated. Even the flowers in the garden looked as if they’d had enough.

The queen had organized a labyrinth run for later in the week, and Kit was looking forward to it, but she hoped the rain would let up in time for the ground to dry out. In fact, if the rain didn’t stop within the next few days, Kit thought she might have to put on her thickest, most durable habit and venture out anyway. She could hardly stand being stuck inside much longer.

The sound of footsteps had her turning her head. At first, she’d hoped it was Eli, come to find her amidst her books again, but when she saw it was Pierce, she tried not to look too disappointed. In the past few days, she’d been doing her best to find interest with him. He was nice looking, intelligent, and from what she could tell, a good fellow to have around when one needed information. But despite her best efforts, seeing him didn’t cause her heart to soar the way it did when her eyes fell on some of the others.

“Ah, there you are, Princess,” the blond said with a smile. “I have been searching for you.” He pursed his lips together in a quirky grin.

“Good afternoon, Pierce. How are you today?”

“Good, good,” he replied coming to a halt next to her. “I have found out some information I thought you might want to know.”

Kit’s ears perked up, and she sat a little straighter. She hadn’t mentioned she’d been curious about the house in the forest, but perhaps he’d come into that information the same way he seemed to discover everything else. “What is it?”

“Well, your mother was overheard telling one of the council members that because of the weather, the noblewoman she plans to enlist as your lady-in-waiting has been delayed and may not be here until late next week.”

He finished with a knowing nod and that stupid smile, and Kit only stared at him, unmoving, for several seconds before she asked, “Is that it?”

“What do you mean?” Pierce asked. “Yes—that’s it. I thought you would want to know.”

Kit drew in a deep breath. She’d all but forgotten that her mother had brought on another spy to replace the one Kit had almost beaten in the hall for telling the queen the princess had been kissing Eli in the library. “Very well, then. Thank you,” Kit said, trying not to roll her eyes.

“Are you not pleased?” Pierce looked wounded, as if he couldn’t believe the princess wasn’t happy with his message.

“It’s not that,” she replied, trying to be more kind. “It’s only... I was hoping the information might be a little more useful. I had assumed the woman wouldn’t be traveling in the rain, not even from Eastbury.”

“Yes, well, I thought you would like confirmation.”

“And I appreciate it.” She was aware the smile on her face looked forced because it was forced.

Pierce sighed and move so that he was leaning against the window ledge, near her feet. “Princess, is something troubling you? The last few days, you’ve seemed... solemn. It is my understanding that you had cross words with your commander in the forest and that he is unhappy with you. Is that what’s vexing you?”

Once again, her eyebrows shot up. She had no idea that anyone thought she had had a quarrel with Eli or that he might be angry with her. “No,” she said, once she’d found her voice. “I did not have a disagreement with Eliason. It’s only....” Kit hesitated, not sure if she should ask Pierce to find out information about the house for her or not. If her mother found out she was snooping around, the queen would come undone. And the last thing she needed was to deal with an angry queen, particularly one that would not only want to punish her but take her wrath out on Eli as well. Deciding she could be careful in her request, she asked, “Do you know anything about the lands on the east side of the castle?”

“The forest we were riding through the other day during the hunt?” he clarified. “Very little.”

Kit nodded. “I’ve always thought the place seemed... enchanted. But I don’t know its history. I should like to know.”

“And you’ve tried asking those who’ve lived here longest? Your mother and father? Eliason, perhaps?”

“Yes,” Kit said, trying to keep the disappointment out of her voice. “It seems the forest is a mystery.”

He didn’t quite buy that explanation, and she couldn’t blame him since it wasn’t quite true. “Do you want me to see what I can discover?” he asked, timidly.

“Do you think you might be able to find out anything? There’s a house out there, a shell of one, actually, and I’ve always wondered who used to live there, who it belonged to.”

“A house?” Pierce echoed, folding his arms and leaning back slightly. “Is that what you’re interested in, or is it the trees themselves that have your curious?”

“Both, actually,” Kit replied, though she was afraid she may have already said too much. “If you could find out the origin, or any information about those particular woods, back in the northeast corner, near where the stream turns, a bit away from where Landon caught the fox, then I should be forever grateful.”

His eyebrows raised in what Kit could only describe as an attempt at seduction. “How grateful?”

Thoughts of inviting Pierce into her bedchamber made Kit swallow hard. She knew what he was implying, and while she would be thankful enough to him for solving the mystery, the words wouldn’t quite slip through her teeth.

So he said it for her. “Would you... be willing to invite me into your private chambers?”

Kit hesitated. She wasn’t even sure why. Pierce wasn’t repulsive; in fact, she was a bit attracted to him, sometimes, when he was dressed a certain way or had a specific expression on his face. But she wasn’t used to being propositioned, and the whole thing felt a little sleazy to her for some reason she couldn’t quite put her finger on. The Choosing wasn’t about favors; it was about who she liked, who she was attracted to. Nevertheless, she found herself saying, “Yes, that can be arranged.”

A broad smile spread across Pierce’s face, causing Kit to think he was even more unattractive now than he had ever been before. “I shall see what I can discover.” He stood, took a few steps, and leaned in, his lips hovering over hers for a moment before he leaned down and kissed her, forcing his tongue between her lips, and Kit thought if that was the way he pleasured a woman, she would need to make sure he used a lot of lubricant.

This time, he tasted slightly more appealing than last. There was no garlic aftertaste anyway. His hand cupped her chin, and then with no warning, he slipped it down to her breast, squeezing more tightly than Kit could ever imagine any woman appreciating. She gave him a nudge with her elbow which he didn’t seem to notice before she pressed a little more firmly. He got the hint that time and stepped back. “I’ll find out as soon as I can.”

“All right,” Kit said, resisting the urge to wipe his spit away from her lips while he was still staring at her. “Be careful. Whatever it is about those woods, it seems some people would like for it to stay a secret.”

Pierce nodded. “Don’t worry about me, Princess. I can take care of myself.” He gave her a wink and then turned and headed for the door, pausing once to smile at her before walking out, and then he knocked twice on the doorjamb with glee and bounded off down the hallway like a student done with lessons for the day.

Kit took a deep breath and wiped her hand across her lower lip. There was far too much liquid there to be considered pleasant. She brushed it in on her gown. As much as she wanted to know the secrets held by the house in the woods, part of her wanted it to take Pierce a long time to unravel.