Realm of the Chosen: A Reverse Harem Romance

Chapter 13-2

She’d seen him without his shirt more times than she could count, but it hadn’t been recent, and he’d filled out even more. As he turned back to look at her, a questioning, yet humorous, expression on his face, she felt her cheeks color. Her eyes drifted down his chiseled chest to his abdomen which could’ve been a sculpture as it rippled in perfection down to the V shape that disappeared below the top of his breeches, a small tuft of dark hair enticed her eyes to drop even lower, which she fought momentarily before giving in. It seemed he must’ve been having similar thoughts about her as it was obvious from even this far across a shadowed room he was aroused.

Despite the fact that she wanted to tumble into the bed with him straightaway, he knew she wanted answers, so he picked up the remaining blanket from the bed and crossed to the fireplace, setting his clothing near to dry before taking a seat in the other padded chair across from her. He draped the blanket across his lap, leaving his chest exposed, and Kit hoped his story was a good one or else she’d never catch a word of it.

The cushion of the chair sank a bit beneath his weight, telling its age more so than his girth, as she imagined he didn’t weigh half of what Cassius did. Eli settled into it, his hands resting on his knees, and took a moment to compose himself while the fireplace crackled and Kit finally started to feel her toes dry out.

His green eyes were thoughtful when he finally started to speak. “As you have likely inferred, this is my family home. I was born here, upstairs. In the large bedroom with the fireplace.”

Kit nodded, though she hadn’t been sure about all of that. For all she knew, this house had been abandoned by his grandparents or other family members. She said nothing, though, only waited.

“The fire happened when I was four.” He ran a hand through his damp hair, sending small drops of water in every direction. “It was a horrible accident, one I don’t like to speak about, which is one of the reasons I’ve never told you any of this.”

Her mother was the other reason; Kit knew that without him saying so. “If you don’t want to speak of it now....”

“No, it’s all right. I’d rather say it all now and have it out than let questions linger.” He readjusted, leaning back in the seat so that a shadow covered much of his face, but Kit could still hear him, particularly the sadness in his voice when he said, “My mother was lighting a lamp. She went to place it on the mantel, and it toppled over. It spilled oil all over her face... which then ignited.”

Kit’s hands immediately flew to her mouth. “Oh, my.... How awful.”

“It was terrible. My father rushed in to try to help her, but in the meantime, the fire spread so that by the time my mother’s gown and hair were no longer on fire, the house was ablaze. The servants rushed me and my sister outside, and eventually my father managed to carry out my mother, but she was badly burned. The entire left side of her face was nearly gone, and she was in horrific pain.”

Tears filled Kit’s eyes as she realized she couldn’t blame him for not wanting to tell such an horrendous story. “Did the servants manage to put the fire out?”

“They tried, but a rainstorm seemed to come out of nowhere, and most of the flames were licked out by that. We huddled in the barn, and my father did what he could to try to ease my mother’s agony, but she was screaming, crying, begging him to end her so that she wouldn’t have to endure it anymore. I remember my sister’s arm around me as we sat in the corner and wept, and I prayed to every goddess I could think of they’d help my mother.”

Kit was aware that his mother was still alive, so she knew somehow she’d gotten through it, though she couldn’t imagine how. A log in the fireplace shifted, sending a spark of ash in her direction. It burned for a moment before falling to the floor, and Eli continued.

“With little other choice, my father rode to the castle, praying your mother would allow the Royal Physician, which was Mikali at the time, to come to our home and treat his wife. He knew it was a longshot. For reasons I am certain you are unaware of, the queen hated my father, even back then.”

Shaking her head, Kit said, “While I know that to be true, I have no idea why.”

He sighed and leaned forward again. “Yet another story I’ve been f*******n to tell you. At any rate, your mother finally allowed Mikali to come and help my mother on the condition that my father return to the castle immediately thereafter and become a stable hand. My parents would have to give up all of their lands, all of their holdings, except the small family home further into Eastbury which my mother had inherited from her mother, and my mother and sister were to relocate there. For the rest of his life, my father would have to serve your mother in the most unbecoming position imaginable, not as a horse trainer but as an aged stable boy. Our home and all of our lands transferred to the crown, and we were no longer nobility.” His tone was bitter, as could be expected, but it was all full of grief, and Kit wished she were sitting closer so she could place her hands on him, to comfort him.

“He did it, then, I suppose?”

He nodded. She knew he had to have. When Kit was born, his father was already working at the stable. She didn’t meet Eli until she was two or three, though. “Did you come with him?”

“I did. Your mother said she wanted his son to grow up shoveling manure.”

A lump formed in Kit’s throat. The idea that this accomplished young man, one who’d won many awards for bravery in battle, who had led men, who commanded her guard, was ordered into such a demeaning role by her own mother made her both melancholy and outraged at the same time. Eventually, she managed to say, “You’ve certainly done much more than that.”

He made a small sound in the back of his throat and the trace of a smile pulled at the corners of his mouth before it disappeared. “Thanks to you.”

“Me?” Kit leaned back in the chair, surprised to hear him say that. “Whatever do you mean? I did nothing.”

“You did everything, Kit. You inspired me. You always said I could be whatever I wanted to. You convinced me to try for the army; you chose me to be commander of your guard. Yes, Kit, all that I’ve accomplished, I’ve done so because of you.”

“While I thank you for the compliment, Eli, I’m afraid that’s not the case. You’ve always had motivation deep inside of you, an urge to be more than what you were, what apparently, my mother dictated you would be. I’m certain even if I’d never paid you any mind, you would’ve risen out of these ashes.” She looked around at the space they were in, which was not filled with ash like the floors above them and hoped he still got her point.

He did. “Thank you, Kit. I would’ve told you. I just... didn’t want you to end up in any trouble on my account. She forbid me from telling you anything. The reason I used to bring you here was because I was hoping you’d figure it out. And then, when she discovered you’d been here, she made it clear I was to never come here with you again.”

The idea of her mother threatening him when he was just a boy made that rage fire up inside of her again. She tried to let it go for the time being. “You’ve been here recently, though, haven’t you? This place looks like it’s been kept up some.”

“I have. My father used to come back as frequently as he could escape the barn. This was his secret place, where he could be ‘home’ even though it was never the same after the fire. He never saw my mother again, though my sister did sneak out here a few times to see him before he died.”

Once again, tears threatened. “I knew your mother had scars, but I had no idea how they’d been formed. How is she now?”

“She doesn’t go out often. Her face looks much better than one might think, thanks to Mikali, but she is embarrassed by it, and it reminds her every day of everything she’s lost.”

Carrying around that sort of burden had to be difficult for anyone. Kit shook her head, thinking about everything he’d revealed. All of the stories she’d invented in her head to explain this place, never had it ever occurred to her that this would be the true story.

The weight of Eli’s eyes on her let her know he felt relieved to have told her the truth. She gazed at him, her thoughts from earlier coming back to her. But there was one more question he needed to answer. “Why did my mother hate your father?”

He sighed, running his hand through his now-dry hair. “I was hoping you’d forget to ask that.”

She snickered. “You know me better than that.”

That slight grin was back again. “I do. Are you sure you want to know?”

“Why wouldn’t I?”

“It might be difficult to hear.”

Kit’s eyebrows shot up. She had no idea what he was getting at. “I’d like to know.”

“All right.” He leaned heavily onto the right armrest of the chair and she tried not to stare at his chest as he began to reveal another deep truth. “My father was part of your mother’s Choosing.”

Once again, Kit was shocked into silence. Never in a million years would she have ever guessed that. She realized her mouth was hanging open and promptly shut it before opening it again only to ask, “What?”

He nodded. “In fact, she chose him. He was the one she wanted to be with. But... my father rejected her at the last moment, and as you can imagine that didn’t sit well with the queen.”

“Wait—what?” Kit scooted forward in her chair, not noticing her blanket had fallen down a bit in front until she saw Eli’s eyes lingering on her chest. She let it be. “Your father? My mother wanted to marry him? But what about my father?”

“When my father said he couldn’t marry Princess Rona because he was already in love with my mother, she dismissed him and married Duke Remont.”

“But why was your father part of the Choosing if he was in love with your mother?”

“She urged him to go. She said he’d be better off with the queen than with her. He didn’t want to, but he won the election, and I suppose he must’ve given it some effort since he was Roomed and made it to the end.” He shook his head, and she understood he didn’t know the details and probably didn’t want to think on it even if he did.

Kit leaned back in her chair, still having a hard time believing everything he’d just said, and Eli was quiet as well, letting her ruminate. After several minutes, she took a deep breath and asked, “Is that all?”

“Is that all what?” His voice was a husky whisper, and she wondered what he’d been thinking about in her silence.

“Are there any other secrets? Is there anything else you need to get off of your magnificent chest?”