Realm of the Chosen: A Reverse Harem Romance

Chapter 25-2

Up ahead of her, Kit could see the guards outside of her mother’s throne room. She was nearly there. Granted, she didn’t have an audience with the queen just yet, but perhaps her mother would let her in anyway. Unless, of course, she was already occupied.

The guards looked alarmed. Obviously, they had never seen Kit sprinting toward them before because she hadn’t ran anywhere at all for as long as she could remember. But as the doors to the throne room opened, Kit came to a screeching halt, her shoes slipping again as she nearly tumbled forward. Galter had her arm to steady her, and her chest heaved, burning with a lack of air. None of it mattered now.

Blankka’s face blanched as she looked up to catch the eyes of the princess. Any other expression the servant may have worn before recognition sank in was missed by Kit. Had she been delighted? Ashamed? Remorseful? It didn’t matter now because Kit knew exactly what she had done, and a seething rage boiled up out of her soul as she imagined the consequences. There would be no way to undo what Blankka, someone who was meant to be her friend, her ally, a confident, had done.

“You conniving little b***h!” Kit shrieked, tearing her arm away from Galter and flying at Blankka, her fingers crooked as if her nails were talons.

“No, Princess! Please!” Blankka shouted, dropping to her knees and throwing up her arms to cover her head. “Forgive me!”

Kit would visit no mercy on the girl. She’d rip her to shreds in this very hallway. Even if her mother came out and ordered her to stop, Kit wouldn’t show any leniency for the woman who had cost her so much. A guttural cry echoed down the hallway as Kit launched herself at the weeping woman.

She never reached her, though. Caught from behind, Kit’s feet flew up, leaving the ground and sending her toppling backward into a firm, familiar chest. “Kit! Stop! Get ahold of yourself!”

Kit turned to look into Eli’s eyes, not comprehending why he of all people wouldn’t let her tear Blankka limb from limb. “Do you know what she’s done? Do you have any idea what she’s done?”

“I know, Kit! I know!” he insisted. “But you losing your composure can’t change that, now can it? Get a grip on your emotions, Princess!” He had both of her shoulders now, firmly, and shook her just enough to jar her but not to hurt her. Leaning in close where only she could hear, he whispered. “You’re a queen, Katrinetta. Act like one.”

His words were enough to jolt her slightly back to her normal disposition, but under the circumstances, even inhaling his scent heavily couldn’t completely calm her. She turned back to face Blankka, shaking her shoulders to signal she wanted to be let free, and Eli complied, though he didn’t step away from her.

Anger still singed each word as it came out of her mouth, though she was no longer screeching like a hawk. “You betrayed my trust, Blankka! Do you have any idea what you’ve done? I trusted you! I thought you were my friend, but this entire time, the only person you’ve cared about is yourself!”

Blankka was doubled over on the floor before them, and Kit felt powerful for once in her life, as if her words really mattered, but then her eyes caught sight of her mother, standing at the end of the hall behind the cowering lady-in-waiting, and Kit immediately remembered her place, dropping into a curtsey.

“Katrinetta!” the queen bleated. “That is enough!”

“Yes, my Mother the Queen,” she replied, sucking in deep breaths in an attempt to still her racing heart. Her lungs were still burning, and she was suddenly very aware that her feet felt like mangled, b****y stumps.

The queen approached them, and all heads stayed fixated on the floor until she cleared her voice, having come to a stop directly behind Blankka. “Commander, take Blankka to the kitchen. Tell Rosy she can do whatever she’d like with her, unless of course Sima has use for a scullery maid.”

“Your Majesty?” Blankka asked, staring up with tears in her eyes. “But my only wish was to serve you.”

“You’re a fool, Blankka,” the queen said dismissively. “You are no use to either of us now. She can’t trust you, and I know you to be an imbecile. Take her, Commander.”

Kit turned back to face Eli for a moment, confused. Why would her mother order him to take Blankka away if the woman had actually done what Kit suspected? Why wasn’t her mother ordering her guards to take him off to the dungeon at once?

Eli gave Kit a half-hearted smile, perhaps a signal that everything truly would be all right, and then gestured for Blankka to stand. The girl pulled herself up off of the ground sobbing, and with heavy feet, started toward the kitchen. Eli didn’t touch her, only walked beside her, and Kit couldn’t blame him for having no sympathy for the pathetic creature. As he walked away, she noticed he wasn’t wearing his uniform, which she thought was odd, but thought perhaps he’d be part of the delegation from Eastbury since he’d gone and retrieved the Representative. From the back it was hard to tell exactly what he was wearing, but she recognized the colors of Eastbury--red and blue.

There was a scuffing of boots behind her. A glance over her shoulder told Kit she would have plenty of escorts to take her back, once her meeting with her mother was over. It seemed half her guard had arrived just in time to see her ranting like a lunatic. The apples of her cheeks were on fire as she thought about how she must’ve looked, overcome with rage. And now she was beginning to think perhaps Blankka’s presence here had nothing to do with what had occurred in the library.

“Come along, Katrinetta,” the queen insisted, turning and marching back toward her throne room. Her long, purple skirt swirled around, almost catching Kit’s leg, so she waited for her mother to get ahead of her before following.

The room was empty, save for the mother and daughter. Rona marched up the steps and took a seat in her throne, and Kit stopped before her, head bowed. When the ring was presented to her, she kissed it, rattling off the same homage she always did, waiting to discover what in the world was going on.

Rona took a deep breath. “The girl is a blathering i***t, Katrinetta. I suggest you worry yourself only about people that matter.”

Kit looked up, shocked. “But, Mother.... Are you saying...?”

“Whether what she said is true or not, I have more important concerns.” Rona let out a deep sigh. “You are aware that Eliason is loathsome to me in more ways than I can express, are you not?”

“Yes, Mother.”

“And though you do not know the reasons, the fact remains the same. I have suggested time and again that you put the boy far from your mind, and yet that seems to attract you to him further. So I have removed him whenever possible, and still you harbor feelings for him. Now, here you are with over three dozen strapping young men to choose from, and you still seem to prefer a disgraced nobleman who grew up shoveling horse manure. I cannot pretend to understand it.”

Kit bit the inside of her cheek until she tasted blood. She couldn’t possibly reply to her mother’s observation. It would be best if she said nothing at all.

Rona shifted in her seat. “Now, what was it you wished to speak to me about?”

The princess tipped her head to the side, trying to remember. She’d been so concerned about Eli, nothing else had mattered. But then, everything rushed back to her, and her thoughts truly returned to Cassius for the first time since she’d learned Eli had arrived back at Wrenbrook. She wondered what Cassius might think of her if he’d been there to witness her emotional outburst. “I wanted to ask your permission to declare my first Rooming tonight at the ball.”

The queen arched one perfectly sculpted dark eyebrow. “Oh? And who, pray tell, do you wish to Room?”

Clearing her throat, Kit said, “I would like to ask Cassius from Warchester Keep to stay, my Queen, if you find him a suitable match.” She reminded herself that none of this was necessary, that her mother could tell her Cassius must go immediately, and there would be nothing the queen could do about the princess presenting him with a room, but seeing her mother’s smile light up her otherwise sullen face told Kit it was worth it to play the game as best she could, especially since her display in the hallway had won her no points.

“Yes, of course I approve. Cassius is a wonderful choice. He’s a fine looking young man with a delightful disposition. Warchester Keep is one of our wealthier provinces, and I’m sure they will be happy to support whatever endeavors the queendom sets forth should we need to call upon their people for resources beyond their usual contributions.”

Kit’s smile was genuine in that she was glad her mother approved of the first man she’d chosen to keep, but she paid careful attention to the rest of her mother’s words as well. It was obvious the queen preferred her to choose Representatives from the wealthier provinces. She meant to leverage their appointments in a similar manner to the method she’d used when offering admittance to Kit’s Exploration festivities to the highest bidder. In this case, there was no reason to fret because her mother’s plans went along with her own, but it would be problematic should she choose someone like Reeve, a Representative from a province without as much to offer.

“Thank you, Mother. When shall I make the announcement?”

“Let’s do it first thing. You can let the men know before we introduce the Representative from Eastbury. I do not wish to make a grand spectacle over a province who messed the situation up so thoroughly the first time.”

Kit nodded, not mentioning the fact that her mother had played a huge part in Eastbury’s previous failure, pushing for a candidate who was clearly not the one the people wanted or the best match for her. Still, it seemed to make more sense to Kit to reverse the order. “You do not wish the candidate from Eastbury to be aware I’ve already made a Rooming before he even begins the selection process?”

“No, something tells me he’ll know soon enough. Besides, you already have several favorites, don’t you? If you had to choose seven right now, I am sure you could. The candidate from Eastbury must know he is behind. I wouldn’t be too concerned with him, Katrinetta, if I were you.”

Her mother’s words were pointed, and something about the way her eyes narrowed when she spoke made Kit’s blood run cold. She certainly wouldn’t be able to choose six other men right now, not if she wanted to do her due diligence. And the candidate from Eastbury had just as good a chance as any of the others, besides Cassius, of course, who had a leg up on everyone, even Reeve, but her mother’s eyes were a warning, and Kit murmured, “Yes, Mother. Whatever you say, Your Majesty.”

“Good. I’m glad to hear that.” But her face didn’t reflect the emotion in her words any more than Kit felt as if she truly wouldn’t give the candidate from Eastbury the opportunity to show her he was worthy. She already had an idea of him in her mind, this farmhand who was Jecob’s finest competition, assuming that’s who Eli had brought back with him, and the last thing she wanted to do was dismiss the man before they’d even met.

“Now, Katrinetta, I suggest you take your time walking back to your chambers. Right yourself, fix your hair, and show up for the ball looking presentable. And if I ever hear or see you acting like a wild animal again, you can be sure I’ll do whatever I must to tame you. Do not expect me to be so merciful the next time you or your little friend step out of line. Am I clear?”

Kit’s knees trembled beneath her gown. She should’ve known the woman before her had been far too pleasant to be sincere. “Yes, my Queen,” she replied, curtsying as low as she could manage in her elaborate gown and shoes.

“That is all.” The queen flicked her away with a wrist, and Kit started the painful process of backing toward the door with feet that felt as if she’d run across shards of glass barefooted.

Once Kit reached the hallway, she was relieved to see only Galter there, other than her mother’s men. None of her other guards who had witnessed her outburst stayed. He wore a sympathetic smile and offered one arm, the other tucked behind his back. Kit gladly accepted his arm, wondering how in the world she would ever make it through a ball when she could hardly even walk.

Once they rounded the corner, Galter paused and produced a pair of satin silver slippers. “Your ladies thought these might also match your gown.”

“Oh, Galter! You’re a lifesaver!” Kit exclaimed, though she was careful not to be too loud for fear her mother would show up again. She carefully worked her throbbing feet out of the heels and gratefully let him help her into the slippers. Though her feet still ached, it was much better, and she was able to put her full weight down with each step without wincing.

Galter carried her shoes in his hand, and she continued to lean on his arm a bit as they walked. She could tell there was something he wanted to say, but she didn’t want to hear it. If it was important enough, she decided he would say it whether she invited him to or not.

They were almost to her room before he finally cleared his voice and said, “My Princess, the next time you feel as if the world is crumbling around you, please feel free to ask for assistance. I cannot help you when I do not know the cause of your pain, but if I had known, perhaps I could’ve saved you some agony.”

Kit turned to look at him, realizing what he was saying was true, at least the first part. She should’ve taken the time to explain herself to him and to her ladies. “Did you know?”

“I knew nothing about what has transpired, my Princess, and I still don’t. But that doesn’t mean I couldn’t have served you better if you’d paused to tell me.” Kit nodded in understanding, and Galter took a step closer to her. Leaning in by her ear, he whispered, “My loyalty is to you above all others, Princess Katrinetta. You must know that. I can assure you, the rest of your guards feel the same.” He raised his head, looked her directly in the eye, gave a sharp nod, and then turned to continue their journey.

Kit ignored the churning in her stomach. If she acknowledged it, then she’d have to admit there was more to this situation than she was willing to recognize presently. In order for Galter to be on her side, there would have to be an opposite side. And admitting that there was hostility would mean she’d have to face the realization that the one person in the world who should’ve always been in her corner may actually be the one who most wanted to see her fail. After all she’d been through in the last hour or so, she couldn’t possibly accept the notion that before this was all over, she might have to face off against the most powerful queen in Yewforian history. For now, she’d focus on the fact that her mother had been willing to put Kit’s indiscretion with Eli aside without making a spectacle or meting out a punishment.

Reaching her room, Kit took a deep breath and pushed through the door. She would have to find a way to move past this as well. As enchanting as the kiss she’d shared with Eli had been, it was only a fantasy. He could never be hers, and she would have to find a way to experience the same emotion with someone else. At least, she’d always have the memory of his lips on hers, and no matter what anyone said or did, that was something her mother could never take away.

But now, forty-two gentlemen waited for her. One had completed the first steps in his journey and was about to embark on a new adventure as her first Rooming. One had opened his heart and bared his scars. One was hiding behind a façade Kit wished to tear aside, perhaps that very night, and one was about to learn that despite the fanfare and legacy of a princess’s Choosing, this tradition was as full of heartache, grief, and shattered dreams as it was of beauty, love, and pleasure. In the back of her mind, she still had the idea that, if there was a way for her to make it to the end and keep every one of the men she was developing feelings for, then she’d have to find away. The last thing in the world she’d ever want to do was to break so many hearts especially not the hearts of those men she could tell were already falling for her as quickly as she was falling for them.