Realm of the Chosen: A Reverse Harem Romance

Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven

The scent of Wrenbrook was unique, like the castle itself, and as Eli made his way through the towering metal infused doors on the west side of the castle, the odor washed over him, triggering a flood of memories. It seemed odd to him that mustiness, the scent of stone, carved wood, and sweat from thousands of bodies, could all mingle together to create such a distinctive, all encapsulating experience, but there it was nonetheless, and for part of him, it was as if he’d never left.

Dozens of greetings were flung his way as he made his way down the long hall that led to the army bunkers. A member of the Queen’s Guards had caught up with him as he was dismounting and ordered him to go there until Her Majesty sent for him. He wasn’t surprised. Apparently, he was a threat to the queen, despite the fact he’d proven himself incapable of completing even the first step that would’ve been necessary for him to thwart her, and despite all of her apprehension about him over the years, never once had he disobeyed her.

Well, that wasn’t exactly true. There was that one occurrence with Kit, in the woods. But it hadn’t been more than a fleeting kiss, an experiment between friends, and he’d known at that moment it could never be more. Still, he could understand why the queen didn’t want him back, and yet here he was, right underneath her nose.

“Commander!” one of the soldiers he’d served with in the Princess’s Guard, now dressed in an army uniform, shouted as he entered the bunk room. “It’s wonderful to see you.”

“I’m glad to be back,” Eli replied, grasping an outstretched hand. “I didn’t realize you’d been transferred.”

“Oh, yes. The queen has shaken up the princess’s detail quite a bit these past three years,” Rogo explained, running a hand through his rough, red beard. “Anyone who might’ve gotten a little too close to the princess needed to be removed—one way or another.”

A pang of jealousy hit Eli right in the gut as he imagined that meant Rogo had been part of Kit’s Exploration, but it wasn’t a question he’d dare to ask even if it had been polite to do so. “I’m sure the army commander is happy to have you,” was about all he could manage to say.

“I don’t know about that,” Rogo laughed, as if he were a bit of a troublemaker. “You should head to the mess hall. I bet you’re starving. We’ve heard a bit about what happened on the road outside of Eastbury. Is it true?”

Eli had no way of knowing what word may have traveled to the castle, but he was famished. “I doubt it,” he said with a wink. “Most of what people say isn’t true.”

Rogo laughed heartily, and Eli turned to head to the mess hall, knowing that Her Majesty wouldn’t mind so long as he didn’t go anywhere else. He imagined it would be at least a few more hours before she sent for him, and when he did, he hoped she would be in a good mood, though it wasn’t likely. Standing outside with a fake smile on one’s face all day did not tend to make a person amicable.

After a quick meal of the cook’s best stew and warm bread, he headed back to the bunk house where the quartermaster directed him to an empty cot. He could lay his head there until the queen called for him. He closed his eyes and tried to fall asleep, but it was impossible. Though it had been from a great distance, and he could hardly make out her features, he’d glimpsed Kit on his way down the dusty road, and he couldn’t get her image out of his mind. It had been three long years, and he was certain she had changed dramatically since the last time he spoke to her. She was just a girl then, barely eighteen, and it had been the beginning of her Exploration. Now, at twenty-one, she was a woman. This Choosing was a celebration of her adulthood. And he would not be a part of it.

A piece of him wanted to stay, to be there to support his friend, but he knew it would be heartbreaking to watch her get to know the men and not even have the opportunity to present himself to her as an option, especially since the Representative from his own province was such a two-faced woman-eater. If he could stay, be reassigned to her guard, perhaps he could be of some service to Kit. But then, he knew Rona had meddled with the voting in his own district, that for some reason she had preferred Jecobian to the other candidate, the one who had come in second, and that there was no way in hellfire she would’ve ever allowed Eli to be chosen. He didn’t know all of the details of what made the queen despise his family, but he knew enough. His mother refused to speak of it, but his father had revealed the gist of it to Eli before he died. Rona would likely rather see her own daughter rotting in prison than wed to a Goedwig.

“Commander,” a voice at the door called, and it took Eli a moment to realize he was being addressed. He hadn’t been a commander in the army, only a captain, and now that he was back amongst those who knew him as the commander of the Princess’s Guard, it would take some getting used to. That is, if he even stayed. Most of him wanted to go, to be reassigned to Iceforge again, or some other distant province where Kit was just a fond memory of his youth. Part of him longed to stay there with her, but only the nonsensical part.

He sat up and swung his legs off of the bed, standing, as the soldier continued, “The Queen’s Guard is here to escort you to Her Majesty’s chambers.”

“Thank you,” Eli nodded, and then went through the bunk room doors. The two guards waiting for him were familiar. There were no greetings, though; the dispositions of the Queen’s Guardsmen was always ruthless. They headed down the long corridor that bridged the army barracks to the castle proper. It would be another long march to the queen’s chambers. He’d forgotten just how massive Wrenbrook was, but the passages and halls came back to him, and he didn’t feel lost for a moment.

Two more guards opened the doors to the queen’s private throne room. Her essence filled the space, even though she was seated a great distance from the door. Something about her presence overpowered the other dozen or so women who sat near her, as if their authorities combined couldn’t begin to compare with that of the queen, but Eli was glad they were here. At least, if Queen Rona tried to send him to his own execution for no reason, he’d have witnesses to the injustice, not that anyone would likely dare to interfere.

He bowed low, and she offered her ring, which he kissed, though he was certain the idea of his lips anywhere near her was almost as repulsive to her as it was to him. Nevertheless, that was custom, and she left him staring at the red and gold carpet for much longer than necessary before she finally gave him the command to rise, likely just to show him she was still in charge. He hadn’t forgotten.

When he met her eyes, he noted she looked as if she’d aged significantly these past three years. Her face was even more pale than normal, wrinkles forming in places he hadn’t remembered seeing them before, and her eyes looked blacker somehow, as if she’d soaked in more evil every day since he left.

“You called for me, Your Majesty?” he asked, stating the obvious.

Rona settled back in her throne. “Yes, of course. You and I have a few matters to discuss. How was your trip?”

He fought the smirk that threatened to break across his face. She couldn’t care less about his trip. “Eventful,” he said, hoping that would suffice.

“So I’ve heard. Tell me your version of what transpired, as I’m not sure they agree with what others have stated.”

The doubting of his ability to tell the truth would’ve bothered him if he was speaking to anyone else, but since it was Rona, it came as no surprise. He drew in a deep breath. “As you likely know, the election was heated. Jecobian had some strong opposition, particularly in the northern regions of Eastbury where Mak of the family Devin is more popular. It took several re-votes and recounts before Jecobian was declared the winner. Some of the villagers did not like the outcome, and while we were making our way here, there was a protest.”

“Ah, but that wasn’t in the northern region,” Rona corrected. “And those supporters were not angry that Mak was not selected, were they?”

Eli shrugged. He’d hoped to avoid the details, but it was apparent she already knew. “I’m not exactly sure who their efforts had gone toward, but once the shouting and rock throwing began, I asked them to stop, and they did. It really wasn’t much of an event. Only a few dozen villagers, mostly women. None of them were injured, nor was anyone in the caravan. A few hours later, the army detail you sent arrived, and we spent the night camped on the road before continuing upon our way.”

Her eyebrow arched slightly, and she breathed deeply a couple of times before asking, “What is this I’ve heard about a footman being killed. Are you saying that’s not true?”

“No, that happened, but it had nothing to do with the protestors. That occurred as we were leaving the town of Finte. He slipped and was trampled by the next carriage.” It had been a ghastly sight. The young man couldn’t have been over twelve or thirteen. Eli couldn’t imagine why she’d even asked, though. A young man’s life was of little value to the queen.

She pursed her lips as if she were considering whether or not to believe him. Finally, she resumed her seat on the throne, spreading her long, black gown out around her. “Tell me, now that you are here, what are your preferences? Would you like to stay or rejoin the army? You did much to oversee the election in Eastbury, and even if it didn’t go smoothly, or likely as you would’ve wished, your presence kept the situation from getting out of hand. But I can’t let you return to Eastbury. If Jecobian is not chosen by the princess, he will return there, and whomever he does marry will be of substantial standing among the noblewomen. You would simply… get in the way.”

As I do everywhere I go, he thought. “I am at your service, Your Majesty,” he replied with a bow. “If you should like for me to rejoin the army, that is what I shall do. If you’d rather I remain here, in your service, then I shall do whatever you command.”

“What about the service of the princess?” The question came from Junno, the Queen Mother, and Eli had not been prepared for it. His eyes strayed to the queen, who looked equally stunned that her mother had asked such a question. When he returned his gaze to the Queen Mother, she continued to stare at him in anticipation of his answer.

Put on the spot as he was, it gave him little time to weigh his response. “I shall do whatever the queen would like for me to do,” he said quickly, though the more he thought about it, the more he realized the last thing in the world he wanted to do right now was return to Kit’s service. Seeing her bat her eyelashes, flip her hair, run her hand along the arms and legs of forty-two other men and then request they join her in the private chambers meant only for one purpose…. He wasn’t sure he could bear it.

A small smile flickered across the queen’s face, and he was certain he’d given all of his thoughts away. “Very well then,” she said slowly. “I am not quite sure what I have planned for you yet, Eliason. But I am certain I shall think of something. In the meantime, I want you to stay as far away from my daughter as humanly possible. You may answer to the Army Commander and do his bidding, but make sure he knows the first part of my order. Do you understand?”

Eli ducked his head. “Yes, of course my Queen.”

“Good. Now, run along. The ladies have important matters to discuss.” The corner of her mouth pulled up in a sharp gape, and he tried not to narrow his eyes. The idea that he couldn’t comprehend whatever it was they needed to talk about simply because he was a man was an insult, and she knew that there was no truth to it. She only liked to chide whenever possible. He tried not to let it bother him and bowed again before backing to the door. She hadn’t revealed her hand entirely, and there was no way of knowing if Rona realized just how unpleasant it would be for him to watch Kit’s Choosing unfold before him. Something told him, if she figured it out, she’d find a place for him with a bird’s eye view.

Rona watched Eliason leave the room, her eyes staying on him as if he were an insect, and she might need to squash him at any moment. Thoughts from her past intermingled with the present for a moment, and she narrowed her eyes even further. Why she had allowed him to stay in her castle for so long momentarily escaped her, and part of her wanted to fling him out into the world, sending him as far away as he could go.

“It’s a shame,” Zora said quietly. Rona’s head swiveled slowly to face her cousin. The queen did not speak, only waited. “I know he hasn’t spent much time in his home province, but Katrinetta has always been fond of him.”

A chirp escaped the queen’s lips. “You can’t actually be suggesting Eliason Goedwig would’ve been a good choice for my daughter?”

Zora shrugged. She was one of the few council members who never seemed to care if she raised the queen’s ire. “I’m only saying, I’m not certain the vote was the same as it would’ve been had he spent more years at home, that’s all.”

“I’m not sure the vote was fair anyway.” Rona’s mother’s eyes tipped to her daughter, but she said no more, and Rona wondered if it was still regicide to kill the queen if she no longer wore the crown.

“What shall you do with him?” Nill asked. “He was an excellent commander when he served the princess. Shall you put him back in his previous place?”

“That would be torturous,” Zora noted, looking at her other cousin. “Clearly, he is in love with the princess. I can’t imagine how miserable it would be to watch her go through her Choosing and know he couldn’t even be considered.”

“Do you think the princess feels the same way?” Sian, a distant cousin to the queen, asked, her light voice wafting across the room to the queen’s ear.

It wasn’t the queen who answered however, it was Nill, her sister, Avinia’s mother. “According to my daughter, who has been in service to the princess for years, there is certainly some affection there.”

“Bull hockey!” Rona exclaimed. “My daughter knows she is far superior to that muskrat. He isn’t even nobility. They have a friendship, but that is all. Katrinetta has many fine young men to choose from. Not once would her eye even fall for a second to that man if he were back in her service.” Rona knew every word that escaped her lips was a lie—except for the derogatory remark about Eliason; that was true. Nevertheless, the thought that her daughter would likely prefer him to any of the Representatives made her abdomen swim up her throat. She wouldn’t hear of it.

“Well, if that is the case, at least if you decide to put him back in her service, you will only be torturing him.”

Zora had a point, and even though Rona knew what she’d said about her daughter wasn’t true, she did think there were enough candidates presented that day alone to sway the princess. She knew that any sort of romantic contact with a male who was not part of the Choosing would mean certain death for that man. Perhaps placing Eli back into the princess’s service would result in putting an end to him once and for all.

“I shall think on it another time,” Rona declared, leaning her head back against the plush fabric of her throne. “I am exhausted from standing outside for so long and liable to make a hasty decision. For now, he shall stay hidden away in the army barracks as I come up with a solution.”

“I am sure you shall do what is best. For everyone,” Junno said with a sly smile, and Rona wished she hadn’t opened her eyes to take her mother’s expression in because it only served to anger her. Nonetheless, she smiled back. She could be sly as well.