Ruled by the Princess

Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

Kit waited until the next day to speak to Danyen about Pierce. She’d intended to just let it go altogether, but the more she thought about it, the more curious she became. If her suspicions were true, and Pierce really was gathering information from the queen—and potentially passing some on to Rona as well—he had to be accessing her one way or the other. Admitting that it wasn’t possible was the same as deciding they’d all been wrong, and Pierce wasn’t cheating. Kit wasn’t ready to determine that was the case just yet.

She wasn’t allowed to visit Danyen’s room because he was still in his original Representative’s chambers. The idea of Rooming him had entered her mind more than once, but she still wasn’t completely sure about him. She didn’t feel as if she knew him the same way she did those she’d already advanced to the next level in the so-called competition. Instead of seeking him out in a more private setting, she decided to stop by the Representatives’ lounge after the midday meal and see if she could steal him away for a few moments.

As soon as she walked in, the conversation stopped, and she had every pair of eyes in the room staring at her. That was normally the case, but this felt different somehow, like they all knew she was up to something sinister. The thought was ridiculous; the only person in the room who even knew she was pondering how Pierce was getting his information was Cassius since Eli wasn’t there. While it was likely Cassius would figure out what she was up to as soon as she pulled Danyen out of the room, that didn’t mean anyone else knew what was happening.

Rather than approaching him first, Kit went over to the group Landon and Reeve were standing in, along with Gavin and Asher. All of the men had stood when she walked in the door, but the rest of the groups that had been sitting on the couches and chairs spread throughout the ample room reclaimed their positions now.

After a quick greeting from each of them, Landon said, “We were just discussing going for a ride. Would you like to join us, Princess?”

As tempting as the idea was, Kit had business to attend to—more than just investigating Pierce. “No, thank you. I have an assignment from the council I’m working on. I was planning to speak to some of the kitchen workers this afternoon.” She hoped she’d have the opportunity to talk to some of the delivery drivers, if any of them happened to be at the castle. If not, she’d speak to those who unloaded the wagons.

“That’s too bad. It’s a lovely day,” Reeve said with a smile.

Kit missed him. It had been too long since they’d spent any time together. She hoped that she’d find a better way to balance all of her obligations so that no one was away from her for too long. “Where are you planning on going?” She made the question light because she didn’t really care to hear the answer. She was keeping an eye on Danyen out of the corner of her eye to make sure he didn’t leave before she had the opportunity to speak with him. At the moment, he was sitting with Jate, Cassius, and Zane across the room. If Cassius was telling one of his stories, she’d have plenty of time to work her way that direction.

“Just around the castle grounds,” Drake replied. “We won’t go far.”

“We’ll likely go back out to the forest where we were hunting Frick the Fox,” Landon added.

Kit smiled but wondered if they might end up at the site of Eli’s family home. Drake had been there once before, when Cassius and he had come to check on Kit during the hunt, but she wasn’t sure if that was his intention or if he even remembered how to get there. Still, since there was nothing left now, save the basement, its demise might raise a lot of questions.

She couldn’t think about it just now. Pierce stood and began to saunter her direction, and Kit decided it was time to move along, pretending she hadn’t noticed him and going the other way, to speak to Danyen. “Have a lovely time. Excuse me,” she said in a hurry, catching Landon’s raised eyebrows and Reeve’s shrugging shoulders as she turned.

Cassius paused mid-sentence as she approached, and all four of them stood again. “Good afternoon, gorgeous,” he said, as if he hadn’t been in the middle of something else before she interrupted.

“Good day,” Kit said nodding at them each quickly. “Pardon the interruption, but may I speak to Danyen for a moment?”

Cassius shifted his eyes in such a way it was obvious that he knew what Kit wanted to speak to the other man about. “No pardon needed, Princess. We are always at your service.”

Danyen looked slightly confused, but he took a few steps toward Kit, and she took his arm and hurried toward the door, knowing that Pierce was following her.

“Is everything all right?” Danyen asked once they were in the hallway.

Kit glanced over her shoulder and saw Pierce standing near the other group she’d just left, looking puzzled and a little agitated. “Yes, it’s fine. I think. Would you mind walking to the library with me? I’d like to speak to you about something, but I need to know we will not be overheard.”

“I will walk anywhere with you, Princess,” he replied, a smile taking over his handsome face.

Kit couldn’t help but smile back. He was always polite and never tried to hide the fact that he was quite taken with Kit, which she found flattering. Considering the amount of time she’d spent with Danyen in comparison with some of the others, he had formed his opinion of her rather quickly, and she could only hope to live up to his expectations. The more time she spent with him, the more connected to the Representative she felt. Perhaps, if he would help her with this investigation, they would grow closer still.

The library was empty, as Kit knew it would be. She closed the door behind her having learned her lesson from the day Eli came back from the second voting in Eastbury. There was a settee in the back corner of the room, so she led Danyen there, taking a seat and waiting for him to become situated before she said anything.

When she spoke, it had nothing to do with Pierce, not right away. She was trying not to be pushy. “How has your morning been?”

“Not bad,” he replied with a shrug. “Mostly swapping stories with the others. There was some talk of going for a ride later, but I’m not sure if I will go or not.”

“Does it get dull sitting around on days when there are no events planned?” Kit hadn’t thought about what the Representatives had to do when there was nothing on their schedule.

“Honestly, sometimes it does. But there are games to play, cards, books to read, that sort of thing. We make do. It’s a bit different than back home where I spent most of my days with students, but it is nice not to have so many duties to perform.”

Kit remembered he had been a tutor in Farlington, which was the province her father was from. His former life was of interest to her because there were not too many men in the realm entrusted with the responsibility to school the nobility. That duty usually fell to women. But Danyen had done so well with his own lessons that he had been able to procure a position in one of the most affluent homes in Farlington.

She could spend all afternoon discussing literature with him and made a note that she needed to do just that sometime soon, but for now, she was finished with the small talk and wanted to know if he could help her with the task at hand.

Moving a little closer to him so that their knees were touching, Kit said, “Danyen, I’m in need of assistance, and I think you may be the only one who can help me.”

His eyebrows shot up. “Me?” he asked, pointing at himself. “You think I may be the only one who can help?”

“Yes. Why is that so difficult to believe?”

Danyen shrugged. “I’m not sure. It’s only, you have four Roomed Representatives and your commander. I’m happy to help you in any way that I may, my princess, only a bit startled that you think I am the only one.”

Kit smiled softly, understanding his position and appreciating his honesty. She kept her voice low. “I’m not exactly sure what you may know of my situation.” She watched his eyes to see if they shifted at all, and when they didn’t, she became slightly more specific. “That is... there are those who believe that my mother has committed certain unlawful acts... those who think, perhaps, the realm would be better off if, uh....” Kit paused, not sure if she should continue. Danyen’s expression hadn’t changed. He hadn’t made any gesture to show her that he understood what she was getting at. What if he couldn’t be trusted, and she shared too much? She could jeopardize the entire operation. With a deep breath, she asked, “Do you know what I’m getting at?”

Danyen glanced at the library door quickly before leaning over to Kit’s ear and whispering, “Le atsa.”

She let out a sigh of relief. His cheek had brushed against hers, leaving a tingling sensation that ignited other parts of her, those not interested in revolution. She’d have to put that aside. For now.

“I believe there is a spy among us, that one of the Representatives is actually working closely with the queen. But I don’t know how he may be accessing her. None of my guards have ever seen him in the hall that leads to her chambers, save for when we are all attending an event on that side of the castle, of course. I need to know if he’s truly in cahoots with her, or if I’m mistaken for suspecting such deviousness.”

Danyen’s brown eyes narrowed slightly before he said, “Pierce?”

Once again, Kit felt relieved. “Yes, and since your room is so very close to his, I thought perhaps you may have some insight. And if not, perhaps you’d be willing to help me gain some.”

Brushing back his light brown hair, Danyen leaned back against the settee in thought. Kit decided to give him a moment before she pressed on. Eventually, he said, “He leaves sometimes in the middle of the night. I hear his footsteps in the hallway. I know it’s him because there’s no one else near us now, and I can also hear his bed creak and the door open and close. But he doesn’t go toward the hall that leads past your room and around to the queen’s portion of the castle. He goes the other direction, back toward the kitchen and the infirmary.”

Confused, Kit c****d her head to the side and deliberated over what he’d said. “How do you know that he’s going that direction?”

“I can tell by the echo of his footsteps.”

“Wouldn’t he have to pass by quite a few of the other Representatives’ rooms?”

“Yes, I believe he would. But his footsteps alone might not be enough to wake them. It’s all the other commotion I think that rouses me. And I happen to be a light sleeper.”

Kit knew that from the times she had shared her bed with him. It seemed any time she stirred at all, he would awaken. “Why would he be headed that direction?”

“Perhaps he’s going to meet someone, an informant, a messenger from the queen?” Danyen’s ideas seemed valid, but Kit wasn’t certain her mother would leave the sort of important information she was handing off to Pierce up to one of her minions. Rona would likely want to impart her secret information to him herself.

“It is a possibility,” she agreed. “I wonder though....” She couldn’t think of a hallway that crossed back over and joined the main hall that went to her mother’s chambers, but there could be a roundabout way of getting there. Castle Wrenbrook was huge, with lots of halls and passages. Perhaps Pierce was taking a different route so he wouldn’t be seen.

“I could follow him.”

Kit raised an eyebrow at the suggestion. She would’ve never considered asking him to do something so dangerous. “What if he saw you?”

“I don’t think he would. I’m very nimble.” Danyen’s eyes had a twinkle in them with that last statement, and she remembered how very true it was. “Pierce isn’t as sneaky as he lets on. He’s rather dull-witted, if you don’t mind me saying so, and I’m fairly certain I could hide from him if need be.”

“I do appreciate the offer. Let me think on it.” Kit placed her hand on his knee, still mulling over the situation in her mind. There had to be a logical reason why Pierce would go that direction. It would occur to her eventually.

“I’m more than happy to do anything I can to assist you, Kit,” Danyen said, his voice becoming more heady with each word. He reached up and brushed a loose curl from her face, his fingertips grazing her cheek and setting it aflame. “Say the word, and I’ll do whatever you wish.”

Sparks ignited in Kit’s core. She shifted toward him on the couch, and Danyen leaned in as well, their lips meeting as his arms came around her, and Kit slid her hand around his back. He wasn’t musclebound like some of the others, but he had a nice physique. Long and lithe with more grace than most of the women Kit knew, it had crossed her mind more than once that he would make a wonderful professional dancer in a different life. Now, she was having trouble catching her breath as he cupped her jaw and moved his lips to her ear and down her neck.

They were in the library, and anyone could walk in at any time. In fact, Kit was fairly certain her guards had followed her and that they were standing outside of the door now. It wasn’t likely they could hear anything, since the entangled couple was in the back of a large room, but the idea that they could be interrupted at any moment was both terrifying and tantalizing.

Danyen’s hand slid up her skirts, and through her thin knickers, she could feel the warmth of his palm as he massaged her thigh. Initially, Kit had thought they might kiss a few times and be done, but the urgency within her was building, and when he ran his tongue across the exposed skin above her bodice, Kit needed him to take her now.

She wanted to rip his jerkin and tunic off to have more of his flesh on hers, but since that was not a necessity, she reached for his trousers instead, pulling at his belt. Danyen seemed to realize at that moment that this was more than he had expected. He pulled back slightly, caught her eyes, and when Kit smiled at him, he reached around to unlatch the top few hooks of her dress. Once it was loosened, he kissed her once more, deeper this time, and then freed her breasts from their restraints.

Kit had his belt unbuckled but had to stop there as the feel of Danyen’s rough tongue encircling her n****e left her breathless. He nipped at her sensitive flesh, bringing a hint of pain to the rapture she was feeling and sending her head spinning. When he took hold of her with his lips and began to suck, she had to hold onto his shoulders to keep herself upright. Her head tipped back, and she cried out in bliss, though she had enough of her wits about her still to keep quiet.

Danyen released her and found her mouth again, producing a sheath from somewhere in his trousers. Kit helped him pull them down just enough to free his member, and then he worked the sheath on while Kit explored his neck with her lips. He tasted salty and smelled of soap and cedar, and with every lick of his skin, she grew more desperate to feel him inside of her.

Her knickers were in the way. She cursed herself for not wearing the ones she’d worn to the maze run, the ones with no crotch. As uncomfortable as they were to wear, in this position, it would have made access much simpler. Kicking her slippers off, she pulled her gown and skirts up, and Danyen took hold of the waistband of her knickers and pulled them completely off in one motion. Kit stared at him in shock, but she didn’t have much time to marvel in his newly found skills as he grabbed hold of her thighs and pulled her toward him, causing her to lean back against the arm of the settee as she went.

His tongue tangled with hers, and the weight of him on top of her was oddly satisfying as Kit considered how scandalous it was to be pleasuring each other in the library. Danyen seemed uninhibited, which was also a surprise to her because he was normally so reserved. He entered her quickly, one hand on her breast as the other steadied him against the sofa arm, and Kit stifled a squeal at the feel of him rushing into her. She tipped her hips up, bucking into him as he came at her again and again in swift fluid motions.

Danyen had one foot on the floor, which gave him even more leverage. He certainly wasn’t the most amply equipped of her men, but he knew how to make the most of what the goddesses had given him. Kit tightened around him, gripping his shaft and releasing with each rhythmic thrust. She began to spasm in euphoria, and Danyen’s hand on her hips lifted her to meet him.

In a matter of minutes, Kit was at her peak, shuttering and writhing in ecstasy. Danyen held her there for as long as he could, but it seemed the excitement of being together in the library was too much for him, and just when Kit thought she couldn’t control the moan that threatened to escape her lips, Danyen grunted and jerked inside of her a few times before stilling and resting his head on her shoulder.

Panting in pleasure and exhaustion, Kit held on to him tightly with both hands. He kissed her softly on the shoulder and then sat up, recovering more quickly than she did. Her lungs were burning, and there was a crick in her back from where she’d been pressed up against the arm of the settee, but it was absolutely worth it.

After a long moment, Kit pressed her breasts back down inside of her gown, and Danyen corrected his trousers. He reached around and tightened her stay and rehooked her gown. “Thank you, Princess.” His voice was low, calm. “I’m not sure what it is you do to me, but I’m afraid I can hardly stand to be in the same room with you without... wanting to do that.” He leaned down and picked up her knickers and handed them to her.

Kit wasn’t sure how to respond to his comment. She’d had no idea he felt that ravenous about her. He always seemed so relaxed. She pushed one leg into her undergarments and then the other. “I can honestly say I’ve never done that in a library before.”

He chuckled. “No, I haven’t either. As much as I love books, I think I shall love them even more now.”

Slipping her feet inside of her shoes, Kit ran her hands around her face, pressing back loose hairs. She hoped when she walked out the door, it wouldn’t be too obvious what they had been up to. Her breathing had almost returned to normal now, but she was still glistening with perspiration.

Kit took a moment to look at him and realized she was seeing him in a new light. She’d always found him interesting, though a bit aloof. Now, she realized he hadn’t been acting standoffish before; he was simply trying to control himself. She couldn’t help but smile. There was more to the tutor than met the eye.

“I will let you know what I can find out about Pierce,” Danyen said, looking down to make sure his clothing was straight.

“I would appreciate it,” Kit replied. She leaned over and found his lips one last time, hoping to convey that this was more than a quick tryst in the library to her. This was an enlightening experience for her to say the least.

Danyen stood, offering his hand, and Kit pulled herself to her feet. He smoothed back a loose hair, and Kit took his arm, trying to control her face as they exited the library. When she caught the eyes of her guards, she thought she saw a hint of amusement there, as if perhaps the princess had been a bit louder than she’d intended, but she couldn’t be sure. And she certainly wasn’t going to ask. As far as she was concerned, this was one more secret that could be locked among the books in her favorite room in the castle.