Ruled by the Princess E-Book

Sadie Waters

• Herausgeber: Sadie Waters
• Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2021

Beschreibung

The entire realm expects Princess Katrinetta to choose her mate soon, but she has other plans....
As Kit’s Choosing draws to an end, she finds herself falling in love with more than one of her Representatives.
Cassius is strong and bold...
Jate is passionate and loyal...
Reeve is mysterious and brave...
And then there’s Eliason, whom she’s loved for as long as she can remember.
How can Kit possibly select just one?
The laws of the realm say she must choose, but Kit is determined not to give up any of her men, even if it means facing the fury of her malevolent mother,  Queen Rona, in a standoff that could bring the entire realm to the breaking point.
Ruled by the Princess is the final installment in the Realm of the Chosen trilogy. Follow Princess Katrinetta as she embraces the love of her men and establishes herself as a benevolent ruler, one who will vow to protect her people and do what’s best for them, no matter the cost.
Full of steamy bedroom scenes, romance, love, and intrigue, Realm of the Chosen is a reverse harem romance for mature readers.

Leseprobe

Ruled by the Princess: A Reverse Harem Romance

Realm of the Chosen Book 3

Sadie Waters

Copyright © 2019 by Sadie Waters

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

Book cover by Sparrow Book Cover Designs

Created with Vellum

To Sienna, Dianne, and Elizabeth for your support!

Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Chapter 33

Chapter 34

A Message from Sadie

Chapter One

The sound of horses’ hooves beating against packed earth, cheers from the crowded stands, and the jarring clang of wood on metal were all drowned out by the sound of Princess Katrinetta’s heart beating out of her chest as she stared down from the riser. Gripping the wooden barrier that separated her from a fifteen foot fall to the arena floor beneath her, Kit’s knuckles were white, and despite the cool temperatures, a fine line of perspiration beaded her forehead.

The princess loved a good jousting tournament.

This one was different, however. These weren’t random noblemen or royalty from another realm visiting the queen. No, the contestants in this particular competition were all hers, and while it was difficult to decide who she wanted to win, one thing was for certain; she didn’t want anyone to be injured. Which meant every single time the horses came charging at each other, Kit held her breath and gripped the railing in front of her for dear life. It was only when both riders safely made their way to the opposite ends of the lane that Kit would let out her breath and steel herself for the next pass. An hour into the tournament, she was feeling a bit faint and wished she had boycotted this idea, not that her mother, Queen Rona, would’ve listened anyway.

“Breathe deeply,” Kit’s cousin, Duchess Avinia, said over the princess’s left shoulder. “They are not going to harm each other. They aren’t even in full armor, so they know to be careful.”

“I know,” Kit replied, believing Avinia’s advice was sound but not able to fully absorb it. “I just keep thinking something terrible is going to happen.”

“That’s only because you’ve seen it happen before,” her other cousin, Isla, noted. “That was many years ago, and the circumstances were different.”

Kit nodded, hoping Isla was right and that it was just a vague memory from when she was a small child troubling her now. Kit could remember attending a tournament when she was about twelve where a nobleman had been blinded by a piece of splintered lance. The memory of the man grasping his eye as blood squirted between his fingers had likely grown even more grotesque with years of distorted imagery morphing into her mind. Nevertheless, she was terrified that one of her Representatives would end up harmed and was thinking of calling off the whole contest that very minute.

A glance across the arena at her mother told her not to bother. Rona was sitting in an even higher viewing box, and while Kit was considered the Lady of Honor, everyone bowed and acknowledged her mother just as frequently as they did the princess. In fact, it was Rona who signaled most of the scoring, which was just as well as far as Kit was concerned since she would’ve had to release the railing in order to do so, and she was fairly certain she wouldn’t be able to pry her fingers off just now if she had to.

She found out quickly that wasn’t the case when Landon’s horse chose the wrong time to try to take its head, pulling the rider sharply to the left. Gavin’s lance was coming across just at the moment, and rather than hitting squarely on Landon’s ecranche, the lance was off target and hit him in the helmet. Kit’s hands flew to her mouth as Landon was jarred backward. But he kept the reins in hand and managed to right himself, though his own lance didn’t come anywhere near hitting the target. Rona signaled a point for Gavin, and Kit tried to withdraw her hands from her mouth.

It was difficult to see the Representative’s face through his helmet, so when Landon reached the end of the tilt, he pulled his horse to a stop and lifted the visor. Kit thought perhaps he was hurt at first; maybe he’d lost one of his beautiful blue eyes. But then she realized he was winking at her, and he was fine. She took a deep breath and gave him a little wave. He smiled, dropped his visor, and lined up for another pass.

Kit wiped her hands off on the skirt of the long orange gown she wore while Avinia patted her on the shoulder. The princess let her eyes roam for a moment, past the crowds of onlookers, mostly noblewomen and their husbands, to the other end of the arena where Gavin was readying himself as well. He gave a small wave, and Kit lifted her hand in his direction. If she allowed her eyes to keep going, she would’ve seen most of the Representatives congregated near the stable opening behind him, but she decided not to tempt herself into looking at the moment. Rather, she’d do her best to focus on the two in front of her and ignore the other thirteen. For now.

Her mind wandered back over the last month of her Choosing. After the fiasco with Sephorina, her third lady-in-waiting, who was seated on the other side of Isla, the night of the labyrinth maze run, the queen had been biding her time. Kit was well aware that a silent queen was a brewing queen, and every morning when she awoke, she braced herself in case that day was the one when her mother came out of her cocoon and unleashed mayhem on them all. Even when Kit had begun cutting Representatives without always running it by her mother, Rona had managed to bite her tongue, for the most part. She’d let her displeasure be known the first time, partially because Kit had cut one of her favorites, Rulf from the province of Zoloris, one of the richer, more affluent areas of Yewforia. But Kit had found the courage to remind her mother that the laws specifically dictated that no one should interfere with the princess’s Choosing, not even a sitting queen. That hadn’t been enough on its own to quiet the monarch but coupled with a reminder from the council, Rona seemed to have let it go. Kit had no idea how Rona might react if she cut or Roomed someone of even more consequence without asking first.

Kit was certain that the queen hadn’t actually conceded, however. Nor had Kit been forgiven for inviting Eliason Goedwig, the Representative from Eastbury and Kit’s childhood friend, to her pleasuring chambers on the night of the maze run when Rona commanded her to choose Jaterius of Rockdale instead. It wasn’t that Kit didn’t like Jate, only, Eli had won the maze, and his prize should’ve been Kit. What made matters worse was the fact that the queen had attempted to frame Eli, ordering Seph to his room at a specific time and sending the Queen’s Guard to find them there. When her plan was foiled, Kit knew for certain the queen was on to their charade—that Kit was aware that Seph was acting as an agent to the queen. What Rona didn’t know was that Seph was actually acting on behalf of the princess. That would come as an advantage to Kit if Rona should ever choose to employ that particular lady to strike again.

Landon looked calm as he prepared to make another pass. His horse was still acting out a bit, and Kit wished she could do something to ensure he wouldn’t have to put up with another ill-timed rebellion, but Landon was strong and seemed accomplished enough to handle the steed, now that he knew what the horse was capable of.

He was a well-formed man, the Representative from Brendrake. The youngest of all of the men, Landon was three years younger than Kit who’d just celebrated her twenty-first birthday shortly before her Choosing began. Landon was tall and muscular with light blond hair, blue eyes, and the sort of jovial grin that always sent Kit’s heart blazing when she looked at him. She was planning on Rooming him soon, but now that the field was narrowed, her choices were coming at longer intervals. She needed to be sure of the seven men she would choose to keep because she hoped they’d be with her indefinitely.

The laws of Yewforia insisted she only choose one man to act as a duke while she ruled as queen, but Kit intended to change that—one way or another. She’d yet to petition the Royal Council or the queen toward that end, but she would have to eventually. Either that or grasp the throne by other means and then petition the council. The longer the Choosing went on, the more obvious it became that Kit would never be able to choose just one man. But she did feel as if she could narrow the field down to seven. That meant there were eight more men who’d have to go home, and while the task seemed daunting, she felt it was necessary. Splitting her attention between all of the men she genuinely cared for was difficult, and she couldn’t imagine having to juggle more than seven for the rest of her life, no matter how strong the connection to each individual, and no matter how frequently each of them reminded her that he was content just to spend a little time with her.

They meant it, she was certain. It had been Cassius who had initially explained this thinking to her. The first Representative she’d Roomed, the man from Warchester Keep, had told her on one of his first nights in Castle Wrenbrook that he didn’t see this as a competition, that all he wanted was as much time as she could give him and for Princess Katrinetta to be happy. Each time she was with him, he reiterated the same sentiment, and others had said the same—Jate, Reeve, even Eli who never imagined he would have the opportunity to take part in her Choosing—but when her time alone with each man was over, Kit found it hard to let go. There was simply no way she could divide herself more than seven times and not lose her mind.

But she could handle seven. She just wasn’t sure which seven. As summer had turned to fall, she’d debated whether or not she should go ahead and Room anyone else. It had been over a month since she’d Roomed Jaterius, the former miner from Rockdale, with hazel eyes and brown hair. He had been an obvious choice. Jate was the sensitive one of her bunch, and she could always count on him to be a shoulder when she needed one. She’d been considering giving Landon a room for weeks. The more she’d gotten to know him, the more she realized how deep her feelings ran for the youngest Representative. Perhaps if he won the jousting tournament, she would do so.

That wasn’t likely, however. So far, both Cassius and Eli had done extremely well, and though she could tell both of them were taking the competition lightly, she had a feeling the longer the matches went on, the more set on winning the two would become. At the archery contest at the beginning of the Choosing, Cassius had shown himself to be a gracious loser. A head taller than most of the others, with broad shoulders, green eyes, and wavy dark hair, he had a wonderful sense of humor to go along with his masculine physique. While archery might not have been his forte, Kit had the idea that he wouldn’t go lightly in the jousting arena.

Neither would Eli, though. She fought the need to look in his direction, knowing his emerald green eyes would be distracting. Even when they were small children, she’d see him out behind the barn practicing for a day like this. Since his father was a disgraced nobleman, Eli was never allowed to take part in any of the royal tournaments before now. This was his chance to show everyone he was just as skilled as any of the men he’d previously served as a valet, or those whose horses he’d swept up after. No, Kit would be shocked if Eli didn’t give it everything he had.

Landon and Gavin went flying at each other again, and Kit grabbed hold of her armrests, praying to every goddess in the heavens both of them would manage to make it through unscathed. This time, Landon landed a solid blow on Gavin’s shield, and the rider from Brendrake’s lance broke cleanly. Queen Rona signaled a point for Landon, and the crowd began to cheer for the young man.

“See, he’s just fine,” Avinia smiled, removing her hand from Kit’s shoulder to clap.

Letting out the breath she’d been holding, Kit nodded, glad that the next pass would be the final of the match. The score was two to one for Gavin, and if it was a tie, it would be up to Kit to determine the winner. While she liked Gavin, a gangly man with curly, unruly brownish hair that always seemed to hide one of his brown eyes, Landon was certainly her choice, and not just because he had a way of making her weak in the knees. He’d overcome the difficulties presented by a horse that seemed to have a mind of its own. But he’d have to win the next point to force a tie. This would be the fifth pass as no one had scored on the first one, and from her experience, the last one was always the most violent. Kit scooted back a bit in her chair and resumed her grip on the armrests deciding she may actually fool onlookers into thinking she was calm if her white knuckles weren’t on display along the fence railing.

Her prediction was right, and once readied, a signal was given, and both horses went flying down the lane at full speed. Landon’s stallion seemed to recognize the seriousness of the situation and didn’t throw his head this time. Gavin’s aim looked true, but Landon hit harder, and when the collision occurred, it was enough to send Gavin off of the back end of his horse. Shards of Landon’s broken lance went up in the air and rained down on his opponent as he brought his horse to a stop to assist.

Kit was up on her feet, her hands over her mouth. This wasn’t the first time a rider had been knocked off of his horse during the tournament, and she knew it likely wouldn’t be the last. They weren’t wearing full metal, only chainmail and extra protection around their faces and shoulders, but Gavin still made a terrible noise when he hit the ground. Kit was just about to scurry down the steps and run to his side when he sat up, removed his helmet, shook his head a few times, and then reached for Landon’s hand to pull him up.

Inhaling deeply through her nose, Kit wiped at a tear that made its way down her cheek. Gavin waved at her, assuring her he was fine, but Kit was still on her last nerve. She couldn’t even force a smile in his direction. Instead, she sank back into her seat and waited for the knight marshal to signal to her the arena was ready for her verdict.

“Katrinetta,” Avinia began in her soothing voice, “you can’t let your mother see you like this. She’ll take it for weakness.”

Her cousin was right, of course. The last thing Kit needed was to indicate to her mother that she was in a compromising situation or that her emotions had gotten the better of her.

“Besides,” Isla continued, leaning in on Kit’s other side, “if this ends up as it might, the situation will be much more dire than a simple contest.”

Kit turned and looked at her cousin, not sure at first what the lady was saying. But then reality rushed in, and she understood. If Kit was seriously considering taking on her mother for the throne in the not-so-distant future, an idea that had entered her mind more and more since she’d seen the state the people were living in, the danger she was presenting to those who would do anything to protect her would be a lot more real than a friend holding up an easily splintered pole and charging.

The knight marshal gestured in Kit’s direction, and she stood. “The score in this match is two points for Gavin of Wanesborough, and two points for Landon of Brendrake.” She paused for a cheer from the crowd and watched the anticipation on both men’s faces as they stared up at her. Whomever she announced as the winner would make the quarter final of the tournament and have a one in eight chance of winning the entire contest. The loser would have to sit out for the rest of the joust.

With a deep breath, she said, “Due to superior horsemanship under trying conditions and a finishing blow that left no doubt in my mind, I am awarding this joust to—Landon of Brendrake!”

The cheers were louder this time as the knight marshal lifted Landon’s hand into the air. Gavin looked disappointed but nodded and shook Landon’s hand. Once the congratulating on the ground was finished, Landon climbed back into his saddle for a victory lap, plucking a flower from one of the decorations and bringing it to Kit.

She accepted the red carnation and couldn’t help but smile at him. It had become a tradition for the winners to bring her a flower since Cassius had won the first round and done so. And she’d rewarded each of them with a kiss on the cheek. “Well done,” she whispered to Landon as she leaned over and pressed her lips to his warm, sweaty cheek.

“Thank you, my Princess. I may not win the tournament, but you can be sure I’ll give it my all.”

“I have no doubt,” she replied. She squeezed his arm, and he beamed back at her before spurring his horse to finish his round as the next two jousters got into position and Kit tried to still her pounding heart. At least it was beating out of her chest for an acceptable reason this time. Landon’s blue eyes were enough to leave any lady quaking in his wake.

Danyen and Drake would be next, and as they readied themselves, Kit returned to her seat, took a sip of wine, and tried to calm herself. It was going to be a long day, and if she felt like this in the preliminary rounds, she could only imagine what it would be like in the final joust of the tournament. For once, she allowed her eyes to drift over to where the other five Representatives stood who would be participating in the quarter final along with Danyen, Drake, and Landon, who was taking his horse back to the stall.

She felt like all five of them were staring at her, though Jate dropped his eyes quickly enough when she looked over, and Eli was observing everyone at the same time somehow. Cassius winked at her, Reeve smiled, and Zane, who she didn’t know as well as the others, actually waved. Kit’s hand went up in recognition as he beamed at her, his red hair damp with sweat from when he’d taken Pierce out a few minutes ago.

Kit wondered if a more handsome group of men had ever been assembled. Add to that Landon’s boyish grin, Drake’s broad shoulders, and Danyen’s athletic physique, and it was no wonder she was having trouble breathing. How in the world was she ever supposed to whittle this group down to seven—let alone one? It was a ridiculous notion, one she’d never be able to follow through with. Kit’s eyes went to her mother, and for once, the queen didn’t seem to be glaring at her. Instead, she had a pleasant smile on her face, almost like she knew something Kit didn’t. It made the princess’s stomach roll over slightly, but then, she had secrets, too. The jousting might be taking place on the tilt in front of them, but the true contest hadn’t even begun yet.

Chapter Two

The princess was anxious. She was trying to hide it, but it was still obvious to those who knew her best. Since Eli had known her most of her life, he certainly fit in that category. Even from the far end of the arena, he could see how white her knuckles were as she squeezed the railing in front of her, and even when she sat down, the rigidity in her back let him know she was tense.

He wished she would calm down. While there was always a small amount of danger involved in a jousting tournament, none of the Representatives were willing to actually harm one another as Landon’s gesture to help Gavin up off of the ground should’ve assured her.

But Kit wouldn’t be able to relax until they were all back at Castle Wrenbrook safe and sound. He hoped there would be no more jousting tournaments during the Choosing if Kit was going to be so concerned the entire time. The point of the event was to give her an indication of the strength and sportsmanship of each of her remaining men, not to give her heart palpitations for an entire afternoon. Kit’s consternation was a genuine sign of how much each of the remaining Representatives meant to her.

She was gorgeous. It was difficult for him to take his eyes off of her at all, and jousting in front of her had proven to be challenging with those sparkling blue eyes burning into the side of his head so intensely he could feel them through his helmet. Princess Katrinetta looked lovely in anything, but in a long orange gown, her hair blowing in the autumn breeze, and her cheeks pinked from the sunlight, he couldn’t imagine her ever looking more beautiful. It wasn’t the first time he’d had that thought, though, and she’d surprised him many times by proving him wrong. Thoughts of the first time he’d seen her undressed came to mind. He pushed them away before his state of distraction became even more burdensome than the unbearable condition from before he thought of her nude.

All he had to do in order to change his disposition was turn his head to the right and take in Queen Rona. His stomach churned just thinking about her, let alone looking at her, sitting there on her royal dais, that look of smugness about her. At least she wasn’t glaring at him now as she had been earlier, when he’d won his second match. He was well aware that Rona hated to be ignored, and since she’d gone to all of the trouble to send for him early that morning, to make sure he understood his primary objective was to lose as quickly as possible, it was no surprise she was angry now.

Of course, he had said he would do his best to honor her wishes, but even before he began the tournament, he knew he couldn’t possibly throw it. In the past, there had certainly been times when he’d done whatever Rona asked in order to protect Kit. Now, with the opportunity to actually compete in a jousting tournament, something he’d never gotten to do before, his pride wouldn’t allow him to roll over and die, especially since he was fairly certain the only person who would be punished was him—and not the princess.

Rona was out of hand anyway. He shifted back and forth slightly on the balls of his feet trying not to let his muscles tighten up as Danyen and Drake prepared for their first pass at each other. In the past month, Rona had been biding her time, trying to detect exactly how deep the duplicity within the castle ran, and while she was starting to figure some of it out, there were people she would never guess could possibly be plotting against her who would be the first to stab her in the back. Eventually, this would all come to a head, and Eli only prayed that Kit wouldn’t be harmed in the process, though he was certain it would take an emotional toll. How could the princess plan a coup against the crown when she couldn’t watch a jousting tournament without squeezing the armrests so tightly she was bound to have bruises on her hands?

They’d find a way, though. It had to happen. The more investigative work Eli did, the more he began to realize just how dire the situation was in the realm. Money was coming in by the carriage load, but it appeared as if very little was being used for public works. It may have been going out just as quickly but not to take care of the citizenry. Exactly what Rona was doing with it, he couldn’t be certain. But he’d find out. And as for the citizens who were being taxed beyond their breaking point without benefit of a queen who would do what was needed to make sure they had what they needed in order to survive—navigable roads, clean water, enough money left over from their hard work to keep a decent home, feed their children, and survive—many of them were beginning to grow weary of an inefficient crown.

Kit was the hope of the realm, and now that she was beginning to see that for herself, Eli would do whatever was needed to ensure that she was able to claim the crown, sooner rather than later, even if it meant the ultimate sacrifice for him.

But not today. Today, he wasn’t doing the queen’s bidding. He would fight for his own honor and his family name, and while he was fairly certain he could beat just about any of the other Representatives, a quick glance at the man standing to his right made him nervous. Cassius was much taller and broader than Eli. It was also apparent he’d been around horses his whole life. Eli was sure he’d have to face off against the Representative from Warchester Keep eventually, and when he did, defeating him would be a real challenge.

The two contestants currently at odds collided on opposite sides of the tilt, and Danyen’s lance splintered into the air. Drake’s fell from his hand and skidded along the top of the tilt before falling to the ground, almost tripping Danyen’s dappled stallion. The horse recovered, and the queen awarded one point to Danyen. It annoyed the hell out of Eli that the princess wasn’t allowed to score the match herself, but at least she’d been allowed to choose a victor in the last round.

“I would’ve put my money on Drake,” Cassius said, leaning in and talking closely into Eli’s ear without pulling his eyes away from the match. “He’s so much bigger than Danyen.”

“Yes, but Danyen is lithe and quick,” Eli reminded his competition. “Size and strength isn’t always everything.”

Cassius let out a low rumble of a chuckle and pounded Eli on the back hard enough to jar him forward from the waist up. “True, true. Suppose we’ll find out.”

Eli hoped that would be the case. Despite Cassius’s observation that strength and girth were most important, Eli would be willing to take him on—in the joust anyway. A fist fight might be another story.

At least Cassius was on his side where it mattered most. Eli stole another glance at Kit whose worried expression concerned him more than he could let on. He wished he could go remind her that she would be queen soon enough, and she needed to act like one. How many times had he whispered those words in her ear? Lately, she’d been owning that position more and more, but the current situation did not lend itself to her sweet disposition.

Cassius wasn’t the only Representative who would take up arms against the crown on behalf of the princess. In fact, most of them had already come to Eli at one point or another and sworn their allegiance to the princess. Many also spoke of secret pockets of resistance at home, those who would be willing to rise up against the queen if needed, or at the very least throw their strength behind Katrinetta should she seize the throne on her own accord. For some, there had been lengthy discussion about the risks and dangers, coupled with the opportunities and potential for a better life for the citizenry of Yewforia. For others, it had just been a quick nod, a secretive look, and the mouthing of the two words that had become code for their clandestine operation--“le atsa”—ancient Yewforian for “with you.” Eli wasn’t exactly sure who had come up with the phrase, but it was fitting.

Kit had only known about the resistance for the last moon phase or so, and even at that, she had no idea how deep it went. She also didn’t have a clear understanding of how awful the conditions were, particularly in some of the poorer provinces. Rona kept her daughter sheltered from the truth for a number of reasons but most importantly because the queen was aware of Kit’s tender heart. Kit would’ve never allowed this sort of treatment to go on, not if there was anything at all she could do about it. The fact that Rona had allowed Kit to travel into the village near the castle where the princess had seen how the families of her own guard lived was either a slip up on the part of the queen or part of a deeper plan that hadn’t revealed itself yet, and since Rona seldom made mistakes, he doubted it was the former.

Rona wasn’t invincible, though. He glanced over in her direction as Danyen and Drake shook the ground again with their collision. Once again, Danyen stole the point. The queen didn’t seem particularly interested in this match. He imagined she’d rather Drake won since her husband, Remont, the duke, who wasn’t even invited to this tournament, hailed from Danyen’s home province of Farlington, and it was no secret that the queen was no longer interested in her husband in any capacity—not that she ever was. The only thing Remont could give her was an heir, and he’d done that.

Rona had no idea that several of the women sitting near her on the very riser where she observed the tournament were part of the party planning to bring her down. In fact, Eli wouldn’t have been surprised if there were more who would come over to his side, given the information he had. There were some who would never question the “rightful queen” or raise a hand against the crown, but others understood that Rona had already broken the law countless times and needed to be stopped. And the most suitable person to bring her reign to an end was sitting across the stadium from her, anxiously watching two men she cared about hurl themselves at each other, pointy sticks in their hands.

It didn’t take long for Danyen to defeat Drake. Cassius clapped Eli’s shoulder again and admitted he was wrong, and the knight marshal announced the next round. “Jaterius of Rockdale versus Reeve of Erast Hollow!” his deep voice bellowed, and Eli’s eyes immediately flew to Kit’s face.

She looked like she was about to cry. Clearly, she cared very deeply about both of these men and was having trouble envisioning who she might hope would win. He almost laughed at how she wore her heart on her sleeve but bit it back.

Cassius let his chuckle fly free. “She sure is struggling, isn’t she? Poor little bird. I hope this is our first and only jousting tournament. She doesn’t seem to be too fond of the sport.”

“She used to be,” Eli said before he realized it might be offensive of him to share stories about Kit from when they were younger, but Cassius looked curious, not put off. “She used to love to come and watch, back when her father was allowed to attend. She’d sit next to him and hold his hand, and they’d cheer for whoever Kit thought had the prettiest horse.”

Laughter spilled from Cassius’s mouth. “I can see that being the case. Did you ever participate?”

Eli tried to bite back his own bitterness. “Not as a knight. As a shite collector.” Cassius chuckled again. “And I did my fair share of handling the horses. It was more entertaining for me to watch her than the joust, though.”

“I can only imagine.” Cassius was smiling, so even though he was likely jealous of the relationship Eli had always had with Kit, he wasn’t bitter about it. “You’re so lucky to have already gotten to spend so much time with her.”

“I know,” Eli admitted. “I thank the goddesses every day that I’ve had the opportunity to be close to her for as long as I have.” He didn’t mention that he’d also begged those same deities for years to give him the opportunity to win Kit’s heart in a way that wouldn’t be subject to laws or rules of the realm. The fact that he was part of the Choosing at all was nothing less than a miracle. Still, he prayed there was enough heavenly graces left to help them with their current operation because they would need it. Despite the numbers and the strength behind the resistance, Rona wasn’t going to be easily defeated, nor would she be willing to play by the rules. She was underhanded, sneaky, and conniving. More reasons to get rid of her, and more reasons to plead his case to the goddesses at every turn.

With the cooler weather came shorter days, and by the time Eli climbed atop his black stallion, Aeros, to face off against Cassius in the final match of the tournament, streaks of pink and orange painted the horizon. They’d both earned their way to the match through tough battles, and at one point, Eli thought perhaps Reeve might defeat him when the other man had won the first two points, but Eli had recovered, and much to the queen’s dismay, he was ready to square off against Cassius.

Across the arena, Cassius brought his enormous beast, Snowduster, to the starting line. Dressed all in white, astride a white steed, Cassius looked like a noble warrior of the goddesses come to do battle with a villain. Eli was wearing red and blue, the colors of his province, but his horse was black, and in his darker colors, he may as well have been a malicious entity squaring off against the man sent to protect the valor of the princess. The idea that good always triumphed against evil was generally one of Eli’s mantras, but today he’d just as soon see the man in black win the day.

He took a moment to take Kit in before he lowered his visor. She was a bundle of nerves, as she had been most of the day, but this was even more pronounced than earlier. She was having trouble sitting still. Her hands were clenching and unclenching, her foot tapping, and her face was scrunched up to one side like she was chewing on the inside of her cheek. He would’ve thought her distress endearing if he didn’t realize she was actually fearful that one of them would be injured. As much as he wanted to win, he wouldn’t do anything to jeopardize Cassius’s safety, and he felt confident in saying that his opponent felt the same way. A glance at the queen told him she would love to announce this was a battle to the death—and then allow Cassius ten or fifteen brutes to help him to victory.

But the queen bit her tongue. Eli knew he’d pay for this one way or another, though he had no idea what she might try. The fact that he had a chance to win when she’d already told him not to come anywhere near reaching this point was enough to make her see red. He was certain she’d find a way to tamper with something so he’d kept a close eye on his horse and all of his equipment all day. Still, it wouldn’t surprise him if Aeros suddenly pulled up lame, or his jousting pole was made of a different substance than Cassius’s.

Nevertheless, he’d gotten this far, and he needed to do whatever he could to win, regardless of the consequences. The knight marshal gave his signal, and Eli moved into position. Another word from the man in charge, and the two horses began to move toward each other.

Eli was always cautious on the first pass, particularly against a new opponent. He didn’t have a lot of experience in official tournaments, but he had jousted unofficially several times in the army when they had little else to do. This equipment was certainly different—more professional and sturdy—but it was the same concept. He needed to get a read on when was the best time to strike, and in order to do that, he had to be vulnerable to attack on the first pass.

Cassius was weighing him out as well. It was apparent by the way he held his lance, the way Snowduster ran at only three-quarters speed down the lane. When it took Cassius just as long to get his lance into position to strike, Eli thought he might be calling for a mercy pass, but just before he reached the center of the tilt, Cassius lowered his lance, and the levee indicated he was ready to engage.

Eli lowered his as well but not squarely, not in position to hit Cassius’s ecranche unless he pivoted it at the last second. Scoring wasn’t Eli’s intention this pass, though. By the time the two were on top of each other, he felt as if he had a good indication of Cassius’s style, and when his opponent hit him squarely in the shield and splintered, Eli wasn’t taken aback at all. He’d seen what he needed to know.

The queen joyfully announced, “One point for Cassius of Warchester Keep!” The crowd cheered, though Eli heard several boos as well. He wasn’t surprised that Cassius had won the hearts of many onlookers, but being from Eastbury, one of the closest provinces, and having lived at the castle most of his life, Eli was aware that many people were pulling for him. He turned Aeros around, handed off his spent lance to be checked, and prepared for another pass.

This time, he wouldn’t be giving Cassius anything, nor would he be holding back on Aeros’s speed. The two horses were similarly matched in quickness, though Snowduster was far larger. There wasn’t another horse in the realm that could out-do Aeros when it came to speed and agility. Eli would’ve bet anything on that. So when the knight marshal gave the word, he pressed Aeros on and went flying down the lane, lowering his lance across the tilt at just the right second.

Cassius wasn’t expecting Eli to have already figured out his technique, so when the commander’s lance came down precisely before Cassius lowered his, it hit squarely on the shield, shattering into a thousand pieces. Cassius didn’t have the opportunity to line up his hit correctly and missed. When Rona announced the point, all of the enthusiasm from before had drained from her voice. “One point for Eliason of Eastbury.” Still, the crowd went wild with cheers, any boos drowned out by those in favor of the hometown Representative.

When Eli turned back around at the end of the pass, he could see that Cassius was actually laughing. His fist thumped the chainmail over his chest twice, quickly, which Eli assumed meant “you got me.” He was glad the other Representative wasn’t taking this too seriously because he genuinely liked the man and knew he was important to Kit. Thinking of her brought his head around for a moment. She looked whiter than freshly fallen snow. At least the tournament would be over soon, regardless of who won. He took the new lance from the squire standing nearby and awaited the signal, thinking the same trick wouldn’t work twice. He’d have to change it up a bit or give the third point over to Cassius.

As soon as the knight marshal gave the order, Eli took off, just as he had the time before, but this time, right as he and Cassius were about to collide in the center of the tilt, Eli pulled back on Aeros’s reins just slightly enough to throw Cassius’s aim off, and when his lance came down, it was no longer in the proper position. Eli used the change in speed to his advantage and landed a second blow on Cassius’s ecranche.

When the queen made the announcement this time, Eli didn’t even have to turn his head to know she was seething. The tone of her voice when she announced the point for him was enough to tell him he was already in more trouble than he’d ever been before.

May as well make it worth it.

If he won the next point, the match would be over. If Cassius won, then it would be down to the final point. While it might make it more entertaining for the onlookers to reach the fifth point, he was ready to end this, and by Kit’s expression, he could tell that she was ready as well. She looked like she might be sick to her stomach at any moment.

Eli took the offered lance and got back into position. He could tell Cassius’s disposition had changed slightly after the last pass. While he didn’t seem hostile, he wasn’t laughing anymore. When Eli turned his attention to his opponent, he could see an air of determination rolling off of him and knew this was going to be the most difficult pass of all.

The knight marshal made his announcement, and Eli plowed full speed ahead again, pushing Aeros to charge even faster than the second pass. Cassius was pressing Snowduster as well, and Eli could see before they even collided that Cassius would try to change up his own timing so that it would catch his opponent off guard.

That might’ve worked if Eli wasn’t expecting it. But since he saw the tactic coming, he was able to strike a split second before Cassius was ready, and at such high speed, his lance shattered, and Cassius went flying off of the back of Snowduster, landing with a hard thunk on the torn up earth of the lane.

Half of the onlookers cheered while the others gasped, but the only sound Eli heard after the reverberation of such a large body hitting the ground was Kit. Even amidst hundreds of similar shocked inhales, he knew hers anywhere and imagined she was envisioning the worst.

Eli pulled Aeros to a halt and leapt over top of the tilt before the squires and other jousting assistance could reach his opponent. Cassius wasn’t moving, not an inch. A glance at the riser let him know Kit was already headed for the stairs, likely making her way to the arena, though such a bold move would be completely unprecedented in Eli’s experience. Still, he understood her concern. The blow with the lance had been hard; the collision with the ground had been far worse.

When Eli reached Cassius and pulled his visor up, he could see that he was gasping for air, and it became apparent he’d simply had the wind knocked out of him. He was already moving his arms and legs as Eli helped him to sit up, but he could see the struggle to get a deep breath in his opponent’s eyes.

“Inhale as deeply as you can, Cassius. Please accept my apologies.” Eli was able to give first hand advice having experienced the horrific sensation of not being able to pull in a breath a few times before. “It’ll get better in a moment.”

Cassius nodded, and a few seconds later, he sucked in air. He made a motion with his arm that he wanted to stand up, and while Eli didn’t necessarily think that was the best idea, he helped him to his feet anyway. Cassius rested his hands on his knees for a moment, doubled over, and Eli held on to him as the others who had rushed to his assistance stood off a few feet. Eventually, Cassius stood and motioned to the crowd with one arm.

Applause filled the air. Even those who were thankful Eli had been the victor still cheered Cassius’s recovery. Eli glanced over at the side of the fence where he imagined Kit had been stopped by the Queen’s Guard and saw her standing there, doing her best to fight her way through.

“Where’s Kit?” Cassius pressed out, his eyes up on the riser that was now a few seats empty as Avinia, Isla, and Seph, Kit’s ladies-in-waiting, had followed her.

“Over there.” He pointed her out, and when Cassius saw the princess, Eli could tell he felt awful for giving her such a worry. Cassius waved to her, and Kit seemed to calm down slightly, but Eli knew the princess well enough to be certain she’d be in a state of disarray for several hours after this. Hopefully, she’d find a way to keep her composure while she faced the queen, a woman who was definitely not happy at the moment. He didn’t even want to look in Rona’s direction.

But when the knight marshal gave the signal that the match was over, everyone in the stands turned their attention to Queen Rona. Not only would she be announcing the point, she’d also have a winner to name.

Rona was standing in front of her seat, which resembled a throne, her lips drawn into a tight line, and her nose pointed up to the heavens. “One point for Eliason of Eastbury,” she said, each word carefully metered out. And then, before the crowd even stopped clapping, she added, “Match and tournament to Eliason of Eastbury.”

A squire brought Eli his horse so he could take the customary victory laps around the arena as the queen and the princess got themselves into place to properly salute his victory. There was normally some sort of small crown made of flowers or something of that nature presented by the queen to the victor, but Eli wouldn’t be shocked to hear Rona shredded it while he was making his way around the circle. The crowd was cheering, which was invigorating, but the reality of what he’d just done was starting to sink in, and part of him thought perhaps it wasn’t worth it.

Had he jeopardized everything they’d been working toward because of his lust for victory?

By the time he reached his position next to the knight marshal in front of the dais, Kit was standing next to her mother. She looked as beautiful as ever, but her cheeks were flushed, and he imagined her heart was beating out of her chest.

The queen did have a corona of small red flowers in her hands, which she handed off to Kit with an angry thrust. Rona cleared her throat and beckoned him forward. Aeros took a few careful steps, and Eli could tell even the horse knew this wouldn’t be good.

“Ladies and men, I present to you our winner, Eliason Goedwig of Eastbury.” The crowd cheered again, and Rona offered her ring, which Eli kissed. Before he could back away, she leaned forward, and under the pretense of embracing him, something he knew she would never do unless it involved stabbing a knife in his back, she whispered sharply in his ear, “Before the sun rises, I will see you.”

He knew exactly what those few words meant. Before the sun came up in the morning, he was to be present in her chambers. He’d been summoned this way many times before, though never in a harsh whisper in front of hundreds of onlookers. As the queen managed a false smile and looked to the crowd, Eli tried to swallow the lump in his throat.

Kit stepped forward, and he could tell by her countenance she had no idea the queen had spoken to him, though she did seem slightly puzzled over the embrace. Nevertheless, she had a duty to perform. “Eliason Goedwig of Eastbury, I crown you with this corona of carnations for your victory today.” She was smiling, though he could tell her cheer was masking the fear she’d felt earlier still coursing through her veins. He leaned forward, and she placed the flowers on his head. “Additionally, you have won a visit to my chambers this evening.” The audience went mad for that announcement, cheering and catcalling, until the queen stopped them with a dirty look.

One other tradition needed to be fulfilled, and Kit leaned down over the railing to find his lips. It was a quick, simple kiss, nothing worthy of fanfare, though even the slightest brush from her lush lips made him quiver inside. Still, in front of all of her Representatives, nobility, and those few fortunate citizens who happened to gain attendance, Kit kept her modesty.

There was one more loud cheer before the trumpeters signaled the queen was leaving and everyone bowed in respect as she made her way to her waiting carriage pulled closely behind the riser. The guardsman who opened her door was no stranger to Eli. Tall, dark, with a jagged scar that covered one side of his face near his chin, Vin had recently become one of Rona’s favorite guardsman. He glared at Eli for a moment as the guard helped the queen into her carriage, but the evil grin that took over his expression once she was inside let him know Vin had an idea that Rona would not let this championship lie.

Kit was making her way down off of the riser now, her own guards waiting for her, and Eli desperately wanted to accompany her back to the castle, but he needed to tend to Aeros. He watched her go, a few of the Representatives who had been eliminated earlier falling into step with her as she made her way to her carriage. At least he’d have the opportunity to spend the evening with the most lovely lady in all the land before her mother ended him in the morning.

Chapter Three

The fireplace in her special pleasuring chambers was unlit on her own request, but as Kit stood pacing, waiting for Eli to arrive, she thought perhaps she should’ve had a fire to take a bit of the chill out of the room. Wearing a robe over her thin chemise wasn’t quite warm enough with the autumn evening air slipping through the stone castle walls. Of course, she realized the room would heat up in a different way as soon as her Representative made his appearance, and she had originally thought that would be enough. Now, she ran her hands across her arms in an effort to keep from shivering as she waited.

He wasn’t late. In fact, she’d never known him to be late to anything in all of his years. But she’d come from her regular chambers a bit early because she wanted to be alone to think, and her ladies-in-waiting wouldn’t stop chattering about the joust. While much of the discussion was about how brave certain contestants had been, and how frightening it had been when accidents had occurred, especially Cassius’s unseating, the conversation had then turned to what ramifications might befall Eli for winning.

The thought had entered Kit’s mind as well, but she hoped her mother would be reasonable. It was just a game, after all, and it wasn’t as if Eli hadn’t already been with Kit before he won an evening with her. If Rona thought that Eli’s victory would make her look weak in the eyes of the citizenry somehow, that seemed ridiculous. Very few people knew how much she loathed the man. But then, it wouldn’t be the first time Rona’s thoughts or actions had gone stray of the reality Kit was able to grasp.

A knock on the antechamber door let her know she’d have to brush those thoughts aside, at least for the time being. She hoped she had the opportunity to speak to Eli about her concerns at some point, but not right now. And... she had a feeling he would make light of the situation, as he usually did whenever he didn’t want Kit to concern herself over a matter that was out of her control. But if she was to make any effort whatsoever in stopping Rona, he’d have to be more forthcoming with the truth and allow Kit to make her own decisions based on all of the information, rather than keeping her sheltered from the truth of the situation in an attempt to protect her. The time for ignorance as a safety net, if there ever really had been one, was long past.

The door to the bedroom chamber was open, so Kit called for him to come in, and a second later he was standing in the doorway, both hands resting on the doorjamb, taking her in. She could tell by the expression on his face that there would be no discussion, not now anyway, not about anything of substance.

The corner of one side of Eli’s mouth pulled up in a crooked grin. “You look beautiful.”

“I’m wearing a robe,” she said, pulling out the edges of the garment but feeling the heat rising in her cheeks at the compliment.

“You always look beautiful.”

Kit took a step in his direction, and he flew through the door, his hands landing on her waist as he pulled her tight to his chest. She grasped his face with both hands and his lips came crashing down to meet hers. When tiptoes wouldn’t quite let her envelop him the way she wanted, he lifted her off of the ground, and she slid her arms around his shoulders, holding herself in place.

He tasted of cinnamon, and his lips were warm and full, devouring hers with an urgency she hadn’t felt from him even their first time together, in the carriage ride back from the labyrinth maze a few weeks earlier. What it was that had him so impassioned, she couldn’t tell for sure, but she wasn’t about to slow him down to ask, not when the feel of his tongue against hers had her gasping for air and longing for more.

Setting her back on her feet, Eli pulled her along with him with one hand, his lips still attached to hers, as he pushed the door closed behind him and dropped the bar into place. Kit tried not to think about Merek and how he’d died just outside of that door at Eli’s hand when the brute had tried to attack her. The door had been replaced, the blood cleaned up, but the memory was still there.

Eli was doing good work at clearing her mind of anything and everything except for him. Once the door was secured, he had both hands on her again, backing her toward the bed. In the past month, they’d been together a couple of other times, and he never ceased to thrill her, but she could still sense something was different this time. There was an air of desperation about his movements she couldn’t quite place.

With one hand, he tugged at the belt around her robe, slitting it open, and Kit wiggled her shoulders in an attempt to free them. Eli reached up to help, pulling the garment off of her and tossing it aside. He couldn’t seem to take either hand off her for long as they came back to her quickly. His fingers worked their way down her sides, each touch igniting the flesh beneath her chemise as he caressed every portion of her he could touch.

When his lips left hers to trail along her neck, Kit gasped for air, holding onto his shoulder for balance. Her knees felt weak, and her neck began to burn from the heat of his kisses.

She considered asking him if everything was all right, but she couldn’t catch her breath long enough to formulate the question and knew he’d never respond truthfully anyway. Besides, she’d have to be a fool to interrupt him as his left hand came up to cup her breast, dragging the top of her chemise to the side so that he could finger her nipple which instantly hardened under his touch. Kit moaned, leaning into his palm, and brought her hand around to reach for his belt.

Eli paused long enough to rip his jerkin and tunic off, and Kit’s fingers left the uncooperative belt to rest against his chest. No matter how many times she’d seen him without his shirt, she was always captivated by the way his muscles rippled with each movement, how the clearly-defined muscles of his abdomen morphed into a perfect V that disappeared below his waistband. Her fingertips glanced off steel as she raked her hands back and forth until she needed to feel him on her again and wrapped her arms around him, pulling herself in tight against his chest.

Eli chuckled at her in the back of his throat, and she imagined she did seem a little humorous in her desperation, but he didn’t laugh for long. She lifted her head to meet his, and his lips were on hers again as he unhooked his own belt and somehow managed to work his way out of the rest of his clothing while his kisses sent Kit close to the edge of euphoria before they’d even come together.

Dropping her hands, she ran her palms against his firm backside, and he pulled away from her lips slightly in a sensual smile. Kit could never get enough of the feel of him beneath her hands, but she was also anxious to have him inside of her.

Eli must’ve felt the same way. He slid his teeth together to enclose gently on her lower lip and tugged at it as he released her mouth. Kit’s head tilted back in a deep sigh, and he pulled her chemise off over her head. When he realized she was wearing nothing else, Eli gasped. Her eyes met his as his grin widened, and he gathered her up and dropped her onto the bed.