As cautiously as she could, Kitt peered out of a crack in the wardrobe. She couldn't see them properly until they moved into her line of sight. Marius, the queen's advisor, had his hands buried under Loreina's gown. As they kissed, she peeled his shirt over his head and tossed it aside. The queen squealed happily when Marius hoisted her off her feet and tossed her on the bed, right next to King Nikolai.
“I still think it's odd that you find this stimulating,” Marius said. “Bedding you while Nikolai is beside us does not thrill me. But since you seem to enjoy it...”
Kitt tried to see Roderick's expression in the dark. It was difficult to discern, but she thought he looked just as disgusted as she did.
“Pleasure me, Marius!” Loreina commanded him. “Pleasure me until I tell you you're allowed to stop.”
Kitt closed her eyes. If she could have closed her ears as well, she would have definitely chosen to do so. Loreina's whimpers, shrieks and moans were nothing she ever wanted to hear. Their stamina was impressive. At the end of twenty minutes, Kitt found it difficult to breathe. She assumed Roderick was similarly struggling, since she could feel his shallow breaths against her forehead.
Some time later, when Kitt reopened her eyes, Loreina and Marius had gone quiet. She made the mistake of peeking out of the wardrobe too soon. Regrettably, she was treated to the sight of Marius' naked bum as he slid off the bed. Kitt almost groaned at the sight, then she remembered the predicament they were in. Silence was essential.
After Loreina and Marius departed, Kitt and Roderick didn't move or speak for another minute or two. As soon as they saw Miles emerging from beneath the bed, they exploded from the wardrobe with a gasp.
“Oh, Miles!” Kitt clasped a hand over her heart in pity. “I feel so bad for you! You had the worst vantage point by far!”
“Indeed.” Miles' face twisted into a grimace when he agreed with her. “Every unpleasant word in the world could not properly express my disgust.”
“I'm sorry. I'm the one who got you both into this mess!” When she looked at Roderick, Kitt felt doubly guilty. His face looked a bit green. “I'm so so so sorry!”
“Oh, I'm sure I'll survive. The queen's knickers were inches away from my head for the last twenty minutes or so, but I shall recover from the trauma in time.” Miles was chuckling to himself as he stepped to the door. “And now... I believe we should exit this room with haste, and we should neither return nor speak of it.”
13
“No no no!” Tobias exclaimed as he chased Lyneah out of the pub. “You can't marry Rory McCray. You can't.”
Lyneah turned down Dovyr's main street and headed toward The Courtesan's Plate, where she assumed she would find her potential fiance. “I don't know if I have much of a choice, Tobey. My success might very well depend on it.”
“But... ugh!” He couldn't think of any more words of protest, so he simply shook his fists at her fleeing backside. “Your Highness, wait!”
“What?” She didn't turn around, she just kept charging straight ahead.
“Lyneah!” Tobey gently took her arm, halting her steps. “L-l-listen...” he beseeched her. “I think you do have a ch-choice. You could choose to be happy instead.”
“Maybe one day I'll be happy with Rory?” she suggested with a shrug. “He doesn't seem like a terrible sort. He's handsome, at least. I'm sure I could grow to like him.”
“I don't know...” Tobey's green eyes dropped to the ground, where he watched himself kick a pebble in the road. “I just don't think you should do this, Lyneah. Something about this doesn't sit right with me.”
“And you're very kind to worry about me, Tobey, but I don't need to hear your opinion. I am very capable of making my own decisions.” When she saw the pain in his eyes, she immediately regretted the harshness of her tone. “You... you really are very sweet. But I need to make a logical choice, one that isn't clouded by foolish sentiment. I promise I won't decide anything too quickly, however.”
“Is it true that you already have a fiance?” Tobey asked.
“I do.”
“And a b-b-b-boyfriend?” Tobey squinted his eyes and shook his head. When he struggled with a word too long, he always felt ashamed of himself.
“Yes. Roderick. I've mentioned him before.”
“Then...” Tobias paused, hoping she wouldn't be too offended by his observation. “If you agree to marry Rory, you'll have two fiances and a boyfriend.”
“I... suppose.” Lyneah winced. “I hadn't really thought of it like that.”
“She's popular,” a deep voice suddenly spoke from behind them. “I like that.”
When Lyneah spun around and saw Rory, she gasped. “Oh god? You were eavesdropping? How horribly embarrassing!”
“Not at all. As I said, your popularity is impressive, but it's hardly surprising. I would expect a beautiful princess to have many suitors.” When Rory's gaze shifted to Tobias, he sneered. He clearly wanted him gone. “Oh, and by the way... if you accept my proposal, you will have one fiance. If you're with me, those other men no longer exist. I hope we can agree on that.”
Lyneah nodded. “Of course.”
“When you have me, you won't want those other men, I can promise you that.” Rory grinned at her. “In fact, you'll forget they ever existed.” He suddenly gave Tobias a shove. “Now go away, please. I need to show the princess something important and you're getting in the way.”
Lyneah wanted to say something in Tobias' defense, but before she could say a word, Rory took her arm and escorted her to a small red shed at the end of the street. As they walked side-by-side, she took a moment to admire his chiseled profile. He was wearing a beige trench coat and black top hat, and there was a fancy pair of sunglasses perched on the hat's brim. Somehow, he looked even more handsome than the day before. There was something remarkably ethereal about his face.
When they paused in front of the shed, the grin faded from Rory's lips and was replaced with a serious expression. “I'm eager to show you my prize, Princess Lyneah. Not many people know of it.” Leaning closer to her ear, he whispered, “But I do believe you'll appreciate it.”
Lyneah didn't say a word. She waited in silence as Rory unlocked the shed and threw open its door. When they stepped inside, he turned on a lantern, illuminating the small, gray room. In the center of the room, there was a man kneeling on the ground. He had a metal collar around his neck, and the collar was attached to a post. His wrists and ankles were restrained by manacles, and bloody gashes covered his back. Lyneah was horrified by the sight. Even feral dogs were treated better than this.
“And here is my prize!” Rory exclaimed, slamming the door behind them. “Captain Francis Doon, collared and chained like a wild beast! The queen's lapdog is now my pet.”
When Doon glanced up from the ground and saw Lyneah, his eyes widened, but only for a moment. Almost as soon as he saw her, he knew he wasn't looking at Kitt, and it wasn't her long hair that tipped him off. He could tell by the way she carried herself, and by the way she looked at him.
“Captain... Doon,” Lyneah whispered his name. “I know him. I've crossed paths with him before. He's my mother's privateer... but he's actually a bloodthirsty pirate who has no business working for the royal family.”
“I know. And the bastard tried to kill me! He was commissioned by Loreina, no doubt.” Rory went over to Doon's coat, which was hanging on the wall. It was a ratty old garment, worn, faded and frayed, with patches sewn into the fabric. Rory pilfered a cigarette and lighter from the pocket of Doon's coat and lit up. “I'm sure he's sad he didn't succeed.”
“Oh, not really. I actually like it here,” Doon breezily retorted. “It's nice and cozy on the floor.”
“He thinks he's funny too. But just wait... I'll break him of that.” Rory moved closer to Doon and brought his face to his. He took a long drag from his cigarette and blew the smoke right at him. As the smoke spiraled around Doon's face, the pirate didn't flinch, not even a bit. Frustrated, Rory grabbed a
handful of Doon's hair and shook him, but he still didn't bat an eye or cower. Chuckling, Rory released Doon's hair and strutted away from him. “That's the thing, Your Highness...” Rory began. “I like strong people. More specifically, I like to make them break. They try to stand up to you again and again... but then one day, they've reached their limit. I live for that moment... the moment when you see it in their eyes: you know they're broken, and you know you're the one who broke them. There's really nothing more beautiful than that.”
“Is that what you're trying to do? Break me with a bit of pain?” Doon shook his head and chuckled. “Better men than you have tried and failed at that.”
“See? He has an indomitable ego. I can admire that,” Rory said. “But his confidence will fade one day and I will see panic in his eyes.” With his cigarette in hand, Rory pointed at Doon's back, where blood from a dozen fleshy gashes glistened in the light. “I've been beating him every day since I got him, and I'll beat him every day until he breaks.”
“Got him...” Lyneah quietly repeated Rory's words. He really did sound like a man who had acquired a favorite pet.
“I enjoy beating him, truth be told.” Rory was snickering as he brought the cigarette to his lips. “I enjoy beating him a lot, actually.”
“Is that what you're doing? Beating me?” Doon heckled him. “And here I thought you were giving me an overly aggressive massage!”
Rory returned to Doon, leaned down, and whispered in his ear. “What do I have to do to make you afraid? Hm?” He affectionately stroked Doon's hair, like a master soothing his animal. After a few light caresses, he suddenly grabbed Doon's hand and shoved it to the ground. “Do you want me to cut off more of your fingers? Huh? Would you like that? Maybe I could leave you with just one? Oh, I know! I'll leave you with the one in the middle. That way, you can still show me how very very much you detest me!”
When Lyneah looked down at the pirate's hand, she realized he was already missing two. Her brow was pinched as she listened to Rory's tirade. While she hardly had love for her mother's pirate plaything, she hated to see anyone suffer. And if she wasn't mistaken, Doon actually looked a bit worried by the prospect of losing more fingers. “Please don't...” she whispered.
“Pardon?” When Rory looked up at her, his eyes were glowing with madness. “Did you say something, Princess Lyneah?”
“I said... don't...” Lyneah repeated herself. “I don't want you to cut off anyone's fingers.”
“Aww. Awwww. Isn't that sweet? The princess has a good heart, doesn't she?” Rory went back to stroking Doon's hair. “I think she just saved you, Captain.” Rory's boot suddenly covered Doon's hand, crushing it. Doon winced, but only slightly. If Rory applied any more pressure to his hand, even a bit, he knew his fingers would snap.
“Rory! Please stop!”
At Lyneah's request, Rory spared Doon's quivering hand from the full weight of his boot. He crossed his arms and swaggered away from his pirate pet, chuckling joyfully. “What would be alright with you, Lyneah? Good god, you're spoiling my fun!” He gave his bristled chin a contemplative stroke. “What if I brought in a steaming bowl of horse shit and shoved his face in it?”
The princess shook her head at the thought. “I'd rather you didn't.”
“Very well. You leave me with only my words. I don't think words alone will break this man, but I suppose I can try.” He spun in Doon's direction again. “Honestly... from what I hear, you're practically the queen's puppet. Tell me... are you shagging the old cow too, or are you only in it for the money?”
Doon wanted to make a vulgar joke about Loreina, but when he saw the sympathy in Lyneah's eyes, he changed his mind.
“Oh? For once, you have nothing to say?” Rory threw back his head and chuckled. “Then I'll assume you are shagging her. I bet she's missing her pretty boy right now, isn't she?” He suddenly dealt a hard slap to the back of Doon's head. “And are you missing those saggy old tits as well?”
“Rory...” Lyneah grabbed the cuff of his coat and tried to tug him toward the door. “Can we just go? Please? I think I've seen and heard enough.”
When he looked at her, fury blazed in his pale blue eyes. “You really don't like what I'm doing?”
“I... think it's very impressive that you've managed to capture someone as notorious as Francis Doon,” she said. “Nevertheless, I have no desire to stand around and see him suffer at your hands. It's... frightening.”
“Have I... ruined it?” Within seconds, Rory's eyes changed from infuriated to sad. “Will you not accept my proposal now? Have I ruined my chance of marrying you?”
“Well... no.” Lyneah nibbled her lip. In the corner of her eye, she could see Doon watching her with curiosity, but she couldn't meet his gaze. “I haven't decided if I want to marry you yet.”
“I wouldn't marry him if I was you,” Doon suddenly offered unsolicited advice. “You'd be better off marrying a hunchback leper with a crooked cock.”
Rory slapped Doon's head again, then he wrapped an arm around Lyneah's back and led her out of the shed. As soon as they were back in the sunlight and the door was locked behind them, he looked like a proper gentleman again. “I should apologize to you, Your Highness. Perhaps I should not have subjected you to such things.”
“N-no. It's quite alright,” Lyneah claimed, even though she was terrified by the thought of his brutality. Now that she knew what he was capable of, she had to be careful not to upset him.
“I've scared you. I know I've scared you, Princess.” Lyneah thought he looked disappointed in himself.
“Not at all, Mr. McCray. I'm not easily scared.”
“Call me Rory,” he insisted. “And please know I'm not a terrible man. I do know right from wrong. I'm a good man! I am!” He sounded like he was trying to convince himself, not her. “I know I shouldn't enjoy torturing someone. I know that.”
“But you do enjoy it?” Lyneah's nose crinkled when she asked the question.
“I do,” Rory confessed with a sigh. As he stared over Lyneah's head, an image of Doon's bloody back flashed before his eyes, and a smile tipped his lips. “I definitely, definitely do.”
14
Kitt, who was a light sleeper within the castle walls, would always wake as soon as she heard the slightest thump or creaking floorboard. This night was no exception. When she heard the squeaking floor, she rolled on her back and opened one eye, peering into the darkness. As soon as she spotted the dark figure standing beside her bed, Kitt screamed. At first, she thought it might be Roderick again—until she heard the gunshot.
The shot miraculously hit her pillow, missing her head by inches. A startling explosion of duck feathers gave her a chance to escape. Kitt rolled out of bed and onto the floor, evading the assassin before he could fire at her again. Kitt's heart was raging as she searched for her gun in the dark. Though her hand was shaking horribly, she raised the revolver and tried to remember what Captain Doon once told her.
Pull back on the hammer, keep your arm straight, press don't pull.
Popping out of cover, she followed Doon's instructions and took aim at her attacker. When she felt her gun fire, Kitt shrieked. Thinking fast, she rolled under the bed. If she didn't hit him and he meant to fire again, she would be ready for him. She gripped the gun tightly, keeping her finger away from the trigger until the assassin showed himself.
But nothing happened. When she peeked out from under the bed and saw a shadowy body on the floor, Kitt heaved a sigh. There were only two possible explanations: her assassin was either tricking her, or he was dead.
Kitt slid out from the bed and turned on a lantern. With her revolver in her hand, she crept to the man's body and nudged him with her foot. When he didn't move, she grabbed his shoulders and rolled him on his back, and upon seeing his wound, she gasped. By some miracle, Kitt's single shot managed to hit him directly in the center of his chest.
When she looked down at the revolver in her trembling hand, Kitt realized she would have died without
it. If not for Doon's gift, she would have almost certainly been dead.
“Thank you, Doon,” she whispered aloud. “Thank you... wherever you are.”
Suddenly, the bedroom door burst open and Roderick rushed inside. Kitt started to raise her gun before she realized it was him.
“Kitt!” He said her real name so loudly, she was worried someone might hear. Seeing her dead attacker, Roderick threw his arms around her and pulled her against his chest. “Are you alright? Are you hurt? What happened?”
“Someone tried to kill me and they very nearly succeeded!” Kitt could feel her entire body quivering as Roderick held her. “But other than that, I'm... alright.”
“I'm so sorry... but you're alright now,” Roderick pressed his lips against her head, whispering words of comfort as he lightly stroked her hair. When a few other guards showed up at her door, he quickly waved them off. “You must be terrified. I'm so, so sorry that happened.”
“This is at least the second time someone's tried to kill me,” Kitt said. “Maybe the third. Oh god, Roderick, I need to get out of here!”
“I agree.” Roderick finally let go of her, although he would have happily held onto her all night.
“How did this even happen?” When she looked at the balcony doors, they were sealed.
“When I arrived, the guard outside your room was dead,” Roderick solemnly told her. “I should have been the one watching over you. If I was watching your door, this wouldn't have happened.”
“It's alright, Roderick. Whatever you do, don't blame yourself. You can't possibly be everywhere at once.”
When Kitt glanced in the direction of the corpse on the floor, she shuddered. She wanted it out of sight and out of her mind. Roderick, having apparently read her thoughts, retrieved the guards from the hallway and asked them to remove it. As she watched them carry the body through the door, she sat on her bed and finally let go of her gun.
A Lost Princess (Belles & Bullets Book 2) Page 9
