Malik broke away from his knights and went to Kitt's side. “My father's almost finished,” he quietly told her. “It'll be over soon, I promise.”
King Roen hit the boy one more time. When the whipping boy dropped to the ground, the king kicked dirt in his face, then turned around and walked away. Kitt wondered if the beating would have gone on longer if she hadn't shown up.
“This is horrible,” Kitt whimpered. “Why do you let this happen? That poor boy is getting hurt because of something you did!”
“My offense wasn't even so terrible,” Malik said with a shrug. “I refused to come to dinner tonight. I insisted on eating in my room.”
“Are you serious?” Kitt briefly exchanged glances with Roderick, who looked every bit as stunned as she did. “Could you have prevented this brutality if you had gone to dinner?”
“Perhaps.” Malik shrugged again, as if his whipping boy's pain was of little importance to him. “But my father is mad. I think he's a sadist. He looks for any excuse to rain blows on Ryas. He takes pleasure in it.”
Kitt watched in horror as the two knights dragged the crying boy to his feet and hauled him away. “If you could have prevented this from happening, you should have done so. If agreeing to go to dinner would have stopped this, why did you not do it? How incredibly selfish can one man possibly be?”
“Did you not hear me?” Malik raised his voice. “I said my father is a sadist. He would always find something wrong with the way I behave. One way or another, he will get his jollies. It doesn't matter what I do.”
“Have you ever spoken out against it?” Kitt asked. “Have you ever tried to stop it? Have you ever stood up for Ryas?”
Malik turned his back to her. “I'm not having this conversation with you. You clearly don't understand, you don't care to understand, and I need not waste my time explaining it to you.”
“And now you won't even look at me?” Kitt glared at his back with such fire in her eyes, it was a wonder she did not ignite his coat with her rage. “It's almost like you want me to dislike you!”
“I honestly don't care whether you like me or not. We'll be forced to marry each other either way.”
“Your Highness...” Roderick spoke up, tugging on the sleeve of her dress. “Perhaps we should go elsewhere?”
Kitt allowed Roderick to escort her from the area, but as they retreated, she had some final words for Prince Malik. “The sad thing is, I want to like you. I really and truly do.” When Malik turned around, she thought she saw something reminiscent of guilt in his eyes. “But you certainly make it difficult sometimes.”
21
“What a rare pleasure it is to break my fast with you, my dear!” Queen Loreina said with exaggerated enthusiasm. As she slathered an impressive amount of jam on her scone, she smiled across the table at Kitt. “Unless you have a specific reason to rise, you're usually such a slugabed in the morning. I rarely see you before noon!”
“Indeed,” Kitt quietly agreed. If it was true of Lyneah, it was something she had in common with the princess. One of the reasons why she preferred working at Lucky's was because it didn't open too early, which meant she could sleep as long as she wanted.
“I have much to discuss with you, Lyneah.” Jam and cream briefly coated her upper lip when she bit into her scone. After licking it off, she asked, “Do you mind if I ask you a couple of uncomfortable questions?”
“I... suppose.” Kitt's shoulders tensed at the prospect. Having breakfast with the queen was already uncomfortable enough. She found Loreina to be rather intimidating, to say the least.
“What do you think of Captain Doon?” Loreina asked as she turned her attention to the large sausage on her plate. As she started to saw into it, she asked, “He is handsome, is he not?”
“Doon?” Kitt's eyes widened at the mention of his name. “I-I suppose I hadn't really thought about it.”
“Oh, nonsense! Unless you're blind, I'm sure you've seen what I'm talking about. He possesses a... rare charm, a rebellious air. He has a sort of lackadaisical masculinity. Personally, I find it fascinating.”
“I'm afraid I'll have to disagree with you.” Kitt's nose wrinkled as she watched Loreina shove a large hunk of sausage into her mouth. “I find him infuriating.”
“Really? And why is that?” Loreina asked as she chewed. Kitt thought it looked vulgar to talk with a mouthful of sausage, especially for a queen.
“Well, for one, he's vain and selfish. And he never stops smoking.”
“He's an alpha male, my dear. All of that is to be expected!” Loreina heard her daughter sighing heavily, so she opted for a change of subject. “Now, how about a question of a more personal nature? I have always wondered... have you ever wanted to be this nation's queen?”
“Well...” Kitt hesitated. She wasn't sure what the correct answer would be. Was she afraid her daughter would challenge her position as queen? Or maybe Loreina was simply testing her patriotism? “I think you are a fine queen, my lady.”
“My lady? What is that! Is there a reason for your sudden aversion to calling me Mother?” Loreina exaggerated a point. “And you've barely touched your food. Is it not to your liking?”
“It's fine. The eggs are good.” Kitt forced herself to smile as she shoveled a bite of eggs into her mouth. “I just don't have much of an appetite.”
“Very well. But you didn't answer my question.” Loreina's fork impatiently tapped her plate as she studied her daughter's face. “Do you want to be queen of this nation one day?”
“I... I've never really thought about it.”
“Well, perhaps you should think about it... because if you marry Prince Malik, you will be a part of his kingdom. You will be the queen of his kingdom one day. The line of succession will no longer fall to you. If your father dies, you will not inherit the throne. I will.”
“I... don't understand.” Kitt could feel her neck shrinking between her shoulders. If there were correct answers to these questions, she had no idea what they were. “Did you not want me to marry Prince Malik?”
“Not at all. I'm only curious about your feelings on the matter.” Loreina popped another piece of sausage into her mouth, chewed, and swallowed. “Did you ever really want to be queen?”
Kitt shook her head. She thought Loreina sounded belligerent, if not a bit accusatory. “No.”
“Very well. On to my next question...”
Kitt nibbled on her lip as she waited for Loreina to continue. Their friendly breakfast was starting to feel like an interrogation. Whether the queen meant for it to feel that way or not, it was certainly awkward.
“What do you know about Rory McCray?”
“R-Rory... McCray?” Kitt stammered through the name.
“No? You've never heard of him?”
“I'm afraid not.”
“Hm. Interesting. The fact that you haven't heard of him tells me how insignificant he still is. But I'm surprised you never heard his name during your time away from the castle.”
Kitt saw her hand trembling as she buttered her scone. Apparently, she was more intimidated by Loreina than she realized. “Who is he?”
“McCray is hardly important. He's just a man... but a very influential man who has allegedly been raising a militia to oppose me. Apparently, he thinks I'm overtaxing my people. He thinks I'm doling out punishments that do not fit the crimes that were committed. I disagree with him, of course. If you want to change the world, harsh punishments are necessary. Regular people cannot be coddled.”
“I... suppose I can see your point.” Kitt quickly buttered her scone and set her knife aside. She didn't want Loreina to see her hand shaking. It would have been difficult to explain why she was so scared.
“I am only asking about McCray because I heard a disturbing rumor you were planning to meet with him.” Loreina jabbed her fork in Kitt's direction. “And I heard you were meeting with him because you wanted to oust me too.”
“What? No!” Kitt exclaimed. “I would never!”
Kitt wondered if there was any validity to that particular rumor. The real princess was still missing. What if she was collaborating with him now? What if that was the reason for Lyneah's prolonged absence?
“Are you absolutely certain?”
“No! It's ridiculous!” Kitt practically shouted her reply. “It's just a baseless rumor!”
“Very well. I shall accept your answer,” Loreina responded haughtily. “And by the way, dear, I still detest your hair.”
When their breakfast was over, Kitt couldn't flee the scene quickly enough. There was something about Loreina that made her nervous. Kitt's own stepmother was difficult to deal with, but Loreina was far worse. She saw her own daughter as a rival—an adversary. And being stuck in the castle felt more dangerous than ever.
After leaving the dining room, Kitt made it her mission to find Ryas, Prince Malik's whipping boy. At first, she thought she would find him in the dungeon, but the guards by the prison cells were clueless. She talked to a few servants roaming the halls before she finally found one who was willing to share information with her. They escorted her to Ryas' bedchamber—which was just a room, not a cell. The guard standing by Ryas' door seemed reluctant to let her inside, but she was the princess, or so everyone thought. In the end, he simply could not deny her entry.
When she went into Ryas' room, Kitt was shocked by what she saw. It was equipped with all the expected castle luxuries: a four-poster bed with plush blankets, puffy pillows, and even a stuffed bear. He had all the entertainment he could want, including a veritable mountain of books, as well as an easel and canvas for painting. Only Ryas himself did not match the opulent décor. He was sitting on the bed, quietly hunched over a book. There was a large gash on his head, a violet bruise on his jaw, and several cuts and scrapes on his forearms. He looked up from his book when he heard someone enter, and when he saw who was standing in the doorway, he gasped.
“Princess Lyneah?” Ryas immediately bowed his head to her. “My apologies for making eye contact with you, Your Highness. I assure you, it will never happen again.”
“No. It's alright...” Kitt cautiously tiptoed into the room, closer to his bed. She felt like she was breaking some kind of rule simply by talking to him, and she wondered how King Roen would react if he knew she was there. “You can look me in the eyes all you want.”
Ryas closed his book so she would know he had his undivided attention. “You are very kind, but I am not worthy of meeting your gaze.”
“That sounds like utter nonsense!” Kitt exclaimed. “I don't know how they do things in your kingdom, but here, we don't expect our servants to look at the floor when they're talking to us!”
Ryas' eyes flickered over Kitt's face, but he immediately looked away. He simply couldn't bring himself to look directly at her. “Your presence honors me, Your Highness. To what do I owe the pleasure of your company?”
Kitt moved closer, trying to get a better look at the gashes on his arms. Between the red and pink cuts, there were several whites scars—or were they welts? Either way, the poor boy had been tortured for far too long. “I'm just... curious, I suppose. I wanted to know how long they've been hurting you. This whole thing seems outlandish to me.”
“I've been Prince Malik's whipping boy for seven years, Your Highness.”
“What? Oh god!”
“Oh, but you needn't feel sorry for me, Your Highness!” Ryas was quick to reassure her. “In my country, it's a privilege to be chosen for this role. There is no greater honor than being the one who spares the prince from punishment.”
“Are you serious?” Kitt's eyes narrowed as she listened to him defend the insanity. “You actually want to take his punishments?”
“Well, it isn't as if I like being hurt. I cry sometimes. I scream sometimes. I won't lie, there have been days when the pain is almost too much to bear.” Ryas ran his finger along a long gash above his wrist. “But I adore Prince Malik. I would never want to see him get hurt in my stead.”
“This is madness!” Kitt tossed up her arms in frustration. “This is... I can't believe what I'm hearing. They must have brainwashed you!”
Ryas hugged one of his plush pillows to his chest. When he did, he looked incredibly boyish. He was about the same age as Malik, possibly seventeen or eighteen. He looked far too young to be subjected to frequent torture. “Y-you don't understand, Your Highness...” He sounded almost desperate to convince her. “The prince is a good man. I would never want to see blood on his face. I would much rather see blood on mine. If I can spare him more misery, it makes me happy. Overjoyed, even. So... even when it hurts, I comfort myself with the thought of saving him.”
“Good God...” Kitt muttered the words under her breath. “I feel so sorry for you.”
“Please, don't. I'm happy! I have food. I have a warm bed to sleep in. The prince even visits me sometimes, and for that reason alone, I consider myself lucky. I'm happy, I promise you.”
Kitt didn't know what else to say. It seemed impossible to convince him there was anything wrong with his situation. “I want to help you...”
But how could she help him? Even if he wanted to escape—which he didn't—how could she help him escape when she was a prisoner herself, in a way?
“If you want to help me... if you truly do...” Ryas' voice trailed off for a moment. “You can try to understand that I'm happy with the way things are. And you can remind Prince Malik that he means the world to me.”
22
“Barnabus!” Kitt hissed the dog's name as she chased him around the room. For a mutt with a mechanical leg, he was certainly speedy. “Barnabus, please unhand my stockings! Please!”
The dog dashed around the room like the scamp he was, dragging Kitt's silk stockings behind him. He found a safe haven under the bed where he could chew her soft garment to his heart's content.
Kitt got down on her hands and knees and tried to reach for him under the bed. “Barnabus!” she squealed. “God, you can be such a rascal!” When she saw his pink tongue slide out of his mouth, she shook her head and sighed. “Don't look at me like that, like you're innocent! You're an adorable bandit, but a bandit nonetheless! Trust me, I don't want to wear stockings... but if I must wear them, I'd prefer it if they weren't riddled with holes!”
He ignored her, of course. Even though he knew he was doing something he wasn't supposed to, he seemed to be enjoying his own bad behavior. “You're just like Doon, I swear!” Kitt told him. “I fear you were under his influence for too long. There's no hope for you, Barnabus. No hope.”
He continued to chew her stocking, unabashed and unafraid.
“Oh well... you can have my stockings if you want them that much. The princess has an entire drawer of stuff like that.” Kitt sat up and glanced at Lyneah's immense wardrobe. “She has so many clothes, she doesn't know what to do with them, I'm sure.”
Barnabus finally abandoned her stocking in favor of licking his leg. Of course, the stocking was beyond hope by then. Kitt rose from the floor and tried to find a book to read—after all, as princess, she had all the time in the world. Because she had so much unoccupied time, reading had become Kitt's favorite pastime. As she browsed the bookshelf, there was a knock on the door. When she went to answer it, she secretly hoped it wasn't one of her handmaidens, as they always made such a fuss over her.
To her surprise, it was Roderick. Even more surprising was the fact that he was holding a bouquet of flowers.
“Roderick!” she exclaimed. “This is rather unexpected.”
“Indeed. May I enter?”
“Of course,” Kitt moved from the doorway and motioned for him to come inside.
“I know it isn't proper for a gentleman to visit a lady in her room... but when you consider the fact that I've been here before...”
“It's fine,” Kitt assured him. “I'm just a barmaid, remember? I'm not some priggish proper lady.”
“Ah. Right.” He suddenly thrust the bouquet in Kitt's direction. “Here. I've
brought flowers for you.”
“Flowers?” Kitt whispered the word as she accepted his gift. “Are you certain they're for me?”
“I am.”
“And you remember I'm not actually the princess... right?”
Roderick smiled and nodded. “Of course.”
“Then...” Kitt lightly grazed a hand over the flowers' silky petals. “Forgive me, Roderick, but I have always thought of giving flowers as a... as a sort of romantic gesture. I'm not sure if that's what you intend, but--”
He cut in before she could finish. “I do intend it.”
“You want to romance me?” Kitt had to be absolutely certain she wasn't misunderstanding him. “You want to court me?”
“I do.” He lightly—and boldly—brushed her cheek with the back of his hand. “Does that surprise you?”
“Yes! And does it really surprise you that I'm surprised?” Kitt chuckled nervously. “Are you not the princess' suitor? The real princess, I should say!”
“I'm afraid Lyneah has abandoned me,” Roderick said. “She's been gone for too long. If she truly cared about me, she would have taken me with her. If she truly cared, she would have missed my company long ago.”
“W-what if something bad happened to her?” Kitt suggested with a shrug. “What if she can't get back?”
“I suppose that's possible, though unlikely. Regardless, I cannot deny my growing feelings for you, Miss Lake.” He suddenly seized her hand and raised it to his lips. “I hope you will not object to being wooed?”
Wooed. Kitt wanted to giggle at the word. She was just a sooty barmaid from the Lundun slums. She had never been wooed or courted. “But I'm Lyneah's doppelganger, apparently. That doesn't bother you?”
“Why should that bother me? It means you are every bit as beautiful as Lyneah, but even more kind and caring. And you aren't self-centered. I realized that when you were concerned with the well-being of the whipping boy. I doubt Lyneah would have spoken out on his behalf. She would have likely been more concerned about keeping up appearances with King Roen.”
The Barefoot Barmaid (Belles & Bullets Book 1) Page 13