I throw my arms out, exasperated. “So, why don’t you? You could visit Loot for a day. Granted, there’s just as much chaos there as in the castle, but…it’s a different kind of chaos. You blend in. Let the chaos wash over you until it’s a familiar feeling. Until you become a part of it, swallowed in it.”
Come on. Say yes.
Kitt’s staring at me like he can’t believe what he is seeing. A slow smile is spreading across his lips, green eyes sweeping over my face as though he’s worried I’ll stop looking at him again.
“What?” I ask, slightly concerned.
He blinks and shakes his head slightly, trying to clear it. “Nothing. It’s just…the way you talk about Loot.” He looks away, muttering something that sounded like, “Hell, just the way you talk.”
I don’t dwell on it before slowly asking, “So…is that a yes?”
His smile slips. “I wish I could see Loot. Truly. I haven’t been since I was a boy. Since before I was…”
“Trapped here?” I supply softly.
I hadn’t realized we’d stopped walking until Kitt tugs me from the middle of the hallway, sparing us from being trampled by bustling servants. “Exactly,” he says with a small smile. “You’re one of the few people who understands that.”
I nod slowly, smiling slightly. “Kitt, I’m about to tell you off, okay?”
He laughs at that. “I would expect nothing less from you. Go on.”
“As the future king,” I sigh, “you should see your people. See how they live in the slums. See how they survive.”
“I know,” he says hollowly.
“So what’s stopping you?”
He huffs out a humorless laugh, rubbing the back of his neck as he simply states, “The current king. I never leave the castle unless it’s absolutely necessary and seeing my people is not, according to him. I’m the heir to the throne and he won’t risk me leaving the palace, let alone helping like I tried to when the Resistance attacked the ball.”
I try not to stiffen at his ignorance, at the idea that the Resistance attacked the ball. But it’s best to not tell the prince off about matters I should know nothing about.
“And do you agree with him?” I ask carefully.
“I understand him. And I respect him—”
“And you will never stop trying to prove yourself to him, so you’ll do as he says. I know.” There’s a bitter bite in my voice that I quickly try to conceal. “Then just one night, Kitt. Go see your people. See what it was like for me in the slums. Don’t trap yourself here.”
Kitt leans his head back against the wall and laughs. “I can’t exactly leave, Paedyn. There are guards everywhere and I don’t have the clearing to just walk right out.”
And that’s exactly what I hoped he would say.
Still, I give him a flat look. “But you’re the prince.”
“Yes, well, sometimes I’m only a prince in title, not in privilege. I can’t just walk out the front door.”
“So, walk out a different door.” I take a step closer, throwing my hands up only to let them slap against my sides, feigning nonchalance. “You can’t tell me there isn’t some way out of here that no one knows about? Some sort of door that isn’t guarded?” I sound totally casual, curious even.
Come on. Trust me. Tell me.
If I can get him talking about the tunnels, get him to take me through them, there’s a chance of him telling me about the one I need to find. I would act like I’m curious, ask questions about the other tunnels in order to learn about one in particular. It’s not my most solid plan, but it’s a start.
He looks me over in a way that vaguely reminds me of Kai. I push thoughts of the other brother away, instead choosing to focus on the one in front of me. The one who is easy to be around, easy to talk to—
Easy to trick, betray, use—
“Oh, yes. There are plenty of ways for me to get out of the castle unseen,” Kitt says with a smile, cutting through my screaming thoughts.
My heart is pounding, my voice quiet when I say, “I’ll take you. One night. You’ll see Loot and your people. What they’re like, what their lives are like…” He’s staring at me so intently that I stop for a moment, swallowed by those emerald eyes I didn’t dare look into a few days ago. “A king who doesn’t know his people cannot be a king for his people.”
Despite the truth of my words, they taste bitter in my mouth for the reason behind me voicing them.
All it takes is one seed of doubt, one grain of uncertainty to fester and grow.
And I just planted it.
I give him a reassuring smile as though I’m not lying through my teeth.
Trust me.
“Maybe,” he says, studying me. I fight the urge to try and convince him further, careful not to sound desperate or draw suspicion. “I’ll think on your offer.”
“Kitt.”
The hair on the back of my neck stands up at the sound of that voice. That cold, calloused voice. I slowly turn on my heel to see the king at the end of the hallway, making his way to us. I give him the smallest curtsy, biting my tongue as I offer a small smile.
“Kitt, I need you in the study to finish our discussion with the advisers.” His eyes sweep over me, finally deeming me worthy to look at. They are the same bright green as Kitt’s, and yet, they couldn’t be more different, more…cold. I nearly shiver, reminded of why I could barely meet his son’s eyes. The king’s gaze flicks back up to Kitt before saying, “Now.”
Though he doesn’t sound too thrilled, Kitt replies with a curt, “Of course, Father.” He steps beside the king, ready to walk with him back to the study.
“Go ahead, Son. I’ll meet you there.” His stern voice leaves no room for argument, and Kitt nods slowly in response before throwing me a small smile and turning on his heel.
I can barely stand to look at him, but I force my eyes to meet those of my father’s murderer. He’s looking at me like I’m the scum he scraped from the bottom of his shiny shoes. I can’t stand it, but I force myself to be still rather than squirm under his scrutiny. So I offer him a bright smile all while wondering if it looks like I’m baring my teeth. “Your Majesty.” I say in farewell before moving to go around him, to escape this man and my raging, revengeful thoughts.
His shoes click against the stone floor as he steps in front of my path.
I halt, looking up at his large frame. He’s in great health for his age, making it easy to see where his sons get their strong build and handsome features from. The similarities between Kitt and his father are astounding, but it’s the king’s Brawny ability I’m focused on, reminding me of the fact that he could snap my neck with ease.
“Miss Gray, good to see you made it out of the first Trial mostly unscathed.” He doesn’t sound happy about my well-being in the slightest. “Well, thanks to my son, that is.”
I can only imagine the king’s reaction upon seeing the footage of Kai with me in the Trial. I know he hated it. Hated that his son helped me—a no one, a Mundane, a Slummer.
An Ordinary.