So far, her mother must not have considered that during the Exploration she was free to be with whatever man she chose. If Rona had, then Eli would've likely been sent away long ago, along with several other more fetching members

question. How could she ask him, her friend since childhood, if he thought

ugh your Proem, and then you should look

females in the realm save her mother. Yet, she would never pressure him. In the back of her mind, she'd been holding on to the slim chance that he might somehow be the one, that her Choosing ceremony might be manipulated, or that fate might intervene somehow on their behalf, but she knew the l

It riled her up a bit on the inside to know that he was pitying her, though she wasn't certain if it was the ceremony that had caused such an

ceremony is to prevent someone from being your first. It's not as if Mikali's actions will have any sort of bearing on anything else that happens to you. The cer

a response. She brushed her hair back again, even though it hadn't moved since the

e light of a situation despite his true feelings, in this instance, she decided perhaps it would behoove her to buy into it. "It's nothing rea

nly a duchess and not a princess, Kit was still grateful to have someone so close to her already transitioned and married. Isla, who would turn twenty-one in the spring, had just ended her Exploration, and was in the weeks of Respite necessary before her own Choosing would commence during the summertime. Kit vowed to pay better attention this time so that she could learn firsthand what the process was like. Isla would choose only fro

n, when she'd taken to the son of a visiting nobleman, just a few days past her Clearing, the week that followed the Proem, that the true pain had struck. Avinia opined that perhaps this was because Mikali was growing old and was no longer able to fulfill the requirements of the procedure as he had been for everyone else he'd serviced, dating back to when her grandmother was

usiness to ask. She readjusted, smoothing her gown down over her legs again. It wasn't that she didn't know if it was appropriate or not. She was quite certain it wasn't, and yet, when she turned back to lo

she had overstepped, but then, he of all people would be used to that from her. "Kit," he said, shaking

rvous giggle passed between the pair of them. "I do

he toe of his boot into the carpet of green velvet beneath them. "It's

aloud. "It's just... my other friends, my ladies, my cousins, they've all shared their stories with me, and I realized I'd never asked you. Perhaps

blush in her cheeks again and had to look away. "I'm sure you know enou

h the years that there are no emotions connected to pleasuring someone you hardly know, that it's all about the moment, th

ition. "Wouldn't your mother say a man is incapable of feeling anything other than lust? Passio

ill of the queen. She looked around. A few members of her guard stood off in the distance, near the only gate that s

hoped. "I have been with a few women, but I think each experience is different for every person. That's the purpose of the Exploration, so that you can become familiar with what you seek in a

a mate only for the sake of love, you know that as well as anyone. She's already given me careful instructions. I am to choose a man who can pleasure me completely

of their statements was overwhelming as her giggles morphed into something else. Hot tears slipped out of her eyes, and Eli pulled her to him so that her head was resting on hi

randmother had claimed the throne, overpowering the weak and small minded King Jelespie over two hundred years ago. That first queen had set the Choosing in place for her own daughters so that the court would stay strong, and the realm would be ruled by powerful, intelligent women, never again influenced by the weaker-minded

oice that called out her name was expected. "Princess Katrinetta?" Avinia said in her confident alto. "There you are. Your mother i

e for her ladies to make her hair presentable. "Yes, Avinia, thank you," she said, hoping to keep her voice light. She managed a smile and watched as her cousin to

r everything would be all right. She wanted to believe all the words he'd said to her, but in the pit of her stomach, the winged creatures still fought,