The King’s Maiden (Camelot Court #1)

Chapter Twenty-Nine

QUINN

I grabbed a bench outside the party and sat down, trying to stop my hands from shaking.

With my body physically wrung out by the orgasm sandwich, calling it a night seemed like a solid plan. I told Landon I needed air, and he offered to take me back to the room as soon as he took care of something. I was too boneless to ask, let alone wonder, what that something was, so I took a seat outside the main room and waited.

It being relatively early to leave, most of the partygoers continued to drink and dance inside. No one joined me in the hallway. Thus far, I’d avoided any major run-ins with the other Maidens and Knights.

Okay. One Knight, in particular.

And I wanted to keep it that way.

I could not add the emotional whiplash guaranteed by my interactions with Max to my plate. Not tonight. Not on top of the war going on inside my mind.

Problem number one? I came here not intending to feel anything about anyone. Get in and get out. Problem number two? There were now two guys making it extremely difficult to stay true to that. And problem number three?

I wasn’t even going to think about problem number three unless my other two problems tried to make me choose because he was an asshole.

Landon made my body come alive. Given the amount of time we’d spent together and our obvious sexual chemistry—even if we hadn’t had sex yet—he seemed like the clear choice for who I’d pick if I needed to choose.

But what he said on the dance floor still rang true in my head. There was a lot I didn’t know about him. A lot he didn’t share. Least of which being his feelings for me.

Kingston, on the other hand, made no secret of his interest or his intentions. He wanted to pursue me and see what was between us. He said he’d be waiting for me at the end of all this, if I wanted that.

I hadn’t been able to spend much time with him since this whole thing started, but every single time I interacted with him, the effect was the same. The connection between us was instantaneous. Our chemistry— electric.

I assumed, if given a chance to flourish, it could be just as mind-blowing as my experiences with Landon.

But the thought of choosing one of them before I really got to explore what there was between any of us didn’t seem right. At this point, if forced to choose, I’d probably walk away from both of them.

I wouldn’t divide them, or myself, just so one of them could possess me.

I wasn’t a fucking doll.

Even if Landon got to dress me up for parties.

That circled me back to problem number three. Because if Kingston or Landon forced me to choose, I’d probably pick Max just to stick it to both of them.

But more problems arose from that, too.

One—I hated him.

Two—he only saw me as a way to hurt the other guys.

And three—while sticking it to them would work in the short term, it didn’t really serve me in the long run. Especially since this revenge plot of mine was based on nothing more than my own anxieties.

Anxieties over being put in a position no one had even tried to put me in yet.

I could be self-aware and continue to spiral.

It was a gift.

Groaning, I dropped my head into my hands and tried to ease the tension building behind my eyes. But before I could relax, a shadow fell over me, pulling another groan from my lips as I stared at the pair of heels where the floor should have been.

Looking up, I expected to find Vivian ready to torment me with her bitchy attitude again.

Instead, gratefully, I found Elaine.

Her blonde hair was curled sweetly and pinned in a half-up, half-down style, and her pink lipstick really did make her look like a doll. She wore a tight-fitted baby blue dress. But where the hem of mine had been skankified to the max, hers flared out into a fun, flirty skirt.

“Hi, Quinn,” she said brightly. “Can I join you?”

“Of course.” I scooted over on the bench, making room for her to sit beside me. “It’s actually really good to see a friendly face tonight.”

She smiled at me, her cheeks flushed and her voice a bit breathless, as if she’d been dancing the way I had been a few minutes ago. “I’ve been wondering how things were going for you, actually.” Her demeanor changed from worn out to worried. “How are you doing?”

The concern on her face caught me by surprise, but then, considering what I’d overheard in the Round Tableau room after I’d been assigned to Landon, and the expectations the Maidens had for The Quest, I figured she wanted to make sure I wasn’t days away from being murdered.

“I’m good, really.” I smiled to ease her worry, but my answer seemed to spark even more concern. “It’s going…as well as I think it could, I guess.”

She put her hand on my arm. “Are you sure? If there’s anything you need to talk about, just…I know it’s hard to get away, but I’m sure I could convince Peter to let me out of bed for some girl time.” Forcing an awkward laugh, she gave my arm a squeeze. “Do you think Landon would let you?”

“I don’t see why not. It’s not like he keeps me chained to the bed, Elaine.”

Her cheeks reddened. “Oh! I mean, of course not. I just…”

“Just say what you want to say, Elaine. Or ask me.”

I didn’t know why, but her line of questioning irritated me. Maybe I was tired. Or maybe I didn’t appreciate the implication that any Knight could keep his Maiden completely isolated.

“Peter just said I was lucky he didn’t pick me, that’s all. He knew I had a crush on him. And at first, I thought he was jealous, but…” She chewed on her lip, her eyes darting between my face and the doorway beside us. “He said everyone expected Landon’s Maiden to be put through the wringer, with him being the King’s best friend. Plus, his whole family history. He wouldn’t have moved me onto the next round unless he was absolutely sure I wouldn’t fail. Since it would reflect poorly on him, you know?”

Most of that sounded like bullshit. Fellow Knights talking shit about each other. Or one Knight trying hard to squash a girl’s existing crush. But the last part stuck out in my mind.

Landon had said something like that on my first day.

Whatever crossed my face at the thought had Elaine’s grip tightening on my arm. “Has it been terrible? Is he…” She glanced around to make sure no one was there. “Is he hurting you?”

I shook my head numbly.

Duty and honor were two things Landon valued without a doubt. But so far, he hadn’t given me any reason to think he wouldn’t advance me in the competition. Quite the opposite, actually. He talked about it like it was a given.

“The sex isn’t too rough, right? You can go to Merle if it is. It’s not supposed to count against us if we raise an actual concern.”

“No, Elaine. Really, I’m fine.” I gently pried her grip off my arm. “Whatever your Knight said he heard, it’s not like that. Landon isn’t like that.”

I didn’t tell her that Landon hadn’t even tried to have sex with me.

And now, I couldn’t help but wonder why that was—my virginity, Kingston, or worse, a lack of feelings for me.

Relief brought a smile to her face. “Oh, good. I was worried. Not just about you, but one of us is going to be paired with him for the next challenge, right?” She glanced over her shoulder to search the crowd of the party. “Maybe it won’t be as bad as I thought, if it ends up being?—”

My eyebrows rose.

Elaine whipped back around to face me. “Well, whoever it ends up being. It’ll be easy if it’s just normal attempts at seduction. I half-expected to be tied up and tortured until I gave in!” She laughed again, this time even more forced than before.

I couldn’t decide exactly how she felt about being assigned to Landon in the next challenge, if she ended up paired with him. I hadn’t forgotten how much she’d wanted him to pick her the first night. Or the disappointment on her face when he hadn’t.

Listening as she tried to talk herself both in and out of wanting to be his Maiden?

I really didn’t like that.

Landon said he’d do whatever necessary to make the Maiden assigned to him ask for more. Initially, I doubted it’d be easy for any Maiden to resist giving into him. While that hadn’t sat right with me, it hadn’t felt like this.

Now, I wondered just how far he’d take things if the Maiden was willing. Something I couldn’t avoid thinking about while faced with the possibility of him being paired with Elaine.

That thought swirled like poison in my gut.

If she or any other Maiden caved and offered him more, would he take her up on it? Would it come down to what he felt about me? Because if so, then the need to know exactly how he felt about me became impossible to shake.

“Quinn?”

Landon’s voice pulled my head up. He glanced between me and Elaine, nodding politely at her before looking back at me. My eyes jumped from him to her and back again. The image of them alone in a romantic lake cabin made my stomach turn.

Landon held out his hand for me to take. “Are you ready to go back to our room?”

Our room.

Tension in my shoulders eased as he stared at me. Pressure on my chest lifted with his eyes locked on mine. Phrasing the question so simply, he soothed me completely. Before he even knew I needed it.

He tilted his head as he waited for my answer. And even though Elaine’s body shifted and straightened beside me, still, Landon never took his eyes off me.

“Yes, I’m ready.” Slipping my hand in his open palm, I said an absent minded goodbye to Elaine and let Landon pull me away.

Landon got my jacket from coat check, holding out the faded leather for me to slip my arms inside. He gently spun me around to zip it up. Bringing the zipper up underneath my chin, he tipped my head up with his thumb.

“Are you alright?” His eyes searched mine, the tilt of his head returning as he tried to figure out what I was thinking. “What happened earlier on the dance floor, I hope?—”

I grabbed onto the lapels of his jacket and pulled him into me. “I’m alright.”

Deciding to take a risk, I released his jacket and reached for his hand, giving him the option to take mine or not. Our hands brushed where they rested between us, and when Landon laced his fingers with mine, relief flowed through me.

He felt something here, too. He had to, didn’t he?

The answer to that question mattered more than I had expected it would, and what it meant for both our journeys through The Quest, I couldn’t say.

But I left my doubts and uncertainty on that bench behind me, letting Landon lead me by the hand back to our room, hoping—and ready—to find out what came next.