Cage of Deceit (Reign of Secrets Book 1) (18 page)

The princess stared at the stack of papers on the table. There had to be over a hundred pages. She knew there were a lot of details to work out regarding their armies, but a hundred pages seemed a bit much.

“Empress Rema, the Legion, and Jarvik have already read the contract. Therefore, we will go quickly through it. I’ll highlight a few points, and Princess Allyssa and Prince Odar will sign each and every page.”

Allyssa sat there, pretending to be calm and serene when inside she was a nervous, screaming wreck. As soon as the contract was signed, the marriage could take place.

Darmik began reading. The first page addressed the issue of how Allyssa would ascend to the Emperion throne at the age of thirty, becoming the empress, and Rema and Darmik would step down. However, if Rema and Darmik died before Allyssa turned thirty, Allyssa would ascend to the throne at that time. Whenever she took the throne, so would Odar.

The next section of the contract discussed the fact that Odar and Allyssa would also be the crown heirs of Fren. Upon the death of the king and queen, they would take the throne, and Prince Odar would choose a regent to rule in his place.

It had been decided that the marriage ceremony would take place in two days. Afterwards, Fren and Emperion’s armies would join forces, officially declaring war on Russek. Emperion would seize control over the three kingdoms to the north, unifying all their armies.

Lastly, the contract touched on the logistics of bringing Fren and Emperion together when separated by another kingdom. Luckily, Rema had plenty of advice on this matter since Emperion ruled over Greenwood Island, a journey two weeks by boat.

Allyssa turned to the last page and found the spot for her final signature. It was next to the place for Prince Odar’s signature and above a spot for a witness to sign. By signing this page, the terms were officially agreed upon and all that was left to take place was the marriage ceremony in two days. Allyssa’s hand shook as she picked up the quill, placing the tip of it to the line she was supposed to sign on.

“Honey,” Rema gently said, garnering her daughter’s attention. “You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to.” She smiled reassuringly at Allyssa. “The choice is yours.”

“We need this,” Allyssa said. “It’s what’s best for Emperion. It is my choice, and I choose to help.”

She signed the contract and set the quill down.

Looking up, she found Jarvik staring at her, his eyes cold and obstinate. She sat up a little straighter. She was the princess of Emperion, she loved her kingdom, and she would yield to no one.

Darmik reached for the signed contract and handed it to Prince Odar. Jarvik rested his hand upon the prince’s arm, indicating for him to withhold his signature until the squire was done reviewing it.

“Do you mind if I sign as the official witness?” Jarvik asked her parents.

“By all means,” Rema said. “We would be honored.”

Jarvik nodded and signed the contract. When he was done, he pushed it toward Prince Odar, who took the quill and signed.

Allyssa entered the stables and noticed the squire in one of the stalls, saddling Prince Odar’s mare. Glancing around, she didn’t see the prince anywhere.

“I need to talk to you,” Jarvik said, peering over his shoulder. “It’s important.”

“I’m going riding with the prince.”

“I know.” He exited the stall. “This will only take a minute of your time.” He wiped his hands on his pants. “Why did you decide to sign the contract?”

She hadn’t expected him to ask her that. “For the same reason Prince Odar did—for the good of my kingdom.”

“So you understand that rulers have to make decisions and do things that are in the best interest of their kingdom?” He sat down on the bench outside the stall, patting the spot next to him.

“Of course. What are you trying to tell me?” she asked, sitting down next to him.

“You don’t really know Prince Odar.”

“I realize that. He knows nothing of me either.”

“You need to understand that some things have happened to him in the past to make him extra cautious.” He picked up the horse brush lying on the bench and started fidgeting with it. “He wants to tell you the truth, but he’s not sure how. When he finally gains the confidence to do so, please listen to him and try to understand why he did what he did.” Jarvik was staring at the brush while he talked, not looking at her.

“You’re scaring me,” she said.

“You told me you hoped your friend Grevik understood why you lied to him and that he forgave you.” He peeked up at her.

“What has Prince Odar done?” Allyssa demanded, afraid she’d just signed the marriage contract and was about to tie herself to a man who had done something horrendous.

“He’ll tell you when he’s ready.” He set the brush down and rubbed his hands on his pants again. “Did you know the prince was previously engaged?” Jarvik asked.

“Yes. He said the girl was only after his title.”

The squire nodded. “She wanted to unite her kingdom with Fren’s.”

Much like Allyssa was doing, only she didn’t pretend to love the prince. “Who was the girl?”

“King Drenton of Russek recently married a woman,” Jarvik began. Allyssa had heard rumors the king remarried, but she didn’t know any details beyond that. “The story goes that a beautiful woman showed up at the Russek court with her elderly mother and her gorgeous daughter. The king was quite taken with the woman, and they married a short time later. Her daughter was officially crowned Princess Shelene. The princess visited our court, seeking to marry Prince Odar and align our two kingdoms.”

Allyssa recalled overhearing Prince Odar and Jarvik talking that day in the corridor. The prince had mentioned the name Shelene. Rage started to boil inside of her. “What are you saying?” she asked. “That Princess Shelene was only using Prince Odar to gain access to Fren’s army?”

“Yes.” Jarvik swallowed and peered at her. “When he discovered the plot to seize control of our army in order to invade Emperion, he broke off the engagement.” The squire reached out and took hold of Allyssa’s hand between his two strong, calloused ones.

The prince must have been hurt from Shelene’s betrayal. Did he only come to Emperion with the intention to marry Allyssa to get back at Russek? She opened her mouth to ask when Jarvik squeezed her hand.

“There’s more.” His eyes looked imploringly at her. “Please listen to all I have to say before you become upset.”

She nodded, hoping to keep her temper reined in.

“Because of Prince Odar’s lack of judgment when it came to Princess Shelene, the king and queen of Fren won’t condone a marriage treaty between Fren and Emperion unless they meet you. They want to make sure your intentions are noble and your word good.” He leaned slightly away from Allyssa, as if waiting for her to explode.

“We signed the marriage contract today,” she said. “Prince Odar and I are supposed to marry in two days.”

“Yes, that’s why I’m telling you the marriage can’t take place yet. You must travel to Fren to meet the king and queen.”

Utter shock rolled through her. “My parents are going to kill Prince Odar.” She tried to stand, but the squire kept hold of her. “Our armies can’t join forces until we’re married,” she said furiously.

“It’ll take your soldiers several weeks to reach Russek’s borders. There’s time to travel to Fren. You can even marry there if need be.”

Balling her free hand into a fist, she asked, “Why didn’t Prince Odar say anything sooner?”

“I’m not sure,” Jarvik mumbled. “Perhaps he was still trying to determine your worth.”

“Oh, so now I’m worthy?” she shouted. 

Jarvik stared at her, his eyes intense. “Yes,” he whispered. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner.”

Her parents were going to be furious. Russek was ready to slaughter her family, and she was doing all she could to keep her kingdom safe. Prince Odar should have disclosed this information before now.

“Allyssa,” the squire said, still holding her hand. “When we came here, we were sure you were just like all the other courtiers we’d met. I never realized you’d be—”

“Ready for our ride?” Prince Odar asked, approaching them, his eyes on Jarvik and Allyssa’s latched hands.

Yanking her fingers out of Jarvik’s grip, she abruptly stood. “Yes.”

The prince held a small basket, which he took to his horse and slid inside the saddlebag.

Turning to face the squire, Allyssa said, “I suggest you speak to my father immediately. When I return, I’ll discuss the matter with him.”

***

“Follow me,” Allyssa said to the prince as they rode into the woods. The leaves on the trees softly rustled in the light breeze. She breathed in the warm air, reveling in the freedom of being outside the castle. A handful of the prince’s soldiers, along with her usual guards, rode close behind them.

Allyssa steered her horse up a small rise between the towering trees. When she reached the river that ran down past the city, she followed it upstream for about a mile until she came to a small, rocky hill. Most of the boulders were covered with soft, green moss and various plants grew between the rocks where dirt had deposited.

Allyssa dismounted and handed her reins to one of the guards, Prince Odar doing the same.

“I thought we could rest here,” she said.

One of the guards spread a blanket out on the ground while the rest set up a perimeter about fifteen feet away.

“Wow,” Prince Odar exclaimed as he pulled out a small basket from his saddlebag. He sat on the blanket. “It’s beautiful here.”

“We need to talk,” Allyssa said as she sat on the blanket next to him.

“I gathered that.” Prince Odar set the basket between them. “What did my squire say to you?”

“He told me about how I have to go to Fren to seek the king and queen’s approval before we can marry.” She sat there, staring at the trees, wondering if Jarvik was speaking to her father at this very moment. “My parents are going to be livid the marriage can’t take place as planned.”

“Are you mad?” Odar asked, fidgeting with the handle on the basket.

She sighed. “I understand why your parents want to meet me before we wed. Jarvik explained what happened in the past with Princess Shelene, and I can see why they are cautious. I just wished you’d been honest with me from the start.”

He didn’t respond.

Allyssa peeked at him. “Did the princess ever say why Russek wanted to invade Emperion?”

Prince Odar scratched his head. “No. But after the marriage negotiations were severed, she started screaming that she would have her revenge—just like her mother.” He lifted the basket on top of his lap. “Did Jarvik tell you why she wanted to marry me?”

“He said she wanted to gain control of Fren’s army.”

“Yes, and she planned on joining Fren’s soldiers with Russek’s in order to conquer Emperion.”

“Which Russek is doing anyway,” Allyssa said, “even without your soldiers.”

“Maybe that’s why Russek invaded Melenia—to gain more soldiers.”

Allyssa feared they were overlooking something. After all these years, Russek wouldn’t suddenly decide to wage war on Emperion for no reason.

“Enough about politics,” Prince Odar said, opening the lid of the basket. “I have something for you.”

It irritated her that every time she tried discussing their countries and things that mattered, he changed the subject. Did he not care? Did Jarvik handle these issues for him?

Odar withdrew a pastry. “This is for you.”

It was her favorite—an apple tart flipped upside down, covered with gooey butter and sugar. “You remembered,” she said, taking a bite. It was utterly delicious. “Thank you.”

As they sat there, eating in comfortable silence, her thoughts drifted to Grevik. Where was he and what was he enduring right now at the hands of the assassin? When she returned to the castle, she needed to find Jarvik to see if he’d come up with a plan to save her friend yet. As soon as Grevik was rescued, she could go to Fren to seek the king and queen’s approval and then save Emperion.

“You seem overly distracted,” Odar said, patting her leg.

“I’m sorry,” she replied. “There’s a lot on my mind.” She smiled at him.

He finished eating his pastry, licking his fingers clean.

“Do you have any concerns about ruling the kingdom with me?” she asked. She questioned his ability to do so effectively. At least they had a few years until they became emperor and empress—unless something happened to her parents. She couldn’t even think about that. 

“I can easily navigate through the court,” he said, smirking. “I’ve never had a problem charming courtiers.” He flashed a half grin at her.

Allyssa had no doubt the ladies of her court would fawn all over him. She’d have to use that to her advantage.

“As far as politics are concerned,” he said, his smile gone, “you’ll have to guide me. It will take some time to get a feel for how things are done here in Emperion.” He reached in the basket and withdrew another pastry, handing it to her.

“No, thank you,” she said, and he put it away.

Mulling over his answer, she liked the fact that since he wasn’t overly opinionated, it would be easy to mold him into the type of ruler she wanted him to be. However, when she was truly torn on an issue, he wouldn’t be able to offer her steadfast advice. At least her mother and father would continue to guide and support her.

As she sat there next to Odar, she felt as if something was missing. Even though he was handsome, well mannered, and friendly, there wasn’t a connection between them. With Grevik, she immediately knew she could tell him any and everything. They shared common goals and interests. The same was true with Madelin, Marek, and Mayra. They’d been friends since they were children, and she trusted them implicitly.

How was she going to marry Prince Odar and share a bed with him? As a child, she had always imagined falling in love and having an intense desire to be with that person. Right now, she didn’t even want to travel to Fren with the prince. What would they talk about?

“Would you like to ride further upstream and see what we find?” Prince Odar asked.

“No, thank you. I need to return to the castle.” She wanted to see how her father took the news of her not being able to marry Odar until she traveled to Fren to meet his parents. 

She stood and mounted her horse. Deep breaths. Her relationship with the prince would work—it would just take some time for their friendship to develop. Right now, she had more important matters at hand than dealing with Odar, like facing her parents and saving Grevik.

***

Nearing the stables, Allyssa saw her father blocking the alley doors. She slowed her horse and dismounted, handing the reins to the stable-hand who came running out. Darmik didn’t even glance her way—his focus was solely on the prince.

Odar swung his leg over and jumped off his horse. “Your Majesty,” he said.

“We need to talk,” Darmik said, his voice hard. “Come with me, now.” He turned and stalked away.

“Thank you for the ride,” Odar said softly to Allyssa before hurrying after the emperor.

Curious as to what would happen now that the marriage contract was signed but the ceremony couldn’t take place until she went to Fren, she hastily followed them along the stone path leading to the castle.