“What do you want from me?” she asked as she took a seat.
“Information.”
“What kind?” Allyssa tried to look scared—which wasn’t hard since she was terrified.
He took one step toward her. The carefully planned, threatening movement sent a chill down her spine, making her lean away from him.
“I need to know when the royal family will be out of the castle.”
“So you can kill them?”
“That is not your concern.”
“I don’t have access to their daily schedules.”
“You seem resourceful. I’ve watched you fight with thieves. I saw you a few moments ago threaten that patron downstairs. I have no doubt you’ll be able to acquire the information.”
She almost laughed. It was absurd. He was here to assassinate her. Only, he didn’t know it. She sat there, violently shaking, unable to make herself stop. Blimey. She needed to gain control of herself before he saw through her disguise and realized who she was.
“Very well,” she said. “Once I provide the information, will you release Grevik unharmed?” she asked, trying to determine if the assassin actually had him or not.
“I will release your friend,” he said. “Meet me back here tomorrow night.”
She noticed he never said unharmed. Her heart pounded, and a rushing sound filled her ears. Grevik couldn’t be hurt—he just couldn’t. “It may take me longer than a day to find out when the royal family will be out of the castle.”
“Meet me back here tomorrow night, or your friend dies.”
“Fine,” she snapped, jumping to her feet and exiting the room. The low-life assassin had no idea who he was dealing with. If Grevik was harmed in any way, she would be sure the assassin paid dearly for his crimes.
***
She exited the tavern, knowing the assassin was somehow watching her. Searching the rooftops, she didn’t see anything amiss. Pulling her cloak tight around her body, she hurried along the street.
Up ahead, a man stood near the entrance to the alley. It had to be Jarvik. Shaking her head infinitesimally, she indicated for him to stay away from her. Passing by as if she didn’t know him, she went straight toward the castle to the army’s private entrance, where she waited for Jarvik and his men to catch up. Blimey. What was she going to do? The assassin had Grevik.
“You’re shaking,” Jarvik said by way of greeting.
“I want to go inside. Now.”
His men were suddenly there. As a group, they were granted entrance at the gate. The soldiers swayed on their feet, singing and hanging on to one another as if they were drunk. Allyssa tried to play along, but it was difficult with Grevik’s life dependent upon her.
They went up the servants’ stairwell and into the prince’s chambers. Prince Odar wasn’t in the sitting room. Jarvik ordered the soldiers to go to their bedchambers, and they all obliged. Going over to the fireplace, the squire threw a few more logs onto the fire, warming up the room. Allyssa sat on the ground next to the hearth, staring at the flames, trying to figure out what to do.
Jarvik sat next to her. “Tell me everything,” he gently said.
She hesitated, remembering the conversation she’d overheard between the squire and the prince. However, Allyssa needed help in order to save her friend, and she had no doubt Jarvik was more than qualified to concoct a way to undermine the assassin. She quickly explained the note the serving wench had given her, what happened when she went in the room, and everything the assassin said.
“I think we should tell your father what’s going on.”
She’d been wondering the same thing, too. However, her father’s priority would be protecting Rema and Allyssa, not saving Grevik’s life. “Before we say anything, I’d like to figure out who sent the assassin.” That would give her time to rescue Grevik.
“Can’t we assume it was the king of Russek?” Jarvik asked.
She had been considering that option while walking back to the castle. “I don’t think it is.” Wrapping her arms around her legs, she rested her head on her knees. “King Drenton wants war. There’s no way he’d send a lone assassin here now. He would’ve sent one before he mobilized his soldiers.” The fire crackled in the hearth.
“You know, you’re not at all what I thought you’d be,” Jarvik said, leaning back on his hands and stretching out his legs. The glow from the fire radiated off the squire’s face, softening his features.
“I should be getting back to my bedchamber,” Allyssa said, jumping to her feet. “I need to figure out how to help Grevik.” Her friend was in mortal danger while she was safe inside a castle, talking to a man she thought she hated.
Jarvik’s eyebrows drew together. “Please don’t yell at me for asking, because I’m honestly curious, what is your relationship with Grevik?” He stood next to her, waiting for an answer.
She debated telling him. After all, last time, he’d accused her of having an affair. Looking into his eyes, her chest tightened—she didn’t see hatred or loathing there. “He’s my best friend,” she admitted. “We’ve been friends for years. He’s a commoner who only learned my identity a few days ago, and I fear he won’t forgive me for lying to him.”
“Are there any romantic feelings between you two?”
“No. We’ve been meeting at night, tracking down criminals together. It’s a long story.” Her eyes filled with tears. “I have to save him.”
Jarvik rubbed his face. “Grevik knows you’re the crown princess?” She nodded. “Do you think he’ll keep that information to himself? Even if being tortured?”
Tears slid down her face. Grevik was a good fighter, but he was no match for the assassin. If her friend was being tortured because of her, she’d never forgive herself for dragging him into this mess. “He knows to keep my identity a secret,” she said, “but I can’t be absolutely certain he’ll be able to.” She wiped the tears from her cheeks.
“A couple of my men are taking rooms at the inn. If the assassin is keeping Grevik there, we’ll find him.”
“I have a feeling the inn was just a meeting place.”
“I also have several men stationed outside watching the exits. When the assassin leaves, my men will follow him. We will find your friend.”
“I’m supposed to meet the assassin again tomorrow night. What am I going to do?”
Jarvik put his hand on her lower back, leading her to the door. “Go to sleep. I’ll come up with a plan. I promise.”
“Thank you.” She squeezed his hand, letting him know how much she appreciated his help.
She left Prince Odar’s rooms, pulling her cloak tightly around her body so no one would see her clothing underneath. As the royal guards escorted Allyssa to her bedchamber, she felt strangely comforted that she was working with Jarvik to save her friend.
***
Walking to the meeting room, Allyssa was suddenly overwhelmed with panic. Changing directions, she ran to the library and hid in the alcove, closing the curtains so no one could see her. Her heart beat erratically in her chest.
Mayra slid inside after her. “Marek wants to know what’s going on,” she said.
“I can’t breathe,” Allyssa uttered.
“I’ll fetch a healer.” She turned to leave.
“Please don’t.” Allyssa grabbed her necklace, holding the wooden ring tightly. “I just need a moment.”
“Are you upset because of the marriage?” her friend asked, taking a seat.
Leaning against the table, Allyssa took several deep breaths. “I’m about to sign a marriage contract to a man I barely know, and … and … Jarvik … he … I … .”
“What are you saying?” Mayra asked. “If you hate Jarvik so much, you can have him reassigned. You mustn’t worry about that.”
“That’s the problem,” Allyssa whispered. “I’ve grown rather fond of the squire.”
Mayra’s eyes widened in shock, and she bit her bottom lip. “You like him?”
“Only as a friend,” Allyssa confided.
“Then what’s the problem?”
She sighed. “I’m not as strong as I thought I was.”
“I’m not sure I’m following you. Are we still talking about the squire?”
“I need to be stronger to do this.”
“That’s not true. You’re incredibly confident and capable of ruling a kingdom.”
“I’m not,” Allyssa insisted. “I don’t know if I can lead the kingdom, marry Odar, and protect my people. Right now, I can’t even help my friend Grevik, who is in trouble. I wish I was stronger.”
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you so emotional,” Mayra commented. “Maybe you’re just overwhelmed by everything. We’re all under a tremendous amount of stress with the impending war.”
“I have this awful feeling everything rests on my shoulders—that I am responsible for the fate of Emperion.”
Mayra hugged her friend. “I’m glad my fate is in your hands,” she whispered, “because you’re the strongest person I know.”
Someone cleared his throat on the other side of the curtains. “Your Highness,” Marek said. “We need to go to the meeting. Everyone is waiting for you.”
Mayra released her. “You can do this,” she said. “I’ll be close by if you need me.”
“Thank you.”
***
Allyssa glided into the room. Only two members from the Legion were present at the table, her parents sitting across from them. There was one empty chair at the end of the square table, so Allyssa quickly took her seat. Directly across from her sat Prince Odar and his squire. Jarvik’s eyes met hers for a brief second, and she quickly looked away. What was he doing there? Why did her breath catch just by looking at him? He wasn’t even that handsome. Sure, he was interesting with his black hair, brown eyes, and freckles covering his nose. Blimey. He was staring right at her with that bloody expression of his that she couldn’t decipher.
“Let’s begin,” Darmik said. “Jarvik will receive a copy of the executed contract to deliver to the king and queen of Fren. Two members of the Legion will also retain a copy.”
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. “Tha
t 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.
Cage of Deceit (Reign of Secrets Book 1) Page 16
