Oath of Destruction

by Jennifer Anne Davis

  “Father said if I have to marry you, so be it. But he’d rather I found a solution that didn’t involve tying our kingdoms together.”

  She tried to not let the comment sting. “And his feelings on Telmena?”

  “Same. He doesn’t want Telmena telling us what to do. My father is content with his little corner of the world. He wishes to be left alone.”

  Perfect. Then her and Savenek’s plan might be possible. “What do you think about assassinating the king, queen, and prince of Telmena?”

  Odar went very still. “I must have heard you wrong.” His eyes darkened.

  “What if we leave your brother and Jestina in charge?”

  He shook his head. “You’re unbelievable.” Turning, he stomped away several paces before turning back to face her. “Has Kerdan changed you that much?”

  She forced her temper under control. “What’s that supposed to mean?” This had nothing to do with Kerdan.

  He came closer, much too close, invading her personal space. She tried not to flinch. “The Allyssa I first met would never have considered assassinating someone.”

  That was back when she had been naive and didn’t know any better. “Kerdan hasn’t changed me,” she said, balling her hands into fists. “Being kidnapped by Soma, thrown in the dungeon, being tortured, and facing Jana has changed me.”

  Odar flinched. Allyssa forced her fingers to unfurl. People were watching them, and she couldn’t appear angry. Calm and in control, she told herself.

  “Telmena is a threat to all of us,” she said. “They’ve been buying poison from Apethaga for quite some time. Who knows what they plan to do with it. And what’s to stop them from taking over every kingdom on the mainland?”

  “They only want Emperion since you’ve murdered half their family members. Maybe if you hadn’t killed so many people, you wouldn’t be in this mess.” He pinched the bridge of his nose. “This is why my father wants to remain out of politics.”

  How could Odar be so close-minded? How had she ever loved him? “I used to think as your father did. I mistakenly assumed that if I didn’t act, the problem would go away. I learned that doesn’t happen, so I plan to eliminate those who wish to harm me and my family.”

  He stood there, less than a foot away, his eyes searching her face. She couldn’t decipher his thoughts or feelings. He was always good at concealing them from her. He’d never let her in.

  “Fine,” he whispered. “What do you need from me?”

  “Are you certain you want to be involved? That you wouldn’t rather run home to your kingdom where it’s safe?” If he wasn’t fully committed, she didn’t want him here.

  Odar took a step back, running his hands through his hair. “I’ve been instructed to end this debacle. Father gave me control of the situation. And…I agree with you. You won’t be safe until the threat from Telmena is eliminated. My brother has told me stories. I always thought he was exaggerating. Now I’m not so sure.”

  She noticed he’d said, you won’t be safe and not your kingdom or we. Didn’t he want his people to be free from the clutches of Telmena? Didn’t he want peace? Taking his arm, she started strolling through the courtyard with him. “Can we leave Jestina and Kren in charge of Telmena?” She hadn’t met either one, which meant she didn’t know what sort of people they were.

  “Yes. They will be competent rulers. If Jestina becomes a problem, I’ll deal with her myself. I shouldn’t have forced my brother to marry her in the first place. That was my fault.”

  Allyssa wasn’t sure how he would deal with it himself, nor did she want to know. All that mattered was eliminating the threat from Telmena while leaving someone in place to rule who would be just and fair. “Is Jestina amenable?” Or would she put up a fight? If Jestina learned what happened to her parents, would she seek retribution? Or would Kren be enough to keep her in line? And did Odar even know her well enough to make these sorts of determinations?

  “She’ll follow my brother if that’s what you’re asking. My brother and I are close. I’ll make sure that aspect is taken care of. What else?”

  Now for the tricky part. “My brother wants to take care of this ourselves. He doesn’t want to involve anyone other than the three of us. At least for now.” She prayed telling Odar this was the right thing to do and he wouldn’t double-cross them.

  “I agree.” Odar stopped, abruptly swinging his body toward Allyssa. “Are you sure about this?”

  She nodded. They didn’t have a lot of options.

  “It’s a risky, bold move.”

  “I know.”

  “If we’re not successful, it has the potential to backfire and cause a war.”

  “We face a war if we don’t do anything. At least this way, we have the potential to stop one.”

  Over the course of the next few weeks, Allyssa watched her mother send out wedding invitations to all the kingdoms on the mainland. Rema asked every king and queen to come, saying that not only would there be a royal wedding to celebrate, but also that it would give them all a chance to sit down and talk about politics, trade, and treaties.

  Late at night, Allyssa would meet with Savenek and Odar to hash out a plan for stopping Telmena. So far, they’d agreed that when Telmena’s king, queen, and prince were on their way to the Emperion castle for the wedding, a tragedy would befall them, leaving them dead. However, Kren and Jestina would be unscathed, allowing them to continue on to the castle. Once they were there, Odar would speak with his brother to ensure Kren and Jestina would work together with Emperion.

  Savenek and Odar still debated which tragedy should befall the Telmenas and how to execute said accident. Allyssa wanted the entire thing to be over with. She just had to keep up the charade with Odar for a few more weeks.

  Too bad nothing ever went as planned.

  Allyssa made her way to the rooftop, as she tended to do almost every night. When she stepped onto the roof, she saw Odar and Savenek were already there, standing near the edge at the railing. They were far enough away so the guards couldn’t hear what they said.

  “What’s the matter?” Savenek asked as she joined them.

  Gripping the railing, she let the cool metal soothe her hands as she gazed out at her beautiful town. The sky was dark, clouds concealing the stars and moon. She sighed. “Mother just informed me that Kren and Jestina aren’t coming.” The way the letter was worded caused Rema to believe that Jestina might be with child.

  He patted her back. “We can still proceed without them.”

  “It’s too risky. We need to know where Kren stands before we attempt the assassinations.” Thunder boomed in the distance. The thick air smelled of rain.

  “I agree,” Odar said, leaning against the railing next to her. “I’m not comfortable moving forward until I’ve spoken to Kren. If he won’t go along with the plan, then we’ll need to come up with something else.”

  Allyssa released the railing and paced back and forth, considering their options. Everything hinged on Kren working with them. If he refused to, then they’d have to get rid of him and Jestina as well. She didn’t think Odar would agree to that.

  “We can’t send any correspondence to Kren. Too much of a risk that someone will intercept it,” Odar said.

  Silently, they gazed between each other, an unspoken knowledge apparent. They’d planned to keep this between the three of them. However, none of them could go to Telmena to speak with Kren. Allyssa resumed pacing. Who else could they involve? “What about someone from the Brotherhood?”

  “Each member is loyal to the empress,” Savenek said. “If I send someone with information about an assassination plot, Rema is going to hear about it.”

  “What about Nathenek?” Odar suggested.

  “He’s loyal to Rema,” Savenek answered without hesitation.

  Allyssa stopped pacing, facing Savenek and Odar. “We have to send either Marek or Mayra.”

  “Don’t you think Neco will question where one of his children has gone off to?” S
avenek asked.

  “Those are the only two people who I not only trust, but who are also capable of handling the mission.”

  “Mayra can’t go,” Savenek said, leaving no room for argument in his voice. Folding his arms, he leaned his back against the railing.

  “Fine.” Allyssa went over to one of her guards still standing near the door. She asked him to fetch Marek immediately. When she came back to Savenek and Odar, she started pacing again. “Marek will have to travel fast.” The wedding was only a couple of weeks away. Most people would start their journey to Emperion shortly.

  “What if he doesn’t agree with us?” Odar asked. “He could run straight to his father or Rema and tell them everything.”

  True. “I’ve known Marek my entire life. He won’t like what we’re doing. He probably won’t agree with it. However, he is loyal to me.”

  Savenek smirked. “Maybe his loyalty stems from a secret love for you.”

  Allyssa whacked her brother on the arm. “Be serious. We are friends. Nothing more.”

  “Speaking of which,” Savenek said, rubbing his arm, “you should probably tell Mayra what we’re doing so she can help cover for Marek.”

  Allyssa groaned—so yet another person was going to be privy to this secret mission. The more people who knew about it, the higher the chance it would be foiled.

  The wind blew over the rooftop, making Allyssa’s eyes water. She yawned, ready to crawl in bed for the night. The guard finally returned with Marek, who was dressed in his nightclothes.

  “I don’t even want to know,” Marek said. “I’m certain whatever you three are planning can’t be good.”

  “I need you to hear me out,” Allyssa said.

  “Do I have a choice?” Marek crossed his arms, his face suspicious.

  “I have done everything my parents and kingdom have asked of me—whether I agreed with it or not. And now, as we stand on the brink of war with Telmena, I do not believe we should try to resolve this peacefully. Sometimes peace is the best policy. But not now. Not when Telmena plans to destroy us no matter how long it takes. We can’t live knowing any moment could be our last.” She regarded her dear friend, willing him to understand the gravity of what she said. “I need your help. I want you to go on a secret mission. We plan to destroy Telmena.”

  Allyssa entered Neco’s office. Mayra was sitting at the desk, no one else in sight. “What are you doing?”

  “My father asked me to decipher this letter.” She didn’t even bother to raise her head from her work.

  Allyssa closed the door, thankful she’d found her friend alone. “I need to talk to you.”

  Mayra held up her finger. She finished reading the letter, biting her bottom lip. “I think I have it,” she mumbled. “Although…it doesn’t make any sense.”

  “What does it say?” Allyssa asked as she took a seat across from her.

  “It says: I’m sending another to replace the first. Don’t lose this one.”

  “Where did this letter come from?” Allyssa glanced over her friend’s arm to see the writing on the paper. She couldn’t tell what language it was in.

  “Prince Savenek found it on someone.” She folded the letter up, scribbled a few words on the outside of it, and then faced Allyssa. “What do you want to talk about?”

  Allyssa hoped Mayra wouldn’t be too upset at what she had to disclose. “I sent your brother on a mission last night.” While Marek hadn’t liked the plan, he had agreed to go along with it. He’d said he understood, especially the part about some people being too dangerous to be left alive.

  “Why are you telling me this?”

  Now for the part Allyssa had wanted to avoid. Lowering her voice to a whisper, she explained how she’d formed a plan with Odar and Savenek to assassinate the Telmena royal family, leaving only Jestina and Kren alive to rule. She explained how she’d sent Marek to speak to Kren on their behalf to make sure he’d be amiable to work with.

  “You did what?” Mayra said, her words laced with fury.

  “Marek will be back in a fortnight.” Allyssa hoped.

  “And no one, not even my father, knows about this?”

  “No.” Allyssa took comfort in the fact that Savenek was running the Brotherhood. If something went wrong, at least they had those men at their disposal. But nothing would go wrong. She had to believe everything would go according to plan. At least from here on out.

  “Marek went alone? What if he gets into trouble? How could you do that?” Her voice was getting louder and louder as she spoke.

  Allyssa reached out and took her friend’s hands, squeezing them reassuringly. “I love him, too. He’ll be fine. Your brother is going to speak with Kren and that’s it. As a precaution, I sent him with a letter from the empress in case he gets into trouble.” Granted, the letter was forged, but it should buy Marek enough time to escape or for them to send a member from the Brotherhood to extricate him.

  “You sent my brother into a hostile kingdom with only a letter?” Mayra asked, her words clipped.

  Allyssa needed to calm Mayra down before she ran to her father and told him everything. “Yes, a letter. It asks if any special accommodations need to be made for the esteemed king and queen while they are visiting in Emperion for the wedding, such as any dietary restrictions or things of that nature.”

  Mayra took a deep breath, slowly letting it out. “I wish you had told me ahead of time,” she said. “I would have gone with him.” She squeezed her hands out from Allyssa’s, tiredly rubbing her face.

  Savenek had told Allyssa not to say anything to Mayra until today for that exact reason.

  Mayra’s hands fell to the table. “You are the princess of Emperion. I am loyal to you.” She shoved away from the desk and stood. “I take it I’m not to say anything to anyone?”

  “Correct.”

  Mayra picked up the letter without sparing Allyssa even a glance, then left the office.

  Well, that hadn’t gone as smoothly as Allyssa had hoped. Mayra was furious, although she’d never admit it since Allyssa outranked her. A pang of regret filled her. However, she shoved it aside, knowing she needed to be strong in order for this plan to work.

  While roaming the corridor, Allyssa spotted her father and Odar. She was just about to turn the corner to avoid them when Darmik called her over.

  Sighing, she pasted on a fake smile and joined them.

  “Care to tell me where the head of your guard is?” Darmik asked, clasping his hands behind his back.

  Well, no, Allyssa didn’t particularly care to tell him where Marek was. She tried to keep her expression neutral. “I sent him on an errand. He won’t be gone long.” She went to move past him but he put his hand on her shoulder, holding her in place.

  “When he gets back, have him come see me.”

  “I’ll let him know you’re looking for him.” The only way for their plan to work was for no one to know Marek had left Emperion. Savenek estimated it would take about a fortnight for Marek to make it there and back. She sincerely doubted they could last that long without Darmik or Neco suspecting something. Savenek, Odar, Mayra, and Allyssa had decided they would try their hardest to stall. Pretend they’d just seen Marek or that he was otherwise engaged. And with all the activity and preparation for the upcoming wedding, Allyssa hoped they could elude Darmik and Neco.

  “I want you and Odar to take a stroll through the castle so people can see the two of you together.”

  “Of course.” Allyssa took Odar’s arm.

  She could feel her father watching her as she walked away. He had to suspect something. At first, she felt guilty for deceiving him. However, this was for his benefit. A little deceit and deception was needed for the betterment of Emperion.

  Strolling along the corridors draped on Odar’s arm made her uncomfortable. Allyssa had no desire to be there with him. She didn’t want people believing they were going to marry. However, she played her part and nodded to the courtiers as they passed. Pretending to be happ
y. Pretending to be in love. Always pretending.

  “I’m sorry we’re in this predicament,” Odar murmured. “But I want you to consider something.”

  They turned the corner and entered the solarium. The rain had started to fall, pinging against the glass. It reminded her of the last time they were in this place together, back when Odar had been Jarvik. So much had changed since then.

  Their guards remained near the entrance.

  “What is it?” she asked, not really caring.

  “Have you considered that fate keeps throwing us together for a reason?”

  “No.” And she didn’t believe in fate. She headed over to the hydrangeas, her fingers trailing over the leaves.

  “Allyssa.”

  “Stop.” She held up her hand. “We are not fated to be together. Please don’t push me on the matter. I’ve already said everything I had to say to you back in Russek.” She couldn’t rehash old memories with him right now.

  Sliding his hands in his pockets, he moved closer to the window, staring outside. “You were always so obstinate.”

  Allyssa bristled. “Like you’re one to talk.” Why was she alone with him? The only point of spending time together was to put on a show for court. Now that they weren’t in front of anyone, there was no point in continuing the charade.

  He smiled wryly. “Truce.”

  “Fine.”

  “Your brother seems…like you.”

  “I suppose.” Savenek reminded her more of Darmik.

  “How do you feel about having a brother after all these years?”

  Odar wanted to talk to her about Savenek? Was he trying to be friends with her? She meandered closer to him, looking outside at the puddles forming on the ground. “Sometimes it’s awkward. Other times, it feels like he’s always been a part of our family. He fits in so well.”

  “I can’t imagine having a sibling sprung on me like that.” He rubbed the back of his neck.

  Odar never talked about his own brother. “Kren is younger than you?”

  “Yes, by a couple of years.”

  “Did the two of you fight?” She’d seen Mayra and Marek bicker over the years.