Cage of Deceit (Reign of Secrets Book 1) (5 page)

Staring at herself in the mirror, Allyssa ran her hand down the red material of her dress. She couldn’t help but admire the exquisite fabric and attention to detail her personal seamstress had taken in making the gown. The outer material was softly woven silk, while the top skirt had a slit down the middle, allowing the underskirt to be seen with its intricate embroidery. The edges and square-shaped neck were lined with diamonds. It was utterly beautiful, elegant, and classy—something befitting of an empress.

Mayra finished loosely braiding Allyssa’s hair.

“Why all the fuss?” Allyssa whispered. She still hadn’t had a chance to speak with her father.

Her lady-in-waiting sighed, not answering her. She picked up the crown and placed it atop Allyssa’s head. “There,” she said, “you’re ready to go to the Throne Room.”

Allyssa raised her eyebrows, waiting for Mayra to offer additional information. Mayra started tidying up the dressing room, studiously ignoring her.

Knowing her friend’s keen ear for gossip, Allyssa asked, “Is the prince from Telmena coming?” If she had to entertain the idea of marrying a thirty-year-old goat of a man, she’d consider running away until he found someone else to wed.

Her lady-in-waiting froze. “No,” she whispered. “Although, I did hear an interesting rumor about his sister, Princess Jestina of Telmena. Since the crown passes through the female line, Telmena wanted Princess Jestina to marry the Crown Prince from Fren, uniting their two great kingdoms. However, the prince from Fren refused to marry her. To prevent their countries from going to war, the prince’s younger brother, Prince Kren, married Princess Jestina instead.”

“Why do you think this information is of use to me?”

Mayra shrugged. “I guess you’ll have to wait and see.”

If the prince from Telmena wasn’t coming, then it had to be the Crown Prince from Fren. Otherwise, Mayra wouldn’t have bothered sharing that bit of information. Allyssa abruptly turned and exited her bedchamber, her guards falling in position behind her. As she neared the sitting room in the royal wing, she heard her parents talking to Neco. Unable to stop herself, she paused in the hallway, listening. 

“The royal convoy just entered the city,” Neco announced.

It was wrong to eavesdrop, but she wanted to know if her suspicions were correct. Thankfully, Marek wasn’t on duty; he’d have made noise to ensure she was discovered. She waved her four guards back, and they dutifully, and quietly, obliged. Allyssa peered around the corner.

Darmik rubbed his face while Rema stood and went to the window, looking outside.

“I’ve dreaded this day would come,” the empress said. “I’ll go and talk to her.”

“I’ll go with you,” Darmik added. “After all, this was my idea.”

Neco cleared his throat. “With all due respect,” he said. “It’s the only feasible option. She’ll understand that. Her tutor has done an excellent job ensuring she understands the politics of the continent.”

“I certainly hope so,” Rema said, “because if she doesn’t, we’ll have a bloody war at our doorstep. I promised to protect the people of Emperion, but it can’t be at the expense of my daughter.”

“Before we make any decisions, we need to meet the prince to make sure he’s suitable,” Darmik said.

“I agree,” Rema uttered.

“From all the reports I’ve received, he’s more than adequate,” Darmik assured her. He went over and embraced his wife. Neco bowed and left.

Holding her head high, Allyssa entered the sitting room. “Care to tell me what is going on?” She sat on the sofa, patiently waiting for her parents to explain why the prince from Fren was due to arrive at any minute.

Darmik took a step toward her, as if approaching an injured animal. “It has all happened rather suddenly,” he said.

She laughed. “Suddenly? You’ve had enough time to prepare the castle for our special guest.”

Rema looked at her with red eyes. “Honey,” she said, “I need … no, we need you to be on your best behavior for this prince.”

“I’m always on my best behavior.”

Darmik snorted and folded his arms.

“What I mean is,” her mother continued, “that there’s a lot of political turmoil going on right now throughout the continent. We need to feel Prince Odar of Fren out to determine where his kingdom stands.”

“We’ve never had anything to do with the kingdom of Fren,” Allyssa carefully said.

Darmik sat down next to his daughter on the sofa. “Fren is a powerful kingdom with a strong army,” he said. “I think it’s time we establish relations with them.”

Were things really so dire that her parents would seek out someone they barely knew for their daughter? “Have you discussed the possibility of marriage with him?” Allyssa asked.

Her parents exchanged worried glances. “Not specifically,” Rema answered. “However, our letter to Fren inviting the prince to come here to meet you certainly implied a union is possible.”

Emperion invited Fren here—not the other way around.

“But we’re not talking about marriage right now,” Darmik assured her. “All we want is for you to meet the prince and keep an open mind.”

“Be kind and cordial,” Rema added.

It suddenly became difficult to breathe. Allyssa had to go outside for some fresh air before she started arguing with her parents and became even more frustrated. “Fine,” she answered as she stood and left the Royal Chambers, her mother calling out for her to come back and discuss the matter in greater detail with them.

Allyssa made her way to one of the castle’s inner courtyards. She tried to walk slowly and elegantly around the gardens, like a princess should. When she passed courtiers, she smiled as they bowed to her. She needed to maintain the appearance of grace when all she really wanted to do was tear something apart and break free from this cage.

After a few minutes, her ladies-in-waiting arrived, falling in step beside her. “Where have you been?” Allyssa asked.

Madelin’s face turned pink, and Allyssa knew her friend must have been off with Marek somewhere. Mayra, on the other hand, said she had been speaking with her father.

“Do either of you know anything about Prince Odar of Fren?” Allyssa asked. They stopped near a red rosebush and she surreptitiously glanced around, making sure no one could overhear them.

Madelin shook her head. “I haven’t heard a thing. I even asked my parents, and they said they knew nothing about him.”

Allyssa looked to Mayra, but her friend wouldn’t meet her gaze.

“Marek,” Allyssa called over her shoulder. He’d brought her ladies-in-waiting to the courtyard and was now standing with the rest of her guards. He obediently came over.

“What do you know of Prince Odar?” she demanded.

Marek bit his lip and started fidgeting with the hilt of his sword.

“It wasn’t a request,” she said. She hated to pull rank, but she needed information.

“I’m sorry, Your Highness,” he said, purposely using her title, “but we’ve been instructed to keep our mouths shut on the matter. Your parents don’t want rumors or gossip floating around.”

Both her ladies-in-waiting nodded, affirming what Marek had said. “Very well,” Allyssa snapped, turning and heading back into the castle. She would not cry; they were simply following orders.

Mayra hurried to catch up. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “But we were given strict instructions.”

“It’s fine,” Allyssa lied. This was why she hadn’t told her ladies-in-waiting about sneaking out of the castle at night. Because when all was said and done, her parents outranked her and could make her ladies tell them anything they wanted to know. The staff’s loyalty was to the crown, not her. She was a symbol and a bargaining chip.

As if in response to her agitation, the crown atop her head shifted, suddenly feeling heavy. Blasted. If only she could practice on her hitting dummy right now. She laughed. Dressed in the finest gown she’d ever worn and all she could think about was punching. How very unprincess-like.

***

Allyssa hurried to the antechamber of the Throne Room, where she found her parents talking with Neco and Ellie. She stood in the doorway, not saying a word. She silently observed them, no one noticing she’d arrived.

“This is a real opportunity for Emperion,” Darmik said. “If only Allyssa would cooperate.”

“The princess is strong-willed, that’s for sure,” Neco said. “But she always does her duty. She has Emperion’s best interest at heart.”

“I agree,” Rema said. “But Allyssa doesn’t understand the precarious position we’re in. We need this alliance.”

“She’s just so young,” Darmik muttered.

“No, she’s not,” Ellie said, speaking for the first time. “Think of what you accomplished at her age. She’s old enough, and more than capable.”

Neco came up behind Ellie, wrapping his arms around her waist. “I agree with my wife,” he said, kissing her cheek.

Darmik sighed. “Who knew having a daughter would be so … difficult.” He turned to face Rema. “It’s up to you,” he said.

“Let me meet Prince Odar. Then I will decide how to proceed.”

A steward came up next to the princess. “The convoy is here,” he announced to the people in the antechamber.

Rema noticed her daughter standing there, so she came over and hugged Allyssa. “I don’t know how much you heard,” she whispered, “but we will talk later. Please, just keep an open mind and don’t jump to conclusions.” She released her, took Darmik’s arm, and entered the Throne Room.

Neco and Ellie remained in the antechamber. “From all my spies’ accounts,” Neco said, “Prince Odar is a shrewd military leader, much like your father. We just need time to assess the situation and to speak with him.”

“Why is he officially here?” Allyssa asked.

“To discuss Fren’s situation with Russek.”

She knew there was a lot more going on than she was privy to. She gave a curt nod to Neco and Ellie. After all, the least she could do was keep an open mind. Taking a few deep breaths, she put a smile on her face and entered the Throne Room.

Both sides of the aisle were filled with people eager to greet the mysterious prince from Fren. Out of all the kingdoms on the mainland, Fren was the one she knew the least about. The kingdom kept to itself, choosing to remain isolated. She couldn’t imagine a marriage contract would be enough to lure the prince here. No, she thought, there is definitely more going on.

Allyssa glided down the aisle, head high, while everyone bowed. Her parents were already sitting on the dais, her mother in the center, Darmik to her right. Allyssa took her place on her mother’s left. Light poured in through the windows, lining the right side of the room. Everyone present wore their finest clothes, and perfume wafted in the warm air.

The horns sounded and all heads turned toward the doors at the end of the aisle, eagerly awaiting the prince’s entrance. Allyssa was mildly curious to meet him. How old was he? Twenty? Forty? Was he boring like the prince from Fia? Arrogant like most of the lords and nobles of her own kingdom? Was he ugly? Did he have a beard? Was he here to establish a relationship with Emperion? Did he seek Allyssa’s hand in marriage? Perhaps he simply wanted to implement a trade agreement between their kingdoms.

The doors flew open, and four Fren soldiers clad in shiny armor entered. Behind them came two men dressed in solid black, carrying the flag of Fren as they marched down the aisle to the dais where they stopped and faced inward, clicking their heels together. Half a dozen men dressed in finery now entered the Throne Room. These must be the prince’s lords-in-waiting. Allyssa squeezed her hands together to prevent her eyes from rolling at the pompous arrogance being displayed. This show of wealth was a bit excessive. Granted, Fren was one of the larger kingdoms and rumored to be well off. Apparently, the prince wanted to make sure everyone here knew it. Four more men entered, wearing fine tunics, indicating they were stewards or pages. If this display was any indication of the type of person the prince was, then he was just like every other bloke who’d come vying for her hand, and she was not impressed.

A collective murmur arose as the prince finally entered. He stood in the doorway a moment and flashed a smile before sauntering down the aisle. Blimey. He had dark hair, blue eyes, and a cocky smile that made him utterly handsome. The worst part was that he knew it and was flaunting it at her court. If she had to guess, she’d say he was about her age. The prince was dressed in a flamboyant white shirt and a dark embroidered tunic that was well suited for a ballroom and not traveling. He had to have changed after he arrived. No one could possibly be that vain. Strapped to his waist was a fine-looking sword. She was sure he’d never used it in battle. He’d probably never even seen a day of fighting in his life. She desperately tried not to laugh as his attention landed on her, his eyebrows lifting in what she could only assume was approval. This prince was even more arrogant than all the previous suitors combined. He was going to drive her utterly mad.