Chapter Three
Allyssa startled awake from a light squeeze to her arm. Jarvik was crouched next to her, a dagger in his free hand. She nodded and remained still, not wanting to wake the sleeping assassin. As to how Jarvik had managed to undo his own bindings, climb the tree to retrieve the assassin’s dagger, and cut her ties, all without rousing their captor, she had no idea.
He pulled out a small tin from his pocket. He must have stolen the assassin’s paralyzing substance before he’d set the horses free. Twisting the lid off, he poked the tip of the dagger into the gooey gel and silently moved to the assassin’s side. Allyssa held her breath while he slid the knife down the man’s leg, cutting him to ensure the ointment penetrated his blood stream.
The assassin’s eyes flew open, and he reached out, latching onto Jarvik’s wrist. The dagger fell to the ground. Allyssa slammed her fist into the assassin’s stomach. Grabbing his free hand, she yanked his arm across her chest while she twisted her legs over his body, pinning him down. Jarvik punched the man’s jaw. The assassin clutched onto Jarvik’s hair, yanking him down. Allyssa pulled the assassin’s arm harder, and there was a sickening pop. He screamed, his arm going limp. She scrambled away from him. He released Jarvik, clutching his dislocated elbow against his chest. Jarvik picked up the dropped dagger, cutting the assassin’s other leg.
“Do his arms, too.”
Jarvik pricked the assassin’s arms, paralyzing them as well.
“I’ll get you for this,” the assassin snarled, hatred flaring in his eyes. “You won’t be able to escape me.”
“We should kill him,” Jarvik said to Allyssa.
“You should,” the assassin said, seething with rage. “Because if you don’t, I’ll eventually catch you. When I do, you know what I’ll do to the princess.” The paralyzing substance must have taken effect because his arms fell to his sides, unmoving.
Allyssa ignored his threat. She was pretty sure she knew where they were. “We have ten hours to reach a town and send soldiers here to collect him.”
“He’s an assassin. By killing him, we will be saving countless lives.”
“But we’re not assassins. We can’t stoop to his level and behave in such a way.” She wanted him rotting in a dungeon, regretting everyone he harmed.
“What if soldiers don’t get here in time?”
She nodded toward the forest, and Jarvik followed her. When they were far enough away so the assassin couldn’t overhear, she said, “Do you remember before we left the castle, I sent a squad of my elite soldiers after the Russek men who set up a military base in the Romek Mountains?” He nodded. “That cave is roughly five miles from here. My soldiers are more than qualified to handle the assassin and escort us to Fren.”
“That’s an excellent idea. Let’s tie him up and drag him along.”
She rolled her eyes. “The base is at the top of the waterfall we saw earlier today. We can’t climb that with someone in tow. We’ll leave him here and send my men back for him.” They had more than enough time.
He ran his hands through his hair. “Fine. But we’re still tying him up as a precautionary measure.” He tucked the dagger in the waist of his pants. “Let’s move quickly.”
Moving fast was the last thing she felt like doing right now—it was dark and exhaustion consumed her. However, the prospect of being away from the assassin was enough to fuel her on. “Let’s secure him to the tree and go. Our time is already running out.”
When they returned to the assassin, Jarvik pulled the man’s limp body to a tree and expertly tied him to it. Even if the paralyzing substance wore off before someone returned, it would take quite some time to undo the knots to free himself. Not to mention the fact that he was injured—his dislocated elbow hung at an unnatural angle.
Allyssa pulled her long hair back and wound it into a knot at the base of her neck. The assassin didn’t say another word as he watched her with a hatred that made her hands shake and her stomach churn. She started walking in the opposite direction they needed to go. After thirty yards, they turned and headed south, walking in silence.
A mile into their journey, they came to a river. “We need to cross.” The sun had not yet risen, making it impossible to see the depth of the fast-moving water.
“Can you swim?” Jarvik asked.
“Yes.” Although the strong current intimidated her.
Jarvik threw a rock into the water, trying to determine its depth. “I doubt anyone would have established a military camp here if the water isn’t crossable.”
Gazing up and down the bank, Allyssa searched for a bridge, not seeing one.
“What’s that down there?” Jarvik asked, pointing south.
She squinted, trying to see in the moonlight. “Just some fallen trees along the edge of the river.”
“Maybe we can use them to make our way across.” She followed him to the fallen trees. The trunks were white from water and sun exposure through the years. A few extended into the river, but none went from shore to shore. Jarvik walked out onto one of them, testing its sturdiness. Satisfied, he returned to the bank and found a large, thick branch he could carry. Making his way out onto the tree, he walked slowly so as not to lose his footing. At the end, he placed the branch so it extended to another tree on the opposite side of the shore, bridging the two. Jarvik removed his tunic, tying it around the branch and tree. He waved her out. Gingerly placing her feet on the tree, Allyssa made her way over the water to Jarvik.
“It’s not very steady, but it will do,” he said, pointing to the crude bridge he’d made.
There was no way she was stepping a foot on the branch. “It’s not thick enough.”
Jarvik was sitting on the tree so she carefully sat next to him, only a couple of feet above the rushing water. “I want you to hold onto the branch with your hands, put your body into the water, and use your hands to make your way across to the other trunk.”
She stared at him. Blimey. He was mad. The water would be freezing. However, there weren’t any other options. She nodded, not wanting to be a wimp and complain like a pansy.
“When you get to the other trunk, secure the branch so I can cross. If you don’t hold it in place, it will jostle loose and I’ll fall.”
Allyssa didn’t want to think about it too much, so she slid her legs into the water, yelping from the cold.
“Move fast. Your body can’t handle this temperature for long.”
Grabbing onto the branch, she lowered herself farther into the water, the force of the current nearly knocking her body off. Jarvik kept hold of the branch as she made her way across. When she reached the other tree, she pulled herself onto it, her body violently shaking. Wrapping herself around the tree and branch, she held them together for Jarvik. He untied his tunic, wrapped it around his neck, and submerged his legs into the water. Placing his hands on the branch, he began to make his way across.
The branch gave a little, so she clutched onto it with her hands, trying to keep it as still as possible. A moment later, Jarvik was at her side. He placed his dry tunic across her shoulders and pulled her to her feet, kicking the branch into the river to remove all traces of where they had crossed.
“Come on.” Holding her hand, he led her onto solid ground. “Where to?”
Allyssa pointed to the nearby waterfall, thankful she had studied her father’s maps in such detail. “The camp is at the top.” And when she got there, she would plop herself in front of a fire until she was nice and toasty.
“Are you sure this is the right waterfall?”
“Positive.” It was the tallest one out of the half dozen that were visible.
“Have you ever climbed anything like this before?” he asked at the base of the mountain.
“No.” She had climbed ladders attached to the sides of buildings, jumped across rooftops, and regularly scaled her laundry chute, but climbing rocks was another matter entirely.
“The boulders will be slippery because of the mist from the waterfall. We’ll weave our way up on the left side of it. Watch for a path. I’m assuming if the Russek soldiers were able to find the cave and fill it with supplies, then there has to be a trail somewhere.” The water was so loud she could barely hear him speak. “I’ll lead the way.” He started climbing the gray boulders, steadily moving to the south.
She climbed after him, trying not to think about how cold she was. All her energy and focus went to maintaining her hold. The climb was slanted instead of vertical, making the ascent easier. When the waterfall was almost out of sight, Jarvik doubled back, continuing in a zig-zag pattern.
After a couple of hours, the sky started to lighten as the sun rose. Allyssa’s arms and legs shook from the steady incline, her neck ached, and her clothes were still wet. “Let’s take a short rest,” she hollered to Jarvik. He nodded. A few moments later, he led her between two large rocks to a small alcove. The space was just big enough for the two of them to sit side by side, shielded from the wind.
“It’s quiet in here,” she mumbled, stretching out her legs before her. She wished she could take off her boots and rub her feet, but she’d never be able to get her soggy boots back on. Instead, she leaned against the rocks, closing her eyes. What she wouldn’t give to be home in her soft bed right now.
“I’m sorry,” Jarvik said. “Our situation is entirely my fault.”
“No, it’s not.” She opened her eyes and looked at him. This was the first time they’d been alone since they left the castle. Now that she had the opportunity to ask him all her pent-up questions, she didn’t know where to begin. Reaching out, she took hold of his hand, examining the wooden ring he wore.
“I thought perhaps Prince Odar had given this to me, although it didn’t seem his style,” she mused, thinking back to when she received the anonymous gift. “The wood indicated it came from the Bizantek Forest. I read a book and discovered the tradition behind it.” The book explained that giving such a ring was an old peasant tradition where a man gave the woman he wished to court a handmade ring. If she wore it, it symbolized her agreement to become better acquainted with the intention to marry.
“Have you forgotten? I am Prince Odar, so your assumption is correct.” He squeezed her fingers, not allowing her to let go. “Allyssa, there were so many times I wanted to tell you my true identity. I’m so sorry I lied to you.”
And there it was—the thing she had been mulling over but did not understand. She considered her situation with Grevik. Her chest tightened just thinking about him, his death still hard to comprehend. She had concealed her identity from him because they couldn’t be friends otherwise. Yet, when she confided everything to him, he was upset and hurt. She never had a chance to make things right before the assassin killed him. Because of her. She regretted he didn’t forgive her and wished she could have explained in more detail why she lied. The least she could do was give Jarvik the opportunity she never had.
“Why did you do it?” Allyssa asked, gazing up into his dark brown eyes. “Please help me understand, because I’m having a hard time trying to figure you out.”
He sighed. “There are several reasons—some of them better than others.” He rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand. “I’ll tell you so long as you listen to everything I have to say before responding. Then, when I’m done, even if you’re upset, you won’t take it out on me right now. We need to work together to find your soldiers, put the assassin in prison, and make it to Fren to stop the upcoming war. We don’t have time to fight with one another.”
As hurt and upset as she was about being lied to, she couldn’t hate Jarvik, not after everything they’d been through. At least as long as the man she’d fallen in love with—his personality, characteristics, and heart—were the same, and that part of him wasn’t a lie. Even now that she knew his true identity, she still thought of him as Jarvik, the squire, not as Prince Odar. “Okay. I’ll listen.”
His shoulders relaxed, and he leaned his head back against the rocky wall behind him. “This entire mess began when Princess Shelene came to visit Fren.”
Allyssa remembered him telling her that Prince Odar fell in love with Princess Shelene of Russek. They were engaged until the union was dissolved by the prince’s parents when they learned she only intended to marry him in order to gain access to Fren’s military so Russek could destroy Emperion. “I assumed Prince Odar—I mean, your decoy—was in love with her. But he wasn’t—you were.” The realization made her numb. She tried to keep her expression neutral so she wouldn’t reveal how jealous this made her.
“I am Prince Odar,” he said gently, “and Jarvik is—was—my best friend. We simply switched places.”
The image of his friend being shot in the back by an arrow was seared into her mind. She was about to apologize for his loss when he said, “I am the one who fell in love with Shelene.”
Allyssa hated the girl already.
“She swept into our court, astonishingly beautiful, alluring, and sophisticated, looking at no one but me.”
Now Allyssa really despised the girl.
“She hung on my every word, laughed at my jokes, and every male at court wanted her. I was completely besotted with the princess. I proposed, and she accepted.” He ran his free hand through his hair, and Allyssa had to take a deep breath, forcing herself to remain calm. “My parents had no objections other than wanting to speak with the king and queen of Russek before finalizing everything. I insisted that there was no need, and I pushed forward with the marriage contract.”
She bit her lip to keep from making a snarky comment. She promised to let him explain, and she intended to keep that promise.
“I sent Jarvik to her rooms to invite her to my bedchamber for a private dinner.” The tips of his ears turned red as he stared at the low ceiling above them. Allyssa tried pulling her hand out of Odar’s firm grip, but he wouldn’t release her. “When my squire arrived, he found her…well, she was…not entirely clothed. She threw herself at him.”
“You can’t be serious.” While Jarvik was handsome, Odar was the one Allyssa was besotted with. His features were interesting, his personality kind, and he was not only intelligent, but also extremely skilled with a sword.
“Many women are taken with Jarvik. He is—was—considered the most handsome man at court.” Odar wouldn’t meet her eyes.
Allyssa believed true beauty came from within, and one’s personality was more important than his or her appearance. “So, what happened after that?” she asked.
“Jarvik told my parents about the incident. He didn’t come to me because he was afraid it would affect our friendship. Yet, he knew the marriage couldn’t go through if Shelene’s intentions weren’t honorable. My parents immediately severed the contract. I was furious and threatened to leave with the princess. That’s when they told me the truth.”
“Were you upset with your friend?”
“I was hurt and angry, but not with him. I was mad at myself for falling for her tricks, for not seeing what was right in front of me. Shelene was furious over losing the alliance. She swore we would pay—Jarvik for not keeping his mouth shut and me for refusing her. She returned home. By the next season, our border was lined with Russek soldiers threatening to invade. Then your well-timed letter arrived. Your parents stated that they were interested in a potential union between our two kingdoms. My parents didn’t divulge all the details of the letter, but they were fairly impressed with the proposal and insisted I go and meet you for myself. They said the decision was ultimately mine.” He finally glanced at her, his eyes pleading for her to understand.
She was still trying to figure out why Odar and Jarvik had switched places.
“I had no intention of marrying you,” he admitted. “I assumed you were greedy and wanted Fren’s army for power. Unfortunately, we needed Emperion’s strength to stop Russek. I was bitter, mad at Shelene, and furious at the position I was in. At the time, I assumed I brought this upon Fren—that the threat from Russek was my fault. So, to get back at Shelene, I decided to switch places with Jarvik. I assumed you would be taken with him. I had intended for the two of you to marry, for you to send troops to Fren’s aid, and I hoped when Shelene heard about the union, she would be livid.”
Allyssa was certain she’d heard him wrong. “Did you say you were going to let me marry Jarvik, thinking he was the prince of Fren?” He nodded. “My parents would have gone to war with Fren once the truth came out.”
“I thought you’d be so in love with him by then that it wouldn’t matter. Your kingdom would have what it wanted, and so would mine.”
“Sod off.” She tried yanking free.
“There’s more,” he mumbled, not releasing her. “You agreed to hear me out,” he pleaded.
What else could he possibly say that would justify his behavior? “You’re an arrogant prick,” she snapped.
“Please let me finish explaining.”
She stopped fighting and gave a curt nod. When he was done, she would trounce him.
“When we arrived at Emperion’s court, my plan didn’t unfold as I anticipated. You barely looked Jarvik’s way no matter how charming he was. You seemed dead set against the union. I hated you because I assumed you were just like Shelene. But the self-absorbed, snotty princess I expected to find didn’t exist. Instead, there you were. A princess who snuck out at night simply to spend time with her friend and put criminals behind bars. I’d never met anyone like you. And once I started to see you, the real you, everything changed. I realized how wrong I’d been to set my deceptive plan into motion.” He reached up and gently placed his free hand on her cheek.
“Once you realized you were wrong, why did you continue the ruse? Why did you allow Jarvik to sign the marriage contract?”
His hand dropped from her face. “Don’t get mad, but…that’s not exactly correct.”
“What do you mean?” she demanded, her temper barely under control. Her feelings were at odds. Should she kiss him? Punch him? Perhaps both.
“I signed the marriage contract as myself, Prince Odar, and Jarvik signed as the witness. You and I are officially engaged.”
She recalled the day the contract was signed and how it required one additional signature—a witness. Jarvik and Prince Odar were there, sitting side by side, and both signed the contract.
“If my father knew, he’d kill you,” she said.
“Darmik already knows.”