Chapter Thirteen
Prince Kerdan’s fingers dug into Allyssa’s wrist as he hauled her through the gloomy hallway. Everything had happened so fast that she didn’t fully comprehend the sudden turn of events. She should protest and fight back; however, it was as if her mind floated in a foggy bubble.
Soma stepped into the hallway ten feet ahead of them, blocking the way, shadows flickering across his angular face.
Kerdan stopped, his grip tightening on her wrist. She let out a small cry of pain; the fog hovering in her mind vanished. “What do you want?” he demanded.
“What do you plan to do with her?” Soma asked.
“That is none of your business.” Kerdan pulled her closer to him, angling his body between her and Soma as if trying to shield her from the assassin.
“You should know what you’re dealing with.” Soma didn’t attempt to come any closer.
“I can handle her.” Kerdan’s grip remained firm on her wrist.
“She managed to escape from me once. Despite how scrawny she looks, she is dangerous. After all, she is my cousin.”
Allyssa opened her mouth to argue, but Kerdan squeezed her wrist. She shut her mouth, remaining silent.
“My father isn’t here, so I don’t have to tolerate you. Get out of my sight.” He hadn’t once turned his back on Soma. Even though he spoke to him in a degrading manner, he had to respect his skill in the art of killing.
Soma shrugged. “Suit yourself.” Slinking back into the shadows, he disappeared.
“Hurry.” Kerdan resumed his brisk pace down the empty hallway.
“You’re hurting me.”
He lessened his grip. Excellent. Making a mental note of the doorways and corridors, she drew a map in her head of her escape route. Steeling her resolve, she kicked Kerdan’s knee while grabbing his thumb on her wrist, bending it backward. He grunted from the well-placed kick and released her. She turned and ran as fast as she could.
And found herself flat on her stomach, her back protesting in pain from Kerdan’s knee digging into it. “Get off me,” she growled.
He stood, pulling her to her feet. “I would have been disappointed if you hadn’t tried.” He resumed walking, dragging her alongside him.
They climbed several flights of stairs and traveled along hallway after hallway, not passing another person. Did anyone actually live or work here?
“My room is on the top floor of the northern tower. The royal family resides in the eastern tower, while the people who remain at court live in the south wing.”
“Why aren’t you with your family?” A question more to fill the silence than for curiosity’s sake. Each step led her closer to her fate. What did Kerdan plan to do with her? She shivered, bile rising in the back of her throat, unable to even think of what lay ahead. One thing she knew for certain was that under no circumstance would she allow him to violate her body.
He lowered his voice. “Besides the king, the rest of them aren’t my family.” He stopped before a large arched door, unlocking it. “And Soma has already tried to assassinate me once.” He led her inside the dark room, the door slamming shut.
She froze, unable to see her own hand in front of her face. There was a shuffling sound, and then gray light burst into the room as Kerdan tied the curtains back, dust motes floating in the air. He lumbered over to the empty fireplace, knelt, and placed several logs inside, lighting the kindling. The fire gradually took, removing the dreary feel from the room.
Dark wood paneling covered the walls and ceiling. A four-post bed was centered on one wall, a desk and chair along another. Situated before the hearth were two chairs and a couch. A door, presumably to a dressing closet, was to the right. A few worn rugs were strewn throughout, softening the cold, stone flooring. No books, no paintings, no weapons.
Kerdan stood and turned to face her, his hands on his hips. Still dressed in his armor, he seemed out of place in the rather ordinary bedchamber. “You need to bathe.” His rough voice reverberated in the room.
Allyssa gulped. “I’ll kill myself before I let you touch me.”
He raised his eyebrows. “I have never forced myself on a woman before. I am a prince and captain for my father’s army. I can have anyone I want.”
“Except me.”
Kerdan folded his arms, studying her. “Who said I wanted you that way?”
She didn’t know how to respond. What other reason could there possibly be?
“You’ve been in the dungeon for weeks. You’re filthy and you smell.” He pointed to one of the empty walls. “I have a bathing room through there.” He pressed between two of the wood panels, and a hidden door swung open. He stepped inside. A moment later, a soft glow came from the room. “I don’t have any maids who tend to me here,” he called out. “So you’re on your own.” He exited the bathing room and gestured for her to enter.
She didn’t move. When he took a step toward her, she stiffened, and he retreated a step. “I brought you here to ensure your safety,” he said gently. “I don’t trust my stepmother and fear she may order your death without my father’s permission.”
“Why do you care?” Her mind reeled with possibilities, each too far-fetched to be feasible.
“I hate my stepmother. Since she wants you dead, I want you alive.”
So now not only was she trapped in the political turmoil between Emperion and Russek, but she was also caught in this family’s discord. Allyssa started pacing, and the prince’s eyes narrowed infinitesimally. There was more to the situation than he let on. “What aren’t you telling me?”
A true smile lit up his harsh face. “I’ve been traveling for days. If you’re not going to wash up, I am.”
She went to bite her thumbnail before remembering it wasn’t there. Clasping her hands together, she said, “Are you offering me use of your bathing room, alone, no hidden agenda?”
“I have a very clear agenda—you wash the stench off so you no longer stink up my bedchamber.”
“Fine.” She gracefully walked past Kerdan and strode into the bathing room. Maybe if she behaved like a princess, he would treat her like one. She pushed the door closed, only then realizing her entire body was shaking. Somehow, she was out of the dungeon, alive, and in Kerdan’s bedchamber. There still might be a way to survive this catastrophe.
Bloody hell. She smelled worse than a pile of horse dung. Several candles lit the room, revealing a copper bathing tub elevated over a handful of burnt logs. She had better bathe before she passed out from her own stench. Kerdan must have been desperate to put up with her.
Going over to the tub, she pumped the lever. Frigid water slowly poured into it. Once the water looked deep enough to sit in, she released the lever and peeled off her clothing, kicking it toward the door. It reeked of something foul and rotten, making her gag.
Climbing in the tub, she yelped from the ice-cold water. Maybe she should have lit the wood underneath to warm the water. But that would take far too long. She needed to be quick in case Kerdan burst in while she was naked. Forcing herself to sit down, she grabbed the chunk of soap laying on the edge and began scrubbing away the dirt and grime. Her fingers felt each protruding rib bone. She barely recognized her own body since she’d lost so much weight in the dungeon. Moving on to her tangled hair, she rubbed the soap on it. Once she’d cleaned every inch and no longer reeked, she climbed out of the filthy water, her skin covered with goose bumps.
A large fur blanket hung on the wall so she plucked it off the hook, wrapping it around her body.
“I have some clean clothes for you to wear,” Kerdan called from the other side of the door. “You can come out here and dress while I bathe.”
She swayed on her feet. When was the last time she’d eaten?
“Allyssa?” She vaguely noted the lack of title.
“Face away from the door,” she demanded. “And that’s Princess Allyssa to you.”
“My apologies,” he replied. “You may exit. I’m not looking.”
After making sure the blanket fully covered her, she pushed open the door. True to his word, Kerdan had his back to her. She exited and moved past him. He turned, not once glancing her way, and went inside the bathing room, closing the door behind him.
Alone in the prince’s bedchamber, she rushed over to the fireplace and dropped to her knees, trying to warm herself.
***
Allyssa opened her eyes. A dying fire crackled before her. Yawning, she pushed herself to a sitting position. The fur blanket slid off her shoulders. Clutching it tightly around her, she looked for the prince. The bathing room door stood ajar, the inside pitch black. The drapes surrounding the four-post bed were drawn shut. He must be asleep, although she couldn’t hear him breathing.
A pile of clothes sat on the hearth. She snatched the warm fabric, pulling the shirt and pants on. They had to belong to the prince because they were far too large for her. However, she dared not complain because she was clean and warm—two things she’d never take for granted again.
On the couch, pillows were situated at one end along with a thick blanket, making a bed. Did Kerdan intend for her to sleep there? It certainly looked more appealing than the ground upon which she sat. She glanced at the door, but it was bolted shut with a lock that required a key. To get past it, she’d need that key—and the prince was probably sleeping with it. The couch-turned-bed did look rather inviting. Blimey. She was a fool. Climbing onto the couch, she pulled the blanket up around her neck. Well, at least she would be a well rested and warm fool.
***
Allyssa awoke the next morning to a roaring fire. The drapes surrounding the prince’s bed had been pulled back. It revealed a neatly made bed, with Kerdan nowhere in sight.
She stood and stretched. It had been a long time since she’d slept so well. Going over to the window, she pushed the curtains aside, revealing the bright morning light. Snow fell from the sky, covering the trees in white. She longed to see a piece of grass or a leaf poke through the thick snow. Something—anything—that hinted at life outside the castle. Because if nothing could survive in this harsh environment, then she couldn’t either.
She sighed, leaning her head against the freezing glass. She didn’t know what to think of her present situation with Prince Kerdan, but she did believe what he’d said about hating his stepmother. Last night, she had been around the royal family for only a few moments, but in that brief time, she’d felt the tension and hostility between Kerdan and Jana. Then there was Soma, who only complicated matters. Kerdan said that Soma tried to kill him. At the Russek base camp, she’d overheard soldiers talking about Kerdan being on the brink of death. Hopefully, the family dynamics would be enough to keep her alive or at least buy her enough time to escape.
The door flew open, and she jumped, spinning around in time to see the prince close and bolt the door.
“You’re awake.” He held a large bag in one hand and a box in the other. “Sit.” He nodded toward the chairs.
The smell of warm bread wafted through the air, making her mouth water. She hadn’t eaten a decent meal in weeks. She tripped over her own feet in her haste to comply.
“I didn’t anticipate you being so civil this morning.” He glanced around the room as if expecting to find it in disarray.
Her treasonous stomach growled, revealing the only reason she obeyed was the hope of food. The prince chuckled and sat on the chair next to her. He set the bag on the ground and then lifted the lid off the box, revealing a plate piled high with food. “For you.”
Grabbing the plate, she began shoving the food in her mouth, acting in a very unprincess-like manner. But she didn’t care. The warm bread practically melted in her mouth. She smelled cinnamon and sugar sprinkled on the bowl of oatmeal, and she moaned in pleasure. Slices of cheese and some pastry she’d never seen before covered the rest of the plate.
“You’re not the least bit concerned the food is poisoned?”
She shook her head, inhaling another chunk of bread. “If you intended to kill me, I’d already be dead.”
His eyes remained steady, observing her. So what if a bit of oatmeal ran down her chin? It wasn’t like his opinion of her mattered.
“I suggest you eat slowly.” He leaned back in the chair. “You’re probably going to vomit that up.”
She continued devouring the food, unable to stop. After every last morsel had disappeared, she sighed, her stomach blessedly full.
“I brought you more clothing.” Kerdan pointed to the bag at his feet. “A few of my younger soldiers were willing to part with some clothes they’d outgrown. Something in there is bound to fit you.”
Setting the plate on the low table, Allyssa regarded the prince. His hair was pulled back at the base of his neck. The black markings on his face were gone, confirming her suspicion it was paint and not a tattoo. Without his armor, he looked younger and not so harsh. Granted, he was still tall and imposing, but not quite as vicious as he appeared yesterday. “What do you want with me?” she asked.
“Right now, I want to get to know you.”
A qualified response that indicated he might want more in the future. Interesting. “Why?”
“That depends on you.” His face remained impassive, no hint of emotion or feeling. He reminded her of her father, Darmik, during an interrogation.
“How do you suggest we become better acquainted when you are holding me hostage? Especially considering that your father is intent on conquering my kingdom.” She looked pointedly at him. “We are enemies.”
He shrugged. “My friendships have all been forged on the battlefield. So, I suggest we fight.”
“What is your intention? To get to know me? Become friends? Or do you simply want to wallop my arse?”
His eyes had a wild gleam that sent a cold chill through her body. “That remains to be determined.”
She had the distinct impression he was evaluating every word she spoke and gesture she made. In all the scenarios she dreamed up while locked in the dungeon, this wasn’t one of them.