“What about the rest of Russek?” She’d spent weeks hearing rumors of fighting going on and worrying about him.
“There have been several small uprisings. Mostly citizens who didn’t know or understand what’s been going on. Once I, uh, educated them, they stood down and the problem was resolved.”
“And by educate you mean?”
“A short fight in which someone may or may not have been injured, but no one died.”
She could envision Kerdan dealing with the Russek citizens. He must be a sight to behold. “Are any of the dukes giving you a hard time?”
“I sent five hundred soldiers to each duke’s residence to ensure their loyalty.” He dropped his eyes to his folded hands resting on the wall. “Your father has been offering his advice on how to handle these situations.”
“I’m glad he has been able to help you.”
Kerdan nodded. “My kingdom will be in turmoil for quite some time. I need to reestablish trade, get production of food up, and help those in need.”
“Then it’s a good thing you’ll have me by your side to help.” This time, she was the one who leaned in, kissing him on his lips.
Allyssa stood in the Throne Room as the royal families from Kricok, Landania, and Fia arrived for the wedding. When these three territories joined the Emperion empire, Rema and Darmik granted the rulers of each territory retention of his or her status. Among those present was Prince Zek of Fia. Allyssa remembered when he’d come here seeking her hand in marriage for the benefit of his kingdom. While they’d had nothing in common and she found him rather droll, she did respect his loyalty and dedication.
Rema requested the kings and queens from these three territories join her for a private meeting. Allyssa and Savenek invited everyone else to the back lawn for a picnic.
Odar dutifully escorted Allyssa out of the castle and to the back lawn where long tables and benches had been placed throughout the grassy area. One of the tables held food for everyone. She’d already eaten and had been needlessly instructed not to touch anything. Three sentries stood near the table, keeping watch over everything.
To the side, several targets had been set up for archery. Off to the other side, several baskets had been placed in one area while a handful of balls were in another. The goal of the game was for a person to see how many balls he or she could toss into the baskets.
“Care to play a game?” Odar asked.
“Not right now. I’ve been instructed to make sure people enjoy themselves.”
Besides the members of the royal families, several courtiers from the castle had come out to join in the festivities. Allyssa strolled around, talking to several people. It was all rather boring, but she did her duty, making sure everyone was greeted and had food. Savenek also meandered around, talking with everyone and playing the part of the carefree prince. He seemed to take to his role with more enthusiasm than Allyssa did.
Kerdan sat at one of the tables with his men. They looked out of place with their fur wraps, hulking statures, and severe facial expressions.
Prince Zek of Fia approached Allyssa and bowed. “Your Highness.” He was the same as she remembered—tall and lanky. “I would like to personally thank you for stopping the war with Russek.”
“I’m sorry there was any fighting at all.” And she felt horrible so many good men had died.
“If the Emperion army hadn’t come to our aid, we would have been slaughtered.”
Fia’s army was small and no match for Russek’s soldiers. “I’m glad our kingdoms have joined together for the mutual benefit of all our people.” That sounded politically correct to her. And she liked reminding him that he fell under her jurisdiction now.
“I’m surprised to see anyone from Russek here.” He nodded at the table where Kerdan was sitting with his men.
“That is King Kerdan,” Allyssa informed him. “He is the person responsible for stopping the war. Once his father died, King Kerdan immediately withdrew all Russek troops from Emperion.”
“I did not know that.”
Which was why she’d told him. She forced herself not to roll her eyes or say some snide remark.
Odar joined her. “Would you like to begin the games?”
“I would love to.” After excusing herself from Prince Zek, she went with Odar over to the archery area.
Savenek already stood there holding a bow. A handful of women surrounded him. Several other courtiers came over to join in the archery competition while a dozen or so stood back to watch.
“I’ll go first,” Allyssa announced. She nocked an arrow, aimed for the first target, and released the bowstring. The arrow sailed through the air, landing in the center of the target. Everyone clapped.
With a smirk on his face, Savenek raised his bow and released an arrow. It wobbled through the air and landed on the outer part of the target. He smiled, pretending to be pleased with the shot. Allyssa knew it was hard for him to appear as anything less than extraordinary—especially at something he was so good at. Luckily, he played his part well.
While the next person prepared to shoot, Allyssa glanced over at Kerdan. He was still sitting at the table; however, he’d angled his body so he could watch her. Russek people didn’t use bows and arrows. She’d offered to teach him to shoot. Too bad she couldn’t do it today. Allyssa wouldn’t mind the feel of her arms wrapped around him as she tried to show him the proper angle and hand placement.
Savenek nudged her. “Your turn,” he said, winking.
Everyone taking part in the archery competition had already taken their first shot. And she’d missed them all while standing there thinking about Kerdan. She needed to focus. It appeared that everyone had managed to get an arrow on the target. So far, hers was the closest while Savenek’s was the farthest from the center. Everyone else was somewhere in between.
She nocked another arrow and shot, once again striking the middle of the target. Only this time, she could feel Kerdan watching her, and it pleased her immensely.
Savenek
Word came that the royal family from Apethaga had been spotted not far from the castle. When Savenek had escaped from Apethaga, he never thought he’d see the royal family again. And now here he was, getting ready to greet them as the prince of Emperion. They would be shocked to learn his identity.
He vaguely wondered if they’d be dressed in typical Apethaga clothing. If so, they were sure to cause a stir since they liked to show a lot of skin, especially around the shoulders, arms, and neck. Granted, it was so hot and humid in Apethaga that the clothing made sense. But in Emperion, people were always fully covered.
“Let’s go,” Darmik said from the doorway to Savenek’s bedchamber.
Savenek gave himself one last look in the mirror. His black pants fit snugly, accentuating his long legs. The dark red tunic complemented his skin tone, making his hair seem more blond than brown.
“You look fine.” Darmik pinched Savenek’s upper sleeve, pulling him from his room.
When Savenek entered the sitting room, he saw Mayra standing there. She was beautiful in her navy-blue dress.
“You have five minutes,” Darmik said. “I’m going to get Rema and Allyssa.” He left the room.
Savenek went over and kissed Mayra on the cheek.
“Bold move considering your parents aren’t far away,” she said.
“It’s just a friendly hello.” It felt good to see her.
“As long as you’re not giving anyone else those friendly hellos,” she teased.
While he may harmlessly flirt with women at court in order to keep his appearance as the aloof prince, he would never consider kissing another woman. He reached out and took hold of her hand. “I assume you know who’s just about here.” He didn’t know how King Theon and Queen Elesseni would react once they realized they’d imprisoned and tried to kill Savenek and Mayra—not Ven and Ari.
“I do.” Mayra pulled her hand free and sat on the sofa. “Which is why I’m here.”
Running
his hands through his hair, he sat on the sofa next to her, knowing she was about to be overly practical. “I thought you were here because you missed this dashing face.” He grinned.
“Be serious.”
Sometimes he didn’t want to be serious or practical. It was too much work. And thinking about King Theon and Prince Patteon being under the same roof as Mayra made Savenek anxious. He’d spoken to Neco about assigning a handful of guards to watch Mayra. Neco had decided against it, stating he needed his daughter to be able to move through the castle undetected. “I want you to avoid the Apethaga royal family as much as possible. I also want you to be extra cautious.”
“I understand your concern,” she said, patting his thigh. “But they’re the ones who should be careful. Once they realize what they’ve done to Emperion’s prince, I expect them to be on their best behavior, scared your father will retaliate.”
Darmik entered the room with Rema and Allyssa. Savenek stood, pulling Mayra up with him. Dipping his head toward her, he whispered, “Meet me in the library at midnight.”
“Mayra,” Darmik said, “your father and I want you in your rooms while the Apethaga family is getting situated. I don’t want them accidentally running into you.”
“I understand.” She bowed and left.
“Are we heading to the Throne Room?” Savenek asked.
“No. We’re going to greet them outside in front of the castle,” Darmik said. “I want their bags, clothing, and anything else they bring with them searched for poison before they step foot in the castle.”
“Our family must put on a strong, united front,” Rema said. “From this point forward, watch your back.”
They exited the Royal Chambers. Twice the number of usual guards surrounded them. Savenek had a feeling this would last until all the guests—and enemies—left. They made their way through the castle. Many of the servants were cleaning, others were bringing in fragrant flowers, and another handful carried in freshly baked bread from town.
In front of the castle, Rema and Darmik stood next to one another, holding hands. Savenek and Allyssa were on either side of them. The Emperion army lined the pathway that led to the main entrance in the outer wall.
The gates swung open, and twenty-four mounted Apethaga soldiers rode onto the castle grounds, followed by four carriages. When the Apethaga soldiers arrived at the front of the castle, they dismounted and stood off to the side, allowing the carriages to pull up to the front.
The first carriage door opened, and servants exited. They began unloading trunks from the second carriage. They did know they were only welcome here for a week or so? Just long enough for the wedding, and then they were going home. The last two carriages remained shut with their curtains drawn.
Neco came around the side of the castle, going straight to the Apethaga soldiers. He started barking out orders, making it clear he was in charge and they needed to obey. He ordered the soldiers to take their horses to the stables. Once the animals were taken care of, the soldiers were to report to the barracks where they would be given rooms for the duration of their stay.
After Neco was done ordering them about, he turned to the servants. He instructed them to follow one of his men around the side of the castle to the servants’ entrance. Savenek was certain that once the servants were out of sight, Neco would be thoroughly searching them and the trunks for poison.
Savenek looked expectantly at the two remaining carriages. One of the doors finally opened, and Lareissa stepped out wearing a purple dress that hung off her shoulders, revealing her bare arms and neck. She was just as stunning as Savenek remembered. She stood to the side while Zare exited. Conditto stepped out next, her eyes scanning the Emperion royal family before taking her place next to her siblings. She wore a soft orange dress that clung to her shapely body. There was a slit up the front revealing long legs. The color of the dress complemented her dark skin. Patteon exited, standing next to his siblings. The door to the last carriage opened, and Theon and Elesseni stepped out. They approached Rema and Darmik.
“Welcome,” Darmik said. “This is my beautiful wife, Empress Rema; my daughter, Crown Princess Allyssa; and my son, whom you already had the pleasure of meeting, Prince Savenek.”
The king narrowed his eyes at Savenek. “I do remember you,” Theon said. “I believe you called yourself Ven.”
Savenek didn’t let the intended jab bother him. “Ven is my nickname. It’s short for Savenek.” He smiled, indicating it should have been obvious.
“You didn’t introduce yourself as the prince,” Theon accused him.
“At the time, I wasn’t.”
Theon looked at Darmik for an explanation.
“I’m sure you’ve heard that Allyssa and Savenek are twins,” Darmik said. “Allyssa grew up here in the castle, while Savenek grew up with a close, trusted friend.”
“Yes,” Rema added. “We are so pleased both our children are finally living with us.”
Theon waited for them to say more. When neither Darmik nor Rema offered further explanation, the king waved his children forward and introduced them.
“We are so very pleased you all could make it,” Rema said, her voice so sweet it made Savenek want to gag. “Please come inside for some refreshments.”
“We prefer to be seen to our rooms first,” King Theon said. “We’ve had a long journey and wish to freshen up.”
“Very well,” Darmik replied. “My most trusted advisor will show you to your rooms. Supper and dancing will be held this evening. We look forward to seeing you then.” Without waiting for a response, Darmik turned and strolled inside the castle.
Rema, Allyssa, and Savenek hurried and joined him.
Once they were inside, away from the Apethaga royal family, Savenek ran his hands through his hair. “Well, that was awkward.”
“If you think that was awkward,” Rema said, “just wait. The king and queen of Fren, Odar’s parents, are due to arrive within the hour.”
Allyssa paled.
Darmik wrapped his arm around her. “It’ll be okay,” he said. “It won’t be much longer until this is over.”
“I know,” she replied. “It’s just that the last time I saw King Viscor and Queen Lutia, they were rather rude toward me, flaunting they didn’t need the marriage contract any longer.”
Savenek curled his fingers into fists. His poor sister had been kidnapped, drugged, tortured, and when she’d finally escaped, thinking she was getting her happily ever after with Odar, Odar’s parents had severed the marriage contract. And to hear her say they did it so callously made him want to punch something—preferably King Viscor.
“Let me know when they arrive,” Savenek said. “I have a few things to tend to.”
He left before he lost his temper in front of Allyssa. She didn’t need to see that. Instead of going to the training room to work out his aggression like he wanted to, he headed toward the infirmary. He needed to check on the healer to see how she was progressing with the antidote. Now that Apethaga was here and Telmena was due to arrive within the next day or two, the antidote was a priority.
Savenek found the elderly healer coming out of a patient’s room.
“Prince Savenek,” she said, her voice gravely from old age. “Come to my office.”
She led him down the hallway to a small room. There was a table in the center and shelves lined the walls. On the shelves were various plants, ferns, and flowers. Built into the ceiling of the office was an oversized window, which allowed the sunlight to filter in.
Savenek instructed his guards to wait out in the hallway. He closed the door and faced the healer. “How’s the antidote coming?” An odd smell permeated the room. He couldn’t pinpoint where it was coming from.
Picking up a pot of water, the healer started pouring a small amount into the plants on the west wall. “It’s coming. I only had the one glass container to work with.”
“And Mayra’s notes.”
“Yes.” She set the water pot down and stood be
fore the table in the center of the room. There were several mixing bowls and containers spread over it. “Mayra’s paste significantly slowed the poison from spreading throughout your body. However, it didn’t stop or neutralize the poison.” She pulled one of the bowls forward, picked up a spoon, and started grinding the leaves in it against the side of the bowl. “I had to use a couple of different medicines on you before one of them worked. The trick is to discover if the last one I administered did the trick, or if it was a combination of them that healed you.”
On one of the shelves directly behind the healer, a vial with red liquid stood inside of a glass container. “Is that it?”
“Yes. I don’t have much left. I’ve been mixing it with various substances trying to determine what works and what doesn’t.” She set the bowl aside, then grabbed another one. “Once I mix the leaves from that bowl with the ingredients from this bowl, I can neutralize the poison.”
“Meaning?”
“It is no longer harmful to touch or smell.”
That was a start. “What about if the poison is ingested?” he asked, coming to stand beside her so he could examine the contents of the bowls in greater detail. “Or, like me, someone is cut with a knife laced with the poison? Does that concoction neutralize the poison once someone is infected with it?”
She raised her head, pinning him with a steady gaze. “I won’t know until we test it on someone.”
That was what he’d been afraid of. “Let’s use one of the Telmena prisoners who brought the poison here.” Not that he liked the idea of using a person to test the poison on. However, at least these men had planned to use it on Emperions. It seemed only fitting for the healer to test the antidote on one of them.
She nodded. “You get the poison, and I’ll carry the antidote.”
Savenek went over and opened the glass container, removing the vial of poison. He carefully set it on the table, trying to think of the best way to do this. “Do you have a cup?”
Oath of Destruction: Reign of Secrets, Book 5 Page 23