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.”
Chapter Four
“What do you mean he knows?” Allyssa asked with disbelief. She squeezed her hand from Odar’s grasp and clutched onto the fabric of her pants, trying not to lose her temper.
“Before the ball, I had a long conversation with your father. I told him that I wasn’t a squire but Prince Odar. I also explained the reason for the false identity. That is why your father entrusted you to my care.”
“He wasn’t furious with you?” She thought her father would chop off Odar’s head for his deception.
“Once I explained it to him, Darmik told me he suspected as much. The Prince Odar he’d met didn’t coincide with his reports; however, the squire Jarvik did. He said it wasn’t hard to figure it out after that. He thought it best to continue the ruse until you and I made it to Fren.”