“I’ve never had the pleasure of visiting Emperion and am unaware of your customs,” he said, “so I’ll simply tell you what I’ve seen from visiting royalty.”
They turned and descended a grand staircase with a golden banister. Placing her hand upon it, she marveled at the smooth feel of the gold. In this area of the palace, the ceiling consisted of leaded glass, which allowed the sun to shine through. Odar must think the Emperion castle a rustic shanty compared to this luxurious place.
“Since you are a woman,” Allek said at the bottom of the stairs, “you cannot go anywhere unescorted. If you wish to leave your room, I must accompany you.”
“What do you mean since I am a woman? Are you implying that if I were a man, I could walk around the palace on my own?” She stopped and waited for him to respond.
The tips of his ears turned beet red. “I don’t want you to become lost.” His eyes remained focused on something above her head. Marek always did that when he withheld the truth.
“I may be young,” she responded, “but I am not a fool.” Before he could reply, she resumed walking, unsure of which way to go. Large columns circled the perimeter of the room, each etched with emerald marble. In the center of the floor, mosaic tiles formed a picture of a forest.
“This way, Your Highness.” Office Allek gingerly took her arm, leading her through a set of double doors.
This was the most activity she’d had in days, and her ribs began throbbing. However, she forged on, not wanting to reveal her discomfort to these Fren soldiers lest they think of her as a weak female.
They passed through another set of double doors, entering a narrow corridor, each side floor-to-ceiling windows. She froze.
“Is something the matter, Your Highness?”
Turning to face the window on her right, she marveled at the magnificent sight before her. About fifty feet below, nestled between two large hills, a river flowed into a lake. “Is this corridor a bridge?”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“And the river runs directly below here?”
A wry smile spread across his face. “Yes.” He hesitated, and then placed his hands on her shoulders, gently turning her around to face the window behind her. About forty feet away, a waterfall cascaded down, leading to the river below. She couldn’t hear the water on the other side of the glass though she imagined it had to be very loud.
“The palace consists of two wings,” he explained. “Your room is in the west wing, along with all the guest rooms, ballrooms, and the main halls. The east wing contains the kitchens, offices, receiving rooms, and the Throne Room, as well as the royal family’s residence.”
“This place is astonishing,” she said, feeling incongruous with the opulence and beauty before her.
“It truly is,” Allek replied. “We need to be on our way. King Viscor, Queen Lutia, and Prince Odar are expecting you.” At the other end of the corridor, they went through another set of doors and entered a large receiving room. Several people mingled about, talking and sipping tea. “Those who wish to speak with the king and queen wait here to be called.”
“Do all these people live at court?”
“Most. However, anyone may come to seek an audience with the king and queen.”
Several people looked her way. Without the crown atop her head, they had no way of knowing her identity.
“This way, Your Highness.” He escorted her toward two large gold-plated doors.
The sentries standing guard opened them, and Allyssa stepped inside while the soldiers accompanying her remained in the receiving room. She walked down the center aisle toward the dais, trying to be as graceful as possible in her condition. The room was empty except for three people.
An older gentleman with gray hair and a neatly trimmed beard sat on the middle Throne Chair. He was broad-shouldered and exuded an air of respect. He had to be King Viscor. To his right sat a woman about Rema’s age with long, chestnut-colored hair. She had to be Queen Lutia. On the king’s left was Odar. He was dressed in a dark tunic with Fren’s crest embroidered on the front. A crown adorned his head—it was the first time she’d seen him wearing one.
Forcing herself not to stare at the handsome prince, she walked the remaining distance, stopping at the bottom of the raised dais. She chose not to speak until properly introduced.
Odar cleared his throat and stood. “Father, Mother, may I present Her Highness, Crown Princess Allyssa of Emperion.”
She gave a slight nod to the king and queen and waited for them to address her.
King Viscor looked at his son. “I was told the Emperion princess was dead. Killed by the Russek savages.”
Allyssa shuddered, remembering when King Drenton announced that Jana had sent word to her parents proclaiming her death. “I can assure you, Your Majesties, I am alive and well. After being held captive in Russek for several weeks, I escaped with Prince Odar.”
The king rubbed his chin. “Son, you never mentioned any of this. Explain.”
“You didn’t tell your father what happened?” Allyssa asked, appalled that he wasn’t honest with his own family.
Odar held up his hands. “Hear me out before you jump to the wrong conclusion.”
She folded her arms and waited for him to explain.
He looked at his father. “When we arrived here at the Fren palace, I thought it best if no one knew Princess Allyssa was here. Jana is actively searching for her. Why not let Jana think Allyssa either went home or died from her injuries?” He turned to face her. “The roads are being watched. She has put a hefty bounty on your head. The less people who know your identity, the better.”
“But surely there is no harm in telling your parents of our ordeal?”
“No, of course not. I simply haven’t had the chance to speak with them alone. There are hundreds of servants and soldiers in this palace. It only takes one person to put your life in jeopardy.”
What sort of relationship did he have with his parents if he hadn’t spoken to them alone? They’d been here an entire week. She couldn’t imagine going more than a day without having her parents’ undivided attention.
“While I understand your reasoning,” the king replied, “you needn’t worry about protecting Princess Allyssa. Our spies tell me Russek is in chaos and facing a full-scale civil war. Queen Jana just lost her husband and children and is in danger of losing her throne, too. The Emperion princess escaping should be the least of her concerns.”
Odar shook his head. “Queen Jana will seek revenge, and Princess Allyssa is in danger.” He quickly explained Jana’s hatred for Allyssa and her ties to the Emperion throne and family.
The king shrugged. “It seems Fren has nothing to fear then. Russek is fighting from within, they’ve withdrawn their soldiers from our borders, and if anything, they will go after Emperion once Jana secures her throne.”
“If she secures her throne,” Allyssa inserted, unable to help herself.