Page 56 of Cage of Darkness
Bloodyhell. She had been cooped up far too longin this place. Turning, she punched the wall, hoping to releasesome pent-up energy and aggression, but instead, her knuckles splitopen from the impact. She cried out in pain.
“I told you Prince Odar andPrincess Shelene are fairly cozy with one another,” hecommented.
“It’s an act.” She cradledher hand, wincing.
“Will you please sit down?You’re going to wear a hole in the floor.”
She plopped on the chair across fromhim. “Your plan better work.”
He leaned forward. “It will. However,I think we need to discuss Prince Odar. I don’t trusthim.”
She groaned and rolled hereyes.Not this again.
“He’s already deceived youonce.”
“Instead of discussingOdar, we should be talking about your sadistic father. If there’sone person I don’t trust, it’s him.”
“My father?” He had thegall to look shocked.
She nodded, wiping the blood from herknuckles on her tunic.
“I told you, he’s besottedwith Jana. Once she’s gone, he’ll be himself again.”
An awful lot rode on thehopeKing Drenton would return to normaland stop the war. But what if Kerdan was wrong?
He sighed. “I don’t trust Odar, andyou don’t trust my father.”
“I’ve already vouched forOdar,” she snapped.
“And I for myfather.”
“Then we have nothing todiscuss.”
He leaned back, staring up at theceiling, mumbling something unintelligible.
“I don’t understand you,”she admitted. He eyed her, but didn’t say anything. “For all yourgrumbling about not trusting Odar because he pretended to besomeone he wasn’t, you do the same thing. Only, I don’t know yourreasoning.” Her hand was still bleeding. She’d hit the wall harderthan intended.
He tossed her a handkerchief. “I don’tpretend to be another person.”
“No. But you show one faceto your kingdom, another one to your family, one to your soldiers,and one to me. Sometimes, I wonder how you keep it straight.” Andoften, she wondered if he was a genius or a madman, but she keptthat bit to herself.
He sat there, observing her, noemotion on his face. She refused to speak again until he explainedhimself. He abruptly stood. “No one has ever accused me of thatbefore.”
She snorted. Of course no one wouldnotice—he never allowed anyone to see more than one side of him.Not even his own father. So why had he allowed her to? Maybe hedidn’t think she would make it out of this alive afterall.
“Why do you think I do it?”he asked, standing before her.
She had many theories. “You showpeople what they expect to see.” Was that what he did with her? Sheleaned back in the chair, waiting for him to continue.
He crouched before her so they wereeye level. “I have been born into great privilege,” he said, hisvoice low, his eyes intense. “The kingdom expects a fierce ruler.My father has a mighty army under his command. He wants a strongson, and captain, to help him. An evil woman has wormed her wayinto Russek, infecting this place with her very presence. Someonemust destroy her.” He placed his hands on the arms of the chair,leaning closer to her. “I am this way because that is who mykingdom needs me to be.”
“What about a kind and justking?” She did not believe Russek needed someone with an iron fistruling.
“There will be a time andplace for that, but not now. A softrulerwill be trampled on once Jana is gone. I have to be strong so oneof the rival families doesn’t attempt to overthrow my father usingthe death of the queen as an excuse.”
Allyssa hadn’t considered thepossibility of a coup. “Why would they do that?” Especially sincethe line was entailed from Drenton to Kerdan.
“One reason—power. Thinkabout what Russek is doing to Emperion. It is the samething.”
