Mayra released her. “You can do this,” she said. “I’ll be close by if you need me.”
“Thank you.”
Allyssa glided into the room. Only two members from the Legion were present at the table, her parents sitting across from them. There was one empty chair at the end of the square table, so Allyssa quickly took her seat. Directly across from her sat Prince Odar and his squire. Jarvik’s eyes met hers for a brief second, and she quickly looked away. What was he doing there? Why did her breath catch just by looking at him? He wasn’t even that handsome. Sure, he was interesting with his black hair, brown eyes, and freckles covering his nose. Blimey. He was staring right at her with that bloody expression of his that she couldn’t decipher.
“Let’s begin,” Darmik said. “Jarvik will receive a copy of the executed contract to deliver to the king and queen of Fren. Two members of the Legion will also retain a copy.”
The princess stared at the stack of papers on the table. There had to be over a hundred pages. She knew there were a lot of details to work out regarding their armies, but a hundred pages seemed a bit much.
“Empress Rema, the Legion, and Jarvik have already read the contract. Therefore, we will go quickly through it. I’ll highlight a few points, and Princess Allyssa and Prince Odar will sign each and every page.”
Allyssa sat there, pretending to be calm and serene when inside she was a nervous, screaming wreck. As soon as the contract was signed, the marriage could take place.
Darmik began reading. The first page addressed the issue of how Allyssa would ascend to the Emperion throne at the age of thirty, becoming the empress, and Rema and Darmik would step down. However, if Rema and Darmik died before Allyssa turned thirty, Allyssa would ascend to the throne at that time. Whenever she took the throne, so would Odar.
The next section of the contract discussed the fact that Odar and Allyssa would also be the crown heirs of Fren. Upon the death of the king and queen, they would take the throne, and Prince Odar would choose a regent to rule in his place.
It had been decided that the marriage ceremony would take place in two days. Afterwards, Fren and Emperion’s armies would join forces, officially declaring war on Russek. Emperion would seize control over the three kingdoms to the north, unifying all their armies.
Lastly, the contract touched on the logistics of bringing Fren and Emperion together when separated by another kingdom. Luckily, Rema had plenty of advice on this matter since Emperion ruled over Greenwood Island, a journey two weeks by boat.
Allyssa turned to the last page and found the spot for her final signature. It was next to the place for Prince Odar’s signature and above a spot for a witness to sign. By signing this page, the terms were officially agreed upon and all that was left to take place was the marriage ceremony in two days. Allyssa’s hand shook as she picked up the quill, placing the tip of it to the line she was supposed to sign on.
“Honey,” Rema gently said, garnering her daughter’s attention. “You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to.” She smiled reassuringly at Allyssa. “The choice is yours.”
“We need this,” Allyssa said. “It’s what’s best for Emperion. It is my choice, and I choose to help.”
She signed the contract and set the quill down.
Looking up, she found Jarvik staring at her, his eyes cold and obstinate. She sat up a little straighter. She was the princess of Emperion, she loved her kingdom, and she would yield to no one.
Darmik reached for the signed contract and handed it to Prince Odar. Jarvik rested his hand upon the prince’s arm, indicating for him to withhold his signature until the squire was done reviewing it.
“Do you mind if I sign as the official witness?” Jarvik asked her parents.
“By all means,” Rema said. “We would be honored.”
Jarvik nodded and signed the contract. When he was done, he pushed it toward Prince Odar, who took the quill and signed.
Allyssa entered the stables and noticed the squire in one of the stalls, saddling Prince Odar’s mare. Glancing around, she didn’t see the prince anywhere.
“I need to talk to you,” Jarvik said, peering over his shoulder. “It’s important.”
“I’m going riding with the prince.”
“I know.” He exited the stall. “This will only take a minute of your time.” He wiped his hands on his pants. “Why did you decide to sign the contract?”
She hadn’t expected him to ask her that. “For the same reason Prince Odar did—for the good of my kingdom.”
“So you understand that rulers have to make decisions and do things that are in the best interest of their kingdom?” He sat down on the bench outside the stall, patting the spot next to him.