Blinking, he immediately sat up. “Sorry,” he muttered as he stretched. “Stay here while I go and obtain an update from my men.”
He headed over to the front of the library where his guards were positioned by the shelves and desks watching the entrance.
After speaking to them, Jarvik came back over to her. “I must check on Prince Odar, and I need to talk with Marek.”
“Did they catch the assassin?” she asked as she stood.
“No. You won’t be able to go anywhere without a dozen guards. Are we clear?”
He instructed his soldiers to escort her to her bedchamber. She was only to be granted entrance once it had been thoroughly checked and under no circumstances was she to be left alone.
The bars of her cage felt like they were collapsing in on her.
She spent the remainder of the day with Marek in the training room. After they sparred, he taught her the smell of the most common poisons, how to tend knife wounds, and other various safety skills he felt were important to know with an assassin hunting her.
On her way back to her bedchamber to dress for dinner, Prince Odar joined her.
“Where’s your squire?” she asked.
“Preparing our entourage for our departure next week. He’s securing inns along the way for lodging, organizing the plethora of soldiers accompanying us, and trying to decide how many trunks of clothing we can bring.” He chuckled.
She suspected the prince knew the truth; however, with so many people nearby, he couldn’t discuss their real plans.
When they entered her bedchamber, there was a small box sitting in the middle of her bed.
“Who left this?” she asked the guards stationed in her room.
“It’s been there all afternoon,” one of them responded.
“It wasn’t here when I left this morning with Marek. It had to have arrived afterwards. The five of you have been here all day?”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“I’ll check into it,” Marek said, coming into the room behind her. He went over to the box. “Stand back,” he ordered as he slowly lifted the lid. Marek hissed at the sight of the box’s contents. His eyes darted around the room. “Take the princess out of here,” he demanded. Guards surrounded her, and they took her out of her bedchamber to the sitting room.
Marek and Prince Odar joined her shortly after. The prince’s face was white as snow, and he swayed on his feet. Marek wouldn’t even look at her.
“Tell me,” she said, fearing something had happened to her parents.
“I need to speak with Jarvik.” Prince Odar hurried from the room, tripping over his feet in his haste to exit.
“Marek,” she whispered. “What is it?”
“Give us space,” he ordered the guards. When everyone backed away, he said, “I’m so sorry.” He clutched the black box between his shaking hands.
“Let me see.”
“You don’t want to, trust me.”
“Then tell me,” she begged. Her head started to throb.
“Grevik,” Marek softly said. “There’s a … bloody finger inside along with a note. It says: Come to the inn tonight or it’ll be his head tomorrow.”
She grabbed the nearby vase full of flowers and hurled it across the room. It hit the wall and shattered, muting her scream. The assassin had cut off Grevik’s finger. She would kill him with her bare hands for doing that to her friend. She started pacing the room. This man was an assassin. She was the crown princess. She could, and would, outsmart the man who had kidnapped and tortured her friend. He should fear her, for he’d crossed the line.
“Assemble the elite guard in the war room,” she ordered Marek. “I want you and Jarvik there as well.”
“Allyssa, we need to proceed with your father’s plans. We can’t deviate from them. I’m under orders.”
“I understand,” she replied. “However, I am the one in charge right now, and I gave you an order. I suggest you follow it before I throw you in the dungeon; are we clear? And it’s Your Highness, not Allyssa.”
Marek’s eyes widened in shock. She’d never spoken to him in such a way, but if she wanted to save her friend, she had to be just as ruthless as the man she was going up against.
The princess stood at the front of the room, all eyes on her. Jarvik’s lips were pulled tight, as if he wanted to say something or take control. However, he kept his mouth shut and remained seated. Allyssa gave the entire guard Grevik’s description, along with a detailed account of the room he was being held in. She dispatched a few of the men to head up searches throughout the entire city for her friend. The remaining men were going to accompany her to the inn.