Page 66 of Cage of Destiny
She tried not to laugh at the foolishpart. Foolish was a state of opinion. “Agreed.” She hugged herfather. “Thank you,” she whispered in his ear.
“You better go and getready. Make sure you blend in. We want to prove Odar wrong. Gotit?”
She nodded and went over to her bag,rummaging around in it. Most Russek women wore ankle-lengthdresses, usually made from brown or gray wool. She didn’t haveanything like that.
“You’ll want to make sureyour hair is in a bun,” Kerdan said from behind her. “Women heredon’t do fancy braids. What do you plan on wearing?”
“I have a cloak I’mthinking of tying around my waist to look like a longdress.”
“I have a betteridea.”
She raised her eyebrows, wonderingwhat he had in mind. As she waited for his answer, she reached up,undid the tie in her hair, and ran her fingers through her braid.Her hair fell loose around her shoulders in soft waves.
“I’ll, um, be right backwith something for you to wear.” He turned and headed into thesurrounding forest, tripping over a stone in his haste to leave.She’d never seen him be clumsy before.
Pulling her hair back, Allyssa twistedit around and made a bun at the top of her head.
“Make sure you’re carefultonight,” Darmik said, sitting next to her.
“Why are you letting mego?” While she was elated to be going, it was unlike her father toallow such a thing.
Darmik rubbed his hands on his thighs,hesitating before answering. “I want to make sure you know whatyou’re getting into with Kerdan.”
She’d spent a good amount of time withKerdan. Granted, it wasn’t under normal circumstances, and theydidn’t interact in public much. Still, she thought she knew who hewas. “What are your reservations about him?” After all her father’stalk about the need to marry, here she was willing to do what wasbest for Emperion, and now Darmik was questioning it.
Her father smiled. “I didn’t considerKerdan to be a potential suitor, so I never bothered spying onhim.”
She rolled her eyes. “Maybe you shouldbe the one going with him tonight, not me.”
“You’re the one who has tomarry and live with him. He seems a little rough around the edges.That doesn’t bother you?”
Was it supposed to? “He was groomedfor the military. That’s the Russek way.” And her father, of allpeople, should know that considering his own upbringing.
“But not the Emperionway.”
“If you don’t want me tomarry him, just say so.”
He kissed her forehead and stood. “Theunion would benefit both kingdoms. Strategically, it makessense.”
“But?”
He rubbed the back of his head. “Butthat’s the emperor in me speaking. The father in me wants you tomarry for love.”
She stood and hugged him. “Thankyou.”
“For what?”
“For being myfather.”
“You’re welcome. Now getready while I go and find out what’s going on with Odar. I fear wemay have to tie that boy to a tree so he doesn’t do anythingstupid.”
A few minutes later, Kerdan returnedwith a simple dress. “Where did you get this?” sheasked.
“Larek acquired it when hewent to the village.”
“He’s back?”
“Hurit and Larek are hidingthe horses. They should be here shortly.”
