Cage of Deceit by Jennifer Anne Davis
(Reign of Secrets #1)
Published by: Clean Teen Publishing
Publication date: August 25th 2015
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult
Published by: Clean Teen Publishing
Publication date: August 25th 2015
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult
Synopsis:
Jennifer Anne Davis’ best-selling True Reign series captivated readers from the very first page. Now, get ready to become entangled in the follow-up series, Reign of Secrets. In this new series, follow Allyssa, the daughter of the beloved Emperor Darmik and Empress Rema— and find out what happens after happily ever after.
Seventeen-year-old Allyssa appears to be the ideal princess of Emperion—she’s beautiful, elegant, and refined. She spends her days locked in a suffocating cage, otherwise known as royal court. But at night, Allyssa uses her secret persona—that of a vigilante—to hunt down criminals and help her people firsthand.
Unfortunately, her nightly escapades will have to wait because the citizens of Emperion may need saving from something much bigger than common criminals. War is encroaching on their country and in order to protect her people, Allyssa may have to sacrifice her heart. Forced to entertain an alliance through marriage with a handsome prince from a neighboring kingdom, she finds herself feeling even more stifled than before. To make matters worse, the prince has stuck his nosy squire, Jarvik, to watch her every move.
Jarvik is infuriating, bossy and unfortunately, the only person she can turn to when she unveils a heinous plot. Together, the unlikely pair will have to work together to stop an enemy that everyone thought was long gone, one with the power to destroy her family and the people of Emperion. Now the cage Allyssa so longed to break free from might just be the one thing she has to fight to keep intact. In order to save her kingdom, she will have to sacrifice her freedom, her heart, and maybe even her life.
Seventeen-year-old Allyssa appears to be the ideal princess of Emperion—she’s beautiful, elegant, and refined. She spends her days locked in a suffocating cage, otherwise known as royal court. But at night, Allyssa uses her secret persona—that of a vigilante—to hunt down criminals and help her people firsthand.
Unfortunately, her nightly escapades will have to wait because the citizens of Emperion may need saving from something much bigger than common criminals. War is encroaching on their country and in order to protect her people, Allyssa may have to sacrifice her heart. Forced to entertain an alliance through marriage with a handsome prince from a neighboring kingdom, she finds herself feeling even more stifled than before. To make matters worse, the prince has stuck his nosy squire, Jarvik, to watch her every move.
Jarvik is infuriating, bossy and unfortunately, the only person she can turn to when she unveils a heinous plot. Together, the unlikely pair will have to work together to stop an enemy that everyone thought was long gone, one with the power to destroy her family and the people of Emperion. Now the cage Allyssa so longed to break free from might just be the one thing she has to fight to keep intact. In order to save her kingdom, she will have to sacrifice her freedom, her heart, and maybe even her life.
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Excerpt:
Excerpt:
Allyssa glided inside Darmik’s office. Her parents and
Prince Zek sat at a small, round table waiting for her. She had planned to
arrive early so she could talk to her parents before the prince showed up, but
it had taken even longer today to conceal her bruised face than it had
yesterday. It actually hurt to smile. As gracefully as possible, she took her
seat between her parents.
She’d attended
enough of these meetings by now to be able to determine the seriousness based
upon small subtleties. The low fire in the hearth, the absence of fresh flowers,
and the fact that her father wore his commander uniform instead of his royal
tunic and crown indicated that her parents didn’t consider the prince a
potential suitor. However, there was definitely something of importance they
wished to discuss—otherwise, they wouldn’t have even bothered to meet with him.
Darmik
motioned for the remaining guards to exit and shut the door, leaving the four
of them alone. “You wanted an audience with us,” he said to the prince. “What
would you like to discuss?”
Prince Zek
cleared his throat. “I wish for your daughter’s hand in marriage.”
Allyssa had
heard similar declarations before. Many wanted to marry the crown—no one
actually cared for the person wearing it.
“You and every
other prince on the continent,” Darmik bluntly answered.
Allyssa wanted
to kiss her father. She tried desperately not to laugh at the look of shock on
the prince’s face.
“Why don’t you
save us both a lot of time and get to the point?” Darmik said. He leaned back
on his chair, crossing his legs.
“My country is
in need of Emperion’s protection,” Prince Zek declared, trying to regain his
composure.
Allyssa
admired the fact that he was willing to marry her in order to protect his
kingdom. It showed loyalty, duty, and a sense of honor on his part—something
she hadn’t learned listening to him drone on and on over the course of the past
few weeks. However, she wondered what Fia needed protection from. The ten
kingdoms on the mainland had lived in relative peace for the past decade. She’d
heard whispered rumors that Russek was bullying its neighbors, yet that was
nothing new or worth being concerned about.
Rema folded
her hands on her lap. “You come from the small kingdom of Fia, which has little
to offer us. Why would we allow you to marry our daughter?” She kept all
emotion from her face, but Allyssa knew her mother well enough to know she was
leading the poor prince right into a trap.
“Russek has
invaded the kingdom of Melenia,” Prince Zek stated. “My parents fear Russek
will invade us next.”
Russek invaded
Melenia? Allyssa opened her mouth to question Prince Zek when Rema shook her
head. Allyssa withheld her question and sat there silently, waiting for her
parents to respond. Since neither of them appeared to be shocked or outraged, this
information wasn’t new to them.
Darmik stood
and paced about the room, appearing deep in thought. Allyssa tried not to roll
her eyes. Her parents were master negotiators and planners.
“I have a
proposition for you,” her father began. “Your kingdom is in need of protection.
We will give you the resources you seek.” Darmik stopped walking and turned to
face the prince. “If Fia joins the Emperion Empire.”
“What?” the
stunned prince asked, his eyes wide.
Darmik smiled.
“Fia will become a region within Emperion. Your parents will retain their
titles and land. However, they will pay taxes to Emperion. Their army will join
with my army. That is what I’m offering you. No need to marry my daughter.”
Prince Zek sat
there, fumbling with the edge of his cuff, not looking at anyone in the room.
If his parents deemed him capable enough to come here to Emperion, the largest
kingdom on the continent, and seek her hand in marriage, thus securing an
alliance, surely he could speak on their behalf regarding this matter.
“I’ll, uh,
need to discuss it with the king and queen,” he answered.
Rema abruptly
stood. “You do that. Until then, we wish you well.” She was dismissing him. He
was no longer welcome in their castle under their protection.
The prince
stood, his chair scraping against the stone floor. After he exited the room,
Allyssa sank back against her chair, sighing.
“Interesting
move on his part,” Darmik said, folding his arms and staring out the window
Jennifer graduated from the University of San Diego with a degree in English and a teaching credential. Afterwards, she married her best friend and high school sweetheart. Jennifer is currently a full-time writer and mother of three young children. Her days are spent living in imaginary worlds and fueling her own kids’ creativity.Author links:
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ReplyDeleteCaig of Deceit Sounds awesome! Looking forward to reading it. Thank you
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