The Queen's Crown

Chapter 1

Sabine spotted her sister sitting on a bench under a sycamore tree, the man who’d been courting her on his knees before her. The exquisite sight made Sabine’s heart leap. She quickly hid behind the trunk of the nearest tree so she wouldn’t ruin their special moment. Excitement swirled within. It was about time Albert asked for Alina’s hand in marriage—they’d been dancing around the topic for weeks.

After a minute, Albert and Alina stood. Albert took both her hands, kissing them, and then he hurried away.

Sabine ran to her sister. “Is that what I think it was?” she asked, trying not to jump and dance until she heard her sister say the words.

Alina smiled. “He proposed.”

Sabine shrieked. “I’m so happy for you.” She wrapped her sister in a hug.

Alina sighed, her face the perfect picture of bliss. “He went to go and speak with Father to ask his permission.”

“It’s about time, you old hag. I was beginning to think you’d never marry.” Although she said it as a joke, Sabine had been concerned her sister wouldn’t find someone worthy of her love, especially since she was already twenty-four years old. Most women her age had children by now.

Alina sat back on the bench. “I’ve finally found the perfect man.”

Sabine plucked a flower from a nearby cherry tree and stuck it behind Alina’s ear, pushing her long blonde hair away from her shoulder. “I am going to be your maid of honor.” She sat beside her sister.

“I wouldn’t have anyone else.”

“This is going to be the most beautiful wedding.” After watching her two eldest brothers marry, it was about time Alina would have the honor.

“I want to invite everyone to the celebration.”

Sabine placed her head on Alina’s shoulder. “No one deserves this more than you. Shall we go and tell Mother?”

“Yes. She’s going to be so happy.”

“Thankfully Albert lives nearby, so you won’t be going far.” She couldn’t imagine Alina not living within walking distance. Albert and Alina truly made the perfect couple. They both had the same color hair, sparkling blue eyes, and they were tall.

“I’d never leave this countryside. It’s too beautiful here.” She stood and pulled Sabine up alongside her.

“You don’t think Father will object to you marrying Albert since he’s only a baron?” Their two eldest brothers had married daughters of prominent dukes.

“It shouldn’t matter.” The two sisters began walking toward the castle.

No, Sabine supposed it shouldn’t. Not since Father had Karl as his heir, and Karl had two boys of his own. The royal line was well established, and Alina wouldn’t have to worry about ever sitting on the throne. One of the perks of being born third, she supposed.

“Mother will be thrilled she’ll have three of her six children married,” Alina said.

Sabine rolled her eyes. “I don’t see Otto, Viktor, or I marrying anytime soon, so don’t you dare start on us.”

Chuckling, Alina patted Sabine’s arm. “I wouldn’t dream of forcing you to do anything that wasn’t your idea or you didn’t agree with.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” She nudged Alina in the side. “Are you implying I’m difficult?” As the youngest of six, she never bothered anyone. In fact, she’d say she was the easiest of her siblings and got along with everyone just fine.

“Never.” Alina laughed.

“I am not difficult.” She gathered her long, dark brown hair and twisted it into a knot atop her head.

“I didn’t say you are,” Alina said with a huge smile, implying otherwise.

They entered the castle and headed to the sitting room where they found the queen taking her afternoon tea.

“Just who I wanted to see,” Elsa said, her blonde hair so like Alina’s, perfectly braided atop her head. “Both of my daughters, together. Take a seat.”

“Mother,” Alina said, kissing the queen’s cheek before sitting on the sofa across from her. “I have something to tell you.”

Elsa turned toward Sabine. “Join us.” It wasn’t a question but a demand.

Sabine still stood in the doorway. She despised sitting around drinking tea. However, since this was a special occasion, she willingly entered the room. “I’d be delighted.”

“Excuse me,” Karl said as he stepped into the room behind Sabine.

“What a surprise,” the queen said, a smile on her face. “Three of my children are here to join me for tea.”

Karl looked at Alina. “Sister, Father needs to speak with you. I’ll escort you there.”

“I’m sure it can wait until after tea,” Elsa said. “Come and sit with us, Karl.”

“I’m sorry, Mother. This cannot wait.” He stood with his hands clasped together, his dark hair combed back, impeccably dressed as always. As the crown prince, he took his position seriously.

Father probably wanted to speak with Alina before accepting Albert’s proposal. Most likely he wanted to make sure it was what Alina wanted. Which meant Sabine would be stuck taking tea with her mother. Alone.

“Of course.” Alina stood. “Mother, please excuse me.” She turned to face Sabine and mouthed, “Don’t say anything.”

Sabine rolled her eyes. She wouldn’t tell their mother about the engagement. If Alina wanted to be the one to share the news, she deserved to do so.

Karl and Alina exited the room.

“Sit up, dear,” the queen said. “You’re a princess, not a commoner. Act like one.”

And this was why Sabine tended to wander out of doors and to avoid social engagements such as this one.

Three days passed and still no engagement had been announced. Every time Sabine tried speaking to Alina about it, her sister said she couldn’t talk, and she’d hurry away. If anything, it seemed as if Alina was avoiding Sabine, which didn’t make any sense. Besides being sisters, they were the best of friends and told one another everything.

Come to think of it, Sabine hadn’t seen Albert since the proposal. This was supposed to be a joyous occasion, so she had no idea why all the closed-door meetings and secrecy was taking place.

Finally, on the fourth day, Sabine could take no more. She searched the castle for her sister only to discover she was with the king in his office. Again. Sabine paced before the office door, prepared to confront Alina about what was going on. However, Alina never left the room.

Instead of going to bed in her own room that evening, Sabine curled up on Alina’s bed, waiting.

She awoke to darkness. “Alina?”

“Why are you in my room?” Alina whispered.

“I want to talk.” Sabine scooted over on the bed, making room for her sister.

Alina crawled under the covers. “It’s late. I’m tired and don’t feel like talking.”

Sabine slid her arm around her sister, hugging her. “Not even about the color of my dress for the wedding?”

Alina stiffened. “There’s not going to be a wedding here in Bakley.”

“What are you talking about?” There was nowhere else to have the wedding except here in Bakley.

“I’m not going to marry Albert,” Alina whispered.

“Why not?” Her sister and Albert loved one another. Sabine was certain of it. “Did Father not approve? If not, I can talk to him. I’ll tell him how Albert looks at you and that you’re in love with him. He’ll change his mind.” It had to be that Albert was only a baron.

Alina didn’t say anything.

“You deserve to marry and be happy.”

“I am getting married,” Alina whispered, a slight hitch to her voice.

“But I thought you said…”

“I’m marrying someone else.”

There was no one else. Alina had never looked at any man the way she looked at Albert. “I don’t understand.”

“I’ve accepted the proposal of King Rainer Manfred of Lynk. I leave next week. The wedding will take place in his kingdom.” She said it as if stating simple, undeniable facts.

Sabine laughed. “Don’t joke about something like that.”

“I’m not.” Alina pushed Sabine’s arm away. “I don’t mean to be rude, but I’m exhausted and need to sleep. I don’t want you in here tonight.”

Sabine sat up, a stab of pain pressing on her heart. “What’s going on?”

“Our kingdom will benefit greatly from an alliance with Lynk.” Alina rolled over onto her side, away from Sabine.

“So you’re going to sacrifice your own happiness?” None of this made any sense.

“I’m not sacrificing anything. I am a princess of Bakley, and I have a duty to our people.”

“Our people?” Sabine crawled out of bed and began pacing. “Father is the king. Karl is the crown prince. Karl’s two sons are his heirs. You’re not going to sit on the Bakley throne. What you do doesn’t matter.”

“But I am a princess,” Alina whispered. “And King Rainer needs to marry.”

“Tell him to marry someone else!” Sabine yelled. “You’re in love with Albert.”

“Bakley is in trouble,” Alina replied. “Lynk can help. By marrying King Rainer, I will be helping our people.”

Sabine shook her head. “That’s for Father to figure out, not you.” This wasn’t fair. Alina shouldn’t have to fix their father’s problems. He was the king, he made all the decisions, he could solve this mess without using his daughter as a bargaining chip.

“Sabine,” Alina said, “I’m tired and wish to sleep. Leave me be. Please.” Her voice wobbled, as if on the verge of tears.

“You’re making a mistake.”

“I only have a few days left here,” Alina whispered. “I don’t wish to waste it fighting with you.”

“Then don’t do this.”

Silence filled the room.

“Fine.” Sabine left Alina alone and returned to her own bedchamber. Tomorrow she would talk some sense into her sister.

When Sabine awoke the next morning, the castle was filled with activity. The servants were packing Alina’s things, four seamstresses had arrived with yards and yards of material to make dresses fit for a queen, and a handful of sentries were being prepped to travel with Princess Alina to Lynk.

Sabine found her mother in the great hall, talking with the servants about how she wanted the room decorated for the ball that was going to be held in a few days to bid Alina farewell.

“Mother,” Sabine said, “we need to speak.”

The queen stepped away from the servants. “Honey, there is much to be done. If you wish to help, I can give you a job.”

“No, I do not wish to help.” She refused to aid in this madness. “Alina loves Albert.”

“Hush, don’t say such things.” Elsa wound her arm around Sabine’s, leading her out onto the balcony overlooking the large pasture behind the castle. “Watch what you say in front of the servants. They love to gossip.”

“Mother.” She slid her arm free. “What’s going on?”

“Your sister is going to be a queen.” She smiled. “I suggest you go to her and see what you can do to help her prepare.” She turned and strode away from her daughter, going back into the great hall.

Standing there, dumbfounded, Sabine didn’t know what to do to talk some sense into her family.

A thought occurred to her. Since her family wasn’t seeing reason, she could talk to Albert and get him to help. She quickly made her way to the stables. Albert only lived a few miles away. She could ride her horse to his house and fix this mess.

Opening the door to her horse’s stall, she heard someone walking toward her. She peered over her shoulder and found her brother, Rolf.

“What are you doing?” he demanded.

“Nothing,” she replied, closing the door to the stall. “What are you doing?” Since his wife was pregnant, she expected him to be tending to her needs, not out here in the stables.

“I’m checking the carriage for the journey.” He folded his arms across his wide chest. Like her father and other brothers, Rolf had dark hair and eyes. However, unlike them, he was far shorter at just five and a half feet. He also was on the stocky side, claiming it was all muscle. Sabine knew otherwise—he loved his ale a little too much and it showed around his stomach. “Where do you plan on going?” He tilted his chin toward her horse.

She folded her arms, mirroring him. They were the same height. “You’re the commander of the army; don’t you have someone else who can check the carriage?”

“I do. But Alina is my sister, and this is a dangerous journey. I trust something of this importance to no one else.”

“If it’s so dangerous, why let her go?”

“We need this alliance.” He rubbed his face.

Now that Sabine was paying closer attention, she noticed the dark circles under his eyes. “What’s going on?”

“Raiding parties from Carlon have been breaching our border. They’ve been stealing food from our people. Last week, a couple dozen children were taken.”

“What for?”

He shrugged. “No idea. But my army is spread too thin trying to protect our border. Father fears Carlon may try and overtake us.”

Frustration built. Their father had always favored farming and agriculture over fighting. The result was that their army had too few men since the king didn’t see the need to maintain a large standing army. “Can’t we just recruit more people?”

His eyes narrowed. “Why do you think Alina is marrying King Rainer?”

It felt as if she’d stumbled into a fire. “She’s marrying that man for his army?” She balled her hands into fists. Alina was choosing to marry a man she’d never met and didn’t love just so their father could have access to the man’s military might?

“It’s more complicated than that, but yes, that’s the gist of it.”

Sabine stormed from the stables, heading back to the castle. She would talk some sense into her sister. There was no reason for Alina to give up on love because of their father’s poor choices.

She found Alina standing in the middle of her bedchamber wearing a wedding gown, staring at herself in the mirror, her eyes filled with tears.

Sabine rushed to her sister, wrapping her in a hug. “You don’t have to go through with it.” Maybe if she held on and didn’t let go, her sister wouldn’t leave.

“I don’t have to, but I want to.” Alina hugged her back. “I thought I’d wear this to marry Albert.”

“You still can marry him.”

“Our kingdom needs me,” Alina said.

“They do. You must stay here in Bakley. You can’t go to Lynk.” On the other side of the continent.

“Oh, honey,” Alina said, squeezing Sabine and then releasing her. “We need this alliance. Please understand that I’m doing this for everyone, including me.”

Tears involuntarily filled her eyes. “But why?” Her heart was breaking—for her sister, for herself, for love.

“Will you promise me something?”

“Anything.”

“I want you to visit me when you can.”

“Of course.” Sabine couldn’t imagine going a day without seeing her sister. Maybe she could go with her.

“And can you please give something to Albert for me?” She went over to her writing desk and withdrew a sealed letter, holding it out to Sabine.

“I will.” She took the letter and tucked it into her dress.

“Please give it to him after I leave. It explains everything. I want him to understand.”

Sabine didn’t know how he was going to understand when she didn’t understand it herself.

“I love you and I’m going to miss you.” Alina held her arms out.

Sabine rushed over and hugged her sister again, the tears freely flowing. “Please don’t go.”

“I have to. One day you’ll understand.”