Chapter 3
“What did you say?” the king asked, his voice laced with danger.
The steward glanced between the two Bakley soldiers on either side of him before responding. “I’m sorry to inform you that Princess Alina is dead. Her body is on its way here as we speak. King Rainer insisted I deliver the news on his behalf.”
Sabine’s world felt as if it tilted. This could not be happening.
“My daughter is dead?” The queen let out a wail before collapsing onto the steps.
“Careful,” Viktor said as he slid his arm around Sabine’s waist.
She hadn’t even realized her knees had grown weak. A sick feeling took root in the pit of her stomach.
“Explain,” the king demanded.
“Princess Alina’s lady’s maid went to wake her for breakfast,” the steward replied. “When the princess didn’t stir, the lady’s maid shook her, finding her cold. The king came in with his doctor, and the princess was declared dead.”
“Had she been ill?” the king asked, taking a step toward the steward.
“No,” he replied. “She, uh, appeared to have been poisoned.”
Sabine blinked, trying to look at the steward and make sense of all he said.
“Someone assassinated my daughter?” the king said, his voice a simmering rage about to blow over.
“We believe so.” The steward handed the king a letter. “The details are in here. King Rainer is conducting a full investigation. The person responsible for her murder will be brought to justice.”
The word murder sunk like a rock into Sabine’s stomach.
“Easy,” Viktor murmured in her ear, holding her upright.
“Someone in Lynk killed my sister?” Karl said as he moved to stand beside his father.
“We don’t know what kingdom the murderer is from,” the steward replied.
Murder. Alina was dead. Killed. In Lynk. A ringing noise sounded in Sabine’s ears, and she no longer heard what anyone else said. Her entire body shook. This could not be happening. It had to be an error. No, a nightmare. One she needed to wake up from. Her sister couldn’t be dead. Alina didn’t deserve this.
Sabine vomited.
“Get the queen and princess inside,” the king demanded. “Have the Lynk steward escorted to the throne room. Karl, Rolf, Otto, and Viktor, you’re with me.”
A Bakley soldier rushed over to Sabine, taking hold of her arm, and ushering her inside.
Her body felt numb. Tears streamed down her face and her head began to pound. This could not be happening. Alina couldn’t be dead. It was just a nightmare. Or some sick and twisted joke.
The soldier took Sabine to her bedchamber where a servant helped her sit on the chair near the window.
Sabine couldn’t move. It felt as if worms were burrowing into her body.
The queen’s screams pierced the silence of the castle.
She wished for darkness to swallow her whole.
Sabine didn’t leave her bedchamber for three days. Her stomach felt too queasy to consider eating. Besides, there was no reason to be around anyone else. Her grief was impossible to handle, nearly unbearable, so there was no way she could see her own pain mirrored in her family members. Standing at her window, she maintained watch of the road leading to the castle, knowing her sister’s body was on its way. She prayed that when it arrived, Alina would be alive and well. That this entire thing had been a terrible misunderstanding. That Alina was simply in some sort of deep sleep. Not dead. Not murdered.
Someone knocked on her door. “Come in,” she whispered, unable to speak any louder.
“Sabine,” Karl said as he stepped into her room. His eyes were red, his hair disheveled, his clothes wrinkled. It looked as if he hadn’t slept in days. “I need you to go see Mother. She hasn’t gotten out of bed or eaten in three days.”
Sabine was in no position to help. She didn’t know how to comfort someone else when she felt the same. She turned away from Karl, not wanting to see his grief, and instead focused again on the road outside. “Is there any new information?” she asked, placing her palm on the glass. It was cold. She removed it, surprised she could feel anything at all.
“No. We’re hoping once the rest of our soldiers return that they’ll have more details.” Karl came to stand at the window beside her. “Father thinks someone from Carlon did this.”
“Why?” She thought the same thing since raiding parties from Carlon were coming into their kingdom to steal food and kidnapping their children. But she wanted Karl to explain it to see if he had any additional insight as to why they might be doing this to them.
Karl peered at her. “I think King Rainer did it.”
That didn’t make sense. “Doesn’t he need an heir and our food? Why destroy an alliance that benefits him so greatly?” And from what she’d gathered from Alina, Rainer had been the one to reach out to them with the proposal.
“Carlon could have killed Alina on her journey to Lynk,” Karl said. “It would have been much easier to attack a carriage with only a dozen soldiers than it would be to sneak into a fortified palace and poison someone. She was killed in Rainer’s home. It had to be an inside job, so if it wasn’t Rainer, then it had to have been someone from his kingdom.”
“Or Carlon wants to place the blame on King Rainer.”
He shook his head. “You don’t understand. The kingdom of Lynk is nearly impossible to get into.”
Sabine had never been to any of the other kingdoms, so she had no idea how difficult it might be to get into Lynk. However, she assumed that someone trained in the art of killing would be able to find a way in.
Karl turned and sat against the window ledge. “This is a disaster.”
She tilted her head to the side, observing her brother. “The death of our sister is a tragedy. That is the only thing I’m focused on right now. If you’re upset over losing this treaty with Lynk, I suggest you leave my room before I say something I’ll regret.” She hadn’t meant to speak so harshly, but anger started to worm its way into her heart, replacing the grief. Somehow anger was easier to deal with than horrific sadness.
“If we go to war, we’re going to lose a lot more than just our sister. We’ll be lucky if any of us make it out alive.”
His words sent a chill through her body. “War?”
“If Carlon is truly behind this like Father thinks they are, he’ll either strike against them for murdering Alina, or Carlon will eventually invade us—which is what he has been expecting based upon the raids and kidnappings. Either way, we’ll be at war with them. Or, if Lynk is responsible for our sister’s death, then we’ll be at war with them.” Karl pushed away from the window ledge, folding his arms. He began pacing in the middle of the room.
“But our army is…” Barely an army. They had limited resources and couldn’t afford to go to war.
“If we go to war, we lose.” He closed his eyes. “My wife, boys…” When he opened his eyes, he looked right at Sabine. “I don’t want those I love to suffer. Or die.”
They needed a stronger army. They needed more soldiers. And then she remembered why her sister had agreed to marry King Rainer in the first place. “Without a wedding, there’s no soldiers coming to our aid,” she said out loud, the realization only now dawning on her. There would be no stopping Carlon.
“Our kingdom is not in a good place. I fear for what’s to come.” Karl ran a hand over his tired face.
Sabine couldn’t lose anyone else she loved.
“I need you to go see Mother. Please.” His soft voice hinted at the grief he barely had under control.
She nodded. As a member of this family, she would do her part. Karl was clearly doing his right now, trying to hold the family together. Her parents’ grief had to be unimaginable. If her brother needed her to be there for their mother, she would. As much as she could be.
“Thank you.” He kissed the top of her head then left.
Sabine resumed staring out the window, waiting for Alina’s body to arrive. Her dear sister had been alone in a foreign kingdom when she was killed. Murdered. Did Alina know she’d been poisoned when she was dying? Or had she passed in her sleep? It wasn’t fair that the sun shone outside, bathing the land in warmth. It should be dark, cloudy, and raining. Like the inside of her mind right now. The world shouldn’t be beautiful and going on as if nothing had changed. As if Alina hadn’t died. Tears slid down her cheeks.
Dear, sweet Alina had gone to Lynk to protect Bakley. Now it seemed as if it had all been for nothing. If she hadn’t gone, she’d be alive. They’d be in the same position they were currently in—threatened by Carlon. If Carlon was responsible for Alina’s death, they had to pay. Their father had no choice but to defend their kingdom and go to war. But Bakley’s army was severely lacking. Without Alina’s marriage to King Rainer, there would be no additional soldiers coming to help. The only way to secure those soldiers would be if someone from Bakley took Alina’s place and married the king of Lynk thus fulfilling the contract—assuming King Rainer wasn’t responsible for Alina’s death. However, since he needed Bakley’s food so badly, she doubted he’d sabotage the union. It had to be Carlon.
A thought suddenly occurred to Sabine. She was eighteen and of marriageable age. If she took her sister’s place and married King Rainer, the contract could still proceed as negotiated. Her kingdom would have the protection it needed while Lynk received the food they desired. And, the best part, Sabine could hunt down the person who’d murdered her sister. Instead of relying on King Rainer to investigate when he had a million other things to worry about, Sabine could be the one to do it.
And when she found the murderer, she’d kill him for taking her sister’s life. A life for a life. It seemed fair. Justified. Now all she had to do was convince her family to let her go in Alina’s place.
Sabine stepped into the queen’s bedchamber. The curtains around the bed had been drawn shut. She stood beside the bed, not daring to part the curtains and intrude into her mother’s personal space. The queen would come out when she was ready.
She didn’t know why Karl had asked her to come and not one of their other siblings. Probably because she was the only daughter left and somehow, being a woman meant she was more equipped to deal with grief than a man.
“I know you’re in there,” Sabine said, her voice soft so as not to startle the queen. “I’ve been hiding in my room as well.” She clasped her hands together, fidgeting with her fingers as she tried to find the words to say. “I know it hurts.” Her voice cracked. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. To survive, she had to cling to her anger and the plan she’d formed. It was the only thing pulling her out of the black hole she’d fallen into. The only thing giving her comfort and purpose. “I’m going to find who did this and make him pay. I promise.”
The queen didn’t respond.
“I love you,” Sabine whispered.
Not knowing what else to do to comfort her mother, she left the room. As she walked through the halls of the castle, her hand trailing along the stone walls, she considered how best to implement her plan. If she went to her father, he’d dismiss her without even considering it. Karl seemed to be in a rather emotional state at the moment. His thoughts were too focused on his fear of losing another person he loved. Otto and Viktor held no sway with the king, and both tended to be far too overprotective of her. Rolf tended to be the most sensible of her brothers and was the only one who’d objectively consider her plan.
Since Rolf liked to spend his mornings with his soldiers, he usually reserved the afternoons for working in his office. She headed that way, hoping to find him alone and not in a heated meeting with his generals. When she neared the door to his office, she slowed and listened for voices. Not hearing any, she knocked.
“Come in,” Rolf called out.
Sabine entered, closing the door behind her.
He raised his eyebrows. “I didn’t expect to see you today.” He gestured for her to take a seat across from him.
She sat, looking at his disorganized space. Stacks of papers were strewn over his desk, books were shoved on the bookshelves instead of being lined up and orderly, swords were piled in one of the corners, and a pillow and blanket were on the floor.
He scooted his chair back, stretching out his legs and crossing them at his ankles. “Sarah isn’t sleeping well at night,” he said, pointing to the pillow and blanket. “Sometimes this is the only place I can catch a few hours of uninterrupted sleep.”
“Her stomach is rather large,” she replied, assuming that was the reason for Sarah’s tossing and turning and not the death of Alina. “How many weeks until she delivers?”
“The doctor thinks it’ll be within the next two to three weeks.”
She nodded. One of the things she loved about Rolf was that he didn’t pry. He didn’t ask her how she was doing, how she was feeling, or if she was well enough to be up and about the castle. “I want to discuss something with you.”
“I figured as much.”
Suddenly, the right words eluded her, and she didn’t know where to begin. “I want to help.”
Rolf steepled his fingers together. “I know our army is in desperate need of able-bodied fighters, but you can’t join us. You’re no match for a man when it comes to fighting.”
She snorted. “I know that.” She could barely lift a sword since the thing was so heavy. “I don’t want to fight.” At least not with a sword. “I want to help prevent a war from happening in the first place.”
He shrugged. “How?”
At least he didn’t laugh. Granted, he wouldn’t like what she was about to say, but he would at least consider it. If he managed to see value in it, he’d discuss the matter with their father. She just needed to choose her words carefully, so he’d understand her reasoning and agree with her. “Our sister decided to marry King Rainer for the betterment of our kingdom. Specifically, to garner Lynk’s soldiers to help protect our border.”
He uncrossed his ankles and scooted his chair forward, folding his hands together atop his desk. “What are you getting at?”
“We need Lynk’s soldiers because we can’t fight Carlon without them. And we need to find Alina’s killer.”
His focus shifted to the window as he gazed outside. “When did you become so well versed in politics? I thought you hated this sort of thing and that’s why you’re always running wild.”
“I do not run wild.” She folded her arms, irritated at the implication.
He chuckled and looked at her. “As a child, you were always outdoors riding or swimming in the pond. Nowadays, you’re usually to be found flirting with some unsuspecting man.”
“Rolf!” She’d come there hoping to be taken seriously, not be chided for her behavior.
He watched her for a minute. “How do you propose we find Alina’s killer? King Rainer said he was investigating.”
“To find the killer, we need someone on the inside.”
“And how do you propose we get a man in the Lynk palace? I don’t employ assassins. And even if I did, they’d never get into Lynk. The kingdom is walled off. No one gets in or out unless the king wills it.”
“I have an idea for that.”
“I’m dying to hear it.”
“And…I have an idea on how Bakley can still get Lynk’s soldiers.” The thought of anyone else she loved dying was too much to bear. “You have a baby on the way,” she continued, as if that explained everything. “If you died, you’d leave Sarah all alone. Your child wouldn’t even know his or her father.”
Rolf’s jawline tensed. “You’re not telling me anything I don’t already know.”
“I can help our family.”
“There’s nothing you can do.”
She wiped her sweaty palms on her skirt. “I can take Alina’s place.” She forced herself to maintain eye contact with Rolf so he’d know how serious she was.
He shook his head.
“I’ll marry the king of Lynk and fulfill Bakley’s end of the contract.”
“You can’t, Sabine.” He leaned back in his chair and rubbed his face. “You’re woefully unprepared for something like that.”
While she happened to agree with him, she wouldn’t let him know that. “You have to consider what I’m offering. I will take Alina’s place and marry King Rainer. Lynk will receive their promised food, so they’ll agree to it, and we’ll get their soldiers.”
“I know you,” Rolf said as he stood. “You’re not selfless like Alina.” He rounded the desk and sat on the edge of it before Sabine. “You have an ulterior motive.”
“I think preventing a war is motive enough, don’t you?”
He chuckled; the sound humorless. “You think you can hunt down the killer yourself?”
“Think about it.” She scooted to the edge of her seat, closer to Rolf. “If I marry King Rainer, not only will it prevent a war against Carlon, but it’ll get me into Lynk. Inside the king’s palace where I can investigate.”
“And what if you discover it’s someone from Lynk who murdered Alina? Then what?”
“If I’m married to the king and one of his subjects killed my sister, I will be able to seek justice.”
“You do understand this means you’ll be married.”
“If it means saving the lives of the rest of my family, if it means Alina’s death wasn’t in vain, then it’ll be worth it.” Truthfully, the idea of marriage terrified her. But he didn’t need to know that. She’d figure that part out later, after she discovered the killer.
He reached forward, placing a hand on her shoulder. “And what if the killer comes after you?”
She hadn’t considered that part. “Then I suppose you better prepare me to face such a situation.”
He nodded and stood.
“Does that mean you’ll let me do it?” Her heart pounded.
“No. It means I’ll mull it over and discuss it with Karl.”
“And what about Father?”
“Don’t get ahead of yourself.”
Sabine stood in the garden cutting lavender and placing it in the basket hanging from her arm. She thought being outside, in the warm sun, would calm her. However, her hands still shook. Watching her sister’s casket be buried yesterday had been harder than she thought it would be.
“I figured I’d find you out here,” the king said by way of greeting.
She looked up and spotted her father entering the garden from the west side.
“What are you doing out here all alone?” he asked when he reached her.
“This is Alina’s favorite flower.” She planned to make an arrangement for her sister’s grave.
“Rolf told me your proposal.” He gazed at the farmland in the distance.
It had been almost a week since she’d gone to Rolf and offered to take Alina’s place. No one had said a word to her about it, so she’d assumed it wasn’t being considered.
“I don’t want to lose another daughter. Hell, I don’t want to lose another child. But it seems to me,” he continued, “that I don’t have a lot of options. Do I risk your life to prevent a war? Or to get the troops necessary to go to war well-prepared? Do I risk your life for the betterment of my kingdom?” He shook his head. “If you die, too, it will all have been for nothing. I’ll lose not only you, but possibly my entire family and kingdom.”
Shock filled her. He hadn’t downright dismissed the idea—which meant he was considering it. “If you don’t send me, you’re guaranteed to lose it all.”
“You’re asking me to take a huge gamble with your life.”
“I’ll be better prepared than Alina.” And Rolf could help train her to get ready for the perils she’d face.
“True. But like I said, I don’t have many options. As king, I swore an oath and must do what’s best for my kingdom.”
She set her basket on the ground, wondering what he was getting at.
“I sent word with King Rainer’s squire stating that you will take Alina’s place. The contract will be fulfilled on our end. You leave in a fortnight.”
“You’re letting me go?” she asked, unable to believe it.
“I have little choice.”
Emotions overwhelmed her—so many that she had trouble deciphering and understanding them all. She forced herself to focus on what really mattered—finding the person responsible for murdering her sister.
“There is much to go over before you leave,” the king continued. “You must learn about Lynk and what will be expected of you as its queen. You must learn about its ruler, though there is little known about him since he’s only been on the throne for a short while. And I’ll feel better if you have a dagger and know how to use it. I’m going to talk to Rolf now and charge him with preparing you to defend yourself. Alina was woefully unprepared.” He shook his head, still focused on the farmland in the distance. “And since you are going to be married, your mother will need to prepare you for that.” He finally turned to face her. “Of course, I won’t force you to go in your sister’s stead if you don’t want to, but Karl said you’d offered. We really do need this union.”
“I’ll go,” she said, the words coming out softer than she’d anticipated. Somehow, she’d been so wrapped up in seeking revenge for her sister’s murder, that she’d forgotten about having to perform marital duties. Not only that, but she was going to be the queen of Lynk; a role she never thought she’d have. Not wanting to dwell on that, she picked up the basket again, clutching the handle and forcing herself to focus on helping her kingdom and bringing about justice for Alina’s death. That was all that mattered.
The king patted his daughter on her back before turning and leaving her alone in the garden.
Once her father was no longer in sight, Sabine headed over to the royal family’s cemetery. When she reached Alina’s grave, she knelt next to the freshly packed dirt. After running her hand lightly over the surface, she withdrew some of the lavender from her basket, setting it atop the grave.
Her tears dropped onto the chocolate-colored dirt, making a soft patter sound.
She squeezed her eyes shut. Alina didn’t deserve to die. She should have lived to be the queen of Lynk. She deserved the title, she deserved to have children of her own as she’d always wanted, and she deserved to be happy. How anyone could have killed her was beyond Sabine. Alina was the kindest, gentlest, and most wonderful person she’d ever known. All Sabine had ever cared about was herself. She should be dead, not Alina.
She laid a few more pieces of lavender on the grave. Since the day she’d learned of her sister’s death, there’d been a sick feeling in her stomach. A feeling of wrongness. If only she could find a way to undo what had been done. Oftentimes, it still didn’t feel real. It seemed as if Alina was in Lynk where she was supposed to be. Not dead.
She wiped her tears, wishing she could hold her sister one last time. Dance with her sister one last time. Laugh with her so hard they started crying happy tears. Heck, she’d even have an argument with Alina if it meant getting her back.
The wind blew softly. Sabine stared at the dirt, as if she could somehow see her sister lying below. “I swear to you I’ll discover who did this,” she whispered. “The person who killed you will be brought to justice.” Taking one of the white roses her mother had left on the grave, Sabine slid a thorn across her wrist, drawing blood. She let the blood drip onto the dirt. “With my blood, I promise to avenge your death.”