The Queen's Crown

Chapter 8

To keep herself from being overwhelmed by grief, Sabine had to pretend her sister’s belongings weren’t in the bedchamber. All she wanted to do was run over to the trunks, throw them open, and hug Alina’s things. However, she couldn’t afford to be emotional. Not when Prince Axel would arrive soon to escort her to supper where she would meet his twin brother and their younger sister. When she had more time alone, she would look through her sister’s trunks. Her priorities needed to be bathing and dressing so she looked the part.

Peering into the bathing room, she discovered the bathtub had been built in the ground and it was already filled with steaming water. Without questioning how such a feat was constructed, she peeled off her filthy clothes and climbed in. The warmth enveloped her, and she moaned. She could stay here forever. There was a block of soap next to the tub, so she grabbed it and began scrubbing her body and hair.

“Good evening, princess,” a female voice said from nearby the doorway.

Sabine glanced over and saw a young woman, probably around her own age of eighteen, standing there.

“I’m Claire, and I’m here to help you dress for supper.”

“Did you fill this bathtub for me?” Sabine asked.

“No, princess. There’s a spring below the palace. Certain rooms always have warm water—this is one of them, which is why it’s the queen’s room.”

That surprised Sabine—both the water part and the queen part. For some reason she’d assumed she’d be switching rooms once she married. “Does my room have an adjoining door to the king’s room?” If the king could get in here, she needed to know.

“Yes. However, it is locked from both sides at the moment. Once the wedding takes place, the locks will be removed.”

Relieved, Sabine went under the water one last time to ensure all the soap was rinsed from her body. When she resurfaced, Claire stood there holding a plush white towel.

“There are steps on the side,” Claire said, nodding her head to the right.

Sabine used them to exit. She wrapped the towel around her body and headed out into the main portion of her bedchamber. The sky outside had turned dark. “Is it always this warm in Lynk? Even in the evening?”

“Yes, princess.” Claire had followed Sabine into the bedchamber. “Shall I pick out something for you to wear?”

“No.” She didn’t want Claire touching her sister’s things. “I’m not sure what will work. Alina was a little shorter and heavier than me. I’ll need to look through her dresses to see.” She eyed the trunks. “Have her things been packed? Or are her dresses still in the closet?”

“Princess Alina’s possessions are packed. However, the king had the closet filled before your sister’s arrival,” Claire said. “Everything in the dressing closet is appropriate Lynk attire. I think you should choose one of the outfits in there as they are all the current fashion of our court. Your sister’s clothing is a little different from what we wear here.”

Sabine turned to study Claire. “Are you my lady’s maid?”

“Yes.” Claire’s hair was pulled into a side ponytail. She had on a silky pale blue dress that only went on one shoulder and cinched around the waist.

“I wasn’t sure by your attire.” No proper woman in Bakley would wear a dress revealing a naked shoulder like that.

“All of the king’s servants wear pale blue. It’s the royal family’s color.”

Sabine went over to the door to the left of the bathing room and opened it, revealing an enormous closet filled with brightly colored clothes.

“I’m afraid everything was made for your sister,” Claire said. “However, most of the outfits can easily be adjusted to fit your body.”

Sabine walked into the closet, running her hands over the various items. The colors were bolder than what she was used to wearing, the fabric thinner and softer. “What do you recommend I wear?” She assumed she’d only be meeting the royal family minus the king. Regardless, she wanted to make a good first impression.

“I think you should go with something green,” Claire said from the doorway. “With your gray eyes, you’ll look stunning in that color.” She pointed to a dress the color of grass after a dewfall.

“Are there any undergarments I can wear?”

Claire’s brows drew together. “Undergarments?”

“A slip or a corset?”

“We don’t wear anything like that here. With our heat and humidity, you’d melt.”

Sabine nodded and put the dress on, feeling oddly naked since the dress hugged her breasts and curves, revealing far too much. “I’m not comfortable wearing this.” A slit went up the front, showing the entire length of her leg.

“It looks perfect on you.”

“I don’t care.” After removing the skintight dress, she went back into the bedchamber. She’d wear something of her sister’s before prancing around the palace half naked. Going over to one of the trunks, she knelt and rummaged through it until she found a pale green dress with puffy sleeves and lace over the bodice. She slid it on over proper undergarments, pleased with how well it fit. Then the smell of her sister hit her. Instead of letting it overwhelm her, she breathed it in, taking strength from it. Alina’s death would not be in vain.

She went over and sat at the chair to the vanity table situated in the corner of the room. Picking up a brush, she began untangling her hair. In the mirror, she noticed Claire with pursed lips. “Is something the matter?”

“That dress is very odd,” Claire answered, standing behind Sabine.

“To you, perhaps, but to me it feels familiar. It is my first day here, I am far from home, and I need a little comfort.” She smiled kindly at her lady’s maid, wanting to forge a friendship with the woman. Her mother had told her that servants and her lady’s maid would be an excellent source of information. If she hoped to navigate the complexities of this foreign court, she’d need all the help she could get.

“I can understand that,” Claire said. “Would you like me to do your hair?”

Since Sabine wasn’t sure what Claire would do with it, she pulled her hair over her shoulder and began braiding it. “I’ll do it tonight. Next time, I’d love for you to help.” She wrapped the braid around her head and pinned it in place. When she finished, she quickly applied a little dusting powder.

A soft knock sounded on the door.

Claire went over, opening it. Someone handed her a piece of paper and she read it before turning back to Sabine. “Prince Axel will meet you in the dining hall. Your guard will escort you there.”

Standing, Sabine ran her hands over her dress to ensure she looked presentable. Satisfied, she exited the bedchamber.

In the hallway, she found six Lynk guards. Startled, she froze, wondering where Markis had gone.

“Princess,” Markis said. One of the guards stepped forward.

Sabine recognized those eyes. “Markis?”

“I will be joining your guard,” he said, stepping back in line with the rest of the men.

“Temporarily,” one of the other men said. “This way, Your Highness.” He gestured for her to follow him.

While she’d been getting ready, Markis must have changed. With the black uniform and the mask covering his face, it was hard to know which of the guards he was since they all looked identical. Maybe that was the point.

They traversed through several hallways, all of them white and bare and lit only by the occasional candle. Then they went down three flights of stairs and through an interior courtyard filled with water fountains and brightly colored flowers. She’d have to come back and examine it in greater detail when the sun was shining and she could see better. Back inside the palace, the guard led her to a room.

She stepped inside and found a large table taking up most of the space. One wall was completely open to a balcony overlooking the valley below. She suspected this wasn’t the main dining hall due to its small size. However, this wasn’t the royal family’s personal one either since it wasn’t attached to any of their private rooms.

“You’re to wait here,” the soldier said before bowing and taking up watch out in the hallway with her other guards.

Markis came inside the room and stood beside the door.

Sabine smiled at him to let him know how much she appreciated him being overly cautious. Since no one else had arrived yet and she didn’t want to sit alone at the table, she ventured out onto the balcony. A low wall surrounded the perimeter. She was half tempted to peer over to see how far up she was. However, she decided not to. Maybe tomorrow when it was light out, she’d be brave enough to peek.

Tilting her head back, she gazed up at the stars. Now that the cloud cover had vanished, some of the stars seemed close enough to touch.

“Princess Sabine,” a male voice said from behind her.

She turned and spotted Axel striding out onto the balcony along with a man who looked strikingly similar, but his brown hair was a little longer. That had to be Anton, Axel’s twin brother. Anton was similarly dressed as Axel, though he wore red instead of cream. Sabine didn’t understand why they wore tunics as jackets with the front open, exposing their chests. Even though she’d seen her brothers shirtless on occasion, she’d never observed a man outside of her family like that. At least they were both pleasant to look at—though she didn’t want either of them to know she thought that.

Averting her eyes, she noticed a beautiful young woman behind them wearing a bright purple outfit that exposed her bare stomach. The skirt had two long slits, revealing her tanned legs. The woman’s shoulders were bare, and her brown hair lay in soft waves down her back. Like her brothers, she had dark brown eyes and a squared face. She had to be their younger sister, Lottie.

Sabine blinked, feeling out of sorts. She’d never seen a woman dress like that before, revealing so much skin. Not knowing where to look, she tried to keep her focus on the three siblings’ handsome faces.

Axel quickly made the introductions, confirming her assessment as to who each of these individuals were.

“It’s late, and I’m sure you’re hungry. Let’s all take a seat at the table.” Axel placed his hand on Sabine’s lower back, ushering her inside. “It’s a shame my brother isn’t here to greet you.”

“Where is the king?” Sabine asked, wondering why Axel felt the need to touch her. Even if it was a Lynk thing, it wasn’t a Bakley custom and it made her feel even more out of sorts.

“He’s investigating your sister’s murder.” Axel pulled out a chair for Sabine.

She slid onto it. “Didn’t the murder happen here at the palace?”

A handful of servants entered, bringing trays upon trays of food, setting them all on the table before leaving.

“Yes,” Axel finally answered. “However, he wanted to speak to a few people who have a special skill set and can possibly help in the matter.” He waved his hand in the air as if that explained everything.

“How was your journey to the palace?” Lottie asked, tilting her head to the side as she spoke.

Sabine wanted to look at Lottie when she answered, but she found it hard to face the woman considering she barely had any clothes on. Focusing on Lottie’s forehead, she replied, “Other than my carriage being attacked, it was uneventful.”

“Either someone really hates your family,” Anton said, “or someone desperately doesn’t want Lynk and Bakley to form an alliance.” He lifted his goblet and took a drink of his wine.

The siblings began helping themselves to the food, so Sabine did the same. The meat appeared to be some sort of fish. There were also small pieces of white stuff that was sticky and clumpy—she had no idea what it was—and cooked carrots.

“Luckily for us,” Anton said, “we have our dear, older brother to investigate and figure it out all on his own. He doesn’t need his family to do anything.”

Sabine sensed the sarcasm in his voice and was immediately on edge. “Are there any suspects?”

“I am sure my brother has a list,” Axel said with a wink. “You’ll have to discuss the matter with him since he is handling it.”

“Is that a traditional mourning gown worn in your kingdom?” Lottie asked, abruptly changing the subject.

“No,” Sabine answered. “In Bakley, this is proper attire for supper.” All her life, she thought her family prudes for being so modest and making sure to have their arms and necks always covered. She’d been the one to push the boundaries by exposing a little bit of her neckline or perhaps an inch from her gloves to her sleeves. Here, in Lynk, it seemed that modesty didn’t exist and now Sabine was the prude. How the tables had turned. “I understand that this is not your fashion. However, is this not appropriate?”

Lottie raised her eyebrows and looked at Axel.

Sabine faced Axel, awaiting his answer.

“Well,” he replied, “there’s nothing wrong with what you’re wearing but…well, what would your family say if Lottie showed up for supper dressed as she is?”

“They’d be horrified,” Sabine admitted.

“Why?”

“Because it’s not appropriate attire in Bakley.”

“The answer is the same,” he said.

So it was more than just not being in fashion, she realized. It had to do with offending the people here. Since she was in a foreign land, she needed to abide by their customs—no matter how crazy they may seem to be.

“I can help by showing you our proper attire,” Lottie offered.

“I would like that,” Sabine replied, touched by Lottie’s kindness.

Anton drummed his fingers on the table. “I don’t think we should announce the princess’s presence until Rainer returns.”

“I agree,” Axel replied.

“We don’t want gossip to start before our dear brother has a chance to present her to his court the way he wants to,” Lottie said. “He’ll need to figure out how to introduce this sister when he just introduced the other one not long ago.”

“People are still jittery about the murder,” Anton said.

Sabine realized that the palace was very different from her home in Bakley. At her castle, only the royal family resided there. “How many people live here at the palace?” she asked.

“Anyone of importance has rooms here,” Lottie answered.

She had no idea how many people that would be. Lynk had dukes but she couldn’t remember how many or if anyone else was considered important.

“At any given time, I’d say there are usually around twenty families here,” Anton clarified. “And I’d say probably fifty servants and at least that many guards, though I’ve never counted before.”

“I’m shocked you don’t know the exact number,” Axel mused, swirling the wine in his goblet before taking a sip.

This supper felt like being back home with her own family. The familiar banter carried on throughout their meal. While she didn’t know these siblings well, it pleased her that they were comfortable enough to tease one another in front of her.

Once done eating, she excused herself. Her guards escorted her back to her bedchamber. When they reached it, Markis went inside and checked the room, making sure it was safe.

“All clear,” he said. “I’ll be out here in the hallway if you need anything.”

“At some point, I hope you sleep.” He had to be exhausted and he couldn’t watch over her all the time.

“Yes, Your Highness,” he replied, bowing his head.

“Goodnight.” She closed the door and locked it.

After putting on bedclothes, Sabine climbed into bed and fell fast asleep.

When Sabine awoke in the morning, a letter had been slid under her door. It instructed her to remain in her room until the king returned. She groaned. The last thing she wanted to do was waste time holed up in her bedchamber when she could be exploring her new home and trying to find information about her sister’s assassin. She wouldn’t be able to discover the killer unless she questioned the inhabitants of the palace.

Not wanting to upset the royal siblings, she did as they asked and remained in her room. She spent the day going through Alina’s belongings and remembering some of the good times they shared growing up. A few bad memories managed to resurface. Like the one birthday when Sabine had asked for a white pony like Alina’s. When she didn’t get it, she was so mad she went out to the barn to take Alina’s. Only, when she got close to the horse, it nipped at her, breaking the skin on her hand. Sabine had accused Alina of teaching the horse to do that. Alina cried and Sabine was punished for it. She was so furious she refused to come down for her own birthday celebration. Funny that she remembered that event now of all times.

After closing the last trunk, she stood and ventured out onto the balcony. The wind whipped around her, tossing her hair, and making it difficult to see. She pulled her hair back, knotting it at the base of her head. Breathing in, she reveled at the warmth of the air. It smelled lovely here. No horse or cow manure, only exotic fragrances from the plants. She made it half-way out onto the balcony before she froze in place. She could have sworn the balcony swayed ever so slightly. That was enough for her—she ran back inside.

It amazed her that someone had managed to construct a balcony sticking out over the edge of solid ground like that. Especially from so high up, over a hundred feet from the bottom of the valley floor. At least the palace itself was built on top of the mountain. Granted, it would be nice if there was some sort of perimeter around the palace instead of it going straight down.

Meandering through her room, she didn’t know what else to do to occupy her time. She really wanted to start tracking down her sister’s killer. With the murderer still loose, she couldn’t feel at ease in the palace. Not only that, but her sister deserved justice. A thought occurred to her. Maybe the royal family had something to hide and that was why they insisted she remain in her room. It would give them time to get rid of the evidence. She glanced at the door. If she insisted on leaving her room, there wasn’t much her guards could do to stop her. At least, she didn’t think there was anything they could do.

Her sister would have followed the rules. Sabine was inclined not to. However, for now, she decided to stay put. She was used to doing things before thinking them through. This time, she needed to make sure she had a solid plan in place before she acted.

That night, Claire brought Sabine her supper. The three siblings seemed to be quite serious about not letting her step foot out of her bedchamber.

Frustrated, she took the tray and went over to her bed, setting it on there. “Do you know why the princes and princess wish for me to remain in here until the king returns?” Sabine asked before Claire could leave. She knew the siblings didn’t want her to be introduced to the court before the king returned, which she accepted, but she didn’t understand having to hide in her room.

“Oh, I, uh, assume they…”

“They what?” she prompted.

Claire’s face turned red. “I think they’re concerned about you looking queenly in case any of the Lynk people see you. They want to make sure everyone accepts you as their ruler.”

Sabine sat on the bed, dumbfounded. She’d always taken pride in the dresses she wore and how she presented herself. “What does a Lynk queen look like?” It had been years since the late queen died. Regardless, people would compare Sabine to the royal siblings’ mother.

“Beautiful and seductive. As a queen should be.”

Sabine almost choked on her own spit. Not once had she ever thought a queen should be seductive. Elegant and refined, yes. Seductive? Absolutely not. Her sister must have been horrified when she came here.

“No offense, Your Highness, but right now you look like a foreigner.”

Sabine ran a hand down her dress. “Did my sister wear Lynk clothing?” She couldn’t imagine Alina putting on anything provocative since she’d always been overly modest.

“No, she did not.”

“Was my sister introduced to your court?”

“Yes.”

Sabine found this information fascinating. “How did the people here receive her?”

“Well, I don’t think anyone really understood her. She looked and acted so different from us.”

Which could be part of the reason they were afraid to introduce Sabine without Rainer’s approval. “Thank you for bringing my food. You are dismissed.”

Claire bowed before leaving the room.

While sitting on the bed eating her supper, Sabine considered all she’d learned. The royal family didn’t want to introduce her to the court until the king returned because they wanted her to dress and look the part of a Lynk queen. Which meant this must have been an issue for her sister. If Alina looked like an outsider and made no effort to assimilate to the culture here, that could have been reason enough for someone to kill her. Which meant Sabine was going to have to do the opposite of what her sister did in the hopes of staying alive.

When she finished eating, the sun hadn’t set yet. She wanted to snoop around the palace before the king returned—whenever that would be. She had no idea if it would be a day, a week, or a month. Regardless, the royal siblings couldn’t order her around. They probably thought she was like Alina and would do what she was told. She snorted. They’d never suspect her to be wearing their clothing and walking around the palace in plain sight.

She went over to the closet, inspecting the outfits inside. The trouble would be finding something she felt comfortable wearing. There were many dresses to choose from. All brightly colored with hardly any fabric. She began searching for the most material she could find. When she came across a purple dress that covered one shoulder and didn’t have any slits in it, she pulled it out, examining it. It seemed better than the other options.

Steeling her resolve, she put the dress on, finding it hugged her body a little more than she cared for. After locating some shoes that matched, she went back into the bedchamber, trying to decide what to do with her hair. Not knowing the Lynk fashion, she decided to leave her hair down as Lottie had worn hers to supper last night.

Satisfied with her appearance, she exited her bedchamber, holding her head high. There were only two guards on duty, and they both looked at her. Thankfully, one of them was Markis.

“I want to take a walk around the palace since my legs are stiff, but I don’t want to attract any attention by having the two of you hovering.”

“Yes, of course, Your Highness,” Markis said, taking control of the situation. “Where would you like to go?”

“I don’t know.” She looked at the other guard. “Do you have any suggestions?”

“We can head to one of the courtyards,” he said. “At this hour, there won’t be many people around. I’ll take the lead. You may walk a few feet behind me so no one will notice. Is that satisfactory to you?”

“Yes.”

“And I’ll walk behind you to make sure you’re safe,” Markis added.

The three of them set out. Even though she was dressed in Lynk clothing, Sabine still felt ill at ease moving through the palace. If one of the royal siblings found her, they’d be upset. However, she was on equal footing with them. Once she married the king, she’d be their queen and would outrank them. She never let one of her own siblings intimidate her, so she refused to let anyone here get the better of her either. She also assumed that the more she dressed in Lynk fashion, the more comfortable she’d get. Besides, she needed to keep her end goal in mind. She was doing this to start sniffing out the person who killed her sister. Sitting alone in her bedchamber all day would do her no good. And she’d always excelled at snooping.

The sun had just set, but the sky hadn’t yet turned dark. When she reached the courtyard, someone was only just lighting the candles along the perimeter wall. She realized that was the first person she’d seen since leaving her room.

Markis and the other guard took up watch at one of the archways which allowed her to wander freely around the courtyard. She pretended to smell the flowers and observe the water fountain, all the while hoping to spot someone passing by so she could speak to him or her. However, if this was the royal wing, she doubted she’d run into anyone.

“I thought we asked you to remain in your room,” Axel said, startling Sabine. He strode across the courtyard and joined her. “It’s nice to see you’re at least trying to assimilate.” His eyes scanned her body. “You could use a little work, though.” He winked.

“Your Highness,” she said by way of greeting, hoping to remind him that he should address her with proper respect. She inwardly groaned, realizing she sounded like her mother.

He smiled. “We’re not that formal when it’s just the family. There’s no need to be.”

“We’re not family. At least, not yet.”

“What are you doing out here all alone in the courtyard?” he asked.

“I just needed to get out of my room for a bit.”

“You could have asked one of us to visit you if you wanted company.”

She was about to inquire what he was doing out at this hour when movement to the right caught her attention. In the nearby archway, a woman stood wearing a red outfit that covered her breasts, stomach, and then hung straight down to the floor. A slit ran up the front, exposing both of her long legs and thighs.

“Your eyes look as if they’re going to fall out,” Axel said with a chuckle. “Are you okay?”

She nodded, unable to believe women dressed like that in Lynk.

“I must go,” Axel said. “You should remain in your room. When the king returns, he’ll be furious if he finds you roaming the halls. Especially looking like that.” He winked and then strode over to the woman, draping his arm around her shoulder. The two of them disappeared down the dark hallway.

The stars started to glimmer in the sky. Sabine sighed and headed back to her guards, upset that she’d discovered absolutely nothing of importance today. Tomorrow, she would try a different approach. One thing became clear—she couldn’t remain in her bedchamber all day.