Chapter 20
Walking through the palace, Sabine was eager to return to her room to see Harta. Since nothing else was scheduled for the evening, she planned on curling up in bed with her dog and writing a letter to her family.
Her guards took her down the corridor to the right, which led to the staircase at the back. They didn’t usually go this way, but perhaps they wanted to change things up in case her movements were being watched. Her guards suddenly stopped.
Sabine peered around them and saw Heather standing in front of them, blocking the way.
“Your Highness,” Heather said. “May I please have a moment of your time?”
“Did you arrange for my guards to bring me this way?” Sabine demanded.
“I simply asked them which way they’d be taking you to your room.” Heather remained standing where she was, not coming any closer to Sabine. “I wish to speak privately with you.”
Sabine told her guards to remain where they were while she stepped around them and joined Heather. “Now that you have me alone, talk.” She folded her arms, waiting for Heather to get to the point.
“I’d prefer a conversation in which no one can overhear.” Heather slid a hand over her stomach in a way Sabine had seen her two eldest brothers’ wives do when pregnant. “Not even your guards.”
The reminder of the woman’s condition—knowing it was her husband’s child that Heather carried—left an uneasy feeling in her stomach. “Why didn’t you just send me a letter requesting to meet privately?”
“I don’t want anyone to know about this conversation.” Heather glanced at the nearby guards.
Sabine took Heather’s arm, pulling her farther down the hallway, away from the soldiers on duty. “What’s going on?”
“As you know, Rainer must marry and have a child before he turns twenty-five to maintain his throne. He’s running out of time.”
Sabine stared into Heather’s eyes, trying to figure out where this conversation was going.
“He’s asked me to marry and then leave with Cutler before the end of the week. I’m to remain at Cutler’s family’s residence until after I’ve delivered.”
Nausea rolled through Sabine. She knew where this was going. Standing there, she forced her face to remain neutral.
Heather’s eyes filled with tears. “My child will serve as a backup in case you don’t get pregnant or deliver a healthy child in time.”
“Why did you feel the need to tell me this?” Sabine asked. “Rainer is perfectly capable of speaking on his own behalf.” It felt strange to use Rainer’s name and no title. It was too informal and personal.
She shrugged, her delicate shoulders rising and falling. “I wasn’t sure if he’d tell you,” she whispered. She wiped her eyes, her fingers shaking. “I’m already losing Rainer. If my child is taken away from me as well…”
Sabine reached out, patting Heather’s arm. “I understand.” There was nothing Sabine could do about it. Rainer was the king and what he said was law. If Sabine didn’t get pregnant in time and Rainer decided to pass off Heather’s child as Sabine’s, they had no choice. Heather understood that and had come here to speak to Sabine as a mother, fearful for her unborn child. However, Sabine couldn’t offer any sort of assurance. “It is my intention to give him a child and heir for this great kingdom.” It couldn’t be that difficult. People got pregnant all the time. Hopefully she’d only have to share Rainer’s bed once or twice and then she’d be with child.
Heather flinched.
This was about more than just the child, Sabine realized. It had to do with Sabine sharing the king’s bed. Heather still loved Rainer. “I think it is best if you leave with Cutler as soon as possible. Being here and having to see the king with another woman can’t be easy.” She almost apologized but stopped herself from doing so. As a princess and queen, it wasn’t her job to apologize. “I’m here to make Lynk stronger. To secure a bright future.” Not deal with a jilted lover.
Heather nodded. “Rainer wants me to return after I have the baby.”
Sabine curled her fingers in, forming two fists, trying to figure out if Heather was implying that she’d resume her relationship with Rainer as his consort. Rainer had told Sabine he would not be taking a lover, but she didn’t know him well enough to know if he’d been telling the truth or not. Perhaps things had changed since that conversation.
“He still loves me,” Heather added. “I know he does.”
“My marriage to the king is not about love,” Sabine said. “It is about providing for Lynk and Bakley. I am a royal. And as such, I have a duty to the thousands of people in my kingdom. I know you are concerned about yourself and your unborn child. But I am concerned about thousands of people and thousands of unborn children. I will do what’s best for everyone involved. I don’t have the luxury of doing what I want or what’s in my best interest.” With that, she turned and walked away, her arms shaking.
Her guards fell in line behind her. Once she turned the corner, she spun around, facing them. “If any one of you ever pull something like that again, I’ll be sure the king knows of it. Unless I’m queen when it happens. Then I’ll have you all killed for treason.”
“Your Highness,” the guard to her right said. “We were told she needed to speak with you. We assumed you’d be amiable to the meeting.”
“Don’t ever assume anything about me ever again,” she said, her voice a tad deeper than she’d intended. From rage or on the verge of crying, she couldn’t be sure. But her emotions raged within her. She longed for home and the comfort of her family.
“My apologies. It won’t happen again.”
Sabine resumed walking. “Thank you.”
They went up a flight of stairs and along another hallway, the left side containing several archways revealing the courtyard below. Glancing down, she noticed movement, so she slowed to get a better look. Axel had a woman at his side. He kissed her, and they embraced.
The palace seemed to be abuzz with activity this evening.
The day of the masquerade ball arrived. Late last night, she’d sent a note to the king since she hadn’t been able to speak with him privately, asking if they’d be wearing matching masks this evening. She was pleased to find his response when she awoke stating that she was free to wear whatever she wanted.
Originally, she’d planned to dress as a peacock or some form of elegant bird. However, in her dream last night, she danced with hundreds of beautiful butterflies. Unable to get the image out of her head, she quickly drew one on a piece of paper, deciding that she simply had to be a butterfly for the ball. She sent the drawing to the royal seamstress asking the woman to design a mask.
After dressing for the day, she went out onto her balcony. A light mist covered the nearby mountains like a soft, fuzzy blanket. Even though the sky was light, the sun had not yet risen high enough to see it. She breathed in the fresh air, reveling in the crispness of it. No heavy wheat or animal smells here in Lynk.
“Excuse me, Your Highness,” a deep voice said from behind her.
Her heart pounded as she jumped from fright, a yelp escaping her mouth. She spun around and saw a man dressed head to toe in black blocking the archway leading to her room. His legs were slightly bent as if he’d just jumped onto her balcony from up above.
“Forgive the intrusion,” he said, his gloved hands facing out in a placating gesture, “but I need to speak with you.” The only things visible were his pale green eyes.
She took a step back, away from him, hitting the railing.
He reached up, pulling his mask down, revealing his entire face.
Sabine recognized him as one of the men from the Avoni delegation. He was the youngest of the group and the one with the dark red hair. “Are you here to kill me?” she whispered, unable to speak any louder since she was so stunned. She couldn’t even scream for help.
His brows drew together in confusion. “Kill you?”
She nodded.
“If I wanted to kill you, you’d be dead instead of standing here talking to me.”
She slid her hand down her side, reaching for her dagger and not finding it strapped to her leg like it was supposed to be. Panicking, she glanced into her room and spotted Harta sneaking up behind him.
The man’s eyes narrowed and then he slowly sat on the ground, his hands out on either side of him, revealing he wasn’t armed. “I mean you no harm,” he said. “I’ve been trying to get a meeting with you, but the king refused.”
Twisting her hand so her palm faced down, she gave the silent command for Harta to freeze. The dog immediately stopped advancing. “You should have tried knocking. I would have admitted you.”
“I did try. Your guards turned me away.”
“Sneaking into my room doesn’t foster good relations between our kingdoms.”
“I agree. However, I need to make sure you are not being held here against your will.”
She smiled. “Not unless you are preventing me from leaving?”
“I am not.”
“If someone finds you in here, you’ll be killed.”
“I know.”
She tilted her head to the side, trying to understand this strange man before her.
“Is someone here in the palace holding you here against your will?” the man asked again, as if it really mattered.
“No.” She folded her arms across her chest as if that would protect her. “Why does Avoni care anyway?”
“There is a powerful organization that does not want you and King Rainer to marry.”
“The League of Rulers?” she asked, her interest suddenly piqued.
“You know of the League?”
“A little.” She wished her father had told her about them, so she’d have a better idea of what she was dealing with. “Can you explain why they oppose my marrying the king, but it was okay for my sister?” What she really wanted to know was if the League hadn’t approved of Alina’s wedding either. If that were the case, then they could be behind her death.
There was a long pause before the man answered. “New information has been revealed that changes things.”
“My father only made one small alteration in the contract. That can be easily fixed.”
“That’s not it.”
“Who, exactly, are you?” Sabine asked. “And how do you know all of this?” He could just be trying to scare her.
“I’m from Avoni. We intercepted a letter that gives us reason to believe something devious is in the works. I was sent here simply to make sure you are not being held in Lynk against your will.”
Unable to fathom who in Lynk would be holding her here against her will, she said, “If there’s anyone I need to be afraid of, it’s someone like you. Someone from Avoni. You’re the ones known for being assassins.”
The young man’s eyes narrowed. “Sometimes there are things worse than death. I suggest you consider what role you play here in this pretty little palace. Not all is as it seems.” He slowly stood and moved to his left until he reached the railing, glancing over the side.
“You’re not going to jump, are you?”
He peered at her. “If you’re here of your own free will, then my job here is done.” He climbed up onto the railing and then scaled the wall, going up. He disappeared over the roof.
Sabine rushed over to the wall, feeling it. It wasn’t as smooth as she’d thought it was. Several of the stones jutted out, making climbing it feasible.
Hurrying into her room, she found Harta still sitting where she’d told her to sit. She released her, giving her a big hug. Harta licked her face, making her smile.
“There really should be doors on these archways,” Sabine said to the dog. “Doors that lock.”
She stood and started pacing in her room, trying to decide what to do. The idea of screaming and alerting her guards didn’t seem like the best course of action. She had no idea why, but her gut told her to keep this encounter to herself. The man had meant her no physical harm. Like he’d said, if he had, she’d be dead. Which meant he’d either been there to warn her or to scare her. The question became why he would do either one of those things.
Going over to her desk, she found her mother’s letter and read it again, trying to see if there was anything she’d missed the first time. The part about Rolf discovering conflicting evidence and being fearful of something going on they weren’t aware of concerned her. Especially since the man she’d just encountered had said something eerily similar.
Could the Avoni delegation be trusted or not? She resumed pacing. Were they friends or foes? Yesterday when she’d spoken to her lady friends in the courtyard, they’d wondered if the masquerade was a distraction so the king could have the Avoni ship searched. If Rainer was doing something so extreme, he had to have reason to suspect the Avoni delegation of treachery.
If they were harboring something terrible, the best place to hide it would be in the palace. The king couldn’t have their rooms searched without causing a major incident. But she could accidentally stumble into the Avoni delegation’s rooms and look around them herself. Everyone would be at the masquerade, and no one would suspect her of doing something like that. If she was caught, she could claim ignorance and say she simply wanted to speak to the red-haired man.
By the time the night was over, she’d have her answer regarding Avoni. As to whether Rainer or Sabine would be the one to discover it, she didn’t know. But either way, this cat and mouse game was going to end.
Claire entered Sabine’s bedchamber carrying something wrapped in a blanket along with a box.
As soon as Sabine saw the items, excitement filled her. “Is that my outfit for this evening?” Despite the huge task ahead of her tonight, dressing up and attending the ball would be fun.
“It is.” Claire placed everything on the bed. “The seamstress didn’t even let me sneak a peek. I’m curious to see what you chose.”
“Let’s hope it turned out half as good as I imagined.” She removed her clothes and then slipped the outfit on. Turning slowly before the full-length mirror, she couldn’t help but marvel at how it had turned out. “I love it.”
“It is rather striking. No one will have anything like it in the palace, I’m sure.”
Sabine didn’t know if that was a jab aimed at her or not, but she didn’t care. Granted, the outfit wasn’t in the traditional Lynk style. However, since it was a masquerade, she thought it highly appropriate. The dress was form-fitting on top while loose and flowing on the bottom. The skirt and sleeves were made from a sheer fabric—the sleeves see-through while the skirt had layer upon layer of pale pink and a soft blue material. The bodice was etched with gold, and to top it off, the shoulders had butterfly wings attached to them. It went perfectly with her mask which covered the portion of her face near her eyes; each side a butterfly wing encrusted with jewels. She twirled, watching the layers of the skirt float with the movement.
“Am I to arrive with the king?” she asked. She hadn’t seen him all day and had no idea what he’d been up to. Probably planning his clandestine trip to the Avoni ship this evening.
“Yes. He’s waiting for you in his room. You are to join him once you’re ready.”
Taking one last look in the mirror, she smiled, ready to get on with the evening.
After kissing Harta’s snout, she went over to the door connecting her room to the king’s and knocked.
It opened a moment later, and Gunther ushered her inside. “You can wait here for the king. I’ll let him know you’re ready.” He bowed then left.
Watching his retreating form, Sabine realized she needed to try harder to get the steward to trust her a bit more. It seemed he still kept her at arm’s length and his unfaltering loyalty was clearly to the king.
Meandering over to the sitting room, she decided to remain standing so she wouldn’t mess up her dress.
The king joined her a moment later. “I did not expect so delicate a partner this evening,” he said by way of greeting.
“And I did not expect you to be so majestic tonight.” The golden mask the king wore looked as if it had been molded to his face. Perhaps it was. On each side, large antlers stuck out. “Are you a deer?”
“Elk,” he said with a grin. “I find it difficult to move my head.”
She would imagine so. “Is the entire mask made of gold?” It had to weigh a lot.
“It is. I’m not sure how long I’ll keep it on.” He wore brown pants and a long-sleeved brown tunic that was buttoned closed. The mask covered his face from his nose up, hiding his eyes.
If she hadn’t heard Rainer’s voice, she wouldn’t know it was the king standing before her. Maybe that was the point. If two men wore the exact same outfit, or switched outfits, no one would know.
“Is everything all right?” he asked.
She nodded. What she found disconcerting was not seeing his eyes. With the mask on, the part of Rainer that she found appealing had been stripped away. It was easier to keep her wits about her and not be sucked into the essence of him.
“Let’s be on our way,” the king said, holding out his hand for her to take.
Sabine slid her hand into his, and they exited the king’s chambers. Their guards surrounded them and then they headed through the palace.
“I assume we’re going to the ballroom?” she asked, wanting to make polite conversation. Since their marriage, they’d barely spent any time together.
“No. Tonight, we are in the throne room. I thought it would be better since it’s more open and would help set the mood.”
That surprised her. “And what mood is that?” She wondered why she hadn’t been consulted when planning the masquerade. Her mother usually planned events like this back home. It was surprising Rainer had bothered to make these sorts of decisions. Unless, as she suspected, there was more going on tonight than he wanted her to know.
He leaned in and whispered, “Seductive.” Then he straightened and said in a regular voice, “Too bad your outfit isn’t more appropriate for the evening.”
His words stung. She thought he liked it since he’d made that comment earlier. He’d said she looked delicate. He’d chosen that word for a reason. Maybe he didn’t want someone delicate by his side since he was a warrior king. He wanted—needed—a warrior queen. She’d chosen to dress the way she wanted tonight, not taking his or Lynk’s needs into account. It went against everything she believed by having to tailor herself to fit a mold. Yet, she was the king’s wife and the queen of Lynk. If they needed her to play a part in strengthening the kingdom, she would. When she was alone, she could be herself. But not at social gatherings such as this. Lesson learned.
They reached the ante chamber of the throne room.
“Your siblings aren’t here?” she asked.
“No. They’re already at the ball. We will enter separately from them.”
Somehow the act felt important but before she could ask him about it, Rainer went over and knocked on the door.
A voice on the other side announced, “Lords and Ladies, esteemed guests, may I present His Majesty, King Rainer Manfred, and Her Highness, Princess Sabine Ludwig.”
The doors opened.
Rainer took her hand and led her into the throne room.