Chapter 21
Like the last time Sabine had been in the throne room, thousands of candles hung from the domed ceiling, casting the area in a soft glow. Warm air floated in since there weren’t any walls. A group of musicians were situated off to the side. A couple hundred guests were in attendance. Most wore brightly colored outfits. Many of the men wore loose fitting pants, vests open in the front, and their masks covered their eyes and foreheads. Sabine spotted several bear, wolf, and deer masks. The women wore sleeveless dresses with high slits revealing their legs. Their masks tended to cover less of their faces and were mostly flowers or exotic plants.
As Sabine stood there holding Rainer’s hand, she easily spotted members from the Avoni delegation since they wore dark colors, a stark contrast to everyone else in the room. The Avoni men had what Sabine considered proper tunics and pants, fully covering their bodies. The women wore floor length dresses with long sleeves. Their masks tended to be a single color covering their lips up to their foreheads, none of them representing an animal.
After Rainer said a few words to the guests, he led Sabine to the center of the room for a dance, everyone parting to make way for them. The musicians began playing a soft, haunting tune that Sabine considered an odd choice. A joyful, fast-paced tune would have been preferable. However, the slow song allowed Rainer to easily lead Sabine around the dance floor without her getting tripped up. The skirts of her dress swayed, almost matching the music.
As they turned, she saw a maskless face behind Rainer amongst the crowd of people watching them. She blinked, and he was gone. How strange to have seen a single face among a sea of masks. Especially a face she thought she recognized. A face she’d seen before—the red-haired man from her balcony.
“We haven’t trained in a couple of days,” Rainer said. “Let’s meet tomorrow before breakfast.”
“That’s a good idea.” Not only did she want to practice, but it would give her the chance to speak with him privately on a few pressing matters.
“I’ll admit to being disappointed in your attire this evening. Next time, I will make sure to have Claire take care of your clothing.”
It was a good thing she’d spent years learning how to conceal her emotions. Anger and hurt warred within. “I understand my error,” she said. “It will not happen again. I apologize.” She wished she could see around his eyes to determine his reaction.
“At least you’re a quick learner.” He dragged his right hand up her back, over her shoulder, and along her arm, shaking his head. “Every single time I touch you, I should be able to feel your skin.” As the song came to an end, Rainer leaned forward, placing a kiss on her bare neck.
Sabine shivered, not having expected the intimate gesture.
He released her and the two of them faced the guests, everyone clapping.
“I believe you know the drill,” Rainer mumbled.
“I do.” She spotted Regina standing with her husband, Felix, not far away. Felix stepped forward, and Rainer handed her over to the commander. It was the first time she’d seen him not in uniform. Rainer took Regina’s hand just as the music started back up.
“Commander Felix,” Sabine said as the man placed his free hand on her back.
“Princess,” he replied.
“I see you’ve come as a wolf this evening.” She honestly wouldn’t have recognized him had he not been standing with Regina.
“I thought it a fitting creature for the commander of the army.”
“I agree.” She glanced about the room. Everyone else had returned to dancing now that the king had completed his first dance. “Tell me, have Cutler and Heather married yet?”
He slowed the pace, almost stopping in the middle of the dance floor. “Are you implying you won’t be attending their wedding?”
“Not at all,” she said with a forced smile. “In my kingdom, the royal family doesn’t go to many weddings. I did not realize it was the custom here.” She was making one blunder after another tonight.
He grunted, barely moving to the music. She wondered how someone so capable with a sword could be so lacking on the dance floor.
“My wife tells me you will make a good queen,” he said, peering at her. “I will admit, I’ve had my doubts. But she has spent time with you; I have not. Plus, King Rainer seems to think you are what this kingdom needs.”
Sabine kept her mouth shut. She wasn’t sure where he was going with this.
“As the commander of the Lynk army, I serve the king…and the queen. I will be first in line to pledge my loyalty to you during the coronation.”
Shock rippled through her. She hadn’t expected him to make such a declaration. “Thank you. When I’m crowned queen, you have my word that I will always put Lynk first. Everything I do will be for this kingdom.” She hoped he heard the sincerity in her words.
He nodded. “I’m glad to hear it.”
The song came to an end.
“Thank you for the honor of the dance,” Felix said with a bow.
The night wore on. Sabine danced with one person after another. Since everyone wore masks, she often had no idea who she was dancing with. These functions had been much more fun in Bakley when she didn’t have an important role to play. She could dance with whomever she wanted and sneak away to a dark corner for some gossip.
As the night wore on, she became parched. Fearful she’d never have a break to get a drink, she excused herself from her current partner before the song ended and hurried over to the drink table situated off to the side. It was filled with wine and ale. Needing some water, she left the throne room, finding her guards just outside of it.
“Your Highness,” one of the guards said, “is something the matter?”
“I am in need of a drink of water.”
“I will go directly to the kitchen myself to fetch it. Please wait here.” He bowed and then hurried away.
Thankful for the break, she leaned against the nearby wall, just out of sight in case anyone exited the throne room or came this way. The last thing she wanted was someone dragging her back in there for another dance. However, she made sure to remain in full view of her guards.
Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. It was quiet out here in the hallway. Peaceful.
“Princess, your water.”
She opened her eyes and took the cup. “Thank you.”
The guard turned and joined her other guards not far away.
Movement caught her attention, and she glanced down toward the other end of the hallway. A man dressed in black walked past, his cape floating behind him. He turned his head and grinned—his smile the only thing visible with his mask on. He had to be one of the guests at the ball. And then he stepped out of sight.
Goosebumps covered her skin, though the air remained warm.
Needing to make another appearance at the ball, she finished off her water and handed the cup to one of her guards. She’d go back in, dance to a few songs, and then slip away, unnoticed. She just needed an hour or so to search the rooms the Avoni delegation was staying in. That should be more than enough time to snoop around to see if she could learn anything of importance.
When she returned to the throne room, a man immediately stepped in front of her, requesting the next dance. Based upon his black outfit and simple mask, he had to be from Avoni.
Sabine agreed, and the man gently took her hand. They began dancing. Even with the mask on, she could tell he was an older man, in his forties, based upon the lines around his mouth and the dark spots on his hands.
“How are you liking Lynk?” she asked, wanting to make some polite conversation.
“It is too hot and humid for my taste,” he replied, guiding her toward the edge of the room, on the fringe of those dancing.
“It is rather humid here,” she agreed. “I’m sorry, I didn’t catch your name.”
The corners of his lips rose. “That is because I didn’t give one.”
“Do you have a title I can use?” His evasiveness made her uneasy. Not only that, but she was a princess and outranked him. When she asked for a name, he needed to give it.
He peered around before leaning closer to her and whispering, “If it’s money your family needs, there are other kingdoms with the means to assist you.”
It was a good thing no one was nearby to overhear this conversation. When she’d first agreed to dance with the man, she’d hoped to learn a thing or two about Avoni. Not once did she consider it going this way.
“My family does not need money,” she replied. “Besides, the contract has been signed. It cannot be broken.” Although, thinking it over, if Bakley had more money, they could afford to fund a larger army. But her father had never seen the need. Regardless, at a time like this, having extra resources would help.
“The contract is meaningless.”
She opened her mouth to argue.
“New information has come to light,” he said.
“What information?” she asked. They’d stopped dancing altogether.
“You don’t know?”
She shook her head.
He glanced about. “How can you even be in this palace knowing your sister died here?”
Her hand tightened around his. “My kingdom’s children are being kidnapped.” She would do whatever necessary to stop the kidnappings and protect the Bakley children.
“Are they?”
“They are. Along the Carlon and Bakley border. I will marry King Rainer, and he’ll send troops to Bakley to protect my people.”
“Is that what you think is going to happen?” He leaned closer.
“It’s in the contract.” If he knew something she didn’t, he needed to tell her what it was.
“There’s a reason the League no longer supports this marriage. You best be careful lest you find yourself in the hornets’ nest.” The song ended, and he released her. “If it’s answers you seek, you’re looking in the wrong places.” He bowed and then left.
She stood there shaking, trying to decide if he was speaking the truth or just trying to scare her. If he had information, all he had to do was tell her. There was no need to be so evasive.
“You’re finally alone,” Axel said from beside her.
“I really don’t feel like dancing right now.” Sabine needed to be alone to think over everything the man from Avoni had just said.
“Neither do I.” He clasped his hands behind his back and headed toward the balcony. He tilted his head and raised his eyebrows, the invitation clear.
Being away from the dancing couples sounded like a good idea, so she followed him. No one else was on the balcony. She rested her arms on the railing and looked out over the dark valley below, trying to calm her rattled nerves.
“Interesting outfit,” Axel said as he mirrored her position beside her. His mask was a deep purple, matching his pants and shirt.
“Weren’t you supposed to be an eagle?” she asked.
“I changed my mind.”
“What are you?”
He shrugged. “Nothing.”
She could almost hear the unspoken words: because that’s what I am. She shivered. Nothing about tonight was going the way she thought it would.
“Since I planned this event,” he continued, “I didn’t have time to have an extravagant mask made.”
“I thought Rainer planned this?”
“He told me to arrange a masquerade, so I did.” He turned, looking at her. “Does it matter who planned it?”
She shook her head. Gazing back out at the night, she couldn’t help but wonder why Axel was out here with her instead of inside dancing.
“Sometimes I want to fall into the silence of the night,” he whispered.
Surprised by the admission, Sabine twisted to face him. “Why is that?”
“The silence demands nothing but silence in return.”
Though it might be quiet at night, that was when most dark deeds were done. That was when Sabine planned on breaking into the Avoni’s rooms and snooping around. Night provided cover for things that shouldn’t happen. The daylight exposed them.
The corners of his lips rose. “Of course, there are plenty of other things I enjoy doing in the night.”
And there was the Axel she’d come to know. “I’m sure your nights are rarely spent silently.”
He laughed. “I do love your candor.”
“Prince Axel,” a woman said from behind them.
“Duty calls,” he whispered. With a wink, he turned and strode away, joining the woman and heading back into the throne room.
Since Sabine was alone, she went inside but remained along the perimeter, making her way to one of the side exits. Being careful not to make eye contact or garner anyone’s attention, she stepped out into the hallway.
“Princess?” a guard said. He wasn’t one of her personal guards but rather, one of the many stationed throughout the surrounding corridors for security this evening.
She stepped closer to him and said in a soft voice, “I’m feeling dizzy. Can you please escort me to a nearby guest room? I want to lie down for a few minutes to catch my breath.”
He shifted his weight from foot to foot.
“I know this is terribly untoward, but I am embarrassed and don’t want the king to see me like this. Your assistance won’t be forgotten once I’m queen.”
He nodded. “Of course, Your Highness. This way.”
Relief filled her as he led her down the hallway, away from the throne room.
The Avonis were staying in the east wing. From what she understood, they had a joined sitting room with individual bedchambers off it. She should be able to scour the sitting room and maybe one or two bedchambers if time permitted.
Her hands began to sweat. The problem with her outfit was that if anyone saw a glimpse of it, they would know it was hers. She should have worn something inconspicuous.
They turned down another corridor. Something sounded behind her, so she glanced back. The same man that she’d seen earlier, the one dressed all in black with a cape, passed by the intersection, heading the other way.
“Princess?” the guard in front of her said.
She realized she’d stopped.
“Is everything all right?” he asked.
“Did you see that man?”
“I did not. Shall we go and get additional guards?”
“That won’t be necessary. I was simply going to ask his name.” She forced a smile on her face. “Let’s be on our way.”
They entered the west wing. The guard stopped at the third door on the right. “Wait here,” he said as he opened the door and stepped inside. He returned a moment later. “The room is empty.”
“Excellent. I am going to take a short nap. Do not disturb me. When I awake, I will let you know, and you can escort me back to the throne room at that time.” Without waiting for his reply, she closed the door, leaving him out in the hallway.
The only light came from the moon shining in through the window. Sabine went over to the bed and shoved two of the pillows under the blankets, making it look like a body was lying there sleeping. Satisfied that if the guard peaked in, he’d believe her to be asleep, she went over to the corner of the room where she thought the servants’ entrance would be. When she’d asked Gunther about the servants’ passageways, he’d told her they didn’t connect to the royal wing for security reasons. However, each guest room or suite had a door leading to the network of passageways known only by the most trusted servants.
Sabine squatted and put her hand beneath the door, pulling it toward her. It opened. She stood and stepped inside the passageway, gently closing the door behind her. Oil lamps lit the space in a soft glow every fifty feet or so. They seemed to be positioned away from the doors so as not to shine beneath them. It was just enough light for her to see along the corridor. She’d been told there were five single rooms on either side and then the suites began. The Avoni delegation was staying in the first set of suites. Since she’d been in the third room on the right, she needed to go three more doors until she reached the correct location.
Not having a lot of time, she needed to get moving. She hurried to the third door and slowly pushed it open, peering inside. The room was dark. She didn’t hear anything or see any movement, so she pushed the door open farther and stepped inside. She found herself in a large sitting room with two short hallways jutting off either side of it. On the low table between the four sofas, a handful of papers had been scattered about. She went over and looked at them, not recognizing a single word. They had to be written in another language. Moving a few, she checked the papers below the ones on top, not finding anything she could read.
Frustrated, she went to the hallway on the right. It had six doors off it, three on either side, leading to bedchambers. Pressing her ear against the first door, she listened, not hearing anything. She opened the door an inch and peered inside. It was empty, so she pushed the door open and went in. The bed had been neatly made and a bag sat on top of it. She went over and opened the bag. It was filled with clothes. As if the person had packed and was ready to leave. She closed it and left the room, going to the one across from it. Inside, she also found the room tidy, and a bag packed.
As far as she knew, the delegation wasn’t supposed to leave any time soon. She was just about to exit the room when she heard a doorknob jiggle. Pressing her body against the wall, she kept the door cracked open and listened. If someone had returned early from the masquerade, she’d have to sneak out of here once that person went to his or her room since the guest suite only had an entrance to the servants’ passageways in the sitting room. Her heart thudded and panic set it. What if the person stayed in the sitting room and more of the delegation returned? She’d need to come up with another way out of the suite. Maybe she could hide under the bed and then once everyone went to sleep, she could sneak out. However, by then someone would realize she was missing, and a search would be carried out for her. Everything seemed to be going wrong tonight.
“She can’t be touched now that she’s been crowned,” someone whispered. “At least not by anyone here in Lynk.”
They were talking about her—and not many knew she’d been crowned. She leaned closer to the door, straining to hear the people whispering.
“No one knows she’s the queen. I can still arrange for her to be killed in a way that can’t be traced back to you. I promise.”
“It was supposed to be done the first time.”
“Technically it was when we took care of her sister. When you hired me, it was one person, not two. The fact that things have changed is not my fault. Besides, if you’d let me handle her death the way I wanted to, the mess in the sewing room wouldn’t have happened. That’s on you.”
Red filled the corners of Sabine’s vision as rage inundated her. She had to force herself to breathe slowly, trying to calm herself down, so she didn’t do something stupid like run out there and confront the murderers. If these were people from Avoni, they’d enter their rooms soon and she wouldn’t get another chance to see their faces. She had to look so she could identify them.
“Why did you want to meet me here?” the one whispered.
“To arrange a new deal,” the other answered. “I will plant evidence here that Avoni is responsible for her death.”
A ruffling noise sounded, though Sabine had no idea what it was.
A low chuckle filled the room. “Oh, that is good. I can see why your services are so valued. Yes, right there is perfect.”
“I want double my payment.”
“Done.”
“And now that this has been put in the room, we can go. I’ll take care of Sabine tonight.”
If Sabine didn’t look now, she’d never get the chance. She pulled the door toward her more, leaning her head out into the hallway.
She caught a glimpse of long, dark brown hair. The woman wore a navy-blue dress with a matching mask covered with feathers. The man at her side wore traditional Lynk clothing. The two of them exited the suite.
The second the door clicked shut, Sabine hurried from the room. She scanned the sitting area, looking for whatever had been left behind and not seeing anything. Not having time to lose, she turned, about to leave, when she spotted something on the floor, sticking out from under one of the sofas. She knelt and picked up the paper. It was a letter and written in her language. Not wanting to take the time to read it now, she shoved it in her dress and hurried from the room.
She used the servants’ passageway, counting the doors until she reached hers. She opened it and went inside. If an assassin was coming for her, she needed to return to the party and let Rainer know. She had to tell him everything she’d overheard. Not bothering to fix the bed, she exited the room and found her guard across the hallway, sitting on the floor beside a different door, slouched over. Sabine knelt and examined him. He had odd spots on his skin and his eyes were lifeless.
Bile rose in her throat. He was dead. The assassin must have killed him on his way to the guest suite. Thankfully the guard wasn’t at the door to the room she’d been in. However, that didn’t mean she was safe. The assassin could be searching the passageways right now. And Sabine was all alone.
She stood and ran. She had to get back to the masquerade and find Rainer.
The palace seemed oddly empty at this hour. She sprinted past the library, down another corridor, and then turned down the hallway leading to the throne room. The sound of music filled the air, and she spotted several sentries up ahead, putting her at ease.
She forced herself to slow.
“Princess,” one of the guards said, “is everything all right?”
Holding her head high, she assured him that it was.
“Princess Sabine,” Lottie said from behind her. “I was just looking for you.”
Relief filled her at Lottie’s presence. Together they could find Rainer and tell him what was going on. She wasn’t alone in this.
She turned around, about to tell Lottie everything, when she froze, unable to utter a single word.
Lottie was wearing a navy-blue dress and a mask covered with feathers. She was the woman with the assassin from the guest suite.