Page 54 of The King's Sword
Startled, Sabine stood there, wondering what was so important that Carin had to talk with Evander right this moment and why it couldn’t wait until after they ate. The king and queen were expecting them.
Mumbled voices came from the other side of the door. Glancing around, Sabine didn’t see anyone, so she leaned against the door, trying to hear what they were discussing. She couldn’t make out any of the words. Afraid someone would catch her eavesdropping, she moved away from the door and tried to at least pretend to be patiently waiting for them.
She found herself standing in a square room similar to the one in the building where her room was. There were three hallways that jutted off of this room.
The door swung open and Carin and Evander entered.
“Shall we?” Evander said, not meeting her eyes as he gestured to the hallway at the back of the room. Carin headed that way, so Sabine followed, noticing Evander fold his hands together behind his back.
They went down a short corridor which opened to a dining room. A rectangular table, with six place settings, was situated in the center of the room, taking up a majority of the space. Several round lanterns hung from the ceiling, casting the room in a soft glow. The wall across from where Sabine stood was lined floor to ceiling with windows, showcasing the glassy lake outside. Four potted trees, one in each corner of the room, added to the ambiance.
Going farther into the room, Sabine said, “I see why you found Lynk such a strange place.”
“What do you mean?” Carin asked.
“Lynk is hot, humid, open, and bright,” Sabine explained. “Most of the cities are built on mountains.” Here everything was green, it rained constantly, the air was chilly, and the buildings were more closed and contained. “At least here in Avoni, I never feel like I’m going to tumble to my death if I lean out of a window.” She smiled, trying to keep the mood light.
Carin raised her eyebrows. “That is…interesting.”
A door to the left opened, and three people entered the room. The first was an older gentleman in his late forties with dark brown hair and eyes. Evander introduced him as his father, King Kai Botoko. At the king’s side was a woman of similar age though she had auburn hair and bright blue eyes. Evander introduced her as his mother, Queen Serilda Botoko. The other person Sabine recognized as Gemma.
“My eldest sister, Lyra, lives at a different palace with her husband and two young children,” Evander said. “Everyone, this is Queen Sabine Manfred of Lynk.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Sabine said, with a slight tilt of her head, as she’d seen her mother do when royals from other kingdoms came to visit. She realized she should have asked Evander if there were any particular customs she needed to be aware of.
“Welcome,” Kai said. “I must admit I was surprised to receive King Rainer’s declaration that he’d married you and crowned you queen.”
“Were you?” Sabine asked. “I thought you sent the delegation to Lynk to approve of our wedding. I should think me marrying the king, as planned, wouldn’t come as a surprise.” She knew the statement was bold, but she wanted to assert her position here and let them know she couldn’t be pushed around easily.
The king and queen exchanged a look that Sabine couldn’t decipher.
“Let’s all take a seat,” Kai said, gesturing to the table, and not acknowledging Sabine’s comment.
Evander pulled out a chair for Sabine. When she sat, he whispered, “Bold. Well done.”
“I was afraid it was dungeon worthy,” she whispered back.
He chuckled and took the seat next to her. The king and queen sat at either end of the table while Gemma and Carin sat directly across from Sabine and Evander.
Several servants entered carrying plates, setting one before each person.
Sabine reluctantly peered down and was disheartened to see several things on her plate that she didn’t recognize. She was starving and could really go for some meat and potatoes instead of…whatever this was before her. It looked like some sort of fish and several vegetables.
Once the servants left, the king started eating and everyone followed suit. “Tell us, Queen Sabine, how you came to be in Avoni with Evander.”
A loaded question, and one that needed to be answered carefully. Evander and her should have discussed all of this ahead of time. However, she’d been so focused on meeting the king and queen that she hadn’t stopped to consider what she should specifically say to them. She knew what sheshouldn’tsay.
“The League was gathering, and Sabine wanted to meet with her brother. I offered to escort her,” Evander said.
Under the table, Sabine folded her hands in her lap. Evander reached over and took hold of her hand, squeezing it once before releasing it. She had to trust him to lead this conversation. Forcing herself to appear relaxed, she lifted her fork and picked at her food.
“I didn’t know the League was meeting here in Avoni,” Queen Serilda said.
Sabine felt her face heat up. It was clear they had some explaining to do and couldn’t gloss over the situation. Evander’s parents were intuitive. She’d need to not only watch what she said but how she behaved around them.
“We met at the usual place,” Evander said, taking a bite of his food.
“Can you please explain to us why the two of you are here then?” Kai said, taking a drink from his cup.
