Page 67 of The King's Sword
“All the time.” He sighed. “But I wouldn’t take back that kiss,” he whispered.
She pinched her eyes shut, forcing herself to ignore his comment. She couldn’t let it affect her right now. She’d digest it later, when she wasn’t standing in front of him. Wanting—needing—to change the focus of their conversation, she said, “I would go back and not take my sister’s place.” She wouldn’t have married Rainer.
“Don’t you want revenge?” he asked.
“I do. But I’m not sure I went about the right way of getting it.” And it seemed all she’d done was get herself into a situation where she could very well end up dead. She’d been dealt an awful hand and now she had to play it, regardless of what she wanted.
“I may be able to help you there,” he mumbled. “Especially if I marry Lottie.”
“I don’t think you can assassinate your future wife.” Even though Sabine might want her dead. “And what if she catches wind? She might try to kill you.”
He chuckled. “I’m a trained assassin. Have a little faith.” He shook his head.
Sabine folded her arms, wanting to shield herself from this dangerous man before her. She almost laughed at the irony. A couple weeks ago, the danger was from him being an assassin. Now, the danger lie in the way he made her feel when she was near him. She took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. “Speaking of which,” she said, “do you still plan on trying to kill Ex tonight?”
He ran a hand over his face before folding his arms, mimicking her stance. “No. The planisto kill him tonight. There’s no trying here.”
Part of her wished she could help. However, she understood why she couldn’t. In order to best the assassin, it would take a man of equal or better skill. “Does that mean we’ll leave tomorrow?”
“No,” Evander said. “We’ll leave the day after. I need to gather provisions and pack.” He ran his hand through his hair.
“Will we have time for some more training?” She wanted to learn a few more things before they set out. She didn’t know when she’d ever have another opportunity to be trained by someone like him. While Rainer had shown her some physical maneuvers, he hadn’t once hinted at teaching her techniques like stealth, listening, smelling, or any of the things an assassin did. Things that could not only save her life, but allow her to snoop and be invisible in a palace full of busybodies.
The door opened, and King Kai entered. Evander didn’t respond and instead, greeted his father.
“I’d hoped to find you here,” Kai said.
“I’m actually leaving in order to prepare for my mission tonight,” Evander said.
“I didn’t come here for you,” the king replied. “I must speak with Queen Sabine.”
Evander glanced at her. “Very well. I’ll leave the two of you alone.” He bowed his head before departing from the room.
Sabine turned to face King Kai, not knowing if she should say anything or wait for him to speak.
“Let’s take a walk,” he said, tilting his head toward the door. “This room usually puts me in a bad mood since when I’m in here, it means I’m planning someone’s death or a battle.”
Sabine smiled. “I can understand that.” She followed him from the room, wondering how often the room was used considering this kingdom preferred stealth, not outright fighting. Besides, the surrounding lands hadn’t seen a war in decades. She supposed the League was doing its job then.
Kai clasped his hands behind his back, walking at a slow, leisurely pace.
“The grounds here are beautiful,” Sabine said as she came to walk alongside him.
“That they are.”
A light rain fell. He led her across a single pathway hovering just above the water, like a bridge but without a railing. It took them to the center of the lake to a squared platform with a roof. Each corner post had curtains tied to it that could be slid closed, giving the illusion of privacy. On the platform were a handful of sofas and a low table in the center.
“I love to be outdoors,” Kai explained. “Since it rains so often here, I had this built so I can be outside and not get wet.” He smiled and sat on one of the sofas.
Sabine sat across from him. “I assume there’s something you wish to discuss with me,” she said, noting they had no guards and no one was around. Due to the platform’s positioning in the middle of the lake, no one could overhear their conversation. Folding her hands on her lap, she knew she needed to tread carefully—he’d brought her here for a reason.
He crossed his legs, watching her. “Firstly, I’d like to apologize for my son kidnapping you. He should not have done so. I want to be clear—he did that on his own. He wasn’t even supposed to be a part of the delegation.”
“I understand,” she said carefully. While she didn’t mind her current predicament, she was married to Rainer and had to return to Lynk. The situation would need to be handled delicately so as not to add more problems to the ones already mounting.
“I want your assurance that you will not seek retribution,” Kai said.
Sabine didn’t know what authority she had to make such promises. While she was the queen of Lynk, women seemed to have little power there, and she had no idea if Rainer would respect any deals she made without his knowledge. “As far as I’m concerned, your son escorted me to meet my brother. I was not taken against my will.”
