Page 69 of The Queen's Crown
Karmen leaned in closer and whispered, “The twins can’t take the throne. They’re not the previous king’s legitimate heirs.”
The news surprised Sabine. “I hadn’t realized the king had two children out of wedlock.”
“He didn’t.” Karmen’s eyes widened, as if willing Sabine to understand what she wasn’t saying.
It dawned on her. “Thequeencheated on the king?” She didn’t think the previous king—or any king for that matter—would have allowed something like that to stand. “And he raised the twins as his own? I don’t understand.” She’d never heard of something so preposterous.
“Rumor is that the king was gone when the queen became pregnant. Some say it was a palace sentry. When the king returned and found out, he had all her guards killed.”
Sabine recalled Rainer’s unwarranted reaction to Markis and her soldiers from back home. Given what his father had gone through, she understood him better now.
“The king loved his wife, so he let her live. After she gave birth, he claimed the twins as his own. However, he made it clear they would never sit on the throne. Which means Lottie is the next in line.”
No wonder Rainer had insisted Sabine never be alone in a room with a man—even his own brothers. Sabine resumed walking. “Is this common knowledge here at court?”
“Yes, though no one talks about it publicly.”
That had to be why Axel didn’t take things seriously. He had nothing to lose from his questionable behavior. “There is still so much I need to learn about Lynk.”
“You have plenty of time.” Karmen patted Sabine’s arm. “And there are several of us here rooting for you. We’ll help you in any way we can.”
Sabine had to force the smile on her face to appear genuine and not triumphant. “Thank you,” she said as demurely as possible.
Since the king declared his marriage to Sabine would take place shortly after the Avoni delegation arrived—which would be any day now—Sabine made her way to the seamstress’s room for a fitting. She couldn’t help but inwardly cringe at what she expected the wedding dress to look like. It wouldn’t be the beautiful style she’d envisioned growing up, but rather, something in the Lynk fashion.
When she arrived, her guards waited outside while she went in, Harta at her side.
“Good morning, Princess Sabine,” the seamstress, Lillian, cooed. “I can’t wait to see how the dress fits you.” The seamstress was an elderly woman, maybe around sixty, with a short stature and a slightly plump shape, her dark hair piled on top of her head in a messy bun.
“Where is it?” she asked, not seeing anything resembling a wedding dress amidst the yards of fabrics and cutting tables spread throughout the room.
“It’s hidden from prying eyes.” She wiggled her eyebrows. “Now go in there,” she pointed to a door on the right. “Remove your clothes. I’ll get your dress and help you put it on. Leave the door open so I know when you’re ready.” She eyed the dog. “Is that creature going in there with you?”
“She goes everywhere I do.” Sabine rubbed Harta’s head.
“Just make sure it doesn’t rub against my fabrics. I don’t need dog hair everywhere.” She shooed Sabine toward the dressing room.
Once inside, Sabine sat on one of the small stools and removed her shoes. Harta diligently sat at the threshold, guarding her. As she slid her shirt up over her head, she thought she heard a whistle but couldn’t be certain. When she tossed the shirt onto the stool, she noticed her dog wasn’t sitting in the doorway any longer.
“Harta?” she called out. The dog didn’t appear.
Ever since she’d received the dog, it hadn’t left her side. It slept at the foot of her bed, sat next to the bath, and even laid next to her chair while she ate. Afraid something had happened to Harta, Sabine tiptoed over to the doorway, peering out into the main portion of the seamstress’s room. Neither the dog nor Lillian were anywhere to be seen.
“Lillian?” Sabine called out. The woman didn’t reply.
She turned back into the dressing room to get her shirt so she could find out what was going on. Something hit Sabine from behind. She screamed as she fell forward, landing with her chin, hands, and knees smacking the floor. She felt a large man on top of her, so she twisted, trying to get away from him. A loud sound reverberated through the room, as if a door had burst open. Growling and barking filled the space. Relief filled Sabine since Harta was here. She screamed again, trying to alert her guards out in the hallway.
Footsteps pounded and shouts rang out.
The person on top of her cursed, kicking at her dog.
The thought of him hurting Harta infuriated her, so she reached for the nearby stool. Her fingers wrapped around one of the legs and she swung it, hitting the man’s head with a satisfying crack. His dagger fell from his hand, clinking to the floor.
Without thinking, Sabine reached for the weapon. She grabbed it, holding it the way Rolf had shown her, and she rammed it down into the man, stabbing his leg. Sabine kept her fingers gripped on the hilt, not wanting her attacker to get ahold of it. He grunted and rolled off her.
She scooted as far away from the man as she could. He reached down, holding his thigh as blood soaked through his pants and dripped onto the floor.
Shouts rang from somewhere in the palace. The man cursed and got to his feet, limping as he ran from the dressing room holding his thigh. Harta barked as she chased after him, snapping at his leg.
