Page 31 of The Queen's Crown
Sabine ran a hand down her dress. “Did my sister wear Lynk clothing?” She couldn’t imagine Alina putting on anything provocative since she’d always been overly modest.
“No, she did not.”
“Was my sister introduced to your court?”
“Yes.”
Sabine found this information fascinating. “How did the people here receive her?”
“Well, I don’t think anyone really understood her. She looked and acted so different from us.”
Which could be part of the reason they were afraid to introduce Sabine without Rainer’s approval. “Thank you for bringing my food. You are dismissed.”
Claire bowed before leaving the room.
While sitting on the bed eating her supper, Sabine considered all she’d learned. The royal family didn’t want to introduce her to the court until the king returned because they wanted her to dress and look the part of a Lynk queen. Which meant this must have been an issue for her sister. If Alina looked like an outsider and made no effort to assimilate to the culture here, that could have been reason enough for someone to kill her. Which meant Sabine was going to have to do the opposite of what her sister did in the hopes of staying alive.
When she finished eating, the sun hadn’t set yet. She wanted to snoop around the palace before the king returned—whenever that would be. She had no idea if it would be a day, a week, or a month. Regardless, the royal siblings couldn’t order her around. They probably thought she was like Alina and would do what she was told. She snorted. They’d never suspect her to be wearing their clothing and walking around the palace in plain sight.
She went over to the closet, inspecting the outfits inside. The trouble would be finding something she felt comfortable wearing. There were many dresses to choose from. All brightly colored with hardly any fabric. She began searching for the most material she could find. When she came across a purple dress that covered one shoulder and didn’t have any slits in it, she pulled it out, examining it. It seemed better than the other options.
Steeling her resolve, she put the dress on, finding it hugged her body a little more than she cared for. After locating some shoes that matched, she went back into the bedchamber, trying to decide what to do with her hair. Not knowing the Lynk fashion, she decided to leave her hair down as Lottie had worn hers to supper last night.
Satisfied with her appearance, she exited her bedchamber, holding her head high. There were only two guards on duty, and they both looked at her. Thankfully, one of them was Markis.
“I want to take a walk around the palace since my legs are stiff, but I don’t want to attract any attention by having the two of you hovering.”
“Yes, of course, Your Highness,” Markis said, taking control of the situation. “Where would you like to go?”
“I don’t know.” She looked at the other guard. “Do you have any suggestions?”
“We can head to one of the courtyards,” he said. “At this hour, there won’t be many people around. I’ll take the lead. You may walk a few feet behind me so no one will notice. Is that satisfactory to you?”
“Yes.”
“And I’ll walk behind you to make sure you’re safe,” Markis added.
The three of them set out. Even though she was dressed in Lynk clothing, Sabine still felt ill at ease moving through the palace. If one of the royal siblings found her, they’d be upset. However, she was on equal footing with them. Once she married the king, she’d be their queen and would outrank them. She never let one of her own siblings intimidate her, so she refused to let anyone here get the better of her either. She also assumed that the more she dressed in Lynk fashion, the more comfortable she’d get. Besides, she needed to keep her end goal in mind. She was doing this to start sniffing out the person who killed her sister. Sitting alone in her bedchamber all day would do her no good. And she’d always excelled at snooping.
The sun had just set, but the sky hadn’t yet turned dark. When she reached the courtyard, someone was only just lighting the candles along the perimeter wall. She realized that was the first person she’d seen since leaving her room.
Markis and the other guard took up watch at one of the archways which allowed her to wander freely around the courtyard. She pretended to smell the flowers and observe the water fountain, all the while hoping to spot someone passing by so she could speak to him or her. However, if this was the royal wing, she doubted she’d run into anyone.
“I thought we asked you to remain in your room,” Axel said, startling Sabine. He strode across the courtyard and joined her. “It’s nice to see you’re at least trying to assimilate.” His eyes scanned her body. “You could use a little work, though.” He winked.
“Your Highness,” she said by way of greeting, hoping to remind him that he should address her with proper respect. She inwardly groaned, realizing she sounded like her mother.
He smiled. “We’re not that formal when it’s just the family. There’s no need to be.”
“We’re not family. At least, not yet.”
“What are you doing out here all alone in the courtyard?” he asked.
“I just needed to get out of my room for a bit.”
“You could have asked one of us to visit you if you wanted company.”
She was about to inquire what he was doing out at this hour when movement to the right caught her attention. In the nearby archway, a woman stood wearing a red outfit that covered her breasts, stomach, and then hung straight down to the floor. A slit ran up the front, exposing both of her long legs and thighs.
