Page 8 of The Royal Throne
She didn’t respond because she had no intention of hiding in her room all day. Instead, she said, “Now that I’ve answered your questions, I’d like you to answer mine. Where were you the night of the masquerade? Why couldn’t I find you in the palace?” As soon as she asked the question, she realized her mistake. If she’d escaped from the palace on her own and found the boat as she claimed, she would have run into Rainer and his men. Evander had a decently sized ship, so he hadn’t traveled along the coastline. That was how he made it undetected.
Regardless, Rainer wouldn’t admit what he had done that night. He would never reveal that he assassinated the Avoni delegation.
“Do you know Prince Evander?” He moved to the foot of the bed.
“Yes. I met him at the League’s house.” She needed to tread carefully. “I also met the League members from Carlon and Nisk.”
He tapped the footboard. “Until you’ve had a bleeding and I can be certain you’re without a child, we will not be together as husband and wife.”
A strange sense of relief filled her. “And once I have my cycle?”
“Then you will do what needs to be done to ensure I have a proper heir.”
“Then you better make sure neither Lottie nor an assassin harm me. Otherwise, you’ll be without an heir, and Lottie will take your throne.”
He stilled. “You honestly think my sister is trying to overthrow me?”
“I don’t think—I know.”
A smile slid across his face. “How little you think of me to believe my own baby sister could outsmart me. I pray you don’t make the same mistake.” He sauntered to the door and paused. “I’m leaving first thing tomorrow morning. I won’t be back for a few days.” Without waiting for her to respond, he left, closing the door behind him.
Chapter Three
Between the stifling humidity and Sabine’s restless thoughts trying to decipher what Rainer knew about her time with Evander, sleep eluded her. After tossing and turning for hours, she finally gave up and got out of bed before the sun had even risen. Since the king had left the palace, she needed to be as productive as possible and not squander this opportunity. She sent word to her brother and Markis to meet her at the front of the palace in thirty minutes. Then she searched through her closet until she located the bag she’d given to Markis to hide there. She opened it, pulling out her crown. Since the late queen’s personal journal was still tucked inside, Sabine shoved the bag back behind her clothes, out of sight.
She quickly dressed and placed the crown atop her head. Satisfied with her appearance, she exited her room and headed to the front of the palace, her guards trailing her. It felt strange to walk the halls so early in the morning. While there weren’t any nobles about, there were plenty of servants cleaning, carts of food being brought in, and the smell of baking bread wafted through the corridors.
Otto and Markis were already there waiting for her. They all quickly made their way across the bridge to the dirt road opposite it.
“Rainer didn’t say where he was going or how long he’d be gone for?” Otto asked.
“No, he did not.” Sabine couldn’t imagine her father treating her mother that way.
“Since Rainer isn’t here, there’s no need for me to stay,” Otto said. “Once we’re done with this, let’s make arrangements for me to return to Bakley with the missing children.”
Sabine froze. “You don’t think he’s marching south right now to wage war, do you?” Her stomach rolled with nausea at the mere thought.
“We’ll find out soon enough.”
They reached the last building, the one right next to the edge of the cliff. Markis knocked on the door and an elderly woman opened it, granting them entrance. The room was lit by a single torch. The old woman knelt and opened a door built into the floor, revealing a steep staircase. Two of the guards began the descent.
“Are we going down there?” Otto asked, pointing at the opening.
“We are.” Sabine remembered the first time she came here and how afraid she’d been to go into the ground like that.
Markis went next, waving for Otto to follow him.
“Thank you,” Sabine said to the elderly woman, smiling at her.
The woman grunted.
Sabine went next, the remainder of her guards after her. Cold air wrapped around her as she descended the staircase. She’d only been down here once before, and she didn’t remember it being this cold.
When Markis reached the door at the bottom, he knocked three times, then kicked it once. The door swung open, revealing an enormous cavern. Sabine prayed soldiers were there training and not marching south with Rainer.
“This is unbelievable,” Otto mumbled as he stepped inside. He hadn’t traveled through the lava tunnels like Sabine did, so there were a lot of things he didn’t know about Lynk. “Is this under the town itself?”
“It is.”
