Page 101 of The Royal Throne
“It doesn’t have to be like this,” she said, panic setting in now that both her wrists were attached to the bed. “We can work together instead of fighting one another.”
He shook his head. “Since the moment I met you, I knew you’d never work. You’re too independent and opinionated.”
“You can’t kill me,” she reminded him. “You need your heir to maintain the throne.”
“See, that’s where you’re wrong.” Kneeling on the bed, he put his hands on either side of her body, hovering over her, his face mere inches from hers. “If I go to war and end the League, I can change the rules.” A sadistic smile slid across his face. “I can do whatever I want.” He leaned even closer and whispered in her ear, “I can even kill you.”
“King Rainer!” someone shouted from outside the tent.
“Don’t worry, I won’t make your death easy. You’ve caused me so many problems and so much pain, I will take my time and enjoy it.” He went over to the tent flap, lifting it.
“Your Majesty, we found a man snooping around the camp,” a soldier said. “He’s from Avoni and he has several weapons on him. We think he’s one of the men responsible for the assassinations.”
“Excellent,” Rainer said. “Let’s go.” He left the tent without another word.
Lying there staring up at the ceiling, Sabine knew she had to come up with another plan to get out of this mess. Only, her plans didn’t seem to work. And this time, she couldn’t think of a single idea to help. Unless Drew or Cutler came in and untied her, she was going to die. The realization that she couldn’t save herself was almost too much. Tears filled her eyes.
Sabine must have fallen asleep because when she peeled her eyelids open, darkness blanketed the tent. Someone had just entered, which must have woken her. A figure went over to the side and lit a candle, revealing it was Rainer. Setting the candle down, he turned and sat on the side of the bed next to Sabine.
“Prince Evander has come for you,” Rainer said. “My men spotted him on the outskirts of camp.” He chuckled, the sound dark. “I assumed he had a thing for you.”
Confusion swirled within Sabine. There was no way Evander knew she was here. If he’d come to the camp, it was for something else. A shiver wracked her body.
Rainer ran his finger over Sabine’s forehead, along her cheek, and over her bottom lip. She had to refrain from biting his finger and spitting in his face.
“Don’t worry that pretty little head of yours,” he said. “We’re setting a trap. Tomorrow I will kill you in front of Evander. He will watch you die like I watched Heather die.”
“Evander isn’t responsible for Heather’s death,” she said. “He had nothing to do with it.”
He tilted his head to the side. “You’re defending him?”
“I’m sorry Heather died.”
His eyes narrowed. “No, you’re not. You never liked her.” He stood. “Try to get some sleep. You’ll need your energy for tomorrow.”
Sabine jolted awake to men shouting out orders. She heard several people yell the word dead. She wondered if they’d been attacked or if Evander had done something. Darkness surrounded her, the lone candle no longer lit. She was still in bed, her wrists bound. Angry voices came from right outside her tent. It sounded like they were next to her head, on the other side of the tent’s fabric wall.
“She is the acting commander,” a voice said. “That means she must be killed.”
“I gave specific instructions that the queen was not to be touched in any way,” another voice said. This one seemed angry, deadly, lethal.
“And the king gave me instructions. I can’t return home until the commander is dead.”
“I’m changing the orders.”
“You can’t. You know that.”
There was a shuffling sound and a thump.
“If something happens to me, there will be another.”
“You will not touch the queen. That’s an order.”
A low chuckle sounded. “Then say the words.”
“You are bound by oath and blood.”
“Then it is done.” There was a shuffling noise. “I’ll let the others know. If the king is displeased when I report, it’s your life—not mine.”
