Page 35 of The Royal Throne
She eyed him sidelong, wondering if he knew Rainer had been drinking. “That sounds like a lovely idea,” she lied. Her feet were aching and she wanted to crawl into bed.
Her guards led the way to a section of the palace she’d never been in before. It was almost as if they were deliberately avoiding the royal wing.
At a door, Drew unlocked it, revealing a stairwell. “Harper is up there.”
In other words, proof that she wasn’t with another man. Sabine dragged her feet up the steps, finding her lady’s maid sitting on a blanket, watching the stars.
Sabine sat next to her, thankful she had people who cared enough to watch out for her and keep her safe. She vowed to make sure they were all taken care of.
Chapter Nine
What bothered Sabine most about the palace was that it stood atop a steep mountain. It meant she couldn’t go outside for a walk unless she went into town. She couldn’t ride a horse, go to an archery range, or spend time running through a field. While she understood that no place would be like Bakley, she found herself feeling confined and caged in. She wanted freedom. Even in Avoni, she and Evander had traveled on the canals, and there had been a sense of peace.
Originally, she’d been told a large part of the marriage negotiations had to deal with food—mainly, Lynk needed Bakley’s grain. However, she’d been in Lynk long enough to doubt that reasoning. Lynk didn’t seem to lack food, neither in the palace nor in town. No one spoke of a food shortage. In fact, there was an abundance of fruit and other items that seemed to sustain them just fine. A small part of her feared Rainer had said his kingdom needed food as an excuse to get Lynk soldiers in Bakley. Yet, her father had informed her that Rainer pulled his soldiers out of the kingdom. She hoped that was the case. Because if Rainer lied about the children he’d stolen to force Bakley’s hand, it made sense that he would have lied about the food as well. Knowing all of this, she needed to tread carefully.
While Sabine had purposefully avoided Rainer after the ball last night, she needed to talk to him today. Going over to the door that connected her room to the royal suite, she laid her hand on the wood, as if she could sense what was happening on the other side. Sense Rainer’s mood. Sense if Heather was in there. Sabine rested her head on the wood, next to her hand. When they talked, she would pretend that Rainer was her brother. After all, she’d spent years arguing with her brothers to get her way. Taking a deep breath, she straightened and knocked.
The door swung open. Gunther, the king’s steward, stood there. “Queen Sabine.” He bowed.
“I wish to speak with the king.”
“He’s in his office.” Gunther opened the door wider, admitting her.
She entered the royal suite and crossed over to Rainer’s office. She found the king sitting at his desk, a map spread out before him. Instead of saying anything, she went into the room, stopping at the far side, where a wall should have been but instead, was open. Standing at the edge, she could see the pool below. The view from here was stunning.
“I’m surprised to see you,” Rainer mumbled.
She shrugged, not looking his way. Silence stretched between them as she tried to decide the best way to handle the situation.
“I’ve been informed that Lieutenant Markis and Prince Otto left.” Rainer came and stood next to Sabine, both of them pretending to focus on the view that stretched out before them.
“Yes,” she replied. “My brother was eager to return home with the missing children. Since we didn’t know how long you’d be gone for, he decided not to wait. I’m sure you can understand that.”
“And Lieutenant Markis? I didn’t think he’d leave your side.”
“Now that you and I are married, he returned with my brother. I believe that was your stipulation? He could remain until we married.”
“I’d hoped to get to know your brother before he left.” He clasped his hands behind his back.
“I wanted him to stay longer since I miss my family so much, but he didn’t think it fair to put his needs above the children’s. That’s how we do things in Bakley—we put our people first.” It was probably an unnecessary jab, but she enjoyed taking it nonetheless.
“I’m your family now.”
It felt like a punch to her stomach, but she supposed it was his own jab. Even though they were married, Sabine didn’t consider Rainer her family. “If that’s the case, then why bring your mistress here?”
“I wanted you to know what it felt like to watch your spouse with another person.”
“You brought her here to hurt me?”
“To even the score.”
“But I haven’t been with another man. All you’ve accomplished is pushing me away.”
He eyed her. “I hear you traveled alone with Prince Evander.”
“I have not broken my marriage vows. I have never been intimate with another person. Can you say the same thing?” She folded her arms, not wanting him to see her shaking hands. While she had traveled alone with Evander, she didn’t need to confirm it. Especially since she had remained true to Rainer.
“Your sister and I had an agreement,” he reminded her. “We knew that both of our hearts belonged to another. It’s why we worked. You chose to take up your sister’s mantle without consulting with me. That is not my fault, and I will not be punished for your rash decision.”
