Page 3 of The Royal Throne
Turning to face the soldiers, she said, “Thank you for escorting me.” She needed these people on her side, so she smiled kindly at them. Then she joined the palace guards.
At the end of the bridge, she stepped inside the palace and was immediately greeted by a man she recognized and despised.
“Your Majesty,” Captain Lithane said. “These men will escort you to your room.”
One of the guards briefly spoke to Lithane about Princess Lottie.
He looked at Sabine. “This is the first I’m hearing about it.”
“Really?” she replied. “I’m surprised my husband would keep that information from you.” She met his gaze deliberately. It was easy since Lithane didn’t wear a mask like the others. “Will you do me the honor of personally handling the matter? I trust my safety to no one else.”
There was a moment of silence before he replied, “Yes, Your Majesty. I will see to it.”
“Thank you. I’ll feel better knowing she is locked up, unable to hurt me.”
He bowed to Sabine—a first for him.
As she glided down the hallway, she said loudly, “Captain Lithane does an exceptional job. I hope he gets promoted soon.” She knew he held the highest position in this palace, but she needed him to soften to her. Earning the loyalty of all these men was paramount.
On her way to the royal wing, she traversed through the pristine white hallways of the palace and across the lush courtyards. When she reached her door, she threw it open hoping to find—and there she was. Curled up on her bed was Harta. The dog’s head flew up. As soon as she spotted Sabine, her tail wagged and she jumped off the bed, running to her. Sabine dropped to her knees and let the dog lick her face. She couldn’t help but laugh. Her dog always made her feel better.
“Queen Sabine,” Claire said with a smile as she came out of the bathing room. “It is good to see you. I have your bath ready.”
After instructing Claire to have a room prepared for Otto, Sabine placed a kiss on Harta’s nose. “It’s good to see you.”
Standing in front of the mirror, Sabine evaluated her outfit. The mistake she’d made when she’d first arrived here all those weeks ago was not fully understanding what the people expected of their queen. The vast differences between Bakley and Lynk had been so overwhelming that she hadn’t fully embraced the culture here. And she’d been brokenhearted over her sister. Now, things were different. She knew what she was dealing with, had a better grasp on the rules, and she understood the customs.
While it would be difficult playing the part and behaving the way she needed to, she knew she could pull it off. Growing up, she’d always been one to bend the rules. Push them even. This was no different.
Turning slowly, she took in her appearance, barely recognizing herself. Until the seamstress from town visited and designed clothes to Sabine’s specifications, this would do. And this was a good segue to what she had planned. Fabric went from her waist up and over her breasts and shoulders, cascading down her back, leaving the entire area between her breasts down to her naval exposed. At her waist, the fabric hung in four sections: one in the front, the back, and on each side. When she walked, her legs showed.
If she twisted too quickly, she feared she’d expose something she shouldn’t. She’d need to move carefully and keep her shoulders up and back. When Otto saw her, he would be furious. That was the only part of her plan she hadn’t accounted for.
Sabine pulled her long brown hair into a knot at the base of her head, exposing her neck. Her makeup accentuated her gray eyes nicely. She decided against jewelry since she didn’t want it to detract from her skin. Satisfied, she went over to her door and stepped out into the hallway. Since her guards all wore masks, she couldn’t see their reactions to her appearance. However, they were used to women dressing this way and no one probably thought anything about it. While she had worn the outfits in her closet, she’d always chosen ones that covered as much as possible. The one she had on now, she never would have considered before.
But that was then.
Now she was at war—and this was her armor.
“Your Majesty,” one of the guards said, stepping forward. “Where can we escort you to?”
While she needed to speak with Rainer to get a better sense of what he was thinking and planned to do, she decided against facing him right now. “I wish to go for a walk.” She headed down the hallway, not deigning any more of a response.
At the main courtyard, she stopped in the center near the water fountain, tilting her head back and reveling in the warmth of the sun on her skin.
“Your Majesty,” Claire said, coming up to her. “Your brother is in a guest room. He wishes to see you.”
After traveling on the ship, Sabine didn’t want to be holed up in a room. “Bring him here.”
Claire curtseyed and hurried away. Sabine turned to her guards. “Has Princess Lottie been arrested?”
“We haven’t received word,” one of the men answered.
“If one of you can please see that it’s being handled, I’d appreciate it.”
“Consider it done.”
As Sabine strolled through the courtyard, she paused at different rose and flower bushes, pretending to smell or admire them. Her goal was to get as many people to see her as possible. In her peripheral vision, she spotted others moving through the courtyard. She heard the sound of doors closing and spotted people walking on the second floor balcony above. The palace seemed abuzz with activity. It wouldn’t take long for word to spread that she was home.
