Page 95 of The King's Sword
“Are we sailing north straight to Lynk?” she asked.
“That’s the plan.”
Which meant they wouldn’t be stopping by Bakley first as she’d hoped. She missed her family terribly and wished she could see them.
“Everything all right?” Otto asked.
She nodded. “I just wanted to make sure we’re staying in Skyfall River where the water is calmer rather than going around, out into the open ocean.” At least this way she wouldn’t get seasick.
“We’re going this way since it’s the fastest route.”
The wind blew her hair, so she quickly braided it to get it out of her eyes.
“I have a few things to attend to. There’s a room for you below deck.” Otto rubbed her back before going to speak with one of the soldiers.
Her chest tightened and her eyes stung, but she refused to cry. Instead of thinking about Evander, she watched the other ships as they passed by. Several were stacked with supplies, probably traveling from port to port selling goods, others had large nets for catching fish.
She was not going to cry.
Evander was just a man whom she happened to have feelings for. But it didn’t matter. She was married and had a job to do. Just because she’d left him didn’t mean she needed to cry over it. Just because her life wasn’t what she wanted it to be didn’t mean she had to be sad about it. She was a queen. By all appearances, she had it all. Crying meant she was a spoiled brat. She would not—could not—be that person. Her sister would be disappointed in her if she gave in to her emotions like that.
Otto joined her again, this time placing a cape over her shoulders. “Is there anything else you need to tell me?” he asked, his voice low.
“I’m worried about what’s going to happen when I return to Lynk,” she admitted.
He rested his arms on the railing, looking out at the water. “The Sabine I know would never cower.” He peered at her, eyebrows raised. “So whatever happens, you must be strong and not show weakness or an ounce of fright.”
She nodded, wishing it were that easy. “Who do you believe kidnapped the children?” she asked.
He shrugged. “It’s hard to say. We saw Lynk soldiers traveling with the Bakley children. It makes sense Rainer is responsible for kidnapping them. However, his explanation about having found them and his soldiers escorting them to safety also makes sense.”
“Yes, but given everything else—his ships spotted off the coast of Carlon and the rumors about him preparing to invade other kingdoms, what do you think?”
“It doesn’t matter what I think. What matters is keeping the peace between all kingdoms. You need to do whatever you can to make sure that happens.”
“You’re right.” She took a deep breath. She would not back down. She was the queen of Lynk and would act like it. For far too long, she’d allowed Rainer to dictate how their relationship went. Well, no more. She lifted her chin.
“There she is.” Otto smiled.
* * *
Sabine found that she did not care to be below deck for long periods of time. Other than eating and sleeping, she spent most of her time on deck, watching the scenery and enjoying the sun for the first time in what felt like weeks.
A few of the soldiers had shoved some crates together for her to use as a chair. She was sitting there when an eerie feeling came over her, making the hairs on her arms rise. The nearby coastline changed from sandy beaches and ports to tall, rocky cliffs. Squinting, she caught sight of the imposing wall that separated the kingdom of Lynk from Carlon and Nisk to the south of it.
The ship sailed past the wall. Waves near the cliffs crashed against the rocks, revealing just how rough the waters were. It would be a death sentence to sail too close as any boat would be smashed to pieces. Now she understood why the wall hadn’t been built along the river—there was no need with the cliffs serving as a natural barrier.
Sabine recalled the first time she saw the wall and how scared she’d been. There was no reason for her to be frightened now. Lynk was her kingdom. Her home.
Looking the other direction, toward Avoni, she spotted the bay she’d sailed in with Evander when they’d stopped at the port to fix his boat. That felt like a lifetime ago. Today, several large ships blocked the mouth of the bay. Each one had the same flag raised. A flag she recognized.
Otto joined her.
“Those ships are from Lynk,” she said as she stood, going over to the railing to get a better view.
“I was afraid something like this might happen,” he murmured as he joined her.
The sound of a horn blasted through the air, making Sabine jump. One of the Lynk ships started moving directly toward them.
