Page 94 of The King's Sword
Sabine took a step back, away from him. “I have memories of our time together.” Her eyes filled with tears. And then because she had to, she said, “We shouldn’t be out here alone like this. My accommodations are sufficient. Thank you for checking on me.”
He closed his eyes and nodded. “Excellent.” He turned and left her alone in the garden.
The stillness of the night surrounded her. Taking a slow breath, she tried to rein in her emotions. After a few minutes, she called out for Markis who immediately appeared from the doorway. She asked him to escort her to her room for the night.
* * *
Sabine stood in the receiving room, Otto at her side. Markis and the two additional Bakley guards were behind them.
“Queen Sabine, Prince Otto, my guards will accompany you to the Avoni border,” Evander said, his focus solely on Sabine. “Thank you for gracing my kingdom with your presence.” He bowed then left the room.
And just like that, he was gone. The hole in Sabine’s chest expanded. She had to bite her tongue to ensure she didn’t tear up or do something stupid. Evander meant nothing to her. “Brother,” she turned to Otto. “Shall we be on our way?”
“Yes.” He held out his arm for her to take.
She slid her fingers around his proffered arm, and the two of them exited the inn. “Are we taking one of the smaller boats to the ship?” she asked, realizing she didn’t know where he’d docked.
“No. We’ll travel by carriage the two miles to where the vessel is.”
“They don’t have horses in Avoni.”
He patted her hand. “I know.”
Without horses, Sabine had no idea how they’d take a carriage.
Four men rounded the building carrying what appeared to be a wooden bench with a back, similar to a sofa, with two poles sticking out on each side. The four men stopped before Sabine, setting it on the walkway.
Otto took hold of her elbow, escorting her toward the so-called carriage.
“I would rather walk,” she hissed. “That doesn’t look safe.”
“Just get in,” Otto muttered. “I don’t have the energy to argue with you right now.”
With so many Avoni guards around, Sabine didn’t want to offend anyone or appear ungrateful—perpetuating the rumors about her upbringing—so she gracefully sat on the wooden sofa.
Markis and the two Bakley soldiers stepped behind the carriage.
Once her and Otto were situated, the four men each took hold of a pole, lifting the sofa-turned-carriage. The Avoni guards surrounded them, then they started running. The motion was jarring and not at all comfortable. Sabine feared she’d bounce right off the bench and would land on the ground. She gripped the seat, trying to remain in place.
“Two miles?” she asked, not sure how she would handle this for that long.
“Give or take.” Otto shrugged.
It was difficult to keep her head forward and not look back. But she couldn’t—she had to focus on the path in front of her, ignoring the growing hole in her chest and the empty feeling coursing through her body. Evander was no longer part of her life. “Why aren’t we taking the canal to the ship?” she asked, trying to distract herself.
“I was told something about this way being faster.” Otto shrugged.
The Avoni guards led them to a well-traveled road that skirted around the city. When people saw them, they immediately stepped aside, letting them pass. When they reached the next town, they headed straight to a large port containing hundreds and hundreds of docks filled with boats of varying sizes. Sabine had never seen a port so large before.
They stopped before a massive ship with the flag of Bakley raised and flapping in the wind. The men set the bench down, and Sabine and Otto got off. Markis immediately stepped to her side, taking her arm and escorting her to the gangplank. She stepped on it, carefully walking across with Markis right behind her. A couple dozen Bakley soldiers were onboard, waiting for them, standing at attention. One reached forward, helping Sabine step onto the ship.
This was by far the largest vessel that she had ever been on—at least three times the size of Evander’s boat.
“Let’s get out of here,” Otto said once he boarded. He started barking out commands.
Sabine moved to the front of the ship, wanting to get out of the way as sails were hoisted, soldiers hurried about the deck, and the anchor was raised. The boat moved away from the dock. They traveled out of the port and into Skyfall River.
Otto joined her at the front of the ship.
