Page 27 of The Queen's Crown
“This way,” Lithane said. He led Sabine, followed by Markis and half a dozen soldiers, under an archway and into a courtyard adorned with water fountains and roses. In the dim light of the early evening, it was hard to see much. The courtyard branched off into a dozen or so archways, some with doors and others leading to long corridors.
Lithane escorted them through one of the archways on the left and then down a hallway that seemed to extend along the side of the palace. To her right, there was a smooth white wall; to her left, there were several open archways—without windows—which appeared to have a complete vertical drop straight to the floor of the valley below. She couldn’t bring herself to lean out and look to verify.
They turned and went along another hallway before Lithane opened a door and escorted them into a large room. They crossed it and went up four flights of stairs, down another hallway, and then stopped at a door.
“This is your room,” Lithane said. “A servant has been called to attend to you. Your guard may remain on watch out here. Prince Axel is arranging for sentries to guard you as well. He should be along shortly and will show you to the dining hall once you are ready.” He bowed his head and then left.
“Wait here,” Markis said, opening the door. “I want to inspect the room first.” He went inside.
Sabine remained at the threshold, the six Lynk soldiers spreading out in the hallway behind her. She peered into the room, observing her sister’s trunks. Tears filled her eyes. A piece of her sister was in there. She forced herself to look away from Alina’s things and examine the room. On the left side there were eight arched openings and a single doorway, without a door, revealing a sizable balcony. She suspected it jutted out over the side of the mountain. In the center of the room, there was a large bed with sheer fabric hanging around it. It wouldn’t shut out the light, so she didn’t understand why the fabric was there at all. The bed had several light blue blankets. To the right, it appeared there was a dressing closet and a bathing room.
“It’s all clear,” Markis said. “I’ll let you get ready. Shall I send the servant in to assist you once she arrives?”
“Yes, thank you.” She closed the door and took a deep breath. It was time to get to work. She swore to discover who killed her sister, and she planned to keep that promise.
ChapterEight
To keep herself from being overwhelmed by grief, Sabine had to pretend her sister’s belongings weren’t in the bedchamber. All she wanted to do was run over to the trunks, throw them open, and hug Alina’s things. However, she couldn’t afford to be emotional. Not when Prince Axel would arrive soon to escort her to supper where she would meet his twin brother and their younger sister. When she had more time alone, she would look through her sister’s trunks. Her priorities needed to be bathing and dressing so she looked the part.
Peering into the bathing room, she discovered the bathtub had been built in the ground and it was already filled with steaming water. Without questioning how such a feat was constructed, she peeled off her filthy clothes and climbed in. The warmth enveloped her, and she moaned. She could stay here forever. There was a block of soap next to the tub, so she grabbed it and began scrubbing her body and hair.
“Good evening, princess,” a female voice said from nearby the doorway.
Sabine glanced over and saw a young woman, probably around her own age of eighteen, standing there.
“I’m Claire, and I’m here to help you dress for supper.”
“Did you fill this bathtub for me?” Sabine asked.
“No, princess. There’s a spring below the palace. Certain rooms always have warm water—this is one of them, which is why it’s the queen’s room.”
That surprised Sabine—both the water part and the queen part. For some reason she’d assumed she’d be switching rooms once she married. “Does my room have an adjoining door to the king’s room?” If the king could get in here, she needed to know.
“Yes. However, it is locked from both sides at the moment. Once the wedding takes place, the locks will be removed.”
Relieved, Sabine went under the water one last time to ensure all the soap was rinsed from her body. When she resurfaced, Claire stood there holding a plush white towel.
“There are steps on the side,” Claire said, nodding her head to the right.
Sabine used them to exit. She wrapped the towel around her body and headed out into the main portion of her bedchamber. The sky outside had turned dark. “Is it always this warm in Lynk? Even in the evening?”
“Yes, princess.” Claire had followed Sabine into the bedchamber. “Shall I pick out something for you to wear?”
“No.” She didn’t want Claire touching her sister’s things. “I’m not sure what will work. Alina was a little shorter and heavier than me. I’ll need to look through her dresses to see.” She eyed the trunks. “Have her things been packed? Or are her dresses still in the closet?”
“Princess Alina’s possessions are packed. However, the king had the closet filled before your sister’s arrival,” Claire said. “Everything in the dressing closet is appropriate Lynk attire. I think you should choose one of the outfits in there as they are all the current fashion of our court. Your sister’s clothing is a little different from what we wear here.”
Sabine turned to study Claire. “Are you my lady’s maid?”
“Yes.” Claire’s hair was pulled into a side ponytail. She had on a silky pale blue dress that only went on one shoulder and cinched around the waist.
“I wasn’t sure by your attire.” No proper woman in Bakley would wear a dress revealing a naked shoulder like that.
“All of the king’s servants wear pale blue. It’s the royal family’s color.”
Sabine went over to the door to the left of the bathing room and opened it, revealing an enormous closet filled with brightly colored clothes.
“I’m afraid everything was made for your sister,” Claire said. “However, most of the outfits can easily be adjusted to fit your body.”
