Page 28 of The Queen's Crown
Sabine walked into the closet, running her hands over the various items. The colors were bolder than what she was used to wearing, the fabric thinner and softer. “What do you recommend I wear?” She assumed she’d only be meeting the royal family minus the king. Regardless, she wanted to make a good first impression.
“I think you should go with something green,” Claire said from the doorway. “With your gray eyes, you’ll look stunning in that color.” She pointed to a dress the color of grass after a dewfall.
“Are there any undergarments I can wear?”
Claire’s brows drew together. “Undergarments?”
“A slip or a corset?”
“We don’t wear anything like that here. With our heat and humidity, you’d melt.”
Sabine nodded and put the dress on, feeling oddly naked since the dress hugged her breasts and curves, revealing far too much. “I’m not comfortable wearing this.” A slit went up the front, showing the entire length of her leg.
“It looks perfect on you.”
“I don’t care.” After removing the skintight dress, she went back into the bedchamber. She’d wear something of her sister’s before prancing around the palace half naked. Going over to one of the trunks, she knelt and rummaged through it until she found a pale green dress with puffy sleeves and lace over the bodice. She slid it on over proper undergarments, pleased with how well it fit. Then the smell of her sister hit her. Instead of letting it overwhelm her, she breathed it in, taking strength from it. Alina’s death would not be in vain.
She went over and sat at the chair to the vanity table situated in the corner of the room. Picking up a brush, she began untangling her hair. In the mirror, she noticed Claire with pursed lips. “Is something the matter?”
“That dress is very odd,” Claire answered, standing behind Sabine.
“To you, perhaps, but to me it feels familiar. It is my first day here, I am far from home, and I need a little comfort.” She smiled kindly at her lady’s maid, wanting to forge a friendship with the woman. Her mother had told her that servants and her lady’s maid would be an excellent source of information. If she hoped to navigate the complexities of this foreign court, she’d need all the help she could get.
“I can understand that,” Claire said. “Would you like me to do your hair?”
Since Sabine wasn’t sure what Claire would do with it, she pulled her hair over her shoulder and began braiding it. “I’ll do it tonight. Next time, I’d love for you to help.” She wrapped the braid around her head and pinned it in place. When she finished, she quickly applied a little dusting powder.
A soft knock sounded on the door.
Claire went over, opening it. Someone handed her a piece of paper and she read it before turning back to Sabine. “Prince Axel will meet you in the dining hall. Your guard will escort you there.”
Standing, Sabine ran her hands over her dress to ensure she looked presentable. Satisfied, she exited the bedchamber.
In the hallway, she found six Lynk guards. Startled, she froze, wondering where Markis had gone.
“Princess,” Markis said. One of the guards stepped forward.
Sabine recognized those eyes. “Markis?”
“I will be joining your guard,” he said, stepping back in line with the rest of the men.
“Temporarily,” one of the other men said. “This way, Your Highness.” He gestured for her to follow him.
While she’d been getting ready, Markis must have changed. With the black uniform and the mask covering his face, it was hard to know which of the guards he was since they all looked identical. Maybe that was the point.
They traversed through several hallways, all of them white and bare and lit only by the occasional candle. Then they went down three flights of stairs and through an interior courtyard filled with water fountains and brightly colored flowers. She’d have to come back and examine it in greater detail when the sun was shining and she could see better. Back inside the palace, the guard led her to a room.
She stepped inside and found a large table taking up most of the space. One wall was completely open to a balcony overlooking the valley below. She suspected this wasn’t the main dining hall due to its small size. However, this wasn’t the royal family’s personal one either since it wasn’t attached to any of their private rooms.
“You’re to wait here,” the soldier said before bowing and taking up watch out in the hallway with her other guards.
Markis came inside the room and stood beside the door.
Sabine smiled at him to let him know how much she appreciated him being overly cautious. Since no one else had arrived yet and she didn’t want to sit alone at the table, she ventured out onto the balcony. A low wall surrounded the perimeter. She was half tempted to peer over to see how far up she was. However, she decided not to. Maybe tomorrow when it was light out, she’d be brave enough to peek.
Tilting her head back, she gazed up at the stars. Now that the cloud cover had vanished, some of the stars seemed close enough to touch.
“Princess Sabine,” a male voice said from behind her.
