Page 67 of The Queen's Crown
A guard opened it, letting her in. “His Majesty is downstairs in the training room.” He pointed to the open door next to the king’s office.
Sabine headed that way and went down the stairwell. At the bottom, she found a large, empty room. One wall was open, showcasing a pool that extended from inside to outside. Where the wall should have been, water cascaded down into the pool. She remembered Rainer saying something about when it rained, the roof was slanted in such a way to allow the rain to slide down, forming a waterfall into the pool. Which meant the king’s office was directly above this room.
“Oh good,” Rainer said as he came out of a doorway in the wall to the right, “you’re here. We can begin.” He was dressed similarly as her with loose pants and a shirt.
At least he wasn’t half naked like he’d been when fighting Markis. If he’d shown up without a shirt, she wouldn’t have been able to be alone in the room with him. At least not until they were married. His presence was so overpowering.
“Do you have any formal training?” he asked, standing a few feet away from her.
“No. But my brothers have shown me a few things.” Better to be as vague as possible.
“Do you know how to get out of a chokehold?” He stepped forward and gently took hold of her neck with his large, calloused hands.
For some reason, she hadn’t expected him to jump right in. Taking a deep breath, she forced herself to focus and remember what Rolf had taught her. She slid her arms up, her hands going between his arms, and then pulled her arms outward, breaking his hold on her.
“Excellent. Then knee your attacker in the groin and run.”
She nodded.
His eyes remained locked on hers, not once looking elsewhere. It was unnerving. He placed his hands on her shoulders, turning her body so her back was to him.
“If someone comes up behind you,” he mumbled, close to her ear, sending a shiver down her spine, “what do you do?” He splayed his hand against her stomach, the heat of it penetrating through her shirt.
He was trying to rile her up, she was sure of it. Two could play that game. Gathering her courage, she leaned back into him and said, “Lean back and kiss him?” She lifted her chin, her lips hovering near his neck.
He sucked in his breath, clearly not expecting that to be her answer.
While he was distracted, she grabbed one of his fingers, pulling it back while simultaneously slamming her foot down on his. She easily moved away from him. Turning to face him, she patiently waited for his next challenge.
“Who taught you to fight?” he asked, folding his arms across his chest and studying her as if she were a puzzle he couldn’t quite figure out how to put together.
The way in which he looked at her made her toes curl, and something deep inside of her yearned for more. She shoved her attraction toward this man aside, so she could keep her wits about her and not get lost in his eyes. “My brothers.”
“What about weapons?”
“I know the basics of a dagger. That is all.”
With his arms still folded, he lifted his right hand and rubbed his chin. “You definitely have some work to do. For now, I think it best if we focus on what to do during a physical attack. For example, if someone blocks the corridor or comes running at you with a sword.”
Sabine thought that wise and welcomed the chance to physically train in how to defend herself since Rolf had only taught her the basics. A small part of her acknowledged that if someone poisoned her, there was little she could do. At least her mother had shown her the most commonly used poisons and how to recognize them. For now, she would learn everything she could about how to keep herself safe—even if that meant working with this devilishly handsome man before her.
The two of them spent the next hour going over various scenarios and how to quickly escape each one. Rainer kept things professional and didn’t once try to be anything other than a teacher. He must have realized that she wasn’t one to be trifled with.
When her stomach growled loud enough for him to hear, he chuckled. “Let’s go eat. I’m starving.”
Sabine followed Rainer out of the training room, up the staircase, and to the dining room where food had been spread out for them. She sat and began eating.
“I have two things for you,” Rainer said around a bite of food.
She peered up at him, wondering what he could possibly be referring to.
“First, a letter arrived from your father.” He withdrew an envelope from under the platter on his left. He slid it across the table to her.
Sabine picked it up, examining it. Her father’s seal was still attached, which meant Rainer hadn’t read its contents. “Thank you.” She set it aside, wanting to read it when she was alone so she could savor every moment.
“The, uh, second thing is a little unconventional.” He pushed his chair back slightly and twisted toward her. “I thought it might be a good idea. I figured you could use the companionship since you’re alone in a foreign kingdom, and it’ll be good for security reasons.”
“What are you talking about?” she asked.
