Page 71 of The Royal Throne
She considered what he said. “If these people are truly upset with the king because he hurt me, I should address them to de-escalate the situation.” No one else needed to be hurt defending her. She was already responsible for one death.
“It’s not safe for you to do that.” He turned his gaze toward the mob again. “Besides, do you really want to help the king after what he did to you?”
That was a good question. “No, I don’t. But I do want to help my subjects.” She couldn’t stand there and let Rainer kill his own citizens—because that was exactly what he’d do. He’d force his soldiers to kill everyone if he had to. These people didn’t deserve to die for defending their queen. And, honestly, she didn’t want any harm to come to the soldiers. It wasn’t fair to make them kill their own families and countrymen. “It may be our only option to save lives.” Her own words solidified her resolve. She ran down the stairs, heading toward the front of the palace, wanting to stop this before it became a bloodbath.
“Think this through, Your Majesty,” Drew said, running after her.
“Don’t try to talk me out of it. I’m doing this.”
“Okay, but at least have a plan. Where do you want to address the people from so that they can hear and see you?”
She didn’t know. “Does anyone have any ideas where I can address the people from?” she asked her guards.
One of them said, “My father owns a tall building about two blocks south on the main street. If we can get you there, you’d have access to the roof.”
“That’s worth a shot.” Since it looked like most of the people were gathered on the main street, if Sabine and her guards went west a few blocks before cutting south, they might be able to make it there unnoticed. They just had to make it across the bridge before Rainer spotted them.
She ran.
When Sabine was eight years old, she had been out riding with Viktor when he’d started teasing her about being a girl and having to ride sidesaddle. She was so mad, she rode closer to him. When she had the chance, she shoved his shoulder. It had only been meant as a warning, but he’d fallen and broken his leg. She’d had to ride home, alone, to get her mother and father and tell them what she’d done. Even though she hadn’t meant to hurt Viktor, he’d broken his leg because of her. The entire ride home, she’d been fearful of what her parents would say and do to her. A small part of her knew that she could run away and escape their wrath. However, the right thing to do was confront it head on.
As Sabine ran across the bridge, toward the chaos, this reminded her of that childhood memory.
The second she stepped off the bridge, she veered right, her guards surrounding her, hoping no one noticed her amongst them. Since most everyone was on the main road, they were able to make it two blocks west before they turned and headed south. They passed a few people here and there, but no one bothered to look at the woman in the middle of the group.
They stopped before the back door to a tall, nondescript building. One of her guards pulled out a key, unlocking it. The door opened, and Sabine ran up three flights of stairs. At the top, she pushed open another door, bursting onto the rooftop.
Sabine instructed her guards to wait near the door so the crowd’s attention would be on her. If they saw palace sentries, the people might become even angrier at Rainer. Nearing the edge, she silently cursed that it didn’t have a railing. Thankfully, it wasn’t that windy out. The key was to not think about how high up she was.
Peering over the side at the mayhem below, she saw people throwing rocks and rotten fruit toward the soldiers who had set up a barricade at the northern end of the main street, just before the bridge. Rainer stood safely behind his soldiers, his sword in hand, as he shouted instructions. Several citizens near the barricade laid on the ground, blood pooling around their bodies.
“Are you sure you want to go through with this?” Drew asked from behind her. He was kneeling on the rooftop, out of sight, but within reach of Sabine should she need him.
Nodding, she took a step closer to the edge. “People of Lynk!” she shouted, trying to gain their attention. However, her voice hadn’t fully recovered from last night, so no one heard her. Not having time to waste, she removed one of her bracelets and tossed it over the side, hitting a man on the shoulder. He glanced up and spotted her. She waved at him. He turned to those around him, pointing at her. Within minutes, a hush descended over the crowd and everyone now faced Sabine.
A loud bang came from behind her. She glanced over her shoulder and saw her guards struggling to hold the door shut. Rainer had probably sent his soldiers to acquire her. Her purpose here was now two-fold—she needed to not only stop this riot and save these people’s lives, but she needed to calm Rainer down so she could save her guards as well.
“My fellow citizens of Lynk,” she shouted, ignoring the pain in her throat. “One of my greatest joys is coming into town and visiting your stores, businesses, and you, my dear people. Please know that as your queen, I serve you.” She gestured to her subjects. “I understand you’re upset. I’m upset as well. However, this is not the way to solve our problems.” She looked to where Rainer stood, his hands on his hips, staring at her.
“Did the king try to kill you?” someone shouted.
“It looks like it!” another yelled.
The dress she wore showed both the bruise on her neck and the one on her arm. “Yes, there was an incident last night. As you can see, I am okay. It is nice to know that you all care enough to be out here, fighting for me. Please know that I will continue to fight for you in any way I can.”
More banging came from the door to the rooftop, her guards grunting as they held it shut.
“It is time for this violence to stop,” she said. “I don’t want anyone else to die today. I am going to come down and return to the palace with King Rainer. Now that the king has seen how faithful our subjects are, I am certain no harm will come to me. Otherwise, the outcome would be severe. The army is loyal to the king because he serves his subjects. Should he harm his own queen or make a move against his own citizens, I am certain the army would rise up against him, as it would be their right to do so.” She hoped her threat was enough to keep her and her guards safe.
She motioned for her guards to release the door. It flung open and a handful of soldiers stormed onto the rooftop. “You will escort me to the king.” She headed toward the stairwell, the expectation of her command being followed clear. Her guards surrounded her, making sure the soldiers didn’t touch her.
The group of them made their way down through the building and to the main street. Citizens parted, allowing Sabine and her guards to walk along the road, toward the barricade. As she passed her subjects, she reached out, squeezing hands, greeting and thanking as many people as she could. She smiled to show her sincerity. Many expressed how upset they were over her bruises. Again and again she repeated that the situation had been very scary, but it was over now and she was certain it wouldn’t happen again. Children started handing her flowers. She took them, tears in her eyes, grateful for everything these people had done for her.
At the barricade, Rainer gave the order to let her pass.
“Actually,” Sabine said, taking control of the situation, “I want the barricade removed. Everyone back to the barracks or your stations.”
The soldiers immediately did as she said.
