Page 9 of The Royal Throne
“If Bakley had something like this,” Otto said, “we’d have a large army too.” He went to the railing that overlooked the floor of the cavern twenty feet below where hundreds of people were running drills and training.
Relief filled Sabine—the soldiers were here. “If Bakley had this, then we’d have no flat land. I’d take hundreds of farms over this any day.” She hated the heat and humidity and missed her horse, her barn, and even the flower fields.
“Now that we’re here,” Markis said, “how would you like to proceed?”
Focusing on the task at hand, she gripped the railing, trying to decide if she should just announce herself or give some sort of speech first.
“Your Majesty,” a deep voice said, gaining her attention.
Sabine turned and spotted Felix approaching. “Commander, it’s good to see you again.”
He bowed. “What can I do for you this morning?”
“King Rainer thought it would be a good idea for the soldiers to swear fealty to me as soon as possible,” Sabine said, the lie sliding right from her mouth.
He gave a curt nod. “Yes, excellent idea to do it at this hour. Almost everyone in the area is here.”
“Are there many out of the area?” she asked, hoping Rainer hadn’t taken a group of men to invade another kingdom or carry out some nefarious task.
Felix folded his arms. “At any given time, I’d say about half our forces are out on patrol or stationed throughout the kingdom. The rest remain here to be used at the king’s discretion.”
Relief filled her. It sounded like everything was proceeding as usual today. “I trust you can help me with this?”
“Of course, Your Majesty. Follow me.” He led the way down to the bottom of the cavern.
The smell of sweat mixed with something else Sabine couldn’t pinpoint hung heavy in the thick, stale air. She stood at one end of the cavern, her guards fanning out behind her. Commander Felix put two fingers to his mouth and whistled, garnering everyone’s attention. He was about to say something when Sabine stepped forward, placing her hand on his arm.
When those present saw her, they dropped to one knee and bowed their heads.
“Please rise,” Sabine said. “I would like a moment of your time.”
Everyone stood, facing her.
Clearing her throat, she spoke loudly so everyone could hear. “I came here today because it is important to me to know those in my army. I want to make sure our kingdom remains strong, and you are all taken care of accordingly.” She scanned the crowd, holding each gaze for a heartbeat, wanting to gain their trust.
“Since King Rainer and I married at the castle instead of here in the palace, you have not had a chance to swear fealty to me.” In Bakley, only those holding a rank or high position in the army swore fealty. She wasn’t sure how it was handled here in Lynk. Regardless, she wanted everyone to feel important, valued, and connected to her.
“If I may?” Felix asked her, his voice low.
She nodded, giving him the floor.
“I am honored to be able to swear my loyalty to my new queen.” He knelt on one knee, swearing his allegiance to her. Then he stood and arranged everyone into two lines. Someone brought a chair for Sabine to sit on.
One by one, each soldier, dressed in casual training gear, came forward, saying the same words Felix had. It felt as if hours passed, her hand became sweaty from so many people touching it. However, she sat there, a smile on her face, the queen’s crown atop her head. Otto, Markis, and Felix remained near her, overseeing it all, her guards checking each person before he or she stepped forward to make the declaration.
This was Rainer’s army. He’d trained with them for years. Sabine was an outsider, a newcomer, and she needed to do everything in her power to show them that she could be the queen they needed her to be.
She sat there until every single person in the cavern swore fealty to her.
When they finally headed back to the palace, the sun was already high in the sky indicating half the day had passed. Her stomach growled with hunger, and her muscles ached from sitting for so long. If only she could ride a horse or run through a field. However, Lynk had neither of those things. Her mind, like it usually did, thought about Evander. If he were here, he’d probably stroll right up to her with that cocky grin of his. He’d say something to make her laugh—he always seemed to be doing that. Since she’d left him, had she laughed once? A genuine laugh? She missed him terribly.
“Is everything all right?” Otto asked as they crossed the bridge, returning to the palace.
“Yes,” she replied. “I’m just tired after this morning.”
He rubbed her back. “You did well today.”
They were just about to step off the bridge when Captain Lithane appeared in front of them. “Where have you been?” he demanded.
