Page 44 of The Royal Throne
Sabine wanted to tear Lottie’s hand away from Evander.
“The wedding will take place next week,” Rainer said.
Shock rolled through Sabine. There was no way she’d be able to see the two of them wed. Evander was hers. And Lottie needed to be rotting in prison.
“No one is clapping,” Axel murmured so low only Sabine could hear.
Rainer continued, “Tonight, my beautiful wife and I will hold a celebration for our esteemed guest. I hope to see you all there.” He led Sabine from the dais to the balcony off to the side. Evander and Lottie followed close behind, Anton and Axel after them.
The throne room began to empty, leaving the royal family alone out on the balcony, the sun shining brightly overhead. A servant approached carrying a tray with goblets filled with wine.
Sabine took hers and turned away from everyone, gazing out at the view before her. As to how she was supposed to stand there and toast to Lottie—the woman responsible for killing her sister—she didn’t know. And Evander…
A hand slid onto her lower back. “Darling,” Rainer purred, “join us.” He guided her around so she faced the group that had gathered in a small circle.
Evander and Lottie stood arm in arm across from her. She refused to raise her eyes and look at either one of them for fear everyone would see her hatred for Lottie and her love for Evander. Hopefully, this would only last a few minutes, then she could get away from them.
“Prince Evander, thank you for making the journey here,” Rainer said. “You obviously know me from your last visit, and you know Anton since he’s a fellow League member.” Rainer gestured toward Axel. “My brother, Axel, and my beloved sister, Lottie.” His hand curled around Sabine’s waist. “And my darling wife, Sabine, whom you know from not only your visit here but from the League’s house.”
Evander raised his goblet. “Thank you for the warm welcome,” he said, not bothering to acknowledge Sabine or anyone else for that matter. The prince’s focus remained on Rainer, never wavering.
When Sabine had been in Avoni, she recalled Markis figuring out she had feelings for Evander after spending a couple of minutes with the two of them. He’d advised her to never be near Evander when other people were around because he said their mutual attraction was too obvious. Well, right now, standing on the balcony, Sabine wondered if Evander cared for her at all. If she hadn’t seen him last night, she would assume she meant nothing to him. Sabine, on the other hand, had to force herself not to look his way.
Rainer trailed his hand up Sabine’s back, making her shiver.
“I’d like to sit down with you to go over a few things,” Evander said, taking another sip from his goblet. “Is now a good time?”
Rainer turned his full attention to Sabine, his lips pressing against her neck. “Darling,” he murmured, “I know you begged me to spend the day with you in bed, but I need to take care of this. Do you think you can wait a couple of hours? I promise to make it worth your while.”
Dread coursed through her. It took every ounce of her willpower not to look over at Evander to see his reaction. But that was what Rainer intended—to push her into revealing her feelings for the assassin-prince. She had no idea what Lottie told him about her time with Evander, but all anyone would have seen was the two of them traveling together. No one could possibly know they were friends—more than friends. Evander’s family had suspected their feelings for one another went beyond friendship. Surely they wouldn’t have told anyone. While they might not care about Sabine or what happened to her, they definitely cared about Evander and would protect him.
Rainer’s hand slid down her back, far lower than appropriate. This was a dangerous game. While Sabine had no problem pushing the boundaries to get what she wanted, she feared pushing this man would set her on a course she was not ready to take.
She patted his chest. “Do whatever you need to,” she said, her voice low as she peered up at him through hooded eyes. “I’ll be waiting for you.” After setting her goblet down, she turned and strode from the balcony, not wanting to hear what anyone—especially Axel—had to say about that little performance.
She was halfway through the throne room when someone grabbed her arm and stopped her. Spinning around, she found Rainer there, his eyes searching hers. “What do you want?” she asked, glancing over his shoulder to see if anyone had followed him.
“Why are you upset?” he asked, keeping his voice low. “Is it because Evander is here?”
She rolled her eyes. “Is that what you think?”
“Something has you rattled.”
He wasn’t wrong. “I’m upset,” she said, enunciating each word as if speaking to a child, “because the woman responsible for killing my sister is standing on the balcony, celebrating her engagement. It doesn’t seem fair. She should be in jail.” She needed to stay focused on Lottie so no one would suspect her feelings for Evander.
Rainer considered her. “Do you know why I agreed to this marriage?”
“To get rid of Lottie,” she answered. “To solve a problem.”
He nodded. “True, but there is more to it than that.”
She raised her eyebrows, wondering if he’d elaborate. When he didn’t say anything, Sabine replied, “Since she is free, she can arrange for an assassin to kill me. I’m scared.” Though, she didn’t sound scared because she was more ticked off than afraid.
Rainer chuckled and leaned toward Sabine, his lips coming to her right ear. “I know,” he whispered. “Which is why I agreed to the marriage. If any assassin touches you, it will be considered a direct threat from the Avoni throne. King Kai assured me he would guarantee his assassins know that you are off limits—even if Lottie offers them an abundance of money. No one can touch you. Well, no one except for me.” He straightened, watching her, observing her, as if trying to read her thoughts.
“So what you’re saying is that you did this for me?” Sabine said.
“Well, I did it for me. I need you alive so you can have my child.”
