When Rosalind returned to her chamber, her mind still reeling from everything she had seen in the gallery, she was startled to find that a barrier had been constructed outside her window.
She moved closer and reached out, letting her fingers brush the cold, steely iron, feeling it seep into her bones.
Her gaze narrowed. Rowan must have reported that she had tried to climb out the other day, and that was why the barrier had now been placed.
All of her efforts seemed to fail, she thought to herself.
She had even tried to test Rowan twice. The second time was when she had invited him into her room and deliberately invaded his space to see how he would react but he had remained unshaken as ever.
Now Rosalind peeked through the hole in her door, watching her footman. He stayed perfectly still, a reminder that she was being watched at all times, and she noticed the way his jaw clenched from the side.
He seemed angry about something, though she couldn't guess what it was.
Rosalind sighed and withdrew from the peephole. She moved to the bed and sank onto it. She would have to think of another way.
Elsewhere in the palace, Sabine glared at the maid who had just informed her that the king had spent his morning in the gallery with that Rosalind.
Just yesterday, Sabine had wanted to see him, but he had been occupied with the council and matters of the state. Now that he was free, he had chosen to spend his time with Rosalind, in his gallery of all places.
"Get out of my sight," Sabine barked at the trembling maid. The girl bowed and hurried out of the room without a word.
Claire, sitting on the arm of Sabine's chair and massaging her shoulders, tried to calm her. "Relax, Sabine, your body is so tense," she said gently.
But Sabine could not relax. She rose abruptly, leaving Claire's hand suspended in midair, and said sharply, "Fetch me my coat. I want to see the king."
Claire nodded and quickly went to the cupboard to retrieve a black cloak, bringing it back so Sabine could slip it over her shoulders.
Sabine's eyes then landed on Thalia, who sat on the edge of the bed, a cake in her hand. "Don't you have a life?" Sabine snapped, glaring at her.
Thalia's brows drew together. "What did I do?"
"You eat all day. Don't you have anything else to do with your life?" Sabine hissed.
Thalia swallowed the bite of cake in her mouth and carefully placed the rest back on the plate, her hands trembling slightly.
Sabine turned her gaze away, irritated by everything and everyone. First, there was the way Alaric had ignored her for days, carrying on with his life as though she did not exist. Second was Rosalind, whose arrival seemed to have shifted Alaric's attention entirely. Third was Verity, who had now left her side and gone to join that viscount's daughter. She had heard they went to the market together, and the thought left her both livid and jealous.
And fourth were the losers surrounding her.
"Just leave me alone," Sabine hissed at Claire as she adjusted the collar of her cloak. It felt like Claire was taking all the time in the world when Sabine had somewhere to be.
Once Sabine was satisfied with her appearance, she looked at the two of them.
"I'll be back, so just stay where you are," she said firmly.
"Okay," Claire replied. "Tell us how it goes later."
But Sabine wasn't even listening anymore as she headed out of the room.
The moment she was gone, Thalia resumed eating her cake, savoring the creamy taste on her tongue.
Sabine walked past the servants who bowed to her without receiving so much as a glance in return. There was only one destination in her mind, and that was the king's quarters.
As the first mistress, she didn't need permission to go there. It was only that the guards would stop her if the king did not wish to be disturbed, and she would be forced to turn back.
"Is His Majesty inside?" Sabine asked the guard standing outside Alaric's room.
"Yes, my lady," the guard responded.
Sabine nodded and stepped forward, but the guard blocked her path, and she shot him a glare.
"His Majesty is taking a nap and does not wish to be disturbed," he said, bowing his head.
Sabine clenched her jaw tightly until she could feel her teeth ache in her mouth, and for a moment she was tempted to slap the guard across the face.
Instead, she dipped her hand into her pocket and handed him a few golden coins, but the guard still refused to move. Her expression darkened, and she added more, and then even more, until he finally hesitated before taking them and stepping out of her way.
Sabine opened the door and walked into the room, her heart beating hard in her chest.
As her gaze swept across the grand chamber, memories rushed back to her of the times she had spent with Alaric here, when it had been just the two of them and he would touch her endlessly. But now it felt as though he had grown tired of her, and she was determined to ignite that feeling once again.
Her brows creased when she realized he wasn't in the room, and she wondered where exactly he was. Sabine walked around the chamber, searching every corner, but she didn't see him anywhere. As she turned around, her gaze landed on a small box resting on the table at the far end of the room, and she slowly made her way toward it.
The moment she opened it, her breath caught. Inside lay a beautiful pearl necklace, the beads glinting softly under the light.
A wicked thought crossed her mind, and without hesitation, she carefully tucked it into the folds of her dress.
"What are you doing here?" Alaric's voice suddenly cut through the silence, causing her to jolt in fright. She turned around at once, her eyes widening with fear.
She only hoped he hadn't seen her.
Sabine quickly masked her fear with a chuckle. "I was told you were having a nap," she said, forcing her voice to sound light.
Alaric's eyes narrowed at her, and she quickly added, "I came to help you sleep better."
Alaric sighed in clear boredom as he moved across the room, water still dripping from his body from the bath he had just taken. After his sleep, he had woken with sweat covering his skin from yet another nightmare, and now he stood before Sabine, naked.
"I know you don't sleep well," she said softly as she stepped closer to him. "How have you been these past few days?"
Alaric did not bother to respond and instead reached for his trousers and pulled them on. Once he was clothed, he finally glanced at her lazily.
"Sabine," he said, and she lifted her gaze to him in anticipation. "If I do not call for you, do not come to me."
"But you can't just ignore me like this," Sabine said, her brows pulling together in pain and frustration.
Alaric shut his eyes as though already tired of her presence. "Get out of my room," he said coldly before adding, "and call Rosalind for me. Tell her I need her."
Sabine forcefully swallowed against the pain rising in her throat as her eyes began to sting with tears. Every time, it was Rosalind.
Every single time.
She clenched her fists so tightly that her nails bit into her palms as she turned and began to walk out of the room, even though her legs refused to move. Still, she knew better than to disobey him, so she would leave and call Rosalind just as he had asked. But as she stepped out, the hatred burning inside her only deepened, and she knew she would do everything in her power to make Alaric hate Rosalind and punish her.
****
Sabine stood in front of Rosalind's door, forcing herself to keep her anger in check.
Her gaze fell on Rowan who blocked her path and she clenched her teeth, "I have some information to give her," she said tightly.
He stepped aside, and then there was a knock on the door. Sabine was ushered in. Her blue eyes met Rosalind's hazel ones, and for a moment it felt like a battle was being fought in silence. She looked away lazily, as if the Viscount's daughter didn't deserve her attention. "The King requested your presence now," she said.
"Okay," Rosalind replied, closing her book and getting up. "Is there anything else?," she added, noticing Sabine lingering, still looking around the room.
Sabine's eyes flicked back to Rosalind, and after a moment she left, head held high, making her way slowly back to her own room.
As soon as Rosalind left with her footman, Sabine seized the opportunity.
She turned on her heels, glancing left and right to make sure it was clear before slipping inside Rosalind's room. Her heart was beating fast, and she moved quickly in search for a place to hide the box. Once she found it, she tucked it away, then made her way outside. She scanned the area again to make sure no one had seen her.
She finally left for her own room and closed the door behind her.
But she didn't know someone had seen her go into Rosalind's room. The person followed her at a distance and was waiting for the right moment.
As soon as Sabine left, they went in, moving quietly to the spot where the box had been hidden. The person grabbed it and stepped out of the room without leaving a trace behind.