Yours Royally (Billionaires and Brides 3)
Shock filled her body and she couldn't stop staring blatantly at the photo. Winston took notice immediately.
“Everything okay, my dear?” he asked. “You look like you've seen a ghost.”
“Oh no, I'm fine,” she said. “It's just that I think I saw that same woman a few minutes ago upstairs leading a half-naked man into a bedroom. But I must be mistaken, because the man that I saw with her wasn't the king.”
“You'd have to be more specific for me to understand,” he replied.
“It's probably nothing, but I saw an older woman with gray hair down the hallway across from Marco's room,” Sabrina explained. “She was leading a younger man to a bedroom and they seemed quite... eager.”
Sabrina's cheeks burned as she spoke and she wondered if she should have even brought it up. She worried she may have overstepped her bounds.
Winston looked over his shoulder before leaning in close to Sabrina. “Now I know what you saw. And you were correct, when you thought you saw the Queen.” He drew in a slow, measured breath before continuing. “The man she was with is her lover and no, it's not the king.”
“What?” Sabrina said, her voice echoing down the hall.
“Speak quietly,” Winston said, bringing a finger up to his lips. “You see, Sabrina, there are some things that happen here that must remain a secret to the outside. What you saw this morning is one of those things.”
“The queen and that guy, they're... lovers?” she whispered, now self-conscious about the volume of her voice. “I don't understand. How does the king not know about an affair that's happening in his own palace?”
“I never said anything about the king not knowing,” Winston said. “It's the general public and the staff that can't find out. If they did, it would create an uproar that nobody in the noble family would be prepared to deal with. It's about keeping the peace. Some things are better left unspoken.”
Sabrina was absolutely floored by the news, although it did help explain some of Marco's distaste for his stepmother. But she couldn't understand why the king would allow such a thing. Clearly, though, there was a whole lot about royalty that she'd yet to learn.
“I'm a little confused,” she said. “Why doesn't anyone say anything?”
“She is usually more discrete, so not many know.” Winston smiled again and placed a hand onto her shoulder. “But all you need to know is that loose lips sink ships, and it would be wise of you not to repeat to anyone what you saw going on upstairs. Especially to anybody in the public. She is a powerful woman, and I'm afraid you would be an easy target for her to destroy to save her reputation.”
“I wouldn't say a word,” Sabrina said. “I promise. My lips are sealed.”
“Good,” Winston said. “Now, moving on...”
He led her down the hall and continued showing her pictures. She saw one of Marco and a few of other nobles who were somehow related to the family. She noticed that each person in the pictures either had a purple or a green pendant attached to their collar.
“What do those pendants mean?” she asked.
“Glad you asked,” he said. “It's information that will help you at the ball tonight. The ones wearing a green pendant are members of the noble family, but not related by blood. They're typically knights and priests who have been sworn in. They're as loyal to Orsino Island as the royal family. The ones wearing a purple pendant, as you may have guessed, are members of the royal lineage.”
“That really is good information,” Sabrina said, with a nod. “Anything else I should know before the ball tonight?”
“Do you know how to curtsy?” Winston asked.
Sabrina laughed and then quickly realized that Winston wasn't joking.
“Like this?” Sabrina carefully tucked one leg behind the other and and dipped.
“That, my dear, was atrocious. It's high time you learned,” he said, shaking his head. “Trust me, you won't get very far going around and high-fiving people, or whatever it is that you Americans do.”
Winston sighed and pretended to act annoyed, but Sabrina could tell that he was excited to show this naive westerner some culture.
“Thank you, Winston,” Sabrina said. “I'm all ears and ready to learn. I'll happily accept any information that can possibly make the celebration tonight go a little bit smoother for me.”
Chapter 18
Sabrina
Thanks to Winston, Sabrina became fully versed in the art of the curtsy. He'd made her practice it in the Palace library until she had it down perfectly. Now she stood in her new bedroom in front of the over-sized mirror on the wall. She was only wearing a towel around her body as she curtsied a few more times, just to make sure she had it down.
“A pleasure to meet you, your majesty,” Sabrina whispered, reciting the lines that Winston had told her to memorize. It was “your majesty” not “your highness”. Winston had seemed scandalized that she could even confuse the two. “It is a true honor to be here on Orsino Island.”