Payment from King with allegiance lacking at first (7)

I believe the answer is:

royalty

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'payment' is the definition.
(I know that royalty is a type of payment)

I cannot understand how the rest of the clue works.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for royalty that I've seen before include "percentage earned" , "Kings, queens and their families" , "Top people; type of payment" , "Sum paid for use of a patent" , "Sovereign rule" .)

I've seen this clue in The Independent.

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