“Surrvul isn’t happy,” Nnati said. “They’re saying the crown shouldn’t stay in the same family, meaning Zawne. But really they’re just peeved because they have to wait another forty years for another shot at it. People are saying they might inflate visin prices or even restrict their distribution. They could even shut them down altogether. Oh, then there are the Gurnots. They’ve made encrypted messages available for the public to let them know that they are watching. People are scared of what they might do.”
“They won’t do anything,” I told Nnati. I was in the main sitting room of our royal mansion. Zawne was snoozing in the bedroom while I chatted with Nnati on my visin.
“They already have,” Nnati said. “Didn’t you see? There was another fire today, this time in Shondur. The authorities are saying it was the Dragon, the rogue Gurnot who keeps lighting wealthy people’s estates on fire. This time it was the local retreat the ex-queen and ex-king were supposed to be staying in. Before their flyrarc could land, the entire place went up in flames, even melting the Protectors that had been stationed there, melting them into nothing but metallic jelly. Nobody has a clue how the Dragon—or Dragons for all we know—are getting away with it. Some say secret Gurnot weapons technology.”
“But the Gurnots are a minor threat to the kingdom,” I said. “There aren’t even that many of them. Where did all this damage come from?” I stopped to think, then said, “Maybe if I make it clear to the Gurnots that I have the interest of the people in mind, they will stop the fires. I’ve been thinking about bringing them into the fold. Maybe I can give them an official seat of power to stop their violent activities and their burning.”
An idea was percolating in Nnati’s head. He stared at me on the projected screen, gears turning behind his eyeballs. “Interesting …” he said. “I’d like to see how that turns out. Maybe if you make a statement to that effect, you can alleviate some of the fear. Maybe the fires will stop. However, to side with Gurnots would mean public outcry. Be careful, my queen. Tread lightly.”
“I will,” I said. “You always give me such good advice. It’s actually the reason I called you. I need you, Nnati. I have one free seat on the council, and I want you in it. Could you do that for me? Could you join me in VondRust as my loyal adviser?”
Nnati gaped. He had been doing a lot of that lately. Funny how much can change in three weeks. “Is that not a title held only by royalty?” he asked. “I’m only a commoner. I have no royal blood. And what about GMAF?”
I bit my lip, smiled at Nnati, and said, “I’m going to shake things up a bit. This won’t be like the last administration. I’m really going to push for change. Noble blood or not, I want you as my adviser. In fact, I want to start bringing a lot more so-called commoner blood into positions of power. This government is going to be run by the people, for the people, just like it should be. As for GMAF, we’ve already doubled the staff. I trust you to find a suitable replacement.”
Nnati was speechless. I had to goad him. “So, what do you say? Will you help me?”
Nnati fumbled for words, trying to be my friend while at the same time trying to speak to a queen. “Yes, Kaelyn. I mean, yes, my queen. Yes, Your Most Supreme Majesty.”
“Cut it out,” I said. “We’re alone. Can’t we just be normal?”
He let out a massive sigh and sagged over himself. “I was hoping you were going to say that. I can’t stand being fake, and I don’t think you can either. Can we talk about something normal before bed?”
“Of course,” I said, happy Nnati felt the same as I did. It would be nice to have a real friend on the inside. “What do you want to talk about?”
“How’s Zawne?” he asked. “How is your relationship?”
I opened my mouth and paused. I didn’t have an answer. We had been so busy the last few weeks that we hadn’t had much time to be a couple. We slept in the same bed, went through the same routine, but were often very distant. I said to Nnati, “It’s been a whirlwind ever since we got engaged.”
“I bet,” he said. “But what abou—?”
The smell of sweet toffee swirled into my nostrils, and my eyelids fluttered. Oh no! Roki was in the room! He was right beside me, masking everything except his scent.
I blurted into the visin, “Sorry, Nnati, got to go.” I got a glimpse of the shock on Nnati’s face as I hung up.
It was quiet, but I could feel his eyes watching me. I tried to steady my breath, my heart pounding wildly in my chest. I whispered, “Roki, are you here?”
Chapter 10
NordHaven couldn’t hold a candle to the absurd grandeur of VondRust Palace. Our private estate within VondRust was three stories tall, had eight sleeping quarters, twelve bathrooms, several large dressing rooms, two kitchens, a tennis court, a home theater, a vast wine cellar, an indoor pool and an outdoor pool, a gym, and a sauna. Not to mention the flyrarc pads on the roof for the king and queen’s personal flying machines. We even had our own miniature atmospheric bubble, scenting the air, controlling the temperature, conjuring rain or sunshine at will. The place was epic. Wandering through its halls was dizzying, and I could hardly get used to it. I kept thinking, Do I really deserve all this? Does any one person deserve such massive excess?
Either way, it was ours. VondRust could have been a city of its own for all the various manors and structures, the guesthouses reserved for clan leaders, and the huge government building in the center of the flowery courtyard. Everything was connected via well-kept pathways. Zawne and I even had hover scooters so that we didn’t have to use our royal legs. Spoiled is what I called it. I often missed my old apartment and my daily commute to GMAF. All the people I’d known in the city were probably still living in tiny pods stacked up like bricks, and there I was, in my own subcity.
But hey, the view was nice. I stared out the window of our bedroom the morning after the coronation, admiring the mountain peaks in the distance, the snowy inclines and patches of firs. It was a tranquil scene after such chaos. I liked listening to the water run through the pipes as Zawne showered in the other room. I felt introspective.
“Morning, beautiful,” came Roki’s voice.
I whirled around to see Roki sitting on the edge of my bed. I felt panic rise in my chest, then remembered Roki could vanish in a split second if he needed to. “What are you doing here?” I asked. We had talked for two hours last night while Zawne slept. I felt guiltier than words could describe.
“Don’t feel guilty,” Roki said, reading my thoughts. “We’re friends, remember?” He looked sad as he said this, as if I had shackled him, made him a prisoner of friendship when we both wanted something more.
Then Zawne yelled from the shower, “Who are you talking to?” He had turned off the water and was likely toweling himself dry.
“Nnati,” I said hurriedly. “I’m on a call.”
Roki was grinning at me. He loved the thrill of being bad, of being in the same room with me while my husband dried his naked body less than twenty feet away.
“I had another reason for coming,” Roki said, not even bothering to hush his voice. It was like he wanted to get caught!
“What is it?”
“I’ll see you tonight in Shiol. I’ll also be with you all day during your council decisions. It turns out I really love watching your lips move. I love watching you, giving you a whiff of my scent but not showing myself. It thrills me. I’m obsessed with you.”
Zawne emerged from the bathroom. Roki was gone. “Finished your call?”
“Yes,” I said, but I didn’t sound very convincing. I swallowed hard and changed the subject. “You look wet.”
Dumb! Who says that?
But it was true. Zawne wore nothing but black briefs, his muscled form moist from the shower. I wanted to consume him on the spot. Let Roki watch. Let him discharge his earthy scent while I shoved my tongue in Zawne’s mouth and we became lost in a frenzy of love.
It was almost as if Zawne could hear my thoughts. He strode across the room
without saying a word and scooped me up. He was so rough when he wanted to be. “I don’t think I got all the way clean,” he said, and carried me giggling into the shower.
Breakfast was laid out in the main dining room downstairs: fried eggs, bacon, blueberries, pancakes, strawberries, and tea.
“Wow,” I said to the chef, a short fellow in a white smock. It was rare to see a human chef when so many were Protectors now. The palace must have been paying him a fortune. “How did you know what I like?”
“We know everything that will make Her Most Supreme Majesty happy,” the man replied.
I looked to Zawne. “Is this how you grew up?”
“More or less,” he said, casually chewing on a strip of bacon. “My mother and father were the rulers of Geniverd. Jaken and I had a … cozy childhood.”
“Cozier than mine,” I said. I took a seat, and the chef left us to eat in private. There were two Protectors standing guard outside the kitchen door. Even though they were machines, they still made me uncomfortable.
“Listen,” Zawne said, getting serious as he leaned over the table and found my eyes. “I have an idea. It’s never been done before, but I think it could work. I grew up with my parents being constantly exhausted, and now I know why.”
“Shiol,” I said quietly.
“Exactly. So I was thinking that if we split up the council, call it the King’s Council and the Queen’s Council, we could get double the rest and double the free time. We would split the duties in half.”
“That’s a great idea,” I said. “The only thing is that we have to”—I looked around, then said at a whisper—“follow the recommendations from our friends.”
“We must,” Zawne said. “That’s not up for debate. But I’m sure they won’t mind. It’s a great idea.”
It was a great idea. I found myself surprised by his gusto. Zawne wore the mantle of king well.
“Which subjects would you like to handle?” he asked me.
“Health,” I said immediately. It was the first thing that came to mind, since Gaard, my home, was known for manufacturing medicines. I had to open my visin and check the other categories.
“Industries,” I said, flicking down the list. “I’ll take ecosystem, preservation, human resources.”
“Great,” Zawne said. “That leaves me with trade, defense, and finance.”
He made for the door, stopping to kiss me on my head. “Enjoy your breakfast, Queen Kaelyn. I’m going to get ready. We have a long day ahead of us.”
I ate my breakfast feeling like a happy schoolgirl. I had my macho man, my Aska warrior, my husband, and I had my confidant, my spirit boy with the charming smile who always kept me on my toes. I couldn’t tell if it was Roki I smelled or a spice from my toast. Either way, I was happy.
Selecting the councillors was easier than I had anticipated. Zawne and I sat at the head of a huge room with a domed ceiling while one by one the applicants introduced themselves. We had no trouble picking eight of them. They were all noble-born or Aska certified. Besides, it was Geniverd law to have at least one adviser from each continent on the council.
In the end, I chose an additional Surrvul councillor, a young woman by the name of Shiru. She was an heir and too young to become clan leader ahead of her many siblings. Shiru needed something to do for the next forty years, and I was happy to oblige. There was nothing worse than a clan heir with eighty years of life, all the power and cash in the world, and not a single thing to do with any of it.
Zawne chose the other extra, a stern man by the name of Aska Nikhel. He was Ava-Lodden, a rare breed in the capital. Zawne said they had met during his training.
The most enjoyable part of the whole ordeal was when we called the selected councillors into the main chamber, including Torio, who had been reinstated as Head of Courtiers, and delivered the big news.
Zawne stood up and said, “We have an announcement to make,” then paused for dramatic effect. He seemed to love doing that. “We will be splitting the council into two parts, the Queen’s Council and the King’s Council.”
Everyone gasped. Torio looked ready to faint, his jaw on the floor. “You’re sure about this, Your Most Supreme Majesties?” he asked.
“Yes,” I said, standing up to take Zawne’s hand. It was better that we appeared as a single unit of authority. “We have talked it over and agreed. This is for the better.”
The councillors exchanged a flurry of confused glances. Then we split them into groups.
The Queen’s Council consisted of Nnati, Master Widrig, Lady Katrin, Aska Nikhel, and Aska Xi.
Zawne’s council consisted of Aska Stingl, Lady Shiru, Master Nokag, Aska Chu, and Aska Tatu. It was almost entirely made up of Askas.
After spending the entire morning and afternoon in the conference room, choosing our councillors, it was nice to attend the welcome party Torio had organized for them. Zawne and I showed up fashionably late, around six thirty. I didn’t want to linger too long. I was eager to go to bed and transport myself to Shiol, where I could find out what Roki had to say. I was smelling him everywhere. I figured he was close by.
Didn’t he have a job to do?
Zawne and I were seated at the head of the table, our councillors to either side of us. There were seven courses, endless bottles of wine, and lots of laughter. Lady Shiru loved to tell jokes, and everyone else seemed to appreciate her sense of humor. This made me feel confident about our decisions earlier in the day. We had to spend four days a week governing with these people for the next forty years. It was important that we all got along.
It was as Lady Shiru began to tell a joke about three Ava-Lodden and an unfortunate goat that Zawne whispered in my ear, “I want to go to Shiol tonight.”
My heart sank. He couldn’t be serious. Roki was waiting for me, and I wanted him to show me more of Shiol. There was no way I could miss our meeting! I had been thinking about him all day.
“Why?” I asked.
Zawne crossed his arms and pursed his lips. “I just want to,” he said, no explanation given. He was acting like a stubborn baby.
“You can’t.” I had to make something up quick. My heart was racing and I was sweating. “It’s my turn,” I told him. “We need to keep to the schedule. I’m sorry, Zawne, but I won’t budge.”
His face warped into a scowl. I thought he was thinking of something mean to snap at me. Why was he doing this? It seemed so unnecessary. But then something occurred to me. I realized that Lordin was a Min. She could watch us, read our thoughts, follow us as a bodiless spirit. She could also visit Zawne in his sleep. Now that I was thinking about it, Zawne had been waking up around the same time as me every day. Had he been going to Shiol in secret? Had he been seeing Lordin like I had been seeing Roki?
I boiled over with anger. It was a good thing the councillors were distracted and half-drunk. No one paid me any attention when I hissed at Zawne, “I’m going to Shiol and that’s final. And I better not see you there. I know you don’t have an appointment with you-know-who, so I don’t know what you want to do there.”
I got up in a huff, pushed my chair back too loudly, and the whole party stopped to stare at me.
“I’m going to bed,” I said flatly. “Thank you all for agreeing to work with me and the king as we mend our kingdom and push forward into the new dawn, but I’m tired. Good night.”
Nobody questioned me—I was the freaking queen. They all bowed their heads, and I left Zawne at the head of the table, glaring at me as I stormed off.
The first thing I wanted to do when I got to Shiol was run my hands through Roki’s silky hair and kiss him.
No!
I cringed, clenched my teeth, and squeezed my eyes tighter. I couldn’t cheat on Zawne. It wasn’t in my personality. But I kept thinking about Lordin. I couldn’t help but wonder, was Zawne cheating on me?
All I could do was allow myself to get sleepy, sink deep into our cozy bed, and spell …
S-H-I-O-L.
I zipped throu
gh space in my spirit body, landed in the Crown of Crowns’ reception hall, and found them waiting for me beneath the cloudy, ethereal sky. They were sparkling light, the same as always. Riedel greeted me warmly enough.
“Queen Kaelyn, we’re glad you’ve come. We have seen that you and Zawne split the duties in half. We were surprised. It’s a wise move.”
“You might even get some rest,” Hanchell said.
I moaned, “Thanks, but it was Zawne’s idea.”
“We know,” Hanchell said.
Riedel’s laugh echoed through the void. “We know everything.”
I just wanted to get the meeting over with. I wanted to see Roki. We had a lot to discuss. I wanted to ask him about Lordin, if he had seen her with Zawne. I needed to know if they were an item again. If so, it might seriously change my feelings toward Zawne. It might also open up possibilities between Roki and myself. I needed to see him!
“Can we get to it?” I said. “I have a meeting after this.” I didn’t mean to be blunt, but it seemed like recently I had been shedding the timid, awkward girl I used to be. I was becoming bolder. I didn’t know if it was from age, stress, sleeping in bed with a man every night … or from finding out there were entire worlds secreted just behind the fabric of our universe!
“Of course,” Hanchell said. “You are a busy woman. Here, this is what’s on the docket for today.”
A blast of images, documents, video clips—all exploded from thin air and cycled around me. It was a lot to make sense of. All of it got sucked into the visin implant in my wrist.
“You may now access the files,” Hanchell said. “Use your visin normally. It will function in Shiol, but the files will be immediately erased upon your return to the physical world. We can’t have them slipping into the wrong hands.”
“Okay.” I was a bit excited. If there was one thing I knew how to do, it was to ignore my problems and bury myself in my work.
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