It’s a little unsettling that only one table at the far end of the room is being set right now. The walls are mirrored, but not behind the dais. On that wall hangs the largest painting I’ve ever seen. It depicts the founding of Khitan by the Sky King. A god’s hands extend from the clouds to the country, pulling mountains from the soil.
We take our seats at the king’s table, facing the varnished painting, as we wait for the queen regent. She will occupy the throne opposite us. Queen Quilimar. The woman Euyn and King Joon say is vicious, dangerous. Will she be as they say, or will she be the soft mother I caught a glimpse of? A woman misunderstood in a place like Yusan but accepted here? Is she heartless or merely who the world forced her to be, as Gambria said?
I don’t have to wait long for an answer. Sixteen guards enter in gray steel armor with the gold eagle of Khitan emblazoned on their chests. We all stand as trumpets blare. Queen Quilimar and General Vikal make their way into the room, the queen on the general’s arm. The queen wears a fitted light-purple dress and a white-and-gold sash. She’s thirty-three, but she looks younger. She is striking, really, not beautiful as much as distinct. She is around my height, but interestingly, she doesn’t resemble King Joon or Euyn. She has tipped, wide eyes, but she also doesn’t look like Aeri.
The golden crown of Khitan shines atop her long ebony hair. Where Yusan has a blood ruby, Khitan’s crown has numerous golden peaks studded by diamonds and a large teardrop diamond in the center.
Still, even with her looks and the splendor of her crown, the Golden Ring of the Dragon Lord is her most noticeable feature. It’s impossible to miss the relic. The ring has a giant gold orb that’s around the size of a lime, and rough-cut rubies and diamonds surround it. It looks both ancient and powerful.
“Well, this is a surprise,” Queen Quilimar says in Yusanian, looking around at the table.
Everyone seems to be leaving out the word “pleasant” today.
Her eyes land on Euyn first, and her brow wrinkles slightly. “Brother, you’re alive.”
She seems annoyed by the fact, but there’s something in her aura that is far softer than I expected, given that King Joon fears her.
“To Joon’s chagrin, I assure you.” Euyn bows formally. “Sister.”
He smiles, and she gathers a breath. Then her gaze falls on Aeri, and her icy expression warms.
“I hear you are my long-lost niece, Naerium,” she says.
“Lost is one way to put it.” Aeri stands straight, looking down at her aunt, then bobs a curtsy. “Highness.”
The queen raises her eyebrows. “You look so much like Soo Lin, but you act nothing like her. You have a spirit and a spine. I’m sure my brothers will do their very best to crush both.”
“They have already tried,” Aeri says.
One corner of the queen’s lips turns up. “The role of women in Yusan is to be underfoot. You must be steel to survive. I wish you welcome to a place where you can stand on your own.”
She takes a seat on the golden throne facing the five of us. Once she is seated, we all sit down. Tea, wine, and an array of cakes and pastries are served. I suppose this counts as dining at the table of the king. The dignitaries who’d been in the grand hall watch from far outside the open doors. I can almost feel their jealousy.
“To what do I owe this unusual audience?” Queen Quilimar asks.
“We heard you were searching for an egg of the amarth,” Mikail says. “We thought we’d deliver it.”
Aeri takes that as her cue and places the egg on the center of the table, crushing some beautiful cakes beneath it.
Queen Quilimar smiles, wistfully looking down at her ring. A spacing band keeps it in place, as it is far too large for her finger. “We both know that’s not the case. My husband sought the egg, but he is deceased. Then again, I’m sure you heard that before you went to all this trouble.”
I like that she speaks plainly. I’m also certain she murdered her husband, but from what Mikail said, she was at his mercy until she produced an heir. I know better than most that a man willing to slaughter innocent villagers just to claim a prize wouldn’t have much mercy. She lived as a prisoner in a gilded cage, and her husband held the key.
As the queen is direct, I decide that perhaps she’ll respect the same.
“The king of Yusan sent us here to steal your ring,” I say.
General Vikal stiffens, her hand moving to the hilt of her sword. The sixteen guards also react, shifting at our backs and by the doors. Queen Quilimar eyes me from her seat.
“Well, that makes sense, as Naerium is the only one able to wield it.” The queen points to Aeri. “I’d been wondering why Joon would risk his only child, but that does explain the gamble.”
All eyes turn to Aeri, who knits her eyebrows, confused.
“I don’t understand,” I say.
“Bloodlines,” Queen Quilimar says with a sigh. “You must be of royal blood to wield the relics. No one else in this room is royal by blood, so I assume that is why Joon sent his daughter.”
Mikail coughs into his water glass. “I beg your pardon? Aren’t you forgetting someone?”
