Crystalline sighed, covering her eyes with her palms. “Okay. Okay. I will have to wait until my meeting with the High Priest. But – Matron March?”
“Yes, my dear?” Matron March turned around, now holding up the white dress she had been looking for. “Isn’t this your favourite dress?”
“You better not dare to disappoint me!”, Crystalline threatened, pointing her pale finger at the nun. Pause. “Ah, yes, it is. Perfect for a freshly crowned beauty like me!”
“Noo, of course not. If I had the tendency to disappoint my superiors, I wouldn’t have made it this far in your palace and we would never have met”, she said, raising her eyebrows. “Now get dressed and I will have Sofiya bring you today’s greatest delicacies for breakfast. At least, she should be capable of that.”
“Thank you, Matron March!”, the young elven queen exhaled, feeling a tiny bit calmer and delighted by the thought of a nourishing meal. Only now did she notice HOW hungry she actually was, brought to her attention by the loud growl of her stomach. “Breakfast sounds like a true blessing to me!”
“Oh, I aim to please, my Queen!”, the nun said with a slight bow of her head and headed towards the hallway, smiling.
The afternoon sun bathed the High Court in a soft orange light. Crystalline started to relax into the throne. She was glad about the velvet red pillow beneath her butt, it gave her comfort and stability. She was even getting used to the coolness of the marble throne she sat upon because it soothed her anxiety. Instead of holding her own hands tightly and staring down at them, as she would normally do, she forced herself to intentionally look at all the Court members, one after the other and started studying their faces carefully. There they were, staring at her in anticipation: the Mistress of Voices. The Master of Eyes. The Master of Treasures. The Master of Shields. And of course, the High Priest, who she was most curious to hear from today. Matron March and Sofiya, her two handmaidens, were loyally waiting by the door. Sofiya appeared to feel even more nervous and excited than she did, while Matron March kept her stern and unbothered stance, eyeing Sofiya condescendingly every once in a while. At either side of Crystalline’s throne, two impressive high-elf knights in full white-golden armour kept their guard.
Yes! It’s time to begin!, Crystalline said to herself and recalled Matron March’s advice: “Make it clear that the Court has to serve YOU and not the other way around. Let them know from the start that YOU are the Queen, my dear! That you are not some puppet that they can play their own games with as they please. You can expect them to try and test your resolve, your wisdom and your authority. Don’t let them win. You are the most powerful young elven queen this kingdom has ever seen!”
© Miriam Laschenko 2024-04-26