The Ice Queen of Lessaenes (Book 5)

Interruption

The pictures are the the princesses' dresses for Keilee's coronation!

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"Ugh, I'm terrified!" Keilee fussed as she drew a comb harshly through her hair. "What if I mess up? Fenorel will see me!"

"Then study the procedure again," I shrugged, putting a delicate blue and white bracelet that matched with my ocean blue dress on my left hand and a silver ring on my right.

"It'd be such a waste of time! Fenorel's only here for two more days, and I want to make the most of that time."

"Okay, but don't blame me if you mess up on something dumb," I warned her before walking out of the dressing room, closely followed by my sister, who barely managed to walk in her voluminous red gown.

"Princess, Lord Soren asked me to deliver this to you," an Ice Guard intercepted us on our way downstairs, handing Keilee a note.

"As in...Fenorel Soren?" Her eyes grew wide and her lips curled into a sly smile.

"Yes, Your Highness," the Ice Guard nodded before walking away.

"He's already declaring his love!" Keilee gushed as she unfolded the paper and eagerly read the note.

Princess Keilee,

I noticed that you forgot to send my sister Dolores an invitation to the ball tonight. I know that you meant no offense by it, and that you simply overlooked it in the hurry of preparations for your coronation, but I ask, if it isn't too much trouble, that you add her name to the list of invitees so that she will not be stopped by the Ice Guards at the door.

Thank you,

Fenorel Soren

Keeper Clan

Wellae, Rhena

"Nice love letter," I smirked as Keilee groaned in frustration, balling up the note in her hands.

"Shut up!" She barked, turning away from me and beginning to walk down the stairs to avoid me.

Note from Queen Saralee: Keilee's best comeback- "shut up!" Well, her humor sure matched her intelligence ;) Glad she's out of the way.

As the two of us arrived at the foot of the stairs, a sea of reporters and nobles awaited us, and it took all of our concentration not to trip over the train of someone's gown. By the time we made it outside, where the Council and Airel waited for us, we were already exhausted. I didn't know how I could possibly stand an entire day of this.

"We are so glad you could join us today, for the coronation of a new monarch, and the beginning of a new era of Lessaenite history," Chief Myers' kind, worn face appeared on the gigantic Aurascreens on either side of us.

"Unfortunately, I had some business to take care of on Kilaenas, and couldn't physically be there, so I'll be conducting the ceremony through Auraview. It is great that, in a time of war, we still have the strength to come together for happy moments like-"

The feed crackled before growing silent. Gasps and murmurs echoed through the crowd as an eerie stillness fell over the people.

"What's going on?" Keilee snapped at a nearby Ice Guard.

"I don't know, we simply seem to have lost the connection," he shook his head.

Our questions were answered when the screens lit up again. This time with a very different face.

"Well good morning, you alien butts," a brunette human girl scowled. "If it's even morning on your messed up planet."

"Disconnect her!" Keilee hissed to the Ice Guard.

"We're trying, but she's blocked our access to our own systems. Whoever she is, she's good."

"I'm Kamryn Liermann. Yes, I am related to President Drake Liermann. I'm his daughter. Listen, I'm gonna keep this short and sweet, because my dad will kill me if he finds out I hacked into an alien network from his computer," she began.

"She's Liermann's daughter," Airel gritted his teeth. "She's lucky she's not actually here," he looked down at his fist. "I'd turn her into sawdust."

"I'd help," I nodded.

"I heard you're getting a new Queen today. Stupid. Why can't you just be a democracy like us? It'd sure make negotiations a whole lot easier if things on your side of the galaxy weren't completely dictated by the whims of one guy. Or girl. Anyway, that's not the point. What I'm here to say is, give up. We're so much better than you, science fiction has been preparing us for people like you for generations!"

Note from Queen Saralee: Yes, reading books about how Earth defeated the aliens is definitely going to help Earth defeat the aliens (note the sarcasm)

"We're so much nicer too! We just wanted to be friends, and you stormed in and attacked! We signed a good, fair treaty at the end of the First Galactic War, and what did you? You started the second one! Just go away! Disappear! Die! You've ruined enough already!" She screamed, her face turning red, before the Aurascreens once again faded to black and Chief Myers' extremely confused face appeared.

"Erm...we apologize for the...unforeseen interruption in the program. Now, back to the ceremony! It has been an honor to be your Regent for two years, but now it is time to pass on the responsibility of ruling Lessaenes to Princess Keilee Arystenn, the eldest daughter of our late King Khariel and Queen Jessalyn...

As he droned on about the war, and how Keilee was going to help us win it (not) I couldn't seem to get my mind off of the fact that a certain Keeper from Rhena was very obviously staring at me...

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Note: Glaisse is the capital of the Lessaenite Empire, but in addition to it, each clan has its own smaller "main city." I am listing these here because they may be referenced in the rest of the series-

Warrior Clan- Sakessa, Lessaenes

Scientist Clan- Eskee Valley, Kilaenas

Keeper Clan- Wellae, Rhena

Mystic Clan- Pylea, Lessaenes

Artist Clan- Nerelle Peaks, Kilaenas