Piper

Magic

"I believe I haven't properly reacted to something." Piper said.

"And what's that?" Kubhqas asked curiously.

"Was that magic?!"

Giustina laughed and Kubby smiled. "Yes, yes it was," the former said. "Your reaction was fine, I'd just used the magic to calm you."

With smiling eyes, Kubby asked, "Would you like to see some more?"

"Yes please!"

He held out his hand, and Giustina stood. "Then follow us!"

Piper grabbed his hand and hopped to her feet. Suddenly dizzy, she quickly fell back to the bed. "Oi."

"You might be a bit dizzy."

"Yeah." Piper started to stand, slowly this time. As a wave of nausea passed over her, she gripped Kubby's arm. "Yeah, I got that. Yeah, okay. I'm good now."

"Good." Both adults walked to the door, and Giustina motioned for Piper to follow. Piper walked between them as they led her down the halls. Left, right, left, left, right, left... Piper kept track of the direction in which they were walking in case she would need to go this way again.

They reached a door, and opened it to reveal a large room. They were at the top of a wide, ornate staircase which stretched out below them to the floor. Along the golden walls, thick, cream-colored columns stretched up to the ceiling, gold-encrusted bases dancing along the marble floor. The ceiling itself looked as if it were enchanted. Painted on it was a portrait of a woman who looked remarkably like Giustina, with the same dark brown hair. Her eyes, however, were brown, a few shades lighter than Piper's.

"She's beautiful! Who is she?"

"That," Kubby gestured, "Is Queen Giustina the First, our great great great great grandmother, founder of this kingdom, and Giustina's namesake. She was our queen for 100 years."

"100 years?!"

Giustina laughed, "Yes, 100 years. That may seem like a long time to you but on Kifmary, people age until they are eighteen, and then stop. We're immortal here, and can't die unless killed."

"Wow," Piper breathed.

Kubby pointed toward the walls of room, and for the first time, Piper noticed the other portraits. There were eleven, and were in pairs, except for the one on the end. "That," Kubby started," Is King Kubhqas the First, Giustina the First's husband and my namesake." He moved to the next set of portraits, "King Paluse the First, Kubhqas and Giustina's son, and Queen Embelt the First." The next pair was King Kubhqas the Second and Queen Sedu, the next Queen Embelt the Second and King Psosuum, and then King Paluse the Second and Queen Azhash.

"And these," Kubby finished, "Were our parents, King Kubhqas the Third and Queen Qahishi."

Piper, having forgotten all of their names already, only said, "so your name runs in the family?"

Kubby laughed. "Yes, yes it does."