Friday came much too soon for Kristiana. Although the week had been difficult, it had been manageable. She and Sam walked to classes together and then she left at lunch, both of them acting as if nothing was different. Natalie poked her every day about Sam, but her taunts throughout the week were more like a friend would do, rather than an attempt to antagonize.
For this ball, she went all out. This also included people that knew nothing about vampires, or the secret world that existed just below the surface. On a whim, she had invited Father Wolfram, giving him freedom to invite whomever he thought appropriate within the church body. Artis had been very dubious about that, but had acceded to her wishes.
"They are all assembled, your Majesty," Artis told her, as she sat in her ready room. Charlotte was with her, both having helped each other prepare.
She was wearing a gown that was purple on the bottom with black designs on the mesh that laid over the purple dress. It had a black waste section and the top was the same purple as the bottom, but encrusted with jewels. She wore the tiara given to her by Queen Margaret so long ago, and of course, her comb. Unlike many girls and women, she never wore gloves to these affairs, and had no other jewelry on.
"Are you sure about this, Kristiana," Charlotte asked.
"Yes, it is time I do not hide who I am. You have allowed my risk to point at you for too long. It is time I resume my proper role, and any that are unable to accept my authority will suffer my wrath," she said.
"English, Kristiana," she scolded, but with a smile.
"You are not nice," she replied in English, also smiling.
"Shall we, my queen?" Charlotte offered.
"We shall," she agreed.
"Her Majesty Kristiana, Queen of Latvia, the Baltic States, Finland and Ukraine, Princess Charlotte of Denmark and Hesse-Kassel and the royal house of Latvia," the sergeant at arms announced.
Although she saw Sam, unable to completely ignore him, she kept her eyes forward. This was not a time to become distracted. Once she was seated, followed by Charlotte and the house had dispersed, she motioned for an attendant.
"Would you have Natalie and her family attend me, please?"
"Yes, Majesty," the young man said, bowed and backed away.
A few moments later, Natalie and her family were led to the dais, where they stopped and bowed, as they'd been instructed. With a motion of her hand, a group of guards came.
"I would speak with you without so many ears, if you would allow it."
"Of course, Your Majesty," the man said. Kristiana knew he wasn't Natalie's father, but rather her step father.
Once they were in the same room she'd taken Sam to, what seemed like forever ago, she began. "I have mentioned to Natalie that I would be willing to extend a job offer to her when she completes school. I do not know if she truly believed I was capable of following through, or not. However, I thought it would be wise to present this offer to you, as her mother and guardian. That way, you could assist her in directing her studies in the appropriate manner."
"What kind of job?" her mother asked.
"I would have her train to be the commander of my guard, when the time is right for her," Kristiana replied.
"You hardly know her, and you are both just kids. How can you know she would even be good at such a job?" her mother asked.
"I will tell you a thing you will struggle to believe, much less understand," she began.
YOU ARE READING
The Ancient One
Novela Juvenil[COMPLETE] Wild vampires have come to America for the first time, and with no experience in handling them, the ruling council of Atlanta reaches out to an ancient vampire from Europe. However, they want more than her help. They want her power, and t...
