Queen of Darkness WATTPAD VERSION [Inter-Universal Protectors: Book 3]

16

Amneris' fingers tapped on the polished white stone of her throne. The day had barely begun and already she was bored. So far today, three people had complained about the Terpolites coming to live on Lyriumia, two merchants had a squabble over spices which needed settling, and someone had thought it was funny to still five wai'u from under their Keeper's nose. Amneris couldn't deny she struggled not to laugh through that one.

Explanations had been made about why the Terpolites had come, though those three people were still weary. It had been decided that the two merchants would be able to sell their spices to the same buyer - why that was such a big deal, Amneris had no idea - and the wai'u thief was charged five hundred gold for the five missing wai'u by the Keeper. Then four hundred. Then three hundred.

Amneris brushed her hand over the skirt of her blue-and-silver strapless circular skirt gown. The bodice was midnight and covered with silver patterns. The belt was a dark metallic blue, the colour between the bodice and the skirt. The skirt was a slightly lighter tone of blue than the bodice and was bare. No patterns of any sort covered it. As much as Amneris did not like dresses, this one she liked very much. It even came with black ankle-strap heels and had a small slit which she could use to reach the dagger strapped to her thigh. Just in case.

Amneris caught Jay's eye, the male standing not too far from her side. He looked annoyingly good in his zaffre-and-silver tunic, tight black pants, and polished boots, all of which were patterned identically to her dress. Not to mention that he looked about as bored as she did and was fidgeting with a pendant around his neck.

Amneris' look said: How much longer do we have to do this?

Jay's look said: However long it takes to go through the next ten people.

In that moment, Amneris wanted to get up and toss the throne out the nearest window. If it wasn't actually a part of the Palace and built into the wall, she might have done so. And if it wasn't so comfortable.

Beside her, Jay started stretching his legs.

Amneris raised an eyebrow. "Do you need to sit down?"

"I'm good," he said.

She waved a hand, crossing one leg over the other. "Alright. Who's next?"

A jeweller from Kiloqua arrived with significant evidence that a necklace she made from starlight had been stolen. Priceless, the Jeweller claimed, thought that was difficult to prove now the object was missing. The thief had been caught, of course. The necklace was clutched between their hands. First, they claimed it to be a setup, but video surveillance proved otherwise. Then, they claimed they would pay full price for the necklace, but the jeweller continued to say it was not for sale. After a full half hour of negotiations, Amneris stood, tore the necklace from the thief's hands, and handed it to the jeweller. Matter resolved.

A winemaker from Ariuma entered the Throne Room next, carrying a tray with a single glass goblet on it. The goblet was filled with a sparkling blue-green liquid. Apparently, it was from a thought to be rare fruit which was no longer rare. The fruit had been saved before extinction and was now able to be harvested. The goblet was passed to Amneris. She eyed the winemaker. They seemed like a reasonable person and it would not matter if it was poisoned. She was immune to most and it wasn't like they could kill her. So she tested the wine. It was . . . Sweet.

A few minutes later, a blacksmith Subreai was led inside. They stepped up to the throne, Amneris watching curiously, bent on one knee, and held a sheathed sword before her. Jay was the one to take the sword, unsheathe it, and hand it to Amneris. The metal was light. Strong. The hilt was small but well-made. The blacksmith said it was made of a recently found metal and the sword was the first of its kind. The people of Subreai, the Hidden Ruins, agreed the first sword would be a gift for their Queen. Amneris thanked the blacksmith, even going as far as to offer gold as payment. The blacksmith said seeing her with the blade was payment enough.

Three people were allowed entry once the blacksmith left. From their robes, they had come from one of the few temples on a hill on the outskirts of Lapide. Or Kiloqua. Their robes were so very similar and easy to confuse. The two priests and priestess made the matter clear. Since the Terpolites had arrived on Lyriumia, more people came to worship and they did not have the funds for more people to join their temples. It took a few minutes, but Amneris managed to say in the nicest way possible that they already had all the money they needed. Disappointed but understanding, the three gave her their blessings and showed themselves out.

The last three were less exciting. Amneris thought she would dose off. If it weren't for Jay subtely pinching her every now and then, she might have done so.

The first was something about a new species of ice flowers being found near the glaciers on one of the other continents. Rare, apparently, and the last of its kind. They would need good care come the warm seasons and requested a funding to keep the area safe. At least until the species begun to thrive, the man said. Amneris and Jay exchanged glances but decided it sounded reasonable enough.

The last two came with offerings of star diamond bracelet. It wasn't all that rare but to the people who lived where most of it was found, the stone was sacred. The Stone of Naiu, they called it. Amneris thanked them and made a mental note to show the bracelet to the goddess herself sometime. Jay caught onto her smile as the last two visitors left. She raised a finger to her lips and winked.

Instead of calling attention to it, he stretched. "I'm starving."

"Lunch?" Amneris asked.

He nodded. "Sounds good."

Jay held out his hand to help her to her feet. She took it gratefully and was helped down the few stairs to flat ground. As they walked arm-in-arm, Amneris dismissed the Guards. After all, they also required food and drink. Who was she to stop them?