The Queen of Stones

Chapter 1

"Hope you make good decisions today, Your Majesty," the guard outside my room says once I close the door.

"I am a Halvard," I tell myself as I start walking to my office.

My family is the most important in Asteria and I am the most important woman. They will respect me. They must respect me.

I get to my office and the guard in front of it, after noticing my arrival, opens the door for me; closing it as soon as I enter the room. As fast as I can, I sit at my desk, remove my heels, and let my body fall back to the chair. A quick glance at the documents on my desk makes me sigh.

"I guess I should start," I whisper to myself.

I have two piles of documents, Asteria's and Earth's, and, normally, I just let the Earth pile become a monstrous mountain until I ask someone to throw it away. After all, I have more important problems on my plate. However, today, I feel weirdly attracted to the Earth pile so I sit straight and decide to take a look.

I regret it instantly. The document named "Orlando Massacre" makes me realize that I don't have time to deal with humans killing each other, there are things to be made in Asteria. I quickly put the document back in its place without thinking twice, trying not to feel guilty about letting them deal with their problems. The previous kings of Asteria didn't really take care of Earth as they should so I'm not doing anything wrong.

A knock on my office door makes me snap out of my thoughts and focus my attention on it.

"Your Majesty," my guard says opening the door. "Lord Albert Coldwell, the son of the Duke of Morwen, requests to see you."

I quickly sit straighter and take a look in the tiny mirror inside my second drawer, checking if my dark brown hair is still secure in my low bun and if my crown is placed perfectly on the top of my head.

"Let him in," I order.

The blond well-built man walks into my office with determination in his eyes. He wears a dark blue tuxedo with a embroidered white arrow pointed backward in his blazer's pocket. In the palace, most nobles have something to symbolize their powers knit in their clothes since it is nice to gently let people know what you can do. However, it is considered highly rude to use or even show your powers in public places, judged to be just as bad as showing your stone to multiple people.

"You are aware that this is my office hours, right, Lord Coldwell?" I say raising my head.

"Yes, I am actually here to talk business." Albert Coldwell, unlike his father, has no position in my government, which makes the idea of talking business almost ridiculous. He points at the chair in front of my desk. "Can I sit?"

"Of course." I cross my arms. I don't want to waste time in this conversation, but, because he was born within one of the five families, I have to. "What can I do for you?"

"I want a seat in the privy council," he says trying to sound serious.

I let a small laugh out. "Well, you will have to wait for your father to die."

"That won't happen. I mean, even when he dies, I'm not getting the seat." He starts getting closer. "I know it doesn't look but my brother is actually older than me. Three minutes older." He sighs. "I will never be the Duke of Morwen".

My privy council is built by the representatives of the five families, each of them being a duke. The Duke of Aminour is Alastair Bonavich, representative of the Bonavich family, the most powerful family in Asteria after my own. My husband, Davi, is not only the king but also the Duke of Navarus, on the council to represent his family name, Hawthorne. Even though, after he married me he no longer possesses this name. The Duke of Haven, Ernest Van Coren, is currently focused in protecting his land, and with that, his family name, from the Duke of Del Port, Allerick Grinald, who is invading Haven. At last, and definitely the least important one, stood Sebastian Coldwell, the Duke of Morwen.

I honestly believe that Albert Coldwell has no idea of the type of favor he is asking me. For me to give him a seat in the privy council I would have to make him a duke, which meant giving him land, and, giving that there is no available land big enough to be considered a duchy, I would have to rearrange the entire division of lands. Most likely causing another war. There is no way this is happening.

"I am sorry, Albert, if I may call you that." I uncross my arms and place them in the table to seem more open while I watch him nod. "But there are no available places in the privy council at the moment. And I think you know that."

"But you know me, we grew up together," he says touching my hand. I feel uncomfortable but don't move. "You could help me, you know, even if it meant breaking a few rules. Come on, Adelaide."

I flinch at the sound of my name coming out of his mouth.

In Asteria, names are given to a person once they turn eighteen, so their name can reflect who they are. However, things go a little bit differently for the royal family. Since it is believed that anyone born with royal blood has their future defined, we are the only ones named at birth, which means that, during generations, my ancestors have received names that reflect on the fact that they would become the next ruler. But not me.

My name is Adelaide, which basically means "of noble kind". My father made clear that I'm noble, but not noble enough to be queen since he was still hoping for a male heir to be born. This may seem insignificant, but it is where the roots of my problems are located. Asteria is highly focused on names, so when a ruler does not have the "right name" to rule, they are profoundly despised.

"Why would I do that?" I cross my arms, trying to show that his persistence is annoying me.

Albert Coldwell gets up, walks to my side of the table, and sits on it, facing me.

"Come on," he whispers, raising his eyebrows and touching his hair. "There must be something that I can do for you."

"What are you implying?" I frown.

I hope he is not suggesting what I think.

"Do I really need to say?" He takes off his blazer and throws it on the floor. "Nobody would find out."

"I am married." I look away.

"I don't care." He touches my arm and I pull it back. "I know you want to."

I feel insulted. His audacity to seduce me shocks me and makes me angry at the same time. I think about the guard outside of my office and wonder if he is able to hear anything, if he now assumes that I have a secret relationship with Albert Coldwell. Should I scream? No, people would ask questions. I should just turn him down and politely ask him to leave. As quickly as possible so my guard will not think anything out of it.

"No, I don't want to. In fact, I do not believe you had the audacity to enter my office and try to seduce me while completely aware that I am a married woman. And your queen." I get up and give him a threatening stare. "Put your blazer back on and leave."

He gazed at me for a few seconds, trying to decide if I was seriously angry. At last, he gets up.

"I am sorry," he says, putting his blazer while looking at the floor. "I am so sorry, Your Majesty."

He walks towards the door still holding his head down. When I see his hand touching the doorknob and his family ring in his left index finger, the document tucked away in the first drawer of my desk comes to my mind. I beg my brain to come up with another idea, another plan because I do not want to spend another second with Albert Coldwell. However, nothing comes to my mind and I sigh.