The Queen of Stones

Chapter 5

For tonight, I asked the tailors for a voluptuous cream-colored dress with no straps, that is entirely embroidered with golden flowers, which brings a royal appearance to me. I don't have the chance of wearing extravagant dresses like this on normal days. However, tonight is the opening of the Naming Ceremony, so I'm pretty sure that people won't say that I'm overdressed. To complement that, I put my hair in a low bun, like always, add small earrings, and place my crown on the top of my head.

I definitely look like a queen.

While I wait for Davi to finish getting ready, I stare at myself in the mirror, making sure, time after time, that I still look good. I consider adding more jewelry to myself but give up. I should not draw much attention to myself because today is about the ones who will be getting their names in two weeks, not about me. And everybody knows that.

"Are you ready?" Davi asks after kissing my cheek. "You look beautiful."

He is wearing a black suit with the same color vest and a black-tie embellished with a small golden feather, and, within his blond hair, stood a perfectly placed crown.

Davi takes my hand and places it on his arm, then knocks on the door of our room, which is immediately opened for us. As we walk to the ballroom, Davi stops in front of a corridor mirror and I wait by his side, still with my hand on his arm. I notice that he isn't wearing his glasses.

"No glasses today?" I ask.

"You know I don't need them, Addy." He starts to walk again. "In which room you placed my mother?"

"Your mother?" I lick my lips. "Is she coming?"

"Is the Naming Season," he says with hope in his eyes." Why wouldn't she come?"

Every year is the same thing. Ever since Davi's father passed away four years ago and his mother moved to Navarus because widows are not well-seen in court, Davi always assumes that she is coming for the Naming Season and every year she does not come. Many times, I even personally invited her in the hopes that she would show up, but she never does.

"Well, she didn't come last year," I say carefully. "Or the year before that."

"She will come this year," he says with an excited tone. "She is probably already here, and you just haven't been notified that she arrived."

"If you think so."

I know she is not coming and, deep down, Davi knows too. However, I don't want to be the one to break him out of this daydream. I look down.

"Hey," he calls me. "Are you worried about tonight?"

"No," I lie. "I'm not."

"Then talk to me."

I give a small smile. When I married Davi, he told me he didn't feel smart enough to become king someday, so I told him that I would teach him what he needed to know. And that's how we started to get closer.

"What do you want to know?"

"Hmm." He looks up and presses his lips together. "What about religion? I heard you mention it the other day during a council meeting."

"Well, religion is the worship of a higher being, or beings, who control everything, like people's lives and stuff."

"And where is this being?"

"No, it's more like belief, you know?" I say. "It means something different for each human."

"Only humans have a religion?"

"Well, yeah, in Asteria every religion was prohibited in the Second Agreement."

"Why?" Davi presses his lips together.

"Because they were from Earth and we started to have conflicts between different religious groups."

"I see," he says intrigued. "And how did the population have access to religions from Earth?"

"Well, because they went to Earth," I say with a small laugh, wondering how he's confused about this. "This was before the Second Agreement."

"People could go to Earth before the Second Agreement?"

"Yes, the Portal was open to the population, just like the Stone Sanctuary, people could go to Earth and come back when they wanted."

"Even the ones who were not from New Royale?"

"There was no New Royale, Davi. The provinces were defined in the Second Agreement, so the population could go wherever they wanted." I shake my head. "You seriously need to read the Second Agreement."

"But it is so long."

"I know, Davi." I look at him and place my hand on his face, making him stop walking. "But you are the king. There are things you just need to do. How are you going to make decisions if you don't know the laws?"

"I'm fine with you making the decisions for me."

He gives me a soft kiss and we start walking again. When we reach the entrance of the ballroom, a guard introduces us to the nobles already at the party.

"Her Majesty, Queen Adelaide Halvard, and His Majesty, King Davi Halvard."

The entire rooms bow to us while in complete silence.

"Please, do return to your conversations," I say to my subjects.

The ballroom consisted of one big open space, with huge windows to which you could see the outside garden and an enormous crystal decorated chandelier on the ceiling. However, for today's ceremony, a small stage with a two-seat table was placed on one side of the ballroom, having five other tables around the stage, each for one of the five families. Across the room, a large table containing multiple types of food was arranged, allowing people to grab their dinner when they pleased. Near the food table, many small circular tables were placed, being occupied by lower members of the nobility and some members of the five families just making conversation with one another. While they talked, background music played, bringing a soothing feeling to the ambient.

I look carefully to acknowledge everyone who is here. I see Alastair Bonavich and General Culpepper talking to each other, being joined by Allerick Grinald shortly after. I see Ernest Van Coren and Sebastian Coldwell in a joyful conversation with the Viscount of Sofia and the Earl of Bristown. I see Chastity Bonavich, Angeline Van Coren, Hannah Grinald, Allison Coldwell, and Agnes Halvard all sit together, making conversation while watching the others around them.

"I will talk with the boys, okay?" Davi asks.

"Okay."

He kisses my forehead and leaves. I look to the corner in which the boys are leaning on the wall and see Apollo Van Coren, Grinald's son, Melvin Coldwell, and Albert Coldwell talking while drinking. I notice that I am pathetically standing alone in the middle of the ballroom and rush to make conversation with someone.