Isle of Wysteria: The Monolith Crumbles Read Online Free

hand to calm the situation. “What the High Priestess means is that not even the Queen can change the law. It was written by the hand of Milia herself. If the Queen were to violate Milia’s will, she would be deposed. I believe that her intention was to watch out for me. To make sure I didn’t get too close to crossing the line. To protect me, in a way.”
    Oleander looked relieved. “Yes, thank you.”
    “Protect you from what?” Hanner asked as he entered, being forced to turn sideways to allow his massive gorilla-like arms to slip through the doorway; his son Strenner strapped to his chest in a leather carrier Alder had made for him. Margaret followed him in mousily, her large glasses slipping down to the bridge of her nose.
    Queen Forsythia waited for the door to close before she answered. “Keeping such close confidence with people from other islands skirts dangerously close to creating a conflict of interest.”
    Ryin, Mina, Hanner, Margaret, and Evere looked at each other worriedly. “Wait, you mean us?”
    “Suppose war was to break out between my people and yours. My feelings towards you would become a liability to the forest. The law requires me to fight her enemies without hesitation.”
    Mina grew concerned. “You would do that?”
    The Queen slowly shook her head. “I would find another way. That is what I have always done.”
    They were relieved to hear this.
    “I was hoping that by naming Evere and Mina as Maar’i ota’a ann’i to my child, it would assuage any fears my kin might have towards them; but clearly that was not enough.”
    “Wait, is that why you did it?” Hanner groused, snatching an apple off a hanging branch and swallowing it whole.
    The Queen gave off a faint smile. “Of course not. I would never use my child for political advancement. I named them as spirit parents to my firstborn because I wanted them to be, and for no other reason.”
    She turned and looked at them gently. “There is no one I trust more than my friends.”
    Alder nodded in agreement.
    Mina placed her furry white hands over her heart, looking like she might melt. Even Captain Evere was moved, but tried to hide it by scratching his grey mutton-chops nervously.
    The High Priestess smiled. “My Queen. I may not be able to understand your fondness for these filthy foreigners…”
    “Hey!” Hanner protested as he scratched his armpit, bits of dirt falling out.
    “…but I do not have to understand it to tolerate it. I will no longer object to the captain and his wife joining your household, but surely the others must limit their access to you.”
    Queen Forsythia rested her hands atop her staff thoughtfully. “Perhaps I could appoint Ryin, Margaret and Hanner as special consultants to assist me with the navy. That is certainly something they can do.”
    “I can?” Ryin asked vapidly, only to be smacked in the back of the head by Mina. “I mean…of course I can. Yeah, totally. I was just kidding.”
    “If I have to shower, I ain’t doing it,” Hanner warned.
    “Ooh, I bet I could count this as an internship for extra credits back at the university,” Margaret gushed, jumping up and down with excitement, her glasses nearly falling off.
    The High Priestess seemed to accept this only reluctantly. “And…the other one?”
    Everyone turned to look at Dr. Griffin, who was rubbing his cheek against the seat of the throne. “Ohh, I can still feel how warm it is,” he drooled to himself. “Even the warmth from your backside has a special royal feel to it…”
    The Queen’s eyebrow twitched in irritation. “We still have a great many people who are suffering the plague brought on by the Shikyappu mushrooms. I feel his skills for now would be better served in the halls of healing.”
    Without a word, the Queen gave the command and the wood parted, allowing a pair of guards in. They snatched the dirty old man up and yanked him away from the throne.
    “Hey, wait! I didn’t get a chance to sniff it