Vankara (Book 1) Read Online Free Page A

on
the tall square base of the column so I could see over the heads of the adults
around me.  All eyes were focused on the palace balcony awaiting the arrival of
our new Queen.
    The outer layer of
the Vankaran palace was constructed out of slabs of iron and panes of glazed
glass.   In the predawn light, the glass glistened like water trapped in pools
of iron.  Four towers loomed at the apex of the castle housing platforms for
the royal airships to dock.  On such a momentous occasion all four nations were
present.  It was the only time in my short life I had seen representatives from
the other three nations visit Vankara.   
    Half an hour after
the cathedral bells rang, we saw the two iron and cut glass double doors on the
palace balcony swing inward.  It wasn’t until that moment I was thankful my
father had gotten us out of the house so early that morning.  We weren’t at the
front of the throng of people standing before the palace yet we were close
enough for me to see the Queen clearly.
    She was dressed in
a gold silk gown which was mostly hidden by the velvet maroon and ermine
collared Mantle of Vankara draped across her shoulders.  The Queen’s crown,
made of gold and encrusted with a multitude of faceted diamonds, sat like a
sparkling beacon of power atop her head.
    To me, Emma
Vankara was the complete embodiment of the word femininity.  Her facial
features were as delicate as the edges of a flower petal.  She was petite in
stature but had an innate presence about her which drew your complete focus.
Since her mother had been one of the nine daughters of the King of Kamora, the Queen
had inherited the pale white skin and long thick black hair of her mother’s
people.  Her eyes were partially slanted giving her beauty a small hint of the
exotic.
    I watched as a
long stream of people came out of the balcony’s double doors behind the Queen
and almost lost my footing on the column base I stood on when Gabriel stepped
out onto the balcony.  I’m not sure why I was surprised to see him again.  I
had known he took a position as advisor to King Leopold after relinquishing his
apprenticeship with Dr. Pew.  It had been six years since I last saw Gabriel
and he looked exactly the same to me.  His thick black hair was still a mess. 
It appeared advising the royal family on state matters didn’t require a combed
head of hair.
    Queen Emma Vankar
looked out at her people as if to make sure all eyes were trained on her. 
Before we knew it, she curtseyed deeply to us, head bowed in complete
supplication.  Several gasps could be heard coming from the crowd and a few of
the Queen’s entourage gave stern looks of disapproval.  It was, indeed, an
unexpected move for a newly crowned monarch to make. 
    Suddenly, a wave
of cheering over took the crowd and quickly grew in intensity.  The Queen had
shown humility to her people and her people showered her with adoration for
it.  By the simple act of bowing, Queen Emma had gained the undying respect and
allegiance of everyone in the crowd that day.  It turned out to be a very
shrewd move.
    After the Queen rose
from her curtsey, her back straight and proud, she turned to a woman behind her
and seemed to ask her a question.  The woman was tall and slender with pitch
black hair pulled back into an elegant chignon.  Her smooth, caramel colored
skin set off the gold embroidered dark brown robe she wore.  I watched as the
woman walked up to the Queen and laid her hand against the Queen’s throat but
not in a threatening manner.  The woman said a few words then turned away to
retake her position among the other advisors.
    “Who’s that
woman?” my mother asked to no one in particular, hoping someone in the crowd
around us would recognize the stranger.
    “That there is the
Royal Mage,” a slender grey haired man with crooked teeth answered.  “Isabelle
Granger be her name.”
    Even though
Vankara had been founded by a group of refugee mages, it was the first