Page 21 of Shadow Dreaming

The elevator was quick and smooth, and within a couple minutes we were stepping out of the car, into the foyer of what looked like a massive reception room. Two guards, both in blue and silver, stood by either side of the elevator, and while I couldn’t see any weapons, the sensation of strong magic flooded over me.

The floor was marble, white with black veins, and huge Corinthian columns stretched to touch a cathedral ceiling that must have been twenty feet over head. The room contained benches against the walls, a few seating arrangements, potted plants and tapestries. But there were no windows, though for being devoid of natural light, it was spacious and calm, with a comforting ambient light. The walls were painted pale ivory, and ahead, ten shallow, wide steps led up to double doors. With the size of the building, the foyer took up about a quarter of the space of the top floor.

The steps and floor in front of the double doors were covered with navy blue carpeting, and everything seemed to have a silver sparkle to it, which I assumed was the magic inherent within the Crystal Court.

I followed Duran over to the velvet ropes cordoning off the staircase. There, beside the stairs, stood another blue-and-silver clad guard, who inclined his head when we appeared. He had a large book to one side, on a podium, and I could tell from where we stood that it contained a calendar on the left hand side, and to the right, a paperclipped list of names, dates, and times.

“Duran, along with Kyann Sarasan.”

“Papers, please,” the guard said.

Duran produced what looked like some sort of official document.

The guard checked it and nodded, then handed it back. He turned to me. “Do you have your driver’s license?”

I nodded, handing it to him. The guard glanced at the card, then returned it. He ticked off a check in front of both of our names, then pressed a button on the podium.

“An escort will be here in a moment. Please have a seat.” He motioned to a bench that was at the top of the steps, off to one side.

Duran and I took our seats as I looked around. The quiet hush was soothing, and I thought I could hear the air conditioning system, though when I closed my eyes and tried to pinpoint it, it sounded more like waves rushing back and forth, crashing lightly against the shore. I took a deep breath and let it out slowly, wishing for a wall to lean back against. I was tired, worn out by emotion.

“Are you all right?” Duran asked.

I nodded, keeping my eyes closed. “I’m tired. Worry leeches energy.”

“That it does,” he said. “She’ll be all right. I’m sure of it.” But, once again, he didn’t sound all too sure.

The next moment, the double doors opened, and two guards stepped out, a man and a woman. The motioned for us.

“We’re up,” Duran said. “Let’s go.” He paused, then said, “You’ll be meeting the queen.”

“What? Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I didn’t want you to be nervous,” he said.

“Well, I’m nervous now. Do I bow? Kneel? Curtsey?”

“A bow will be sufficient,” he said. “Don’t contradict her unless she’s asking for direct information.”

I nodded, trying to mentally prepare myself for meeting a member of the royalty, especially under these circumstances. We might need the Crystal Court’s assistance at another time, as well, and I didn’t want to incur any diplomatic faux pas.

I took a deep breath, then—as the guard led us through the massive metal doors—I willed myself into a calm, collected state.

The throne room itself took up almost the rest of the top floor, with four doors on the opposite wall. I imagined they led to the offices, conference rooms, or whatever else might be needed, as well as what probably had to be a portal room. I couldn’t imagine Queen Elsabetha taking a taxi to work every day.

The entire floor shimmered—blue tile, the color of the night sky, with sparkling silver flecks. There were pews on either side, five rows of them, each probably capable of seating ten people, so the room had the capacity for at least a hundred spectators.

Right now, there were a handful of people sitting in the pews, looking like they were waiting for appointments. One woman looked so dejected that she was practically crying. Another looked bored out of her mind. There were eight altogether, and I wondered if they had appointments, or were hoping that something would open up.

We followed the guard down the center walkway, between the rows. He neither looked right nor left, but kept his head straight forward.

At the back of the room, facing the pews, was an elevated throne, with four steps leading up to the chair. It looked to be made of silver, with blue crystals thrusting out of the sides and a blue velvet seat. And on the throne was a stately woman. She had pale silver hair. Lighter than mine, it was caught up in a mass of curls atop her head, feminine and yet stately. Her eyes were icy blue, and her lips—petal pink. A few wrinkles lined the corners of her eyes, but I couldn’t tell how old she was.

Elsabetha could have been forty or a hundred. She was wearing a long pale blue gown, form fitting until the waist when it spread out, draping to the floor, and a silver pendant with a massive sapphire in the center, encircled by diamonds. A matching tiara sat atop her head, again with a sapphire the size of a silver dollar in the center, surrounded by diamonds.

Duran knelt at the bottom step, and—not wanting to appear aloof—I awkwardly lowered myself into a curtsy and bowed my head.

“You may rise,” Elsabetha said, her voice smooth and commanding. I had the feeling that, whatever she had to face, she’d remain as calm and centered as she felt now.

---