Starfall: A Starstruck Novel Read Online Free PDF Page B

your Scepter? You’ll be expected to have it for this.”
    Oops. It was true that all the pictures I’d seen of prior Sovereigns in the Royal Audience Hall had shown them holding the Scepter—which I hadn’t touched since the day I was Installed, it was so ostentatious. “Back in my bedroom. Should I—?”
    “I can get it,” Molly volunteered. “It’s in that cabinet in your closet, next to the jewelry one.” She’d shown me how to give her handprint access to most of the wardrobe cabinets, so I wouldn’t have to open them for her every time she dressed me.
    “Thanks, Molly.”
    She must have run—way easier in her outfit than mine—because she managed to return with my Scepter just as we reached the imposing gold-figured double doors of the Royal Audience Hall.
    “Got it,” she panted, handing it to me a half-second before the doors were flung open by two bowing Palace staffers.  
    I took the Scepter from her, again experiencing that curious mine feeling.  
    “Ah, good.” Mr. O surveyed the still-empty Hall. “Let’s get you situated before the petitioners arrive, shall we?”  
    Somewhat hampered by my heavy gown, I crossed the enormous room, mounted the dais at the opposite end and seated myself on the ornate golden cathoir , or throne. A half-minute later the doors opened again to admit the mayor of Newlyn, my first appointment.
    “Sovereign Emileia.” A member of the Agricultural rather than the Royal fine, Mayor Balfour folded himself practically in half, his bow was so deep. “I come to request your intervention in our dispute with Bailecuinn over water resources. Our hydroponics have been shorted of late, resulting in lowered production of the leafy greens Newlyn is so deservedly known for. Bailecuinn, on the other hand, has yet to see any drop-off in their grain production. Therefore, our immediate need is clearly greater than theirs.”
    He went on to spout data on Newlyn’s water reclamation plant and how that water had been apportioned over the past few years. When he finished his rapid-fire analysis, I forced a smile.  
    “If you’ll send all pertinent figures to Mr. O’Gara, we’ll review both your claims and theirs. Mayor Cheara is scheduled to make a similar appeal on behalf of Bailecuinn later this morning.”
    Though I could sense he wanted to argue his point further, Mayor Balfour bowed and retreated, since each petitioner was only allotted a five minute audience.  
    Absently playing with my Scepter during the brief break between appointments, I noticed that the translucent pink stone embedded near the top happened to be the exact same shape and size as the purple Archive stone. Could that possibly mean—?
    My next petitioner was announced before I could check whether the pink stone might be removable, forcing me to turn my attention to her, instead.
    After two hours listening to litany after boring litany involving Nuathan minutiae (Mayor Balfour’s case on water resources turned out to be one of the more riveting ones) I decided Nels, Devyn and the others must have been crazy to have actually wanted this job. No wonder you had to be born to it.
    My very last appointment turned out to be Nels Murdoch himself, though not with a petition. Instead, he pulled up a holo-screen from his omni, oriented so I could see it.  
    “As you requested, Excellency, I have collected a few names for your consideration as possible members of your Advisory Council.” Not surprisingly, Devyn was at the top of the short list, which also included Mr. O’Gara, Phelan Monroe, whom I’d met on the Quintessence , and four others I’d met in passing last night and at my post-Installation Royal Reception.  
    “Thank you, Nels. I’ll consider each of these carefully.” I’d need to conduct in-person interviews to figure out which ones I could trust.
    Nels nodded, then glanced at Mr. O. “I don’t suppose you have any more details yet about that, ah, problem we discussed two days ago?”