Descended by Evangeline Anderson

Author:Evangeline Anderson [Anderson, Evangeline]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Evangeline Anderson Books
Published: 2016-08-26T18:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty-two

Charlotte

“Kristoff Verrai, Captain of the Imperial Guard and his candidate for Goddess-Empress,” announced the tall footman in black and gold livery standing just inside the large double doors.

There was a murmuring in the crowd of people—all of whom were extremely richly dressed and most of which had the same deep blue-black hair as Kristoff. A few of the women had changed their skin and hair and eyes to match my competitor’s, I saw. There was a lot of platinum blonde hair and sharp emerald eyes. Their men had skin that varied with the mood of their females—a lot of them seemed to be a bright, swirling, orange-pink at the moment. I wondered if that was the color of curiosity.

Since Kristoff had explained about Majorans being chromatacromes and so able to change their skin and hair and eye color at will, none of this surprised me. But I’d be flat out lying if I said it didn’t unnerve me, because it sure as hell did. It was weird to be in a crowd of super tall alien people who were constantly changing color like living lava lamps—though I supposed I would have to get used to it since they were my people now.

As the crowd parted, we saw another podium-like table where the Council of Wisdom were already seated. Prince Morbain and the lovely girl he’d called Eucilla were standing in front of them and Morbain was very clearly consulting a watch—or what Kristoff had called a chronometer—as though he was marking off the time.

“You can stop counting the minutes—I am here with the True Incarnation in plenty of time, despite your attempt to move the Trials without letting me know,” Kristoff said flatly, as we came to join them in front of the Council.

“Are you really? What a pity.” Morbain looked up, giving him a bland stare. “But as for moving the Trials, I only did it for the sake of the respect I feel for our esteemed Council of Wisdom. Our wise Elders have much to attend to, it isn’t right to make them wait on such inconsequential matters.”

“The Investiture of a new Empress is no small matter, Prince Morbain,” said the youngest council member—the one with brown eyes and brown skin that I remembered from the day before. He looked at Kristoff. “Captain Verrai, is it really true that no one came to notify you of the change of time?”

“No one but one faithful guard—without whom we would have been late and forfeited the Trials. Which I am certain is Morbain’s true reason for the time change,” Kristoff growled.

“But this is highly irregular!” protested the Councilor. “I gave orders myself to a footman to alert you.”

“You’d better find out what happened to him then,” Kristoff said blandly. “Because he never found his way to the door of the Guest Quarters.”

“But—” the Councilor began. Just then, a footman in black and gold livery stepped forward and whispered in his ear. The Councilor’s light brown skin went suddenly pale and he looked up.

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