Gatekeeper (The Berikatanyan Chronicles Book 1) by John Beresford

Author:John Beresford [Beresford, John]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: John Beresford
Published: 2015-06-01T06:00:00+00:00

Chapter 11

the palace of the black queen

20th day of ter’tanamasa, 965

Still riding hard behind her black-robed companion, Claire Yamani rounded the northernmost tip of the mountains he called Tubelak’Dun. She was rewarded with her first sight of the Black Queen’s Palace. The view sent a tingle of excited anticipation through her. They’d been travelling at a fair clip for most of the day, stopping only to water the horses and later for a hasty bite of lunch when he’d rather stiffly introduced himself as Negel, a hodak of the Queen’s honour guard. As soon as they’d eaten, Negel insisted they needed to push on if they were to make the Palace before nightfall. Since then he’d set a harder pace, but to Claire’s surprise her riding skills proved up to the task. Now the late evening sun limned the gleaming towers of obsidian and black granite with a fiery glow, lighting the Queen’s flag flying above the high central tower an incandescent orange, the colour mirrored in the smaller pennants which decorated the other, shorter turrets. It looked like a dark, secretive version of a Disney fairy castle.

Ostlers and other Palace staff met them in the huge courtyard as they entered the gates. Word of Claire’s imminent arrival had clearly spread. She heard several muttered “Sakti Udara”s as she reined Pembwana to a halt. She dismounted as Negel snapped to attention.

‘Majesty!’

The Black Queen glided toward them through an imposing pair of blackwood doors. She crossed the polished jet-black flagstones edging the courtyard, regarding Claire with an unreadable expression before addressing the rider.

‘You made good time, Hodak Negel.’

‘As you instructed milady.’

‘Make sure the kudai are well looked after.’

The Queen turned on her heel.

‘Follow me!’ she said, retracing her steps across the courtyard.

Everyone else had already busied themselves with their tasks. The Queen’s instruction had been intended for Claire alone. She hurried from the glow of evening into the relative gloom of the Black Palace.

Several servants worked to light lamps, torches, and candles against the coming night. A soft glow began to illuminate the halls as Claire caught up with the Queen, maintaining a respectful distance behind her. Yellow torchlight bounced off polished surfaces everywhere. The Black Palace was well named. It appeared to be constructed almost exclusively from black materials. Obsidian columns, black granite walls, burnished jet floors in staterooms giving way to dark slate in common areas.

Claire followed the Queen through another massive pair of blackwood doors into an enormous hallway from which a double staircase led up to a galleried landing. Directly opposite them a magnificent archway beneath the first rise of stairs let onto the Queen’s throne room, her glistening black throne visible at the far end.

Portraits covered the walls of the hall and stairways. Claire gave them each a cursory glance as she hurried to keep up with the Queen. Halfway across the imposing hallway she came to an abrupt halt, letting out an involuntary gasp of shock. The Queen wheeled around in surprise.

‘What ever is the matter my dear?’ she asked, her tone sharp but her expression showing some concern.

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