My feet step slowly up the spiraling stone steps to my chambers. Today had not gone well. The Vorn defeated our forces at Furun River Crossing. On top of that, our neighboring country rejected my plea for aid. My people are dying. I am running out of options.
Two guards open the brass doors to my private chamber. Before I enter, I command, "Lock the doors. No one is to enter this room. Not even you. No matter what you hear. I mean it." Sir Dasper on the right opened his mouth to protest, then closed it again when his eyes met my stern gaze. Beautiful Dasper. Poor Dasper. He loves me in devoted silence, a love I cannot return.
The doors close and I step into the Queens Quarters as I have done hundreds of times before. Candles light the room. A deep blue carpet set with stars of the night sky leads to my intricately carved bed. The cherrywood bedframe is an art piece depicting curvaceous mermaids swirling with the wooden waves. Three majestic ships cut through the still ocean spray. It is a magnificent piece. Even more magnificent is the mountain of soft white bedding made of ivory silk sheets, blankets of cream-colored rabbit fur, and pearly pillows of down. How I wish to bury myself in that bed and sleep forever. I think to myself. But not yet.
I change into my new sheer black robe embroidered with gold thread and crystal and eye myself in the mirror. My body looks gorgeous in black. I am as curvaceous as those mermaids carved into the headboard - with large breasts and a tiny waist. I toss my wavy dark hair so it frames my face. Then I turn around and watch how the lacy train cascades over my round butt and legs. I lift my arms up and smile as the crystals on the bell sleeves twinkle and jingle. I look like a goddess. I have to if this plan is going to work. Now, enough of this pomp. Let's get on with it. I grab a wooden box from my safe.
Standing on the balcony, I look out at the storm hanging in the distant mountains and whisper, I hope this works. I reverently open the box, and take out the leviathan tooth the sorcerer gifted to me on the day of my coronation. The tooth is as big as a dagger, heavy too. I kneel down. The summer night breeze blows through my robe, hardening my nipples, and I scratch a circle on the floor with the tooth. I then recite the words the sorcerer had entrusted to me in case of emergency, "God of Storms, you have been called." I stand up and gaze out again at the stormy mountains.
Immediately, thunder growls, clouds shake, lightning sparks, and the tempest changes course and rumbles in my direction. The power of the storm paralyzes my body with fear. My knees lock up. My chest heaves as my heart races. The wind picks up and blows my hair about, my robe clings to my skin as gusts try to rip it off.
I force myself to come to my senses. I am the Queen of Walai. I fear nothing. I hold my robe together and back into my chamber, my eyes never straying from the balcony.
Clouds encircle my tower and a giant single bolt of lightning pierces the balcony with heart-stopping crack and blinding light. I cover my eyes. The thundering stops. A downpour begins. I open my eyes and see him in the circle on the balcony.
A man stands bare chested in the pouring rain. His shoulder-length black hair drips wet, the droplets dance over his golden eyes and chiseled cheekbones. He wears a small amulet about his neck, a pair of black pants, and an amused boyish smirk. This was Anzel, God of Storms.
"You summoned me." He says, eyeing me up and down.
"I did. So the stories are true. The God of Storms will come to aid by the call of the Leviathan's Tooth." I say. I do not say that he is more beautiful in person than in any story or depiction I've ever seen of him. I do not tell him that his brown skin glows with radiance. I do not tell him that he has the abdominals of a swimmer and the arms of an archer. His eyes burned gold before, but now they glimmer green. Instead I remark about his eyes.
"Your eyes..." I start.
Anzel laughs. "Yes they change. Hurricanes are green. Tornadoes are yellow. Snowstorms are grey. Typhoons are purple... well you get the idea." He walks towards me with a slow, dangerous swagger. "But lovely Phawnya, Queen of Walai did not summon me here to marvel at my eyes."
"You know who I am?" I ask, heart beating faster as he nears.
"Of course. I've been watching you ever since you were crowned. I've been, dare I say, admiring you for years. Beauty and cunning like yours only comes once every century or so. I've been hoping one day you'd call for me."
