A knock at the door startled her, and she spun around to see a woman in an elegant, flowing gown. Burgundy in color, with a triangular neckline punctuated by a thin layer of white fur, the gown was cinched at the waist by a thin, bejeweled belt. Another dark red jewel hung from a narrow, golden chain around her neck, and the size of it took Vaxi's breath away. Even if she had not already matched the woman's face to the one on the portrait she'd just been admiring, she still would have known this woman's identity.
“Queen Belena … Your Highness,” Vaxi offered, springing to her feet and bowing her head as the woman swept into the antechamber. She searched her mind for something else to say, but her tongue seemed to have vanished from her mouth.
“So,” the Queen said in a deep, rich voice tha
