Chapter 33: Akton
He only caught a glimpse of the queen before he and Talfryn were kneeling and bowing, but Akton was impressed. She looked good for being centuries old—he’d seen a white, wrinkled woman sitting on a cushioned chair in elegant lightweight clothes, head held high. Her eyes were piercing blue and her hair, long and white, perfectly combed. She was ancient and proud. Akton felt lousy.
“I would have better prepared them for you, Ylenia,” said Shanna, crossing to the throne, “But we came directly from interrogation, as you requested.”
“No matter,” said Ylenia. “I will not die from seeing a little traveler’s road dust. I wish to see if this will explain my troubled sleep. You two, look at me.”
After taking long seconds to determine the queen was indeed speaking to them, Akton
