Irah of the Seven Dominions

Chapter 1: The Queen

"Your Majesty?"

As soon as Irah heard those words, she felt herself stifle a groan. It had only been an hour since she'd found herself free from the day's various meetings and public engagements and had just settled into an armchair, near the fireplace, in the Royal television lounge when she had heard the timid voice of her Chief Secretary.

"Yes, Reeves.", Irah replied with a sigh as she set down the book she'd been reading and looked up to talk to the tall yet thin 40-year old man who nervously adjusted the rim of his orange-colored glasses and continued to speak in a subdued tone. "Forgive me, Majesty, for intruding upon your leisure time but I've just received a message from the kingdoms of the Eastern Dominion, requesting a conference-call audience with you. If Your Majesty is not busy that is."

"Right now?"

"I'm afraid so."

Irah let out another sigh. "Did you inform them that I had only just taken leave of my duties for the day?"

"I did", replied Reeves, "however they insisted that the matter was of an urgent nature. You see the kings themselves have requested this audience. I found that it might offend them if I refused."

"Alright", Irah responded as she stood, "Tell the staff in the communications center to set up the call. I'll be there shortly."

"As you wish", Reeves bowed. He then re-adjusted his glasses and left.

Irah stood there for a minute looking around the empty room. The silence broken only by the crackle of the fireplace behind her, threatening to suffocate her, to make her remember the laughter that had once echoed in that very room. To make her remember, what was meant to be forgotten. Taking a deep breath to calm herself, Irah moved towards the wide window that lined the center of the back wall of the room. Per her wish, the lilac-colored, velvet curtains were always tied back, revealing the vastness of the brightly lit palace grounds.

Irah looked at the dark-blue evening sky as she unlocked the latch of the window and pulled it open, letting the fresh evening breeze blow through her face and disturb a few loose tendrils of her hair.

She looked out the window towards the horizon, where rising forest-lined hills obscured all else from view. "Everything along this horizon and much further beyond is my responsibility. My dominions.", she thought grimly. And it was true. A total of seven kingdoms fell under her rule. The Kingdom of Aquilo, otherwise known as the Northern Dominion, was situated towards the forest-filled north, whereas The Kingdom of Austellus or the Southern Dominion, lay near the deserts to the South. The Kingdoms of Esta and Orientem were both located in the mountainous Eastern Dominion, with the coastal Western Dominion consisting of the Kingdoms of Occidentum and Vesper. Primoris, or the Central dominion as it was mostly known, was located in the area between these kingdoms and was the dominion which Irah called home. The other kingdoms were ruled by their own kings and royal families, yet they all came under the rule of the Central dominion as well. No matter the decisions or wishes of their kings, if the ruler of the central dominion had decided something, that is what would happen. The kings of the other kingdoms were thus subservient to the leader of the central dominion, who at the current moment was Irah herself.

Irah closed her eyes as she felt the cool evening breeze blow across her face, willing herself to forget for a moment the responsibilities and the consequences, that came with wearing the crown. When she opened her eyes, she knew it was time to go. King Malik of the Kingdom of Esta and King Lee of the Kingdom of Orientem would be waiting for her to come and address whatever concerns they found so urgent to convey to her at 7:30 in the evening.

As she headed towards the door, she grabbed her imperial robe from the armchair where she had abandoned it and her crown from the coffee table next to it. As she adjusted the crown on her head and the robe on her shoulders, she reminded herself that she was in no hurry. After all, as the Queen of the Seven Dominions, she was the highest royal rank. King Malik and King Lee, like the Kings of the other dominions were under her command. Therefore, no matter how late she was, they simply couldn't complain.