Lost Identity: Eloria Series Book 1 | ✓

19: The Governor's Mansion

7/6/3028

A brawny guard opened the carriage door, standing to one side to allow Stanjah to step out first, followed by Keiran. Keiran lent his hand to help me down the steps of the carriage. The long gown made it far more difficult than I'd anticipated.

A gentle breeze blew the scent of sweet flowers from a garden a short distance away. There was a high wall built around the perimeter of the garden and mansion, keeping the hustle and bustle of the city at bay.

Ahead of us stood a stately mansion with marble stairs leading up to enormous silver-trimmed doors. Two towers flanked the building on either end of the mansion, each with an open balcony jutting out from the edge. I was sure that if I looked out from there, I'd be able to see the entirety of Ien stretching out beyond the horizon. But my first pit stop would be to see Martin and Elossai.

Standing in the courtyard between us and the mansion were several guards, standing in formation and dressed in red and blue imperial uniforms. One man, dressed differently to the others, stood out.

This older gentleman was shorter and rounder than the others and, unlike the clean-shaven soldiers, he had a full, auburn beard mixed with generous helpings of gray.

"Anmus, Sorceress, how pleasant to see you two again." The bearded man greeted Keiran and Stanjah with enthusiasm before turning to me. I fidgeted with my veil. "Is this our Anmyn?" he asked in a hushed voice.

"Yes, this is she," Keiran said. "Sye-Liene, let me introduce you to Tor-Kenner, Governor of Ien."

Tor-Kenner caught me off guard when he suddenly grabbed hold of my hand in his and bowed. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Anmyn."

"Pleasure to meet you as well, Governor Tor," I said in an all-too-meek voice. I hated it.

"We have important matters to discuss with you, Governor," Stanjah said.

"Come, come now, let's not stand out here in the sun." Tor-Kenner gestured toward the mansion.

We walked on the neatly laid cobbled stone then up the stairs and into the mansion. Before us was a spacious lobby with a vaulted ceiling that was easily two stories high. A balcony on the second floor was held up by hefty brick pillars. Hanging under the balcony was a large tapestry. In the center of the tapestry was a red shield, and on that sat the outline of a regal stag with its single, majestic antler in the middle of it's forehead. The uni-elk.

Martin and Elossai were somewhere in this mansion, but I couldn't ask in the presence of the guards. I'd wait for a private moment behind closed doors.

"Drea." Tor-Kenner waved over a woman dressed in a plain brown dress. "You can set the refreshments in my study." Drea bowed low so that I could see the stag emblem on the top of her brown cap.

"Yes, Governor Tor. Anmians, Sorceress," said Drea, then she backed away several feet with a bowed head before turning to leave. I recalled seeing the maid at Possen Fort leave in the same way. It seemed like such an inconvenient custom to me.

Governor Tor rubbed his hands together and smiled genially at us. "Come now, let us find somewhere more private to discuss matters."

We made our way to a study room filled with overflowing bookcases that reached the ceiling. A sturdy redwood desk was set in front of a full-length window that was partially covered by royal blue curtains, still allowing a good amount of daylight in.

Keiran, Stanjah and I sat down around a stone coffee table that was near the door, away from the sunlight. The coffee table was cluttered with letters and notes which Tor-Kenner shoveled into a pile and set them on the redwood desk.