Chapter One
Anika lounged on the edge of her elaborate water fountain, picking idly at the flowers from the cherry tree above her. She looked across the courtyard and sighed, then drew herself up gracefully and glided across the white marble dotted with flowers and bushes, her sheer silk skirts swishing quietly.
Placing her milky hand on a golden sphere, she sighed softly and before tapping it once with a long silvery nail, producing one low ring that resonated all around her. Immediately, seemingly out of nowhere, a man sashayed toward her, seeming to slither along the floor.
His dark coppery skin gleamed in the sunlight and his black eyes looked meekly at the ground. He flowed smoothly to one knee and bowed his head, spreading his arms wide as custom demanded.
"How may I serve you, great mistress?" he asked humbly.
"Janen," she said majestically, stroking the globe, "fetch me the orb, will you? The right one, this time. You know I do not tolerate failure."
Janen flinched slightly before responding, "It shall be as you command, great mistress."
Anika clapped her hands brusquely and Janen stood smoothly and bowed submissively. Anika looked at his back as he strode out of the room. Quite a nice catch, she mused to herself, but needs another lesson in obedience; he was much too proud for his own sake.
She dismissed him from her mind with a slight wave of her hand and set on the task she must accomplish as soon as possible. What was she going to do with her newly aquired power? Well, she didn't have it yet, she admitted reluctantly, but she could consider it so.
She looked over to the plate of grapes and popped one in her mouth. The world at her feet. Now that was something to look forward to. She could be powerful beyond imagination! Every one of them would bow to her and grovel for her mercy, hoping to be favored.
Anika licked her lips in anticipation then almost immediately after tapped her nails on the tabletop impatiently; what was Janen doing? It could not take that long to fetch such a small object. As if summoned by the thought, Janen virtually waltzed into the room. Yes, he definitely needed a lesson in respect.
Anika rose smoothly and looked expectantly at Janen, the impatience on her face on the brink of showing through while he stepped quickly toward her holding a bubble-shaped object covered in a pale yellow cloth. Anika found it hard not to salivate.
Janen lowered the thing on the floor reverently, then stepped back and bowed his head. Anika could not stop a scowl on her face. The idiot didn't even have the sense to hand it to her? He needed to be taught a lesson.
"Thank you, Janen. You may tell the master of servants to give you a whipping. Fifty lashes should do nicely. You may go now; I need no more from you."
The fool actually had the nerve to scowl! At her! It was an effort to keep from kicking him right then and there. After he had left resignedly, she turned to the orb, rubbing her hands in anticipation.
Snatching the cloth off, she filled her eyes with the truly wonderful sight. The golden, shining sphere lying on a pillow of silver had thousands and thousands of swirls of color inside, each representing an individual person in the world.
Now all she needed was someone to work it.
*Disclaimer: See end of prologue.
Anika lounged on the edge of her elaborate water fountain, picking idly at the flowers from the cherry tree above her. She looked across the courtyard and sighed, then drew herself up gracefully and glided across the white marble dotted with flowers and bushes, her sheer silk skirts swishing quietly.
Placing her milky hand on a golden sphere, she sighed softly and before tapping it once with a long silvery nail, producing one low ring that resonated all around her. Immediately, seemingly out of nowhere, a man sashayed toward her, seeming to slither along the floor.
His dark coppery skin gleamed in the sunlight and his black eyes looked meekly at the ground. He flowed smoothly to one knee and bowed his head, spreading his arms wide as custom demanded.
"How may I serve you, great mistress?" he asked humbly.
"Janen," she said majestically, stroking the globe, "fetch me the orb, will you? The right one, this time. You know I do not tolerate failure."
Janen flinched slightly before responding, "It shall be as you command, great mistress."
Anika clapped her hands brusquely and Janen stood smoothly and bowed submissively. Anika looked at his back as he strode out of the room. Quite a nice catch, she mused to herself, but needs another lesson in obedience; he was much too proud for his own sake.
She dismissed him from her mind with a slight wave of her hand and set on the task she must accomplish as soon as possible. What was she going to do with her newly aquired power? Well, she didn't have it yet, she admitted reluctantly, but she could consider it so.
She looked over to the plate of grapes and popped one in her mouth. The world at her feet. Now that was something to look forward to. She could be powerful beyond imagination! Every one of them would bow to her and grovel for her mercy, hoping to be favored.
Anika licked her lips in anticipation then almost immediately after tapped her nails on the tabletop impatiently; what was Janen doing? It could not take that long to fetch such a small object. As if summoned by the thought, Janen virtually waltzed into the room. Yes, he definitely needed a lesson in respect.
Anika rose smoothly and looked expectantly at Janen, the impatience on her face on the brink of showing through while he stepped quickly toward her holding a bubble-shaped object covered in a pale yellow cloth. Anika found it hard not to salivate.
Janen lowered the thing on the floor reverently, then stepped back and bowed his head. Anika could not stop a scowl on her face. The idiot didn't even have the sense to hand it to her? He needed to be taught a lesson.
"Thank you, Janen. You may tell the master of servants to give you a whipping. Fifty lashes should do nicely. You may go now; I need no more from you."
The fool actually had the nerve to scowl! At her! It was an effort to keep from kicking him right then and there. After he had left resignedly, she turned to the orb, rubbing her hands in anticipation.
Snatching the cloth off, she filled her eyes with the truly wonderful sight. The golden, shining sphere lying on a pillow of silver had thousands and thousands of swirls of color inside, each representing an individual person in the world.
Now all she needed was someone to work it.
*Disclaimer: See end of prologue.