My welcome committee in Sightless consisted of Zeus, Athena and this beaded guy in an office suit. I was relieved. Over the fuss that I saw on television, I was expecting worse than this. Salzar gracefully landed in an open ground in the middle of the palace spraying sand everywhere. It was some sort of a garden with an olive tree in the center.

Andrew dropped down while I had to crawl down.

'You need to practice to shift,' said the office guy. HE was maybe forty with brown hair, a formally cut beard. I think he was British. I just stared at him. Anyway, what is a person like him doing in a place like this? He didn't fit here.

'He's Mr. Hill,' said Andrew. 'A Seer of the Council.'

'Oh,' I said.

Mr. Hill gave out his hand, 'It's a pleasure to meet you.'

I slowly took his hand and shook.

But then, Mr. Hill became serious. 'You are too young. How old are you? Eighteen?'

'Sixteen.'

He gave a face which looked like someone stabbed in his chest. 'She's too young to bear the title of a Queen!'

'We know,' said Zeus. 'But, Tutankhamen did it...'

'Didn't he die when he was eighteen?' I said.

Zeus glared at me.

Mr. Hill sighed. He turned to me. 'Tell me, do you really want to be Queen?'

I shook my head.

I head thunder roll from behind Mr. Hill.

I glanced at Andrew. 'He will do a better job than me.'

Andrew grunted, turned on his heal and left.

'Okay.... When he grows up I guess,' I mumbled.

'I can only influence the Council to let her become the Heir to the throne. She will be Queen when she comes of age.'

'Do you believe the Council will wait so long?' said Athena. 'Sixteen is a mature age.'

'Sixteen is the bratty age,' I said.

Mr. Hill, Zeus and Athena stared at me.

'R-right?'

'Nevertheless,' said Mr. Hill. 'She is inexperienced. Andrew lived here. She just jot to know about this world about a month ago. She will have to prove herself to be worthy to be Queen for the council to approve and name her.'

'That can be arranged,' said Zeus. 'But Sightless needs a ruler, and quick.'

'Why?' I asked. 'It was fine for three thousand years without one...'

Mr. Hill shook his head. 'Times change... You are right Zeus, Sightless needs a ruler; an Enchanter. But this girl_'

'It cannot be ignored that she is inexperienced,' said Athena.

'She will learn,' said Zeus.

'Look.... You people are not really really serious about making me Queen, are you?'

No one listened.

I felt like a pawn in a big game of chess.

'The council will approve of her,' said Zeus. 'It's just a matter of time.'

I had a very bad feeling about this. And I didn't have much options, either get trapped in some fairy land political scheme or to get basted off by lightning.

The three adults started discussing under the olive tree. Mr. Hill was first to leave. He nodded at me before he left the garden. Then I had to stand there watching Zeus and Athena go on about some strange war strategy.

Finally, a lady, or I think a girl at maybe nineteen came over to me. She was too pretty, more like a character from an Anime series. Her hair was long a silky as if she had combed it a thousand times and she walked as if she were stepping on water almost ballerina like but more light and tiptoed and the drapery of her pale green dress floated behind her in graceful waves.

She smiled, 'this way my lady.'

I felt very ashamed standing in front of her. I glanced at the Lord of the Sky and the Goddess of Wisdom.

'It will take long time for them to finish,' said the girl.

Even her voice was musical and soft. Following her was way better than standing and watching those two.

'Are you a Seer,' I asked as we entered the Palace corridor.

'I'm a Dryad,' she said.

'Oh,' I mumbled. 'Tree nymph?'

She nodded.

I really could not figure out to what culture the palace belonged to. At some places it was all pillars; once in a while I saw heads of beasts and axes on the walls. In some corridors, there was medieval armory. Besides that there were also statues, arched corridors, domes halls, gloomy solid chambers made of stone, medieval towers, small buildings with the curled roofs like those seen in Japan open courtyards with fountains and large trees and so on. I saw a few knights fencing in a courtyard, a large bulky and short man with a bushy red beard and hard armory holding a battle axe, some Egyptians, some red Indians (don't even ask), unicorns guarding doorways, businessmen, a guy in a kimono with cat ears and a fluffy tail and or course, the occasional fairy.

The Dryad just kept on going.

'Doesn't anyone get lost in here?'

'Oh yes,' said the dryad. 'There is also a shifting labyrinth in one part. I got lost once. I stayed there for twenty years.'

I think I didn't hear right. We were then climbing a stairway where a man wearing an odd head dress passed bu. It then occurred to me that it wasn't a head dress but the hood a cobra, which was somewhere attached to the guy's head. There were green scales all over his neck and arms and his eyes were yellow. I think I even aw a forked tongue and fangs when he smiled.

It took it my whole will not to scream. But the Cobra-man was smiling at the dryad. She ignores him and walked upstairs. My blood drained face was enough for her to give an explanation.

'He's from the Naga trib,' she said.

'Huh?'

'Form Indian folklore...'

Along the way I even saw a talking bear.

'What are all of them doing here?'

'For court work, administration, requests from the Council....' listed the Dryad. 'A lot come here every day.'

She then led me another story up. This time, I didn't see much fairy tale creatures. It started with a modern day corridor but wit elegantly carved doors. The Dryad opened the door with a bronze label with the number three tattooed on it.

'This will be your room,' said the dryad. 'Ring the bell if you need anything.'

And she left, leaving me in a five star luxury hotel room. I spent a whole time gaping at it. It was huge! Maybe this whole Queen and Enchantress thing does have its perks. It had a big comfy bed, one side of the room opened up to a balcony. There were no windows, just pink curtains and pillars and the rest opened to the outside worlds. At one side there was a TV and a table in front of it. There was a large wardrobe, a dressing table and a screen to change behind. Even as I stood there, a strong breeze blew inside, sending the curtains flying. I walked up to the balcony and I saw the view of all of Sightless and the silver snake of the Nile glittered under the evening sun. The sky was orange and dragons were squirming as if they were playing tag. I wonder if Andrew was with then.

I looked back at my room. I thing was floor was tiled with marble. I opened the wardrobe and to my relief there were denims and shorts of my size. But I wonder where they go them. On the table was a trey covered by a lid. I opened it and a fresh scent of tacos filled the room.

It was enough to make my hungry.

After having some sort of a dinner I flopped on to my bed. Maybe me stay won't be that bad after all. I tried to forget about the whole Queen thing. But the view outside the balcony gave me a fright. Sightless was that big. I didn't know when, but I fell asleep onto to dream about behind chased my cobra-headed warriors.