Is the following an effective introduction of an antagonist? THis is from a novel I am working on.
Quote:
Eventually, he finally found a pay phone. Putting some of the cheap coins from United States into it, he realized that he did not know Aed’s phone number. He stored it in his now stolen iphone.
“This is just great.” He said, hanging up the phone. Technology, while a great magic, made one useless at times.
Back in Nadi’um, the new Queen, Genofa, with her long brown hair pinned up inside her crown of Gold with inserted rubies and jade, met with her various ministers at a conference room in the Grand Palace. They sat around a long elliptical table, wearing formal work wear of long pantaloons, and blouses, except for the new Minister of Defense, who worn the semiformal Dark Blue Uniform of the Nadi’um army, that indicated her rank of General with silver three dots on each of her shoulders. She had been Genofa’s second in command for a few years, and her classmate at the Royal Nadi’um War College.
“Ministers.” Genofa addressed her advisors from one end of the table, as a discreet servant served glasses of sweet mead, from a square tray, to each of them “I have been thinking of a few reforms that are needed in Nadi’um.”
Genofa, had usurped the throne by arranging a fatal riding accident for Queen Brita, and poisoning Adara. War, being a prisoner of War, and years in the military had hardened her. The two sisters, having grown up in different households with two different fathers, were never very close. They did not have much in common. Genofa envied Brita’s position as the heir and then Queen, when their mother died. Over the years, Genofa started disliking how her sister ruled and the reforms she was starting to put in such as limiting women to two husbands, giving more rights to Nadi’ums minority the _____, who traveld and would not settle anywhere,n ot wanting to expand Nadi’um’s territory as their mother did, allowing unmarried men to get into some career fields, allowing the house of Lieges, whose members were appointed by the queen, to have more influence and say, repealing the peacetime draft, and other reforms.
“What kind of reforms, Your Majesty?” Her minister of Trade,____, asked.
“First of all, I would like to reinstate the peacetime draft.”
Genofa referred to decree her grandmother wrote, whereby women between the age of sixteen and twenty one summers, would have to serve three years in the military.
“Your highness, we do not have the budget for a larger military.” The treasury minister said, adding “ Queen Brita repealed or lowered several of the taxes Queen _______ introduced during the last war and started several infrastructural projects.”
“A good sized military is a necessity for Nadi’um, not a luxury.” Queen Genofa turned to the Minister of the Treasury. “By tomorrow, I want a report from you detailing ways to raise revenue. Perhaps, a higher tariff on imported luxury goods would not be remiss. It would encourage people to buy Nadi’um made luxury goods, while giving us more revenue.”
“Your Majesty” The trade minister paused, and then said. “ We have treaties in place with three of our neighbors, agreeing to mutually lower tariffs and easier trade for all signatories, signed by Queen Brita.”
“Well then, we will raise the tariffs on those with whom we do not have a trade agreement.” Genofa said.
After the meeting wtih her ministers, she had a Royal page get her two nephews, _______ and _____. After a while, they finally arrived, at her large office, with its view of the expansive royal gardens and maze, sculpted from the bushes.
“Took you long enough to get here.”
“We just returned from the University.” _________-- said. The two of them shared their father’s hazel eyes and blonde hair.
“My Defense minister is looking for a new husband. I would like the two of you to meet with her.” Genofa said. She had no sons of her own, just three daughters.
“Doesn’t she already have two?” ____________ asked
Thanks to the special magic used by Healers, a woman’s child bearing years could be extended, as well as her looks, and energy.
“I just signed a decree cancelling your mother’s decree regarding the limit of husbands a woman can have.”
Genofa and many other women felt that the late Queen Brita’s law regarding the limit of husbands a woman could have was an invasion of privacy, though she had made an exception for those who had more than three husbands as of the first full moon after the signing of the decree.
The Twins looked at each other. Their mother would have tried to set them up with a woman a bit more subtly than this. For them, like any man in Nadi’um, preference was given to being the first husband, as the first husband had practical authority over the other husbands, and a few more rights. The twins figured that as Princes, ending up as a woman’s first husband would be a sure thing. Arranged marriages were common among the nobility of Nadi’um.
“We are honored, highness, that you would think us worthy to be potential husbands for the honorable Minister of Defense.” _________--- said. “However, We feel that we are not quite ready for the responsibilities of marriage.”
“By the time my first husband was your age, he had two brother-husbands, and four children in his charge.” Genofa told them. “I will arrange a dinner between both of you and the Minister of Defense.”
In San Francisco, an idea occurred to Simeon
27 Mar 2013, 5:13 pm
