Chapter 342 - The Matrix

In the night, Isidorus waited for the perpetrator. Even though Isidorus had asked Adrianna not to come, she managed to get into his palace undetected under the cloak of invisibility. She lurks around his bedroom and waits outside during the time he had said that the creature appeared. Adrianna was shocked to notice that Isidorus slept on the floor and not on his plush bed. 

They kept waiting for the creature to appear but their waiting was futile. It didn't appear. Isidorus was very confused and sleepy by the time it was dawn. He dozed off and Adrianna too returned to her palace and slept beside Dmitri. When she woke up, it was late in the morning and she noticed that Dmitri had left for the werewolf realm. She also got ready for the noble court. 

When she reached there, she noticed that Ziu was already there along with other ministry members. She went to sit on the throne and the crown came and sat on her head. "How are you Adrianna?" he asked.

"I am fine," she communicated mentally as her vision changed. 

"Why have you got Ziu on board? I don't trust him," asked the crown. 

"It was necessary. He is a capable man who is very brilliant. There are only five like him in the Wizard Kingdom and they include Zephyr and me. If Zephyr had been a little patient, he would have taken the Prime Minister's position," replied Adrianna. 

"Did you enter his cell?" asked the crown.

"No… but I can read his mind. I don't want to enter cells of people all the time. Plus I am sure Ziu would come to know if I enter his cell."

Then Adrianna looked at the wizards and witches present in the court and announced, "Professor Ziu will be taking over as the Prime Minister of the Wizard Kingdom."

There were murmurs amongst the ministers. She could hear them very clearly. "Is there a problem?" she asked them.

None of dared to refute her. The court felt silent. Her cabinet of ministers was now complete. She turned towards Ziu and said, "Please move into the palace that is assigned to the Prime Minister."

Ziu bowed the queen. Isidorus went to him and made him wear a ring. 

"What is this ring for?" asked Ziu feeling as though he was getting bind by some invisible force. 

Isidorus showed his ring to him, which was similar and said, "All ministry members have to wear it. It keeps them bound to the throne. Do not think of removing this ring from your hand."

Ziu looked at Adrianna with surprise and found her looking at him as if he couldn't question that. He became quiet. He could feel the heaviness of responsibility in his heart. What was this magic? Why was he feeling as though he was responsible for taking only the right decisions? He felt extremely loyal to the throne and the crown and he even felt that he could kill people if they spoke against the ruler or the throne. 

Adrianna looked back at her ministers in the court and then without them even knowing about it, a spell was cast upon them that tracked their movement from now on. 

Isidorus informed her that she had to visit the ministry now. The court was over and all the members left one by one. Adrianna went out with Isidorus and Ziu. They headed for the ministry. It was a short twenty minutes ride to the ministry. Adrianna noticed that the building was located atop a small hillock that was surrounded by water on all sides. The people arrived there on carriages or horses with wings. There was a large area where the carriages stopped. Once the owners alighted, the carriages went back. This way not even a single vehicle could be seen there. She walked towards the main entrance of the building and noticed how majestic the building looked. There was an earth shaped orb right in front of the building that was rotating on its axis. There was water falling on it from all sides. The water was falling in a way that the orb turned according to the time on earth. As the water fell, she could see that the orb became greener and blue. It was as if that it was this water that was supplying life to the earth. She could see tiny butterflies of various colors flying all around it. She smiled and walked. There were neatly manicured gardens all around the building. The Ministry building was like an old country mansion that had been extended over the centuries.

"In case the ministry is attacked, these gardens invert and javelins are revealed. The javelins start launching one by one as they detect the enemy," said Isidorus when he saw her looking at the garden. Adrianna was shocked. She couldn't imagine sharp missile-like javelins beneath the place she was walking on. 

When she reached the entrance, she found that it looked like a matrix. Every person who passed through the matrix had to be examined by it. The matrix read their DNA and it was instantly and stored in ministry data. 

When Adrianna entered, she was intrigued by it. She touched the giant matrix in front of her that was nothing but a collection of numbers, letters and various signs running from top to bottom. There were occasional electric currents buzzing inside it. 

"You have to go through this to enter the building," said Isidorus when he found her looking at it. 

Adrianna heard him with wonder and then looked at matrix from top to bottom. Then slowly she put her hand inside. As soon as she had put her hand inside, the matrix rapidly started coiling around it. She retracted her hand and the matrix also retracted. 

"Just calmly let it read you Adrianna…" assured Isidorus.

Adrianna, once again inserted her hand inside. It started coiling around her at a rapid speed and within a few seconds her entire body was covered in the matrix.