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Regardless, they are going to be upset no matter who you choose, so there is no reason to make a real choice seem like a second after Tiefes Loch denies you. If they refused you it would also make the dwarves who come from Tiefes Loch to help recolonize Shinestone even more of an issue.”
    She looked at him for a few long moments before nodding at him approvingly. “You really do reason out the big picture quickly. My line of thinking was the same, but I hadn’t thought about it in near as much detail. I really did make a good decision —you will be a valuable advisor. Well, I will go start trying to figure out who will be our best choice. Would you mind meeting with me later this evening and going over some possibilities?”
    “That is my job now,” was his only response.
     
    The next night Frau sat at a table on a platform in the largest hall in Evermount. The room was filled with dwarves from every kingdom. The table held each of the three kings with two advisors. To the left of King Grizzle was his wife. His two advisors sat to his right.
    Frau sat to the right of the king of Evermount. On her right at the end of the table sat Grundel. On her left sat Fuhrung.
    When Frau had sought Kraft’s advice on choosing a second councilor from Haufen, Kraft had recommended three dwarves. The first was one of his own advisors, but Grundel had dismissed him as an option instantly, telling Frau that he had been the recommendation of Haufen for king of Shinestone and had been very emotionally driven through the whole affair. Frau had to agree with Grundel’s assessment that someone who couldn’t let go of his own desires and would openly pout in that way was not someone she wanted as her advisor. Grundel didn’t really know the other two, and she had talked with them both before deciding on Fuhrung. He was level-headed and, when asked about the other two choices, he had honestly conveyed his assessments without putting either of them down. She appreciated his  very tactful answers. Fuhrung was nearly two hundred years old, which would also help give them some perspective, since Frau herself was not even fifty years old, and Grundel was less then twenty—though he looked older than that. His age was actually hard to judge because of his mixed heritage, and he bore himself with a maturity that would lead to others to believe he was much older than he was. All in all, Frau was happy with her two advisors. Now came the ceremony.
    When the hall was full and ale had been passed around , Grizzle Stoneheart stood. The other two kings followed suit. Grizzle walked around the table and stood at the front of the platform. Kraft and Bergmann stood a step behind, on either side of him. When the dwarves in the hall were quiet Grizzle shouted so that they all could hear.
    “Dwarves of Evermount, Haufen, Teifes Loch, and Shinestone ! Tonight we will crown the first queen of a kingdom in nearly a millennium. The nomination was accepted and announced a day ago. Due to the timely response required so that we may begin planning to retake Shinestone, the council of kings has agreed that if no protest has yet been made, then we will not receive one. Now the council will raise Frau Gemcutter to the seat of her grandfather, Gefallen Gemcutter, the last king of Shinestone.”
    As the room erupted into cheers , Frau, Grundel, and Fuhrung rose and made their way to the front of the platform. Frau stood next to Grizzle, Grundel stood beside Bergmann, and Fuhrung stood next to Kraft. Another dwarf brought the crown forward. Frau had gone to the smith after talking with Kraft to have her head measured to make sure the thing would fit. This was the first time anyone had seen it, though. It had been made in a week. It was a platinum circlet, and around its bottom edge were set hundreds of tiny gems—white diamonds, red rubies, blue sapphires, purple amethysts, light green peridots, dark green emeralds, orange citrines, yellow topazes, and pink