The Sapphire Pass: All-Father

Hostile Territory

James squeezed Ophelia's hand reassuringly as they walked toward the pavilion.

"Ophelia!" Iago said jumping up and jogging over to them.

James pulled her back behind him protectively and leaned his head to the side.

"You're Iago?" he questioned.

"That's right!" Iago said with a big smile, offering his hand. "You must be James."

James grabbed his hand firmly, and quickly tried to pull it back, but Iago hung on with surprising strength.

"You have nothing to fear from us," he said sternly looking James in the eye. "Come."

Iago led them over to the table talking excitedly. Happy that there would finally be peace, even if it turned out to be an uneasy one.

"Indira, Orion." James said, one side of his mouth lifting up in a sneer.

Indira crossed her arms and huffed while Orion rolled his eyes.

"Missed me enough to remember my name, huh?" she scoffed. "Well you lost your chance."

"Indira..." Iago said with a pleading sigh, "Let's be civil. These are peace talks not quick dates."

"Whatever," she said, sitting at the far end of the table where Orion had taken a seat.

"James, before we get started I'd like to have a private word with you, if that's alright?" Iago said, when Ophelia finally sat down.

James nodded his consent and the two of them started to walk off a fair distance, well out of earshot before they started to speak.

Ophelia turned to Orion and Indira, nodding at them lightly but the two of them just stood up and turned their back to her before she could speak.

"Orion," she said getting up and moving toward them, fishing the small folded paper from her pocket and holding it out toward him. "I have..."

Indira stepped in the way and slapped it out of her hand, before she could give it to him.

"He has nothing to discuss with you," Indira said, lifting her head, and placing her foot on top of the note.

"But..." Ophelia tried to protest.

"But nothing, Ophelia," Orion said turning around and looking at her. "You were before, now and always will be a naive idiot."

"I just wanted..."

"I will never be your friend."

"That's not what I..."

"Stop trying."

"But that's-"

"Why don't you go sit back down and wait like a good girl for your dictator." he said walking away.

Indira smiled at her, picking up the note and sticking it in her pocket. Ophelia stood there with her mouth agape for a minute before she walked back and sat on the stone table top with a sigh. At least she tried.

She looked off in the distance at James and Iago talking calmly, each one nodding at different intervals. It all seemed very amiable, and she wondered what they were talking about.

-

"Does she know?" James asked when they were finally out of earshot.

"Know what?" Iago said raising an eyebrow at him.

"That you're her brother," James said stiffly.

"Oh, that. Not unless you told her no," he answered, "I tried, but even though I thought about it a hundred times over, when I had the chance, I couldn't."