The Wings of Ashtaroth

Chapter 8: Kings: Section II:Iridescia

Iridescia: Hadrianus's Council Chambers: The Palace: Ipsis: Indas

Iridescia kept her head bowed the way she'd been taught, her eyes lowered, her pose humble.

She peeked up at a grunt from Hadrianus, watching her hosts carefully, trying to guess why they'd summoned her here. Was it the explanation of her dreams that she still owed Star, or did Hadrianus have proof that Iridescia had helped Tobi's family? Star had told her to bring him. Tobi stood beside her now, staring at the floor, just as quiet as he'd been since his parents had been killed.

Her throat dried at the thought, feeling as tight as the audience chamber was small.

The tiny room was stuffy and windowless, its one aperture filled with bricks, as though the very air outside might spy on Hadrianus's meetings.

The governor was sitting at a beautiful acacia-wood table, his hands folded in front of him, chin resting on his thick fists. There was something of Liberio in his bearing, and in his impish smile, both so disturbing to look upon.

Star sat tall and proud beside him, her already long neck stretched to its regal limit as she stared Iridescia down past her equally long nose. Deghashi was there too, though he was seated in a much plainer chair in the corner of the room, nodding his head back and forth to the rhythm of some imagined song.

Whatever the tune was, Iridescia hoped it was beautiful.

She swallowed, shutting her eyes. She didn't like to look at Deghashi, who made her uncomfortable and sad. It was said all Qorelibas's descendants had been born so afflicted. Deghashi was the only one to have survived.

Hadrianus had the boy dressed up and trotted out in the finest clothes, but no one ever sat with him or held him, and he always smelled in a way that suggested he wasn't being bathed often enough.

"Rest easy, child." Star twisted her narrow lips. "You're in no trouble. Our noble Hadrianus merely wished to speak with you."

"Why?" Iridescia signed.

"She asked why," Star translated for Hadrianus. She brushed her hand against his arm, the way a lover might. It was no secret to anyone that Star would have married Hadrianus, but the governor had saved that pleasure for his son.

Iridescia's gorge rose on Liberio's behalf.

"Am I not allowed to care for my subjects? The children of Indas's past kings still matter to Deghashi, and to his loyal Loran servant." Hadrianus laughed, though there was nothing to have provoked such a reaction. His smile widened beneath his beard, his eyes dancing with amusement.

In the corner, Deghashi banged his fists against the edge of his chair in concert with the laughter. Star glared at the boy, but he didn't pay her any mind.

"You spend a lot of time with my intended," Star spoke aloud. "I wonder, is there something to be concerned about?" Then, with her hands, she asked something different: "Have you dreamed lately?"

Hadrianus cocked his head at Iridescia. "I thought she could hear?"

Star smiled but didn't face him. "There's no harm in being kind. My Iridescia prefers her signs."

Beside Iridescia, Tobi shifted from side to side. She wanted to take his hand, but she needed to respond to Star—or to Hadrianus.

Which question should she answer? She glanced at the governor, but there was no help to be found on his face. Star must be using the signs to keep her questions from him. She didn't want him to know about Iridescia's dreams.

Iridescia shook her head. "No, we just play together. We don't really get along." She waited for Star or Hadrianus to say something, but when neither of them did she continued. "I think he's lonely." Then, to Star alone: "Only ordinary dreams."