Silver Silence

Rainbow Election

The throne room floor flowed like a rainbow river, each colorful cloak blending into the next as the magicians shuffled forward to cast their votes. Siles noted several blue cloaks glancing his way, some taking his presence as a reassurance, others scowling and turning away. Siles knew that when they had opened their eyes that morning, the thought of a crown atop August's wavy locks had seemed much more attractive than it had before. He hoped it had, at least. The mind-controlling magician was more frugal with his abilities than Siles would have liked.

The excitement was infuriating. He wanted to do something, to release his pent-up energy, but he was a shadow. He lurked along the edges of society, like a predator stalking its prey. He couldn't pace the room and chat excitedly with every passerby as August had when Siles had visited him that morning. He had an image to maintain.

He couldn't remember the last time he had been excited about something. The rebellions were depressing, as were the occasional assassinations the late Queen had requested. His trips outside of the royal city were the highlight of his existence, but they didn't inspire the same surge of energy that he felt now. He finally had something to look forward to. Something that might never happen if August didn't make use of his abilities.

Siles made eye contact with August across the room, where he stood chatting with several other Councilmembers. His grin was childishly wide, but it was a step above the shark-like grimace that Samira had flashed whenever bloodlust had flooded her mind. August couldn't have known that Siles was looking at him, not with the colored glass tinting the mask's eyes. Yet the moment Siles looked his way, August waved and began to weave his way through the multicolored crowd.

"Isn't this wonderful? There's fruit vendors and pastries in the courtyard, and one of the event magicians set up a wind current from the bakery district to here. It smelled like cinnamon buns last time I went outside." August looped Siles' arm into his as he spoke, using the connection to pull him through the crowd. "Come on, we've already voted. We don't need to sit in this stuffy place."

Siles didn't respond, though he took his arm back when a purple-robed magician looked at them and smiled. August didn't notice.

The courtyard was just as packed as the throne room, and it felt even more so since the river of robes fell stagnant. The magicians waited in lines to buy from the vendors, or watched the performers as they spun illusions of great battles, or simply stood and talked, plucking drinks from the servants' trays. Nobody left; they would stay until they heard the results of the election.

August raised his nose into the air. "See? Cinnamon buns."

Siles was so overwhelmed by the crowd that he hadn't even noticed the smell. He nodded and smiled, then remembered that the mask covered his mouth. "Yeah. Smells great." A magician shoved past him. Siles' dark and brooding façade didn't incite the reverence he had come to expect in the loud, excited crowds. "Can we go somewhere else?" They would hear the announcement from any part of the castle, anyway.

August's smile fell as he looked away from the vendors. The busy crowd clearly brought him joy. He probably delighted in the fact that nobody cared who he was, what he was capable of. Siles glared as another magician shoved him to squeeze through the crowd. August shrugged. "Sure. Okay. Where?"

Where. Siles considered his options. The library was always empty, but he had only ever spent an extended period of time there as the book binder. The librarian wouldn't recognize his voice. He hoped. She wasn't there half of the time, anyway.

They avoided the masses by following the servants' halls. Siles stared straight ahead as he walked, but he saw blurred faces watching them in the corner of his eye. August wasn't king yet, and Siles was off duty. They could take whichever halls they wanted. Siles usually took the servants' passageways when he went to the library, anyway. He just didn't usually wear a mask when he did.