The Right To Rule

Chapter 8

“It’s about time you tell us about this Vulcan business of yours,” Ofhelia said.

Asandria watched her as she made a point to look at each Minister to make sure they understood her words.

Ofhelia de’Morto was approaching her sixties, a slim woman with long gray and brown hair. She was wearing a bear-shoulder dress with a rippling skirt with blue and dark color. Ofhelia had her influence in agriculture, most of the fruits and corn imported to the city was because of her and she had her lands fifty miles from Betelgeuse which she produce grapes and olives which help of farming artifacts. Nonetheless, she was not the most cunning Minister.

It was a long time coming, the meeting and questions about the Banker; Asandria had thought it will wait after Daylight because she had a thought on the back of her head that a Vulcan will leash out when he was full of Radiation.

Regardless, the meeting was unexpected, it caught almost everyone off guard. Maybe it was the whole purpose of it, to catch them unaware and force them to talk. It was very unlikely, nonetheless, Ofhelia de’Morto had called an emergency gathering for all Ministers currently in the city. Moreover, like all Ministers who didn’t attend the Banker’s meeting they had a strong relation with Watchers just as Ofhelia had. This was either the Watchers’ move or Ministers’; to Asandria it reeked of all Watchers’ plots and manipulations.

The meeting was been held at Council Merchant Court, a small section of the main building on the western wing. They had taken a small tea room finely decorated with exotic silk tapestries of blue and gold with a handmade rug duplicating the Council Merchant Building thrown on the floor. Seven highback chairs were arranged in a circular manner around the table housing different kinds of refreshments. Asandria stood against the far wall next to the door where she had a view of everyone in the room. She often sat on Minister’s meeting however this meeting was made to exclude anyone who didn’t wear a Ring of Fortune.

“Ah, but you had to evoke your Call for that,” Ruben said cheerfully. “You should have drafted us letters, we would have been much obliged to reply. You might even invite us at your manor for wine, some of us had long been hosted by you, Ofhelia.”

Each Minister had a Call which was a once-off emergency call to all Ministers. It was rare to find a Ministers using a Call, it was highly reserved, and most die without using it. Ofhelia’s move was bold. On the other hand, it was the only way she can rally all Ministers to be in the same room unless she had a blacksteel, four would have certainly come at moment’s notice. And since the Call was such short notice, some Ministers who were not in the city were excluded, however, they get a full report about the meeting.

“The city is divided,” Ofhelia said, “Ministers went to secret meetings with Vulcans while some of us remained in the dark. Here we thought we rule Scorpius together.”

“Morto what bothers you most, the fact we were invited by Vulcan Kepnes or attending the meeting of Vulcan Kepnes?” Madese asked.

Asandria tried her best to hide her smile. This meeting won’t be a waste of time at all. There was something coming out of it so far and she won’t have known Madese was witty.

The worst thing about this meeting will be the gap between the two groups of Ministers and Asandria was sure by end of the meeting the gap will be wider than before. It cannot be helped, Asandria reassured herself. It was matters of politics, to Asandria it had a personal touch to it, to best Watchers. She cannot say it aloud but to her, the meeting was all about it.

“I will have to agree with Madese,” Ruben said taking a sip of his wine. “What’s the real reason for your Call?”

“We need to be certain about your relationship with Vulcan Kepnes and his twenty Vulcans won’t put Betelgeuse in any sort of danger?” Itziar Tous asked.

Tous was sitting between Ofhelia and Aram. He looked regal in a dark-blue pressed suit with gold shoulders and platinum chains. He had strong jaws, a face ready to smile and a mouth that knew what to say to ladies. His family had their first business with Watchers three centuries ago and it had made Tous House very wealthy in exports, lands, and textiles.

Bold with the Call, now a bold question and certainly a bold accusation, Asandria thought to herself. It made Asandria rethink all her ideas. She was the oldest in the room, Watchers in the room were at least a century younger than her; she had learned politics before she knew how to thread Moonstone. One thing came to her, as little time as she had spent in the meeting there seemed to be an urgency. A sort of pressure. She didn’t expect it. What she had in mind was Daylight when Vulcans were full of Radiation, where they were most dangerous, and where they could easily be tempted to use their power. She didn’t expect a Call in the tea room.

“This is a waste of time,” Aram said as he stood up. He was impatient that one and he always want to take charge. Aram was never a man of politics; his language was siege and troops.

“We have not had a Call in the last hundred and fifty years Aram,” Ruben said, “I am sure you can at least bear it for few more minutes no matter boring it is.”

“Minister Simon is lively as ever, don’t you think so Lady Asandria?” Suzanne Hyland said leaning against the wall and looked at the Ministers arguing.

Asandria felt the coldness of Celestial almost like it was hers. Suzanne was touching as much Celestial as she can manage. Watchers were often uneasy in the same room with a Vulcan and Madese had grown fond of them he always seek their protection wherever he went. Still, Vulcan was hard to get used to, especially if you can sense them.

“Certainly, he has his charms,” Asandria said, her attention afar from Suzanne.

Suzanne Hyland was Itziar Tous’ adviser, known for having a critical eye on art and compositions of poems; Asandria knew she spent most of her time reading fiction and attending balls and parties in the latest gowns. Her activities didn’t make her look like a Watcher but she was strong in Celestial. She was not harmless, Asandria didn’t believe there was a harmless Watcher. Suzanne understood the Sky Kingdoms, she had a taste for politics, rightly motivated she was dangerous.

Asandria has to admit, the meeting was a waste of time, and thinking Ofheli had used her Call for that. They have nothing concrete, not the faintest idea. There has to be something going on. The Call was as valuable as Rings of Fortune. Asandria understood they might be uneasy with the host of Vulcans which there were not familiar with gracing their city, she was not easy around them too, however, this meeting felt a bit desperate. How? She didn’t imagine Ministers kneeling so easy. Only in two weeks and they were losing their grip on a situation, a discovery situation at that matter.

“Rumor has it you have grown fond of the Sanctuary if one didn’t know would think Lady Asandria had secretly acquired her chain of a Watcher.”

Asandria knew her going to the Sanctuary will rise few questions, soon it will be her friendship with Lourdes. Betelgeuse was not as innocent as it seems; it was hard for a higher-ranked member of the society's goings to be a secret. There were always eyes that sees everything and ears hearing the faintest whispers.

“The library at the Sanctuary has numerous volumes. I can’t simply let some knowledge remain only in the books,” Asandria said looking at Suzanne’s eyes and whispered in a calm voice. “Someone is playing a very dangerous game here.”

“But Lady Asandria, if I am allowed to be blunt, I will say that someone is you. Fire burns.”

Fire burns. Watchers words. There was an answer, vague, but enough for now. The Banker didn’t invite other Ministers to his meeting, he knew their roots were deeply buried in the Watchers’ soil. The rumor might be true then, the Watchers ruled Scorpius through them. The dominance of Watchers of Time was throughout the Sky Kingdoms, it didn’t surprise Asandria to find it at Merchant Council.

But if the Watchers were interfering, Asandria thought to herself, why seemed so desperate? Vulcans have been nothing but ideal tourists.

Time was the Watchers’ best weapon, especially against a Vulcan, and the Banker was dying by degrees. He was burning out. Asandria felt she was missing something and what in five moons world she was missing; she didn’t have time for politics. Vulcans and Watchers’ politics was older than the Origin, she had her plate full right now with a hunt of blacksteel.

Probably there was something the Banker knew, something he thought it was enough to buy the two extra years. However, that one didn’t want to let go of his information. Asandria hoped Ruben had luck in getting something out of it.

“I am only playing a hostess to our city, to a dying man, if I might add,” Asandria said.

“A dangerous, drying man with twenty Vulcans, Lady Asandria,” Suzanne said challenging her.

“How many Vulcans the city of Betelgeuse has, Skylady Suzanne?” Asandria asked formally.

“The city housed hundred and twenty-seven Vulcans. However, none of those Vulcans get close to a yard with each other unless they are at the Sun Temple. They are individuals, not an army with a powerful figure controlling them.”

Asandria looked at Suzanne, held her eyes for the moment without saying anything.

“You made them that way. Thousands of years of oppression had forced them to seek solitude and after so many years you cannot even get close to them without touching enough Celestial to tear your body into bits.”

Suzanne’s eyes widen. She stole a glance at Madese’s Vulcan and Asandria felt her trying to touch more of Celestial. Watchers might dominate the world but put three Vulcans who agree with each other in the same room with them, well, only the Creator knew what might happen.

“This is going nowhere Ministers, and I hate to be the one to admit, but this has been a waste of Call. Minister de’Morto it has been a poor decision for you,” Ruben said shaking his head in disapproval.

Aram had managed to sit down again. Asandria saw in his face he knew the meeting had ended, he was only waiting for someone to suggest it.

“I might propose an agreement,” Oslo cleared his throat, “If you can provide Watchers’ records of the year 1800s, we will gladly tell you what Vulcan Kepnes Rodfold said to us.”

Oslo’s words shocked them. Asandria was beaming within herself. In the end, they were the ones who still had more power, more to offer, and nothing beats a trade. It was a language any Minister in the room understood better than anything.

“That’s absurd! How on Skygods do we mingle inside Watchers’ business?” Alba Herran who was mostly quiet the whole meeting found his voice.

Oslo stood up and Aram was the first one to follow the lead.

“Then my dear Ministers, how on Skygods you want to mingle in hot forbidden flames of Vulcans?” Oslo bowed and made his way to the exit.

Asandria smiled, he had learned to end a meeting and make a dramatic exit on top of that.