A Meeting of Rivals

There was a particular way that the church wanted me introduced to the world. It would be a somewhat extravagant display based on what was mentioned in the scriptures, not leaving much room for anyone who wasn’t well versed in church ceremonies. One ignorant person was enough, and that was me. Pope John said that Indena wouldn’t be allowed to enter the assembly chamber with us because of that. She was escorted back to the others.

I was pleasantly surprised Indena actually sat through the whole baptism. She usually was the type to scoff at stuff like this. However, her last words before leaving showed a fair bit of her immaturity.

“I bet Sparkle Face is going to be so jealous…” she said.

When the nun returned, she and the pope led me into a tunnel which fed into a garage-like room. Lots of shiny silver leaves and daffodil flowers were floating around. Once I entered their proximity, the floating flowers hovered over to me and orbited my body. They smelled really good.

Just as I entered the room, a platform also magically reacted to me and hovered in the air. It was decorated with an assortment of pretty plants all over. It almost looked like one of those parade vehicles, but made for a church service.

“What’s that?” I asked.

“It’s what you will be riding into the council chamber,” he answered.

Oh, I was going to be introduced in style then. This was very exciting!

The pope let me sit on top of the platform. A nice cushion had been placed there to pad the surface. Exactly seven men were going to be tugging on this platform to bring it into the open. Three on the left side, three on the right , and one in the front.

The pope gave me a brief rundown of what I could expect to be doing when I got inside the council chamber. A little nervousness began to rise up in me, so I spawned in my makeshift blue sash for comfort.

“Remember something...” his voice turned serious, but still held an air of humbleness. “No matter what they say about you, whether they hate you or love you, remember you have a purpose. Do as our Lord Deus commands, and only worry about pleasing Him.”

“I will,” I nodded.

Would people really hate me? The thought made me feel even more nervous. Somehow it even superseded the idea that others might love me.

Once my nerves reached their absolute peek, a big door in front of the platform opened. A blinding light from the other side blocked my view, but it gave way to what appeared to be a stadium-like arena. Actually, this was the council chamber’s ground floor.

From my limited view, and the loud chatter going on, it seemed like all the seats were already filled. These people must have used the main entrance across from this one to get in.

The pope went out there before me and sang to everyone. It sounded like Nazalian, but there were too many voices joining in all at once to understand the words.

“Let’s go,” the frontmost clergymen said as the pope finished singing and walked up stairs flanking the main entrance.

My platform began to float forward as they pulled it.

Everyone went silent as I came into view. Two rounded sets of stands flanked me, coalescing into a throne all the way at the end of the room. Those stands were filled with formally dressed people, whom I assumed were part of the parliament. My friends were all the way up at the top of the stands to my current left.

The throne area had three booths with a seat for each, plus one above them all. The first, and most major seat in the center, was that of the queens. She was a very young girl, not much older than Indena from the looks of it. She wore a beautiful blue dress with white fluff and gems all over, and of course, she had a glorious gold crown on her head. As I moved in, she initially seemed very awe struck by my arrival, but her composure returned to a sensible demeanor quickly.

To her left was the soon to be prime minister Hanol’s booth. He also seemed about as starstruck as her. I was sure he was probably sorting through a lot of emotions after realizing the Eighth Star recovered his ID for him. It’s even more amazing to think he was inadvertently dissing me moments before that.

The pope was to the queen’s right. He’d gone in ahead of me, so he was already seated. His head was down and it looked like he was praying.

Horns began to play above. The seven men leading me broke off to stand at the center of the council chamber. An eight pointed star was engraved at the center of the floor, and each clergyman stood at one point of it, leaving the one aiming at the throne vacant.

My hovering platform floated over them, rising up at the very center of the room. It lifted until I was at eye level with the young queen, but then it went just a bit higher. When it stopped, that was my signal to fly.

A seat had been prepared for me above the queen. It had always been there since the creation of this room, awaiting the time I would finally take my fated place in it.

My wings spawned and parted. I was sure to do it slowly, so everyone could get a good look at them.

“That’s no demi-human…” I heard someone murmur. “She truly is an angel.”

“Fool. It could all be a magical ruse. How many fake angels have been made from half breeds?”

“She’s just a little kid?” another man questioned. “I thought that part of scripture was just symbolism.”

“She’s so adorable!” I heard a lady squeal.

“There’s no chance this is real,” another guy claimed. “It all must be a lie.”

The temperature of the room was pretty mixed. Some people thought I was cute, others saw me as a sham. Even fewer believed I was the genuine article. That was one of the things the pope made sure to prepare me mentally for before we entered. He told me to pay that discours no mind, so I focused on what I had to do next.

While the chatting eased and the horns subsided, I leapt off the platform and flew over to my seat above the highest ranking individuals of the country. Before sitting above them all, the queen gestured for me to land in front of her.

She went from sitting to kneeling in my presence.

“Eighth Star of Heaven,” she addressed me. “I am queen Amanda Elkhearts III. I am humbled to be in your mighty presence, Holy Eighth of our Lord.”

I was speechless having royalty bow in front of me. My face showed it too, because I was really scared.

What am I supposed to do now? Should I say something?

“Uh…” I uttered. “Thank you.”

What the heck was that!? Oh no! She’s probably going to think I’m totally conceited or something!

She just continued kneeling. I hadn’t the foggiest clue if I was supposed to say anything else or not. Maybe this was when I was supposed to introduce myself.

“I’m Yalba…” How did I mess up my own name?! “I uh…mean…uh…”

I was so panicked and it was showing. The queen's brow raised and she looked up at me, then she glanced over at the pope.

Correcting my blunder, I took a breath and decided to try again.

“Wait… I mean… My name is Yalda.”

“It is truly an honour, Saint Yalda.” The queen rose up and hugged me, crying, but crocodile tears. To anyone watching from a distance it might have looked real, like she was spilling a deep spiritual burden on me. Some people even let out a heartfelt coo. But this embrace was just so she could get close enough to whisper into my ear.

“You are in a den of vipers and lions. Show a hint of weakness, and they will devour you.”

Her warning shook me to the core. I wasn’t in friendly territory anymore, nor was I ever since I reached the surface world. I was among the enemy, out in the open for all to see. How many more were watching through those cameras pinned on us, discovering all my weaknesses and finding ways to abuse them? They could exploit me like a broken video game.

The queen dismissed herself and sat back down. I hadn't noticed, but there was actually someone next to her on her left. He was so short that I didn’t even see him until now. When I say short, I mean that he was just a kid, like me.

He had naturally gray hair, as well as fox-like golden eyes. His face was proudly resting in a condescending expression. The way he stood had such dignity and class, only matched by his regal black and red coat.

For some reason, I couldn’t take my eyes off of him. Something about him curiously tugged at me, but I couldn’t place what it was. He had a sort of familiar aura about him, but it was hard to say if that was good or bad. Just simply familiar.

“I never expected a child to truly take the title described in scripture.” He stepped forward and bowed deeply, showing even greater respect as he took up my right hand and kissed it. His dry lips barely touched the skin of my fingers, but a tingle shot through them as if his flesh had sent a shock into mine. “Your eyes are like innocent weapons, holstered in place, but still attacking me for not introducing myself sooner.”

His good mannered gestures and strange words had me feeling put off… A bit awkward. In contrast to his formality, I felt like some country bumpkin who didn’t know her place, but was treated with respect simply based on a title. My countenance fell, causing a pathetic revelation that my manors were not fully present.

How was I meant to respond to him? The answer eluded me.

“If there’s nothing to say, why not ask for my name?”

Both anger and pride strung up as I considered how simply he spoke my thoughts. I may have telegraphed my confusion well enough on my own, but I didn’t like hearing him say it.

Deep in my thoughts, a place only I could reach, I wanted to say he was both cunning and crude, but I couldn't ignore his kind gestures that felt inviting.

For a moment, everything else around us stopped existing. I focused intently on trying to grasp this boy. He was my age, yet so intelligent, so forthcoming that I needed to learn how to step ahead and speak before he could read me.

“If you're such a kind gentleman, you wouldn’t wait for a girl to ask first,” I replied.

His condescending face grew a bright smirk, as if my reply pleased him.

“Viro. Viro Moriarty, at your service. My humble career is to play attendant for this country's ruling class.”

Not even ten years old and giving advice to those well beyond his age.

“Yalda,” I responded to his introduction. “Yalda Asamo. I am the Eighth Star of Heaven. My job is to defeat the Devil.”

“You’re surely not the first Asamo I’ve heard of with that goal.”

He must have been referring to dad. I wouldn’t doubt he knew him personally, seeing as dad was connected to politics here.

“Dear Yalda,” he said, gesturing to my seat, “would you gracefully take your rightful seat above us?”

“If you could spare a few minutes away from me, unless you have something else you'd like to say.”

His head shook once, then he took a step back.

Viro was strange, polite, condescending and intelligent. But most of all, for some odd reason, talking with him sparked something in me. It was like everything he said was a challenge that I had to match. If I wasn't on my toes, he'd win. What might he win? Heck if I knew.

Without further delay, I took to my wings and landed in hallowed seat. I was expecting it to be plush and comfortable, but it felt like sitting on a wooden block.

Seven other seats were round the top of this chamber, each with a name in Nazalian representing the other angels.

Another point of interest was that I had such a clear view of everyone from up here. I wanted to wave to Uncle and my friends, but they made faces like threats, warning me not to do so.

“Viro, I didn’t give you permission to be so friendly with her,” the queen scolded in a quiet growl.

“Forgive me, Your Majesty.” Viro bowed to his superior. “But not everyone in this court is a lion, you know?”