Chapter 30
Hasdrubal admired the tapestries in Lethe's room. The quaint gray tiled roofed houses leaned into each other over the narrow cobblestone streets. Sitting serenely on the mountain above was Castle Styx. He turned and looked at the rest of the nearly square chamber. A table and chairs set in a nook along the wall and a bed in the corner. He noticed a glint in the bookcase against the north wall and admired the rubies and emeralds imbedded in a book. He was about to pick it off the shelf when Lethe arrived. She turned to Odin, who was standing in the doorway.
"Please wait here Lord Odin," she said.
"Yes your Majesty," he said as he walked over next to Cyrus.
She shut the door and regarded him.
Hasdrubal smiled. "We never get a moment's peace from our minders."
Lethe nodded. "It is the burden of a monarch to never live for themselves but for their people."
"A good one perhaps," said Hasdrubal, "I've known a few bad ones in my time."
"Like whom?" she inquired.
"My father for starters," he replied, "He's the one who invited Espers to live in Golgatha."
Lethe looked thoughtful. "But it was a noble thing to give Espers equality."
He shook his head. "Diablos doesn't want equality, he wants the Espers to rule over the humans."
"Did your father know that?" she asked.
He looked grim. "Yes, but he wanted to use the Espers as living weapons."
She frowned. "If you know all of this, why did you still have Diablos as an advisor?"
"I didn't learn much of this until after I authorized the invasion of Jidoor," he said sheepishly.
Lethe folded her arms across her chest. "How long did it take you to rehearse your little speech?"
He laughed. "You are really amazing Queen Lethe! I don't blame you for not trusting me."
"Why should I?" she retorted irritably.
He grinned. "Tell me what you want me to do to prove myself to you. Name it, and I'll do it."
She looked at the bookcase absently. She paced, tapping a finger against her face. Finally she turned to face him again.
"Bring me Bahamut," she said imperiously.
Hasdrubal blanched, but then grimly nodded. "It will be done."
She blinked a bit in surprise. "Are you sure you can do it?"
He chuckled. "I'll send Diablos. That will be fun."
He walked out into the corridor. Cyrus stood at attention.
"Your Majesty!" he said.
Hasdrubal gestured for him to follow. As they left toward the main hall Lethe peered out.
"What is my Queen?" asked Odin.
She wordlessly walked toward the main hall. Odin quickly followed. When they reached the main hall Diablos, Siren and Carbuncle were kneeling before King Hasdrubal.
"Diablos, go to Dragon's Head Island and bring back the King of Dragons," commanded Hasdrubal.
Diablos looked up angrily. "Your Majesty, you can't be serious! Bahamut isn't some sort of trained dog!"
"Are you questioning your King's orders?" asked Gaspar cheerfully.
Diablos flashed a quick angry glance to Gaspar before returning to regard his King. "Is this truly your wish your Majesty?"
Hasdrubal nodded. "Queen Lethe requires this as a demonstration of our good will."
Diablos clenched his fist tight enough to make his leather gauntlet creak.
Siren put her hand over his. "I will go with you my Lord."
"I'm going too!" said Ifrit loudly.
"This is a mission for Lord Diablos," said the King.
"I don't trust him!" he snapped back. He then looked ashamed and knelt hastily before Hasdrubal. "I mean your Majesty.I'm sorry."
Hasdrubal smiled and waved his hand. "Not at all Ifrit. I appreciate such honesty. You're welcome to accompany with them as an observer."
"I'd like to accompany them as well," said Shiva.
"If it's fine with you," said Lethe to Hasdrubal.
He nodded. "It will be a shining example of cooperation between our kingdoms."
Hasdrubal admired the tapestries in Lethe's room. The quaint gray tiled roofed houses leaned into each other over the narrow cobblestone streets. Sitting serenely on the mountain above was Castle Styx. He turned and looked at the rest of the nearly square chamber. A table and chairs set in a nook along the wall and a bed in the corner. He noticed a glint in the bookcase against the north wall and admired the rubies and emeralds imbedded in a book. He was about to pick it off the shelf when Lethe arrived. She turned to Odin, who was standing in the doorway.
"Please wait here Lord Odin," she said.
"Yes your Majesty," he said as he walked over next to Cyrus.
She shut the door and regarded him.
Hasdrubal smiled. "We never get a moment's peace from our minders."
Lethe nodded. "It is the burden of a monarch to never live for themselves but for their people."
"A good one perhaps," said Hasdrubal, "I've known a few bad ones in my time."
"Like whom?" she inquired.
"My father for starters," he replied, "He's the one who invited Espers to live in Golgatha."
Lethe looked thoughtful. "But it was a noble thing to give Espers equality."
He shook his head. "Diablos doesn't want equality, he wants the Espers to rule over the humans."
"Did your father know that?" she asked.
He looked grim. "Yes, but he wanted to use the Espers as living weapons."
She frowned. "If you know all of this, why did you still have Diablos as an advisor?"
"I didn't learn much of this until after I authorized the invasion of Jidoor," he said sheepishly.
Lethe folded her arms across her chest. "How long did it take you to rehearse your little speech?"
He laughed. "You are really amazing Queen Lethe! I don't blame you for not trusting me."
"Why should I?" she retorted irritably.
He grinned. "Tell me what you want me to do to prove myself to you. Name it, and I'll do it."
She looked at the bookcase absently. She paced, tapping a finger against her face. Finally she turned to face him again.
"Bring me Bahamut," she said imperiously.
Hasdrubal blanched, but then grimly nodded. "It will be done."
She blinked a bit in surprise. "Are you sure you can do it?"
He chuckled. "I'll send Diablos. That will be fun."
He walked out into the corridor. Cyrus stood at attention.
"Your Majesty!" he said.
Hasdrubal gestured for him to follow. As they left toward the main hall Lethe peered out.
"What is my Queen?" asked Odin.
She wordlessly walked toward the main hall. Odin quickly followed. When they reached the main hall Diablos, Siren and Carbuncle were kneeling before King Hasdrubal.
"Diablos, go to Dragon's Head Island and bring back the King of Dragons," commanded Hasdrubal.
Diablos looked up angrily. "Your Majesty, you can't be serious! Bahamut isn't some sort of trained dog!"
"Are you questioning your King's orders?" asked Gaspar cheerfully.
Diablos flashed a quick angry glance to Gaspar before returning to regard his King. "Is this truly your wish your Majesty?"
Hasdrubal nodded. "Queen Lethe requires this as a demonstration of our good will."
Diablos clenched his fist tight enough to make his leather gauntlet creak.
Siren put her hand over his. "I will go with you my Lord."
"I'm going too!" said Ifrit loudly.
"This is a mission for Lord Diablos," said the King.
"I don't trust him!" he snapped back. He then looked ashamed and knelt hastily before Hasdrubal. "I mean your Majesty.I'm sorry."
Hasdrubal smiled and waved his hand. "Not at all Ifrit. I appreciate such honesty. You're welcome to accompany with them as an observer."
"I'd like to accompany them as well," said Shiva.
"If it's fine with you," said Lethe to Hasdrubal.
He nodded. "It will be a shining example of cooperation between our kingdoms."