Page 109 of Heavenly Bodies
Enzo sat back in his seat, face unreadable. ‘Then I suppose we’ll have to pretend, won’t we, princess?’
Elara smiled.
They waited for Idris’s carriage to set off, followed by another with the King’s Guard. When their own carriagebegan to move, Leo leaned forwards, extruding a small flask from his jacket. ‘Who’d like a littlereverawine before the service?’ he said, shaking it.
Merissa’s eyes widened. ‘Leo, could you be more blasphemous if you tried?’
‘Oh, you have no idea, Merissa.’ He winked, and Merissa’s face grew pink.
‘It seems the general has already had a swig or two,’ Elara said.
He laughed in reply, passing the hip flask to Elara, who took two large gulps beneath her veil, before passing it to Enzo.
‘We need something to get us through this hell,’ Enzo muttered, taking a large swig himself. He passed it to Merissa, who debated a second before she knocked the flask back.
‘What?’ she asked sheepishly as everyone looked at her in amusement.
Before they knew it, the carriage had come to a halt down a narrow backstreet that led to the grand piazza where Leyon’s temple stood. Emerging from the carriage, they could hear the roar of a crowd already, music and shouts drifting towards them. Elara fiddled with her veil, checking over Merissa’s too before they descended into the busy streets. Members of the King’s Guard, who had followed in a carriage behind, immediately formed a circle around the party as they began to meet the crowd.
It was bedlam. Crowds snaked through the alleys leading into the square, pressing in together in the sweltering heat. Enzo gripped Elara’s hand, pulling her through the crowd as the people around them screamed and cried to the prince, paying homage to his light. They begged for his blessing, for a touch, and Enzo played his part well. He nodded and smiled, grasping the hands of all who reached out to himthrough the shield of the Guard, as he continued to drag a bewildered Elara into the main square.
The square was even worse, the masses cramming the space to enter the temple, desperate for a glimpse of Leyon, heads peering over each other, jostling and shoving. Enzo kept looking straight ahead as their group ploughed onwards, Leo charging ahead of the King’s Guard. As he moved, it was like a sea parting as bodies moved aside, clearing the way for the prince. The four walked to the entrance as shouts and blessings followed them.
‘May the Light bless you!’ an old woman near the entrance cried out to Enzo.
‘And you.’ He smiled, raising the three-fingered symbol of worship out to her. The crowd went wild, clapping and swooning as they reached the steps of the temple, passing through a barrier of armed city guards.
‘Enzo!’ a voice shouted, and they spun to see Isra waiting on the steps, a golden veil over her.
‘I nearly got trampled amongst those fanatics,’ she seethed, coming towards them as she cast a withering look at the crowd. ‘Whatever compels them to worship a Star that does nothing but look at his own reflection is beyond me.’
‘Isra,’ Merissa admonished. ‘Keep your voice down. We’re literally outside his temple.’
‘What’s he going to do? Smite me in front of all his devotees?’
Enzo snickered as he led them all into the cool entryway, the clamour of the crowd dulling behind them. ‘Is my father already here?’ he asked Isra.
‘Yes, he’s just taken his seat.’
Enzo nodded grimly, releasing Elara’s hand. ‘This won’t take long,’ he said to her. ‘Stay with Isra and Merissa. After the service, we will be heading straight to Aphrodea.’
He nodded once before making his way to the inner temple doors, Leo behind him. Elara saw Enzo reach out to a small dish filled with light, adding his own wisp to the offerings, and then he was gone.
‘Come,’ Merissa said, ushering them in after. The service had already started, organ music resounding through the cavernous temple. There were benches lined with nobles and aristocrats—the more important they were, the nearer to Leyon’s altar they sat. Elara sidled into a corner pew at the back of the temple, by a large window made of stained glass, while Merissa and Isra shuffled in beside her. The temple was stifling, the stone building doing nothing to keep out the heat. Her eyes scanned the crowd, falling on where Enzo had taken his seat beside the king. In front of them was the altar and Leo, who was leading the King’s Guard close by.
There, sat on the raised dais, facing the adoring crowd, was Leyon. He lounged on a throne, the back of which splayed out into light rays that stretched out from all sides. He wore only a robe, spun from pure gold, shirtless underneath. Elara saw a peek of leanly muscled stomach as he adjusted himself, looking out smugly to the crowd.
The service commenced, the music trailing off as a priest started to drone, reciting the many wonderful things that Leyon had done for Helios and the sacred nature of the Light. Elara stifled a yawn, tuning out the blatant lies and hypocrisy.
Skies, it was hot. Her veil was stifling, she felt like she could barely breathe beneath it.
The service continued,reveraabout to be taken as a show of respect to Leyon. She watched idly as devotees queued for a sip from Leyon’s ambrosia-filled chalice, as the priest blessed them with his light. It was no good, she could not stand the veil any longer. Noticing how preoccupied everyone was, shelooked around quickly, before folding it back. She subtly drew a thin illusion around herself to remain unnoticeable as she took a deep breath.
Merissa looked at her sharply. ‘You had better put that back on this instant.’
Elara shot her a look, sighing. She closed her eyes for a second, revelling in the rays that played across her face. A small smile came to her lips as she felt the warmth of the light, then she raised her arms to pull her veil back down. She looked back to the altar, where Enzo was staring at her, the cup of ambrosia to his lips.
She hurriedly pulled the veil back over her face before anyone turned to see what he was looking at.