Behind the musician appeared a tall silhouette dressed in a chasuble of white and gold, carrying around his neck a red stole with white details that gave a dignified air to his clothing and highlighted a gold staff that he carried in his right hand. The Pontiff walked with some grace to the edge of the balcony, from which he made a ceremonial gesture and began to speak with the dignity of a nobleman and the calm style of a saint.
-Welcome, brothers and sisters! It is a pleasure for me to have you present in God's home and in mine, of course.
The crowd had different reactions to the Holy Father's greeting, some with annoyed faces refusing to give in to the Supreme Pontiff's delay and waiting with some impatience for an appropriate apology. Others for their part applauded and presented gestures of reverence, as they had a greater proximity to the region that hosted them at that time or knew the Pontiff directly from past meetings. In the environment, a clear distinction was perceived between the factions that fervently supported the church, those that did not and those of a neutral character such as the kingdom of The Woman of the Jasper.
-Please forgive the delay, a slight mishap occurred while I was on my way here but this has been fixed. I beg you to grant me an apology for the event, however I consider it pertinent that we move on to more important issues.
Certain faces in the crowd were softened by the words of the Pontiff, and others continued with some discomfort, despite the apologies presented. However, considering the speed with which the meeting had been organized, they acceded to the man's argument and remained silent to allow the Holy Father to continue speaking.
-As you know, I summoned you today in a hurry, informing you that there was an urgent matter that had to be dealt with by all the rulers who are currently exercising acts of power in their regions. I also know that many of you must have mixed feelings about the lack of reason at the time of my invitation, but I greatly appreciate you showing up for the meeting, which will be starting in a few moments in another room more appropriate for discussion.
The Pontiff looked around the site and a change of expression could be seen on his face when he exchanged glances with some individuals involved in the crowd of people. A frown of annoyance was seen on the man's face, followed by a look of contempt that, for those select individuals, could only mean that he did not approve of their presence there, and the pontiff's next words could only affirm that.
-Although I see that the majority of those present here are, effectively, those responsible for their places of origin, I distinguish among you some faces that should not be here. I remember being explicit in the urgency of the matter and that it was necessary that the rulers themselves should be those who owed this day in my presence. Apparently, there are some places where it is thought that my words did not express enough reason to meet this point.
An exchange of glances occurred instantly between the Supreme Pontiff and The Woman of the Jasper. Chocolate-colored eyes gave the woman a cold, spare look, and she in turn realized in an instant that this man did not want her there. The Pontiff was definitely not on The Woman of the Jasper's list of nice guys. Although the Pontiff had been clear with his request, it had not been possible to comply because of an internal emergency within the government of The Woman of the Jasper's region, due to this the only solution that had emerged was for her to be in that place as the eyes and ears of the government. Although the Pontiff did not like her, she came with the intention of doing what she had to do, and she would do it.
-I have no choice but to hold the meeting in these conditions, but I cannot deny that I feel somewhat disappointed by this lack. In any case, I ask you to please feel at home, in a few minutes follow the instructions of those in charge to be able to start promptly with the matter that we must deal with. For my part, I must retire again to coordinate that everything is as it should be in the room where we will meet. See you in a few minutes, please excuse me.
The man disappeared between some red curtains and left behind the musicians who were now preparing to continue playing while the order was given to enter the room indicated by the Holy Father. The people in the hall continued to chatter, and now the main topic of conversation in almost every group hovered over the Supreme Pontiff.
The Woman of the Jasper heard the voice of a lady who was doubtfully asking the others if they knew the man before. A subject in green clothes told the lady that on previous occasions he had visited the Basilica to negotiate access to the border mines for exploitation. The situation, however, had been handled with discretion because the area was in conflict with another neighboring region and those negotiations would harm that site if they materialized. Why this subject commented so naturally on that situation, even when he said that it was handled with secrecy, was something that The Woman of the Jasper did not understand, however she decided to give him the benefit of the doubt as she did not know the real intentions of the subject and his actions. If one thing was clear, it was that everyone present was constantly looking for a way to take advantage of the other individuals gathered in the lobby. An unofficial negotiation never hurt, or so a young man in orange uttered at the table on the left side. For The Woman of the Jasper, negotiations and unofficial plots had nothing to do with her, after all, determining a rise in prices in the rival market or deploying troops on the north side of the region was not one of her functions. In this mission she was a messenger, just that and nothing more.
The morning remained calm and until now, between discussions and talks, her role as envoy had not been developed. She was beginning to feel some frustration at the delay in the meeting and the way the Holy Father treated her only made her feel even more upset. She felt her throat dry and decided to approach one of the employees who were carrying from side to side trays with champagne, wine and other liquids. A young woman in a black and white suit offered her various alcoholic beverages, but she refused them all, and instead, asked for a glass with ice and and some room temperature water. When the request was delivered to her, she went to take a seat at one of the tables in the farthest corner of the lobby, after all, this would be a lonely day; because of being a messenger, the others present looked at her out of the corner of their eyes and avoided meeting her, if they noticed her presence.
Trapped in her thoughts on the way to the table, her foot got entangled in one of the nearby tablecloths and she saw how the water, as well as the glass with ice, fell unchecked to the ground, crashing noisily. The Woman of the Jasper saw herself falling towards the ground, right to the place where dozens of crystalline shards were waiting to receive her, and she could only close her eyes and send her arms in front of her to break her fall.
It was at that point when two arms caught her in the air, the woman was soon drawn into an unintentional hug that ended with her on a chest of blue and vibrant heat. When The Woman of the Jasper reacted to the incident her skin turned red and in her mind she cursed countless times. It was not past eight o'clock and she had already reneged on her responsibility with a hasty arrival due to laziness, made a mess in the middle of the Royal Hall, and fallen like a damsel in distress into the arms of some unknown individual who had saved her from being cut and bruised.
The Woman of the Jasper uttered in a desperate murmur the only sentence that passed through her head.
- Please, swallow me, earth.