Page 27

I n the temple of Justice, everything was blinding white.

Pure white limestone columns held aloft a ceiling of the same, while white tapestries with the barest hints of silver threading flapped in the breeze.

The floors were immaculate and sparkling, washed every few hours by acolytes whose initiation was a series of brutal menial tasks designed to weed out any whose convictions were lacking.

All Her clerics hurried about their tasks, never stopping to engage in chitchat or distraction, and all dressed in varying shades of white and grey.

The lowliest had robes more like a storm cloud, and the higher they rose in the temple’s hierarchy, the brighter their robes shone.

The alabaster statue of Justice herself dominated the main hall, her diamond eyes catching the sun and throwing rainbows across the hall, the only hint of colour allowed within her temple.

Her robe was the brightest white of all, accentuated by an almost opalescent sparkle, the same sparkle that had been applied throughout the temple for maximum blinding effect.

Theron felt ill at ease.

It was little wonder that he did.

Good kings rarely had clean consciences, and the mark of Her displeasure burned on his hand.

In Her temple, it was an ever-present distraction.

He tried to put it from his mind as he sat in the temple’s courtyard under the shade of a fruit tree on one of the few benches in the temple.

Idleness was not to be borne in Her clerics, and so places of rest and relaxation were few and far between.

It was here that he held court in miniature, healing any of Her people who came before him with an injury or illness.

It ingratiated him to the people here, but only just.

The mark tainted him, no matter that the avatar had vouched for him.

He would be glad to be purified and rid of this place.

The only real upside was that he was no longer directly under Flora’s thumb in her twisted little display case of a palace.

He might have counted Aurora’s presence here as another, especially since she’d been smiling and laughing more, but she’d almost exclusively reserved that joviality for Hyllus.

Worse still, in the few days they’d been guests of the temple, he’d not been alone with her for even a moment.

Every time he tried, she managed to slip his grasp.

Even now, she was walking the halls in the company of the avatar, smiling and talking, her laugh carrying across the courtyard.

He caught a glimpse of her in her deep grey robe, her ears and curves exposed.

Unlike him, she was treated with all due respect.

Priestesses and paladins alike allowed her to question them about their lives and routines, sneaking in objects of one kind or another to show her how they worked or were constructed.

What valuable knowledge was she giving away for free? No doubt she was undoing all his plans to keep her insights entirely to himself.

Indulged like a child but respected as an adult, she was a beacon of light and life in this staid, serious place. It chaffed that he was not able to hoard it for his own, or even afforded the luxury of standing near that light.

As he finished his healing duties for the day, a messenger in royal green approached him, flanked by priestesses in white who eyed the messenger with even more suspicion than they did Theron.

“Your Majesty, Her Majesty Queen Flora has invited you to the palace to discuss restitution,” the guard said as he bowed and handed the sealed scroll to Theron.

It seemed the royal personnel were on their best behaviour today. The paladins’ investigation must really be irritating Flora. All of the witnesses to her malicious behavior were being protected, away from her influence. He’d noticed a fair few of the vivarium’s other political prisoners taking up residence in Justice’s temple, likely with years of horrors and gripes to unload on the shoulders of the paladins. Perhaps Flora would manage to worm her way out of the consequences, but this scandal could also spell the end of her reign.

A man could dream.

Then again, given her magic, she was just as likely to find a scapegoat to blame it all on. The head maid or the highest ranked guard, most like.

Theron tore open the Viridian royal seal and scanned the paper. It was exactly as the guard described. Had Flora mustered her wits? Or would Orithyia and Epicasta be holding her reins today? He tapped the letter to his lips in thought. There was no good reason to refuse.

“Very well. I’ll accept Her Majesty’s invitation. Provided, of course, the priestesses and paladins here can spare one of their number to accompany me. Given their investigation is ongoing, I wouldn’t want to taint it by fraternising.”

“A paladin is waiting for you by the door, Your Majesty,” one of the priestesses tipped her head in the direction of the entrance.

So bloody punctual, these servants of Justice. The idea of fashionable lateness was entirely foreign. Theron stifled a sigh as he stood and adjusted his dark grey acolyte’s robes. At least the quality was superior to the rags provided by the palace. It even had silver embroidery on it. Unfortunately, grey was most definitely not his colour. Yet again, he wondered when his own entourage would arrive. He should have received a letter from a runner the day Boreas opened its gates, and an entourage of servants, soldiers and more by now.

Theron tried to put his worries from his mind. He had bigger problems to deal with. Though he was confident he could corner Flora into making some gaffe or other in front of the paladin escort, his divine madness at the border was just as likely to be thrown in his face multiple times. On the other hand, if Orithyia planned to attend, he could reasonably demand she purify him. It would be nigh impossible for her to refuse in front of witnesses like the paladin.

Alas, by the time he was brought before Flora, the high priestess was nowhere in sight. Not even the princess was present. A boon. That sharp-tongued harpy was quickly becoming one of his least favourite people in Boreas, and given the company, that was saying something.

Instead, the obnoxiously green and silver hall was filled with scum as the sun retreated behind the clouds. He could smell the promise of rain. A feat, given the stench of those present. Viridian nobles of every standing jostled for space with wealthy merchants and other influential allies. Her most loyal and sycophantic toadies stood closest to her emerald throne. Her eyes sparkled with wicked glee. He almost smiled. It seemed he would be dealing with the mad dog today.

Theron made a decision then to grate on her every nerve while remaining perfectly compliant with every bit of noble courtesy. Let all her people see her for the maniac she was.

He tipped his head, refusing to bow and scrape and make himself lesser in her court.

“King Theron, the sun of Aureum greets the bounty of Viridis, Queen Flora.”

“The bounty of Viridis acknowledges your arrival. Though it looks like, yet again, your wardrobe is lacking for a royal audience. Have none of your countrymen come to serve you?” she asked in mock pity.

Goddesses, how had this woman managed a stranglehold on Viridis for so long?

“I’m honoured to wear the robes given me by the temple of Justice, where I’m residing while Her paladins investigate your guest palace,” he said, emphasizing her scandal.

Her face darkened with rage, her jaw clenching before she took a calming breath.

“It is a wonder they tolerate you, given you wear the mark of Justice’s displeasure. Tell me, blasphemer, does it trouble you while in Her temple?”

“It only troubles me that High Priestess Orithyia might purify me, as the avatar wishes, and yet Her Holiness remains busy elsewhere.”

“Boreas needs their high priestess. A blasphemer king cannot take precedence over the needs of the people.”

“Yes, I agree. A pity the people of Boreas are in such dire straits. Why, just the other day, during the height of the plague, my room, nestled safely within your guest palace, was visited by an angry spirit.”

He could have heard a pin drop in the silence that followed. He’d all but accused her of shirking her sacred duties as a monarch to pacify the spirits of the land. He’d all but pointed his finger at her for causing the plague through negligence. Except that he’d only relayed a simple truth.

In her stunned silence, he pressed his advantage.

“Such a thing has never occurred in the Aurean royal palace. If you like, I would be more than happy to share some basic rituals for the protection of your domicile.”

There were a few gasps at his offer. Not only had he called her incompetent, he’d suggested she was incapable of performing her duties better than even a child. Flora’s face reddened with embarrassment and rage.

“And yet none of it protected your brother, Tisander, when a plague took him ,” she retorted.

Theron’s magic exploded from him as he advanced on her throne, overtaken by unparalleled rage.

“Keep his name off your tongue. You’re not worthy to speak it.”

Her eyes flashed with glee as her guards barred his way with spears. He’d fallen into this imbecile’s trap and it took all his willpower to keep himself from murdering the bitch where she sat.

“Such a temper. One wonders if you really were overcome with divine madness when you slaughtered Viridian soldiers on Viridian soil.”

“The avatar can vouch for me,” he ground out.

“And where is he? I don’t believe he’s here to corroborate your claims.”

“I suspect he is busy purifying the city so that the monstrosities that appeared in the guest palace don’t return. After all, Boreas has suffered so much recently,” he retorted, regaining his composure.

Stupid fool. He never should have let her goad him.

“The bounty of Viridis thanks you for your concern,” she replied with venom. “But enough of pleasantries. I have summoned you to make restitution for your crimes.” She snapped her fingers and one of her closest toadies took out a large piece of parchment. “Read the treaty.”

Theron waited impatiently to find out just how outrageous she’d become in the interim. Would she demand Aureum’s royal palace this time?

“For the undisputed crimes of murdering a dozen Viridian soldiers on Viridian soil, and conspiring with a worshipper of the sinister goddesses to attack the Viridian royal palace, the blasphemer King Theron of Aureum will cede the entirety of the Dragon’s Flank from The Colonnades Of The Colossus to the Dragon’s Talon port, as well as Aureum’s territory in the Dragon’s Spine Mountains, to Viridis as compensation. By signing this document, both Queen Flora and King Theron agree to these facts as true and these terms as just and fair.”

Gasps filled the gathered crowd as Flora eyed him with a smirk.

It seemed she’d learned to count since last they met, but she’d slipped further into madness. What fresh nonsense was this about conspiring with sinister goddesses? What game was she playing at? Before he could ask, his paladin escort stepped forward.

“Greetings to the bounty of Viridis. I am Itonus, paladin of Justice,” he announced, bowing deeply.

“The bounty of Viridis acknowledges you.”

“Your Majesty, you claim the King of Aureum is conspiring with a worshipper of the sinister goddesses. If you believed this, why have you waited until now to announce it? According to the law, such crimes must be reported the moment they are suspected.”

“I am reporting it now, young paladin. Did you think you were the only ones launching an investigation into the appearance of monstrosities in my guest palace? In the days leading up to the attack, a woman was threatening that the monstrosities would appear, and even indicated the day and time. Naturally, my attendants thought she was mad. Preferring to be compassionate rather than suspicious, my attendants cared for her all the same. Many who heard her claims are either dead or recovering, and one of the survivors informed me of her threats this very day. I could only conclude that King Theron had conspired with her, an agent of chaos, to bring the monstrosities here, as she is his paramour, and he was overheard threatening the arrival of monstrosities, the same as she. Given the magnitude of His Majesty’s crimes, I thought the compensation I’ve requested to be eminently reasonable. What the temples wish to do with him and his agent of chaos affiliate once he’s faced the political consequences of his actions is entirely up to the judgement of the goddesses.”

This was bad. Very bad. The best he could do was to stall for time. The paladins would now be split between investigating Flora’s house of horrors and his supposed turn to evil. It might mean dragging out both for longer than he’d like, but he was confident that the truth would come out. Though if it did, that would present further problems. To prove her innocence, Aurora would have to demonstrate her ability to foresee the future. And once she did, it would take a minor miracle to get her out of Flora’s clutches. As much as he hated it, he needed to involve a woman he hated to ensure Aurora’s safety in the meantime.

“I proclaim my innocence, and demand an investigation into your baseless, slanderous claims,” Theron announced. “And I would also like to proclaim the innocence of High Priestess Orithyia.”

That caught the bitch off guard.

“High Priestess Orithyia has done no wrong. It is you who have conspired with agents of chaos.”

“I agree that High Priestess Orithyia has done no wrong here. After all, the woman you accuse of being an agent of chaos was an honoured guest of the high priestess. And it was the high priestess, vouching for her identity, which allowed the woman in question to enter the royal palace as a guest here. I fully believe in High Priestess Orithyia’s judgement of the woman’s good character.”

Flora was clearly vexed by his maneuvering. That boded well. It made it much more likely that Orithyia had been unaware of Flora’s newest machination to devour his kingdom. Now that he’d tied Aurora’s character to Orithyia’s judgement, the old crone would either have to defend Aurora or admit to ignorance. And ignorance in the high priestess of Knowledge was shameful at best.

But Flora regained her composure and smiled in a way that had Theron doubting his advantage.

“Very well. You may retire until after the court has consulted with High Priestess Orithyia. In the meantime, my daughter, Princess Epicasta, will keep you company while I speak more with paladin Itonus.”

“Your Majesty, respectfully, I must escort His Majesty while he’s outside the temple.”

“Is your highest duty to watch him, or to uncover heresy, young paladin? I should think the latter more deserving of your attention. If you fear he will flee, I understand. I shall keep my most capable guards on his person at all times.”

The paladin seemed torn between his two duties. But if Theron wished to appear confident in his innocence before the court, he had to cede this minor victory to Flora.

“You have my oath as King of Aureum that I will not flee these accusations. I swear it on my honour.”

The paladin nodded, and was ushered towards the queen while Theron was taken away by the palace guard for what he could only surmise was another round of threats. Once seated before the woman in question, dressed as always in Passion’s deep red mourning robes, the guards swiftly abandoned the room. Lit with flickering candles, the first droplets of rain percussing the gardens below her open window, the room was otherwise quiet.

She was silent for some time, and Theron refused to be the first to break the impasse. Silence was preferable to speaking with the vile creature. She sipped tea, her gaze drawn to the window. After what felt like a lifetime, she spoke.

“Tea?” Epicasta asked as she sipped from her cup.

Knowing her, his cup was probably poisoned.

“No.”

As if seeing through his thoughts, she rolled her eyes and leaned back in her seat.

“I take it you were surprised by the new accusations.”

“Offended, actually.”

“Naturally.”

“Naturally.”

“You realise this is only the beginning, don’t you?”

“This ludicrous farce will be over soon enough. Your mother will be lucky if it doesn’t strip her of whatever credibility she still clings to.”

“You erred when you made that poor girl your paramour. Her Majesty will use her to come after you. And it won’t stop until either the girl breaks and betrays you, or you break and give Her Majesty what she desires.”

“As I’ve said before, she will never have Aureum.”

Epicasta shook her head.

“You should have ceded the flank when I gave you the chance. Here.” She reached into a pocket of her gown and tossed the letter at him. “Be grateful my people intercepted it before Her Majesty’s.”

“And have your little spies already read the contents?” he asked, bored.

“I don’t need to. My ‘little spies’ have already given me a good guess as to its contents without the need for such discourtesies.”

It was Canthus’ seal, his trusted general. Theron opened it and prepared to school his face.

Greetings to the sun of Aureum.

Please forgive my impertinence, Your Majesty, but you must return home with all due haste. Bandits continue to harass all shipments of grain, and dualists are attacking outlying settlements, forcing your esteemed cousin Batea to chase after them. Given the circumstances, the war faction is questioning her suitability as acting queen. I fear they may goad her into imprudent action, or seat one of their own on your throne.

Triad preserve the sun of Aureum.

Your loyal servant,

General Canthus

Theron stood and walked to the nearest candle, holding the letter above it until it caught fire. He watched it burn, refusing to let it go until it was ash, allowing the pain of the fire to ground him while giving an outlet to his restless magic.

If his capable, level-headed general was sending him a pleading missive, the situation must be dire indeed. But he’d just schemed his way into spending more time in this wretched city. Had this been Epicasta’s ploy? To light a fire under him? Then he couldn’t allow it.

“You should follow your calling, princess. Clearly you were destined for greatness as a delivery woman. First my ring, and now my mail.”

“And not a word of thanks for either, I notice.”

“My gratitude is reserved for those who deserve it.”

A knock on the door interrupted their posturing.

“Your Highness, a letter has arrived for you from your cousin, Thisbe.”

The princess’ face paled in an instant. She noticed his keen interest and tried to regain her composure.

“The guards will see you back to the temple, Your Majesty.”

Whoever this Thisbe was, Theron wished to make her acquaintance if she affected the princess so. Perhaps he should spare a spy to look into the matter. At this point, he would use any blackmail he could get his hands on.

“Far be it for me to keep a princess from her correspondence,” he chuckled, allowing the guards to escort him.

They dragged him through the rain, now a driving force that soaked him through his robes. Once the guards deposited him before the temple of Justice, they turned and left. Theron wrung out his clothes as he stalked the halls of the temple, the brand of Her displeasure burning on the back of his hand. He needed to find Aurora as quickly as possible. Hopefully, he still had time to warn her of what was coming.

Aurora heard Hyllus’ swift steps coming up behind her long before she saw him. An impish grin curled her lips as he caught up to her.

“You little sneak-thief! How did you escape the kitchens without being seen?”

“That’s a trade secret,” Aurora gloated as she pulled out an extra biscuit from the fold of her himation.

“I see how it is. Leave me to face the cook’s wrath while you get away with the goods. Cruel.”

He pouted. A look that reminded her of her younger brother, the little beastie. It made her homesick and happy all at once. Though the two looked nothing alike, she felt a kinship with Hyllus, a bond somewhere between brother and close friend. He was easy to talk to, to relax around, to share her secrets with.

And to tease mercilessly.

“It’s not my fault you’re bigger, louder, and slower.”

He snatched the next biscuit right from her hand and shoved the whole of it in his mouth. He grinned at her open-mouthed stare.

“Avatar tax,” he said as he swallowed his ill-gotten gains.

“Cheeky bastard.”

“Always.”

“Is the avatar allowed to be so underhanded?”

“I’ve yet to be punished for my audacity, so I’m taking it as a good sign.”

Aurora laughed as they walked along the hall bordering the courtyard. Her gaze was invariably drawn to the man in the centre, a line of the ill and injured waiting their turn for his healing magic. Her heart was an acrobat in her chest—racing, leaping, and then sinking to her knees.

“You can’t avoid him forever,” Hyllus teased.

“I can certainly try.”

“Look at him. He’s pining for you. When are you going to put the poor bastard out of his misery?”

Aurora dared sneak another glance at the man in question. Theron sat in the courtyard, back ramrod straight as he perched on the austere bench as if it were a throne. The sun loved him, burnishing his brown skin in a golden light, making his hair shine like liquid rubies. His every move was graceful, powerful, sensual. She dared not stare too long, or risk losing herself, wondering how far away she could stand while still admiring the golden hue of his eyes.

“He’s meant for another.”

And a princess at that, if her ancient sources were to be believed.

“So you keep saying. And yet your histories neglected to mention a name. Who’s to say they got it right? Who’s to say that woman can’t be you?”

“I was never meant to be here, Hyllus.”

“Exactly. You’re already changing the fate of Trisia by your travels. Why not change his as well?”

Goddesses, how she wanted that. He’d chosen death to save her. How could she not be fundamentally moved by his brave sacrifice? For all his faults, all his obvious scheming, at heart he was a good man. Hyllus had been privy to some of the findings of the investigation. In addition to uncovering more everyday horrors visited on the denizens of the vivarium, he’d discovered what Flora had planned for the evening’s entertainment that fateful day. Aurora suppressed a surge of nausea at the thought. Now she understood why Theron had been so adamant about facing the monstrosities, about why he’d chosen death.