Page 15 of Ties of Deception

Chapter

Six

After the morning’s petitions had concluded, Drusella asked if she could join me for lunch to share some news. My mind had been distracted by my nighttime visitor all morning as I battled to stay calm and happy enough to Bless my guests. I hoped she would tell me something positive. As I settled down to eat fresh fish fried in garlic butter with boiled potatoes and green vegetables mixed in a heavenly sauce, I waited for her to speak first.

She gave me one of those bright smiles I didn’t quite trust. “It’s coming toward the end of summer, Purity. On Atos, we’re blessed with mild weather all year long, but this time is significant because we have a festival just before harvest time to bless the crops. When the goddesses visit the fields, it increases their bounty several times over. As a Grace, it is your duty to attend the fertility festival. It’s also a lot of fun. Our whole family will come with you to the capital and join the parade.”

A feeling of unease at being back on show at a large gathering along with the other Graces twisted my stomach. After what had happened in the palace two weeks ago, I wasn’t sure how easily I would cope another time around. It was hard to stay happy when I was nervous.

Drusella seemed to read my expression and leaned forward, her smile becoming gentle. “You have nothing to worry about, Purity. There will be many, many Graces there. Including some very powerful and famous ones. You will all be traveling close together. Nobody will know who is giving out Blessings and who is not. There will be no pressure.”

I nodded, surprised by how genuinely reassuring her words were. “Do the Graces only bless the fields around Fierro? What about here? What about the fields around Yienna?”

“At the fertility festival, it is important to follow the traditional route in Fierro. In Yienna, the fields are in different districts. Some have their own Graces. As your province is the Riverside District, you would be expected to Bless the river whenever you leave the villa. However, I suppose if you happened to go riding around some fields, nobody would object.” She frowned to herself. “But Purity, I know you have a good heart and wish to Bless many, but right now you are still learning. Focus on your petitioners and just ride the traditional route with the other Graces. When you are more mature and can control your powers, then think about spreading your Blessing farther.”

I sighed and nodded. Though she tried to hide it, I was sure I heard an edge of frustration and even disappointment in Drusella’s voice. Was I different from most young goddesses? I had nobody to compare myself to. And it was true the family here had done everything to make me feel welcome and comfortable. Being happy should be such a small, easy thing for me; it was hard to suppress the guilt slowly building in the pit of my stomach.

I ate a bite of fish before my thoughts could spiral, and I broke something. Again. “When is the festival?”

“Next week. All the Graces wear traditional green and gold robes. I already have yours ready. I thought we could travel to Fierro the day before it starts so we would all be well rested for the festivities.”

I nodded and put on a brave face. This might be enjoyable after all. And it was another chance to learn about this world. “It sounds wonderful.”

It turnedout that Hermon and Drusella owned a second villa on the outskirts of Fierro. It was smaller than back home, but I still had two rooms to myself.

We arrived late at night and retired too quickly for me to truly get a feel for the place, but come morning, the excitement in the air was palpable.

I was dressed in traditional green and gold robes made of beautiful, high-quality silk. Subtly stitched leaves glinted when they caught the light. Flavia wrapped the material around me in a complicated pattern I didn’t quite register, fastening it with small gold brooches shaped like leaves. The end result was surprisingly cool and freeing.

We traveled into the heart of Fierro in two litters, one for Hermon and Drusella, and the other for me and Pris. The young woman was practically bouncing up and down in excitement, talking about all her favorite stalls, foods, and the trinkets she had found at previous fertility festivals. I was happy to listen to her in silence and take in the beautiful pale architecture from a gap in the curtain.

This was the first time I had seen Fierro in daylight. It was similar to Yienna but grander and filled with far more trees and blooming vines. I guessed with such a high concentration of goddesses, it was easy to keep them flourishing. Green and gold flags were strung across the streets from inhabitants’ windows, and the general air of excitement was infectious.

We dismounted in the central square, and I had just bitten into an overwhelmingly sweet toffee apple that Pris had given me when an Amazone guard gestured for me to follow her to the procession of Graces. I found myself confronted by a large white mare, but I’d never ridden before in my short life.

“Don’t worry, lady, you’ll be fine. The horses have all done this hundreds of times before. She won’t go faster than a walk. Just hold onto the saddle horn. Don’t worry about the reins if you don’t want to.” The tall guard gave me a leg up as if I weighed nothing, and I was grateful for the extra swaths of silk on my gown that covered my legs on either side. The horse barely shifted beneath my weight and continued chewing on the bit as if bored. Around me, other white mares were being mounted, though the other Graces looked a lot more confident than me, chatting to those around them.

An Amazone mounted on a huge black destrier blew a long, ornately shaped trumpet, startling me. The horses trudged into a line of their own accord and followed the Amazone in an orderly fashion. The sway of the horse was unnerving. I gripped the saddle horn.

A voice behind me hissed, “Just relax and sway with the horse, and it will be easier. Sit slightly back. Push your heels down in the stirrups.”

I followed the instructions and looked back at the Grace in thanks. She winked at me, then returned her attention to riding, pushing back her long, chestnut hair. She was stunningly beautiful and rode straight-backed with elegance. I tried to copy her as much as I could, but was sure I must have looked awkward.

We rode through the center of the square, and I waved farewell to my family as they remained with the dancers and food stalls. Pris waved back, giving a quick excited squeal. My horse followed the one in front without direction, and we wove in a single line of green and gold robes out of the city, long hair streaming down each Grace’s back. The sun beat hot. It had been a long time since I’d been without shade in the sun. It was still only midmorning, but the temperature was already rising rapidly; my robes were starting to stick around my neck and down my back. The unfamiliar motion of the horse chaffed my thighs, and I shifted to ease the soreness. I wondered how far we would need to travel, then instantly felt bad that I wanted to keep this short when the food supply of thousands of people was counting on us.

As we rounded a corner out of sight from the city, goddesses started to ride together in clumps, talking and laughing. An urgent, lowered voice pricked my ears from behind. “Constance, where is Harmony?”

There was a pause, and I resisted the temptation to look over my shoulder.

The voice of the chestnut-haired Grace who’d helped me earlier replied in a low, firm voice. “Serene, careful. We’re in a public place.”

Serene’s voice was far less authoritative and more demanding. “No, if you know, tell me. It’s an innocent question. Where is she? She’s ridden behind me at the fertility festival every year for the last eight years. She’s a Grace, it’s not like she can be ill. You’re spending so much time in the palace and with the prince. Everyone talks there. Haven’t you heard anything?”

Again, there was a long awkward pause before I overheard Constance reply. “Serene, keep your voice down. I hear she was retired.”

“Retired!”

“Serene, please! Shh!”

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