Page 20 of Ties of Deception

She tightened her grip on my hands, and her eyes met mine with an intensity edged with fear. “Then understand that nothing that comes from the world of empresses and princes and other goddesses will make you happy. Not their promises or their beauty or their games. I have seen it time and time again. There are no winners in the game of politics. Just keep your head down and seem unthreatening and innocent. Interact enough to stay safe, but not so as to attract notice. Your place is here in this villa. Your happiness is here. Don’t let them steal it from you.”

My lips had parted with shock. What was she so scared of? That I would be so emotionally wounded that I could no longer Bless the petitioners? Or that I would leave the family like that other goddess, exchanging this for a more exciting life? Or was it something more?

Despite her words, my determination only grew. This was a new chance to understand the world and find my place in it—beyond the constant effort of forcing myself to be happy.

Drusella pushed the parchment into my hands and shook her head. “I wish we had more time before it came to this. But you areourgoddess. I know you will make the right choices. Try and ensure you are boring enough not to get another invitation.” She stood, attempted a smile, and took quick strides back to the atrium, leaving me alone with the letter.

I stared down at the empress’s invitation written in gold ink and considered again the Aida prince’s offer to help me navigate this world. I wasn’t so naive to think he would do it for free. It would come with strings attached. But if I was careful…

Still, the chances of him visiting before the day of the invitation were slim. And more importantly, I needed to concentrate on why the empress had summoned me, when she’d kicked me out of the palace on my previous visit.

Who might be behind it? The Aida prince? Prince Sebastian? Charity? Maybe even a kind word from Constance?

I had the feeling I’d been sucked into the heart of these games whether I wanted to be or not. I’d have to learn fast.

Chapter

Eight

My maids and I arrived at the palace gardens on the morning the invitation had stated and were told to follow a footman to where the empress waited in the garden. He took us past the manicured lawn until a pavilion came into sight on the far side. He told us the empress was waiting there, bowed, and headed back toward the atrium.

I resumed my walk down the winding path, careful not to tread on the hem of my dress since it was longer than I was used to. I was more grandly dressed than before. And this time, I was allowed to be accompanied by servants. It was good not to face this alone.

Three maids held the flowing pale pink chiffon trains behind me, one from my head dress, one from my sash, and one from my skirts. Flavia brought up the rear, keeping a sharp eye on everyone else. Drusella had taken painstaking effort for me to look beautiful and impressive, without being ‘particularly noteworthy.’ After she had left, I had asked Flavia to bolden my makeup and added a crystal necklace that scattered rainbows across my throat. It felt like putting on armor.

As I walked up the path to the empress’s pavilion, I wondered how my Drusella-approved outfit could be seen as anything but attention grabbing. Then I saw the others.

A goddess walked in front of me in scarlet silk that cascaded down the steps behind her like a river of shining blood. Her golden-brown hair was swept up in a hairstyle that was over a foot tall, woven across a golden frame, with rubies dancing from twisted braids. Her makeup was dark and sultry, and the top of her dress hung loose and sleeveless. It was all I could do not to stare.

Another goddess approaching the pavilion from a bridge seemed to be clothed in pure gold with pale hair that fell to her ankles. A crown adorned her head, its crystals sparkling even from this distance. My floating chiffon suddenly felt a lot more comfortable and discreet. Drusella was right; this was not a world I wanted any part in. Beauty was not an area in which one should compete.

I kept my eyes fixed on the pavilion before I could become any more unnerved and inhaled the heady scent of the surrounding chrysanthemums, their heavy heads drooping in the hot sun. The building was round with fluted white columns instead of walls and marble statues of dancing women between each one. Green and gold banners were strung from the pillars to a central point under the roof, giving the appearance of a tent, and their golden tassels draped to chest height between each pillar. It was beautiful and ostentatious and intimidating. But this was the empress entertaining goddesses after all.

The empress was reclining on gold and silver cushions. A large golden headdress shaped like the rays of the sun formed a halo around her tight black curls.

I smoothed the worry from my face and hoped I could get this over with as quickly as possible. Drusella had told me to be quiet and boring. Maybe I hadn’t given her advice as much credit as I should have.

As I stepped up to the pavilion floor, I noticed a goddess sitting straight and regal on the left-hand side of the empress. Charity. And she was watching me with a large self-satisfied smile. My stomach dropped. What was she planning? Whatever it was, I was suspicious I had just fallen straight into her plan for revenge. I noticed she wasn’t wearing any flower buds in her hair this time.

Before I became too distracted, I smiled at the empress and curtsied deeper than necessary. “Thank you for inviting me here today, Your Majesty. It is an honor.”

She gestured to a seat on the farthest side of the pavilion. “Take a seat, Purity. You have Charity to thank for your invitation. I must admit, I hadn’t thought to invite you to the palace again, but Charity thinks your company is valuable and recommended you, so I am giving you another chance.”

My eyes flicked back to Charity, who was dressed in red. She’d even painted her lips and eyelids a metallic gold. The feeling of dread grew in my belly. She would have invited me here only for revenge.

“I am honored,” I repeated.

The empress’s attention had already shifted from me as she greeted the two other goddesses, who arrived just a few paces behind me. They were both seated much closer to the empress.

The second one introduced herself as Sincerity and presented the empress with a beautiful lacquered vase covered in peacocks. She placed it on the central podium. I noticed she had golden marriage tattoos down her left arm.

“A gift from my family to yours, Your Majesty. It is unique and used to belong to the royal family in Vensala in Vekatna.”

The empress studied it from her seat, then nodded. “It is beautiful and thoughtful. Thank you, Sincerity. I shall place it in my bedchambers to enjoy every day.”

Another goddess arrived, and only one seat remained vacant—the seat at the right hand of the empress. A maid handed around glasses of sparkling wine. I was thirsty after our walk in the sun and took one eagerly. Thankfully, it was much cooler in the shade of the pavilion, and there was a breeze rustling the fabric of our dresses. A green and blue iridescent bird fluttered to the back of the empty chair. I’d never before seen one like it, but nobody paid it any attention.

Charity angled her body toward the empress. “Your Majesty, while we wait, would you like me to smooth out your skin? It’s been a while.”

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