Page 23 of Ties of Deception

I smiled politely, not meeting his eyes in case Constance misinterpreted my intentions. “Constance has been very kind and helpful today.”

“I’m sure she has.” He was smiling at her now, fondness clear in his eyes. He held out his arm to the older Grace. “If Purity will excuse us, shall we take our normal afternoon walk?”

I curtsied again. “Of course. I hope both of you have a pleasant afternoon.”

I turned and was surprised to see one of the empress’s servants waiting behind me. He bowed. “Lady Purity. Her Majesty has requested you attend an etiquette lesson this afternoon. She is known to sometimes generously offer these to new Graces. If you would follow me.”

I couldn’t think of anything more boring. I tried not to show my displeasure. The deep exhaustion of walking on eggshells and remaining constantly alert was starting to wear me down. But I nodded and followed the servant.

Constance spoke from behind me. “I look forward to seeing you tomorrow, Purity.” I turned to give her a smile and incline my head before following the servant to the lesson.

We weaved through the gardens at a gentle pace, and I wondered what fresh torture awaited me.

As we crossed over one of the arching bridges, I saw the Aida prince still talking with Serene, his Aida retinue of stoic men not too far behind. His posture was straight, his arms folded, and he seemed menacing even from that distance. Serene didn’t seem to mind however, and he responded to her with a slightly amused smile on his face. Did he visit other Graces in the middle of the night and throw rocks across their floors? Well, if he took Serene as his bride to the undying lands, at least then he would leave me alone. It didn’t seem like she would mind. Still, something inside me was uncomfortable with that thought. The emotion was gone before I could decipher what it was.

His dark eyes glanced at me as I passed, but they held no flicker of recognition. In fact, apart from the brief look, he completely ignored my presence. Was it because he preferred Serene? Or because I’d told him to stay away? Or because he was worried I would humiliate him in public? I tucked the thought away to mull over later.

Chapter

Nine

Pris gasped. “You spoke to Constance? Did you know she has eight temples devoted to her in Fierro alone?”

Pris was the only family member who had escorted me to Fierro, since Drusella and Hermon were caught up with business back in Yienna. She fluttered around as Flavia dressed me for my second day accompanying the empress. I wished it were possible for goddesses to be ill. After yesterday, my stomach was a mass of nerves as I considered what might happen. The boring etiquette lesson, in which I’d been given a long list of hundreds of rules I shouldn’t break, had only made things worse. I longed for the peace and quiet and simplicity of Yienna. Maybe after this visit, I would be more appreciative of what I had. Maybe that was the key to my happiness and Blessing the people of the Riverside District. The thought cheered me up.

I didn’t respond, but Pris continued anyway. “They say Constance has Blessed more people than any other Grace that has ever existed, because she is so reliable and so generous. People travel from all over to her temples at the chance of getting even vaguely close to her. She is especially gifted at curing infertility or problems with babies in the womb. Pregnant ladies line up for hours for the chance of their baby being Blessed. Though it’s exciting you saw Charity too. Charity believed to be able to heal any illness—she can bring people back from the brink of death with a glance from her litter. Then there’s Serene. Have you met her? She’s young—about ten, I think—but she is said to make every crop she passes taste exquisite. And then…”

I cut her short. “Pris, have you ever heard of Sincerity?”

She pursed her lips and frowned. “I think she’s married to the brother of the ambassador of Vekatna who immigrated to Atos.” She smiled as if proud of herself for remembering. “She’s not as interesting as Constance or Charity though. You could…”

“And what happens to goddesses when they retire?”

She stopped mid-sentence and stumbled a little on her words as if she’d never thought about it before. “I…don’t know. They just leave and go somewhere. Probably have a nice island or something to live out their immortal days.”

I frowned.

Pris brushed my arm. “You’re not thinking of retiring, are you? We can always lower the number of petitioners we allow through.”

I huffed a laugh and smiled reassuringly. “No, of course not. I just heard it can be a consequence if you displease the empress.”

“Oh.” She bit her lip and looked down, seeming to think that over. I lifted my arms for Flavia to fit a braided gold sash around my waist. “Maybe it would be good for us to return home soon if you’re worried about that. Mother and Father and the entire Riverside District would be devastated to lose you so soon. And before you’ve fully come into your power.”

“I’m being careful, Pris. But yes, it would be good to go home as soon as I’m excused by the empress.”

Pris frowned for a moment, becoming uncharacteristically serious. “Your happiness is the most important thing, Purity. It’s all right to be selfish here—more than all right. Every sliver of happiness you gain for yourself helps your people. So it’s our duty to win every scrap. If you say the word, we’ll go home, and Mother will write to the empress with some excuse.”

Her words warmed my heart, even though I knew my happiness was also what would bring her and her family the most Blessings. I winked at her. “If I need an escape plan, I’ll let you know.”

I arrivedat the gardens earlier than I needed to. I wanted the chance to clear my head and prepare myself for the mental battles that were to come, and the palace grounds were like another world, shrouded in calm and beauty. I left my three maids near the pavilion, wanting a rare moment alone.

As I walked, I practiced making the flowers bloom, shutting away the negative emotions and focusing on the happy ones. I focused on the warmth of the early sun as it kissed my cheeks, the sound of the birds, the beauty of the flowers and butterflies. This garden provided a lot of inspiration.

After wandering aimlessly, I came across a maze of thick laurel bushes almost twice as tall as me. I stood at the entrance thinking that if I got lost inside and then became late for the empress’s lunch gathering, I would not forgive my own stupidity.

I was about to walk past when a figure appeared, approaching from the opposite direction. I straightened up when I recognized Prince Sebastian. He was also alone with no retainers.

The prince grinned and gestured for me to follow him behind the hedge. I glanced around the empty garden in confusion before following him, determined not to venture far from the entrance of the maze.

---