Page 26 of Ties of Deception

The empress barely concealed her glare.

I leaned forward to plead my case. I was becoming increasingly convinced that being retired was something I wanted to avoid at all costs. “Please let me go home to my family. They would be so devastated if I was retired. Today has just been a shock. I won’t tell anyone about it. And away from the pressures of court, I’m sure I will manage my emotions well.”

The empress didn’t seem convinced. The woman beside me stepped forward. “Maybe we could reassess the situation in a week?”

The empress sighed, then waved her hand as if to dismiss me. “Fine, fine. You will return to your host family today. I will send a letter saying you are to have strict rest for a week in confinement with no visitors. The only people who will accompany you will be your maids. The letter will state that nobody is to question you about what occurred here in the palace. After a week, you will leave isolation and have one normal week to adjust around the grounds and family. On week three, you will receive petitioners again. I will ask somebody to keep a close eye on your results. If you are unable to Bless people on that week, I’m afraid, Purity, you will be retired for everyone’s safety.”

I had no chance to react to the terms before the woman was ushering me out of the room. I was too tired to say anything more, anyway. I was just glad to be allowed home. I never wanted to return to the palace again.

Chapter

Eleven

I’d been grateful that Pris had followed the empress’s instructions and hadn’t spoken to me all the way home other than to ask me if I needed anything.

As we pulled up to the house, she touched my arm with a worried expression. “Purity, you know you were asking about Sincerity? She was banished from the palace for greatly displeasing the empress and is staying in her country villa with her husband. She will be well looked after there, so please don’t worry. And whatever happened to you, we will look after you well too. We can ensure you never have to go to the palace again.”

I could only nod and squeeze her hand in thanks. I wondered how Sincerity felt about her banishment. Relief not to be involved with Charity’s games anymore? Or was she now trapped like me in her house? At least she hadn’t been retired.

Once the litter came to a stop, I didn’t even see Drusella and Hermon but was escorted straight to my villa. I could just imagine Drusella ranting about how the court was damaging her Grace and how the empress should leave me alone. To her, it must seem like all her fears were coming true. But at least I hadn’t been retired. Not yet.

I went to bed early and was grateful for the deep, dreamless sleep. I woke late, reluctant to get out of bed, and lounged in silence, basking in the thought that nothing was expected of me today. Then thoughts of Serene returned. Had Charity driven her to do it? The Aida prince? The pressures of being a Grace? At the fertility festival, she’d been asking about the fate of Harmony who Constance had said was retired. Maybe they’d been close friends and Serene had found out something sinister about being retired. Whatever it was, the empress was doing her best to ensure nobody found out.

I rolled over and tried to shake the image of Serene’s sightless face from my mind. At least now I was home, I wouldn’t have any unexpected conversations with Prince Sebastian. The Aida prince, on the other hand…

He had offered to show me what was really going on. For the first time, I questioned whether I truly wanted to know. If there were sinister things happening behind the scenes that worried me, how was I going to be happy enough to Bless all those who depended on me? I was being kept ignorant for a reason. I didn’t want to be retired because I had no useful powers.

But as morning faded to afternoon, my thoughts kept returning to Serene and mulling over every possible explanation. If I didn’t discover what was going on, I’d have no closure—no peace. And I’d be a victim to whoever wanted to manipulate me. Which I was guessing was pretty much everyone I’d met here. I couldn’t turn a blind eye to this. I needed to do something to gain the power of being an active participant in this world.

I dismissed my maids early and went to bed still fully dressed. If the Aida came, I would be ready.

The rock clattered across the marble floor, just as I had hoped it would. I’d left my sandals on since the straps took ages to tie and let them patter to the floor, quickly wrapping my cashmere shawl around me.

I called out into the featureless darkness. “You’re later than usual.”

“I never like to be too predictable.” It was definitely his voice. Definitely him. The cold, annoyed edge was just replaced by a playful one.

“If you want to talk to me, come in and talk.”

After a few heartbeats of silence, he slunk between the pillars into the light from the oil lamp. It was unnerving how quietly he moved and made me spread apart my feet for better balance. Gods of death were built to be predators. What on earth was I thinking, inviting him in?

He swept his eyes lazily around the room, taking in the luxury as if it was nothing. “Are you going to offer me a drink? Or does your invitation not extend that far?”

I realized I had been standing still, just staring at him. I gathered myself and inclined my head toward the pitcher and goblets. “I know you’re quite capable of pouring one yourself. You did when I last saw you.”

He grinned, an expression I hadn’t seen on his face before, shook his head at my manners, and walked to the silver pitcher. He swirled the wine around. “You had quite a shock.”

I didn’t reply to such an obvious statement, though I did fold my arms.

He tilted his head as he studied me with a more serious tilt of his lips. “I’m sorry you saw her. And then that you had to deal with the empress.”

I looked away; the way he was watching me made me uneasy. I didn’t want to relive that moment. “I just…I feel so sorry that nobody could help her.”

The words hung in silence for a moment until he poured a second goblet of wine and strode over to hand it to me.

He raised his eyebrows as I took the goblet. “So how was day one of your confinement? Are you going insane from boredom yet?”

As he moved away from me, I sat back down on the bed. My muscles stayed tense, however, as I watched his every move. I barely sipped my wine. I wanted my wits to remain sharp more than I wanted comfort.

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