Page 235 of A Queen's Game
They pulled back, Marietta using the heel of her hand to wipe away her tears. “I’m forever in your debt.”
Amryth shook her head. “No, Marietta. You’re my friend, and you needed my help.”
“I’m here for you, always. Okay?”
Amryth nodded her head, new tears forming in her eyes that fell down her cheeks.
“I know this is emotional, but we need to move and find Coryn,” Deania said, her hands ushering the two inside.
They wound their way through the temple, heading underground to a room where they found Coryn pacing.
“Thank the goddess,” he said as they walked in, his left eye swollen and red.
“Coryn, what happened?” Deania said, approaching him.
He shook his head. “Keyain’s here. There isn’t enough time. The ceremony is long and we have just enough Iros to perform it.” He sighed, pulling Marietta into a hug. “I’m glad you made it.”
“I only did because of these two. Amryth distracted the guards that followed us from the palace. And Deania—what evenwas that? When you grabbed the guard and then the flash of black?” She turned to Deania as she fussed over Coryn’s eye.
“Pain is the other domain,” she said, sighing at Coryn’s injury. “I expelled energy that flares their nerves, so they feel as if they’re injured, in theory.”
“Enough.” Coryn jerked away from her touch. “Right now, I need to get Marietta to the ceremony. When they learn she made it to the temple, they’ll order a King’s summons, and I don’t doubt they’ll try to infiltrate the temple looking for her.” He held out his hand for Marietta to take.
She grasped it, looking at Amryth and Deania as she left. “Thank you both again-”
Amryth smiled. “No time, Mar. Get going.”
Chapter Ninety-Two
Marietta
“You sure like to get yourself into trouble,” Coryn said as he led her up a set of stairs, further towards the top of the temple.
“I’ve been told that before,” she grumbled, her body exhausted. It took all her energy to focus on not collapsing on the steps. “When you train me to be an Iros, will there be a physical aspect to it?”
“Like conditioning?” he asked, raising a brow, the smile coming easy. “Oh, yes. Plenty of that.”
“Great,” she grumbled again.
“You should be excited. The ceremony is a big deal.”
“I am, but,” Marietta hesitated. “I don’t know what the ceremony is, nor do I know if being an Iros will save me from the crown.” She paused with a heavy breath. “And I don’t know what rules I’ll have to follow. Will I have to live at the temple once I’m an Iros? What will be expected of me? Will I have to be celibate?”
Coryn huffed a laugh, dipping his head down before glancing at her. “I’ve never met an Iros who was celibate.”
“Well,” Marietta said, “that’s good news at least.”
With a half-smile, Coryn shook his head. “The only immediate expectation is that you train to learn her powers, how to control pain and healing magic. After you’ve gained competency, there are tasks we’re given. More often than not, we visit small villages on the outskirts of the city-state where medics are less likely to be and offer healing free of cost.”
“Charity work?”
“More or less. Plus other things arise usually.”
“Like?” Marietta asked.
Coryn hedged, turning his head away. “You’ll see.”
Annoyed, she shook off his answer. “What should I expect from the ceremony?”
