Page 17 of Goddess of the Broken

Tempestfollowedhernosethe next morning to find the dining room. Fresh coffee, some sort of sweet baked good, and bacon had awoken her, mouth-watering and fully alert.

While she didn't need to sleep, she could choose to when it served her. After her dance and conversation with Aiden the night before, she needed a moment of peace from the overanalyzing thoughts in her head. She didn’t know why what he said affected her so much. The only conclusion she could come to was that Fate must have something to do with this. Did they hate her so much that they would force her heart to choose someone who would soon slip through her fingers and turn to dust? Her fists clenched at the thought. These sorts of games were precisely why she had left the land of the gods.

All too soon, the dining hall was directly in front of her. After a quick adjustment of the skirt over the pants she hid underneath, she entered, heading first for the table piled high with trays of food.

Giggles from the end of the long table echoed in the large room. Without turning her head, Tempest glanced towards the sound to find Aiden at its head and all of the other women as close to him as possible. All but Sylvia, who sat at the far end away from the crowd with her eyes closed, grinning from ear to ear as she chewed her food.

Turning towards the table with a now full plate and a cup of black coffee, Tempest considered her options. As tempting as taking her food back to her room was, a letter had been delivered last night that said the first trial of Dei Electi would be discussed at breakfast. Decision made, she joined Sylvia, who cracked an eye open when she arrived.

“Have you ever had such delicious coffee?” Sylvia asked.

Tempest shook her head. “I haven’t had a chance to try it yet.”

“Oh!” Sylvia laughed. “I got ahead of myself. Even though I’ve worked here most of my life, we never get to try the good coffee. Too expensive to spend on the likes of the servants.”

Tempest nodded while Sylvia chatted away and took a sip of coffee. A hint of nutmeg, cinnamon, and vanilla teased her taste buds, softening the bitter drink.

“Did you not add sugar or cream?”

“I actually prefer it without.”

Eyes wide, Sylvia glanced at the cup of coffee in front of her. “You can’t be serious.”

Tempest took another sip. “Dead serious. It balances the sweetness of the foods I most often consume with it.”

Sylvia continued to speak while Tempest picked at her plate, replying half-heartedly when needed. The food was good, but the people in the room were of more interest to her. Most of the representatives had come with companions, who lined the room’s walls in small groups, talking quietly amongst themselves.

As she looked over the women sitting around Aiden, a pair of golden eyes locked with hers. The chatter in the room muted. She darted a glance at a hand as it touched his sleeve, his name falling from the lips of the woman it belonged to. Tempest looked back at Aiden’s face to find that he was still watching her, completely ignoring the other woman.

She smirked and lifted her head as she turned her attention back to Sylvia and the food on her plate. A voice in her head called her bluff as she told herself that the butterflies she felt were in his stomach and not her own.

“If I can have your attention, please.”

The room fell silent as all eyes turned toward Eb, the noble from the courtyard when she first arrived.

“Congratulations on being chosen to compete in the Dei Electi. One of you lucky women will be our next empress!”

The nervous and excited emotions in the room quickly rose with his words, giving Tempest a sudden headache. Holding her head in her hand, she placed her elbow on the table and breathed deeply in an attempt to keep her breakfast down.

“The first trial will be held today,” Eb continued. “You are expected to be at the entrance to the south gate within the hour. If you are late, you will be disqualified.”

The room was silent but for Eb’s footsteps as he exited the room without further explanation. As soon as he left, chairs scraped and urgent chatter filled the room as the representatives and their companions quickly left to prepare.

Tempest’s headache eased as the crowd, and their emotions, moved further away. She looked up to find herself almost alone. Only a few guards, servants cleaning up, and the emperor, who stood behind Sylvia’s empty chair, were left.

“Are you well?”

She buried her shaking hands in her skirt and rose from her seat. “I’m fine.”

Aiden looked her over with a raised brow. “Are you prepared?”

She lifted the bottom of her skirt to reveal the trousers beneath and replied, “I came prepared.”

Aiden smirked. “Of course, you did.”

Tempest shrugged as she turned on her heel and headed towards the exit. “I’m always prepared.”

She felt his eyes follow her as she left the room. A shiver of excitement ran up her spine. Was it because he was watching her, or because the trials were about to start? She didn’t know, but something told her things were about to get interesting.

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