I paused, surveying the temples. This side of the city wall remained quiet, reserved for royalty and nobility. She had never prayed alone. Fyrn accompanied her here; Gayle in Sol. I considered how to ease her—the ritual of worshipping an unfamiliar god, the routine unknown, yoked to the mantle and the pressure to choose correctly.
“I’ll be fine.” She smiled up at me, then gave me a quick pat.
My lips twitched, but no words came. She didn’t worship Elohios, and it would not be proper for a male to enter Veridis’ temple. Without glancing back, she released my arm and slipped past the statue of the goddess. Claus posted himself at the door.
Angry at myself for failing to prepare her, I entered the temple of Elohios.
Greaves’ hands gripped the chains of my mantle, the familiar weight of it singing through me with relief. For years, this had been our ritual. My friend lifted the mantle, placing it on the altar as priests lingered just beyond the alcoves. I retrieved a red prayer rug.
Unrolling it, I knelt before the statue. With sword outstretched in one hand, a balanced scale in the other, Elohios stared down at me. His visage was sharp, unforgiving. Justice and truth.
I bowed my head.Elohios, hear me.
A chill breeze swept through the temple, tousling my hair. I smiled at the cold stone beneath my knees.
Thank you.Faith in the unseen was one thing—praying for blessing on a battlefield, hoping it might be noticed. But this, a tangible answer to my prayer, as if he’d been watching, waiting for me—that was everything.
My kingdom is divided. Guide me along the paths I should take. Let my voice and actions be bound by wisdom. Lead me toward victory.
What was victory? Tallon’s death? If I saw him again, I would kill him. Better he slip over the Craggs than face my wrath.
Greaves’ words nagged at me, urging pursuit.
Should I go after him?I prayed.Or give my people time to heal? Will you bless my patience, or does true justice demand chasing evil until it is snuffed out?
The breeze faded. I knelt, back stiff, ears straining, body alert, waiting for his answer.
Birds trilled overhead. A dragon’s roar echoed in the distance, muted. Voices drifted from Veridis’ temple, a free laugh cutting through the hum. Servants moved in the courtyard, their conversations muted under the scent of soil and flowering plants.
Home. I had to care for it first, secure it before moving forward.
The rightness settled into my chest, spreading a quiet certainty. I was right.
I will take Nienna in a marriage of the old ways. Please—bless our union. Restore the hearts of the people to me. Ease their acceptance of her.
A sudden stream of air brushed my ear, teasing before it dissipated.
His blessing had never been removed on her account. The only sin I committed was my deceit, pushing her away. Our love was pure; our marriage blessed. The mammoth should have taught me that. Even though I loved her then, I’d been doubtful,insecure, fearful of what men would think when it was my god that mattered most.
I lingered, letting prayer sift and order my thoughts in the manner only it could. When peace settled, my plan aligned, I rose to my feet.
A priest emerged from the alcove, rolling my rug while Greaves draped the mantle over my shoulders.
“We are blessed by your return, Your Majesty,” he said, clutching the crimson rug to his white robes.
“It’s good to be back.”
“May the Light of Elohios illuminate your path.” He nodded his farewell as I stepped out into the sun.
Warmth struck me as I left the temple’s chilled shadows. Two sides of the god: fierce love and warmth, chilled justice and wrath.
My steps were careful, silent—not to sneak up on Nienna, but to avoid disturbing her if she still prayed to Veridis.
Inside the temple, a priestess gestured to a plant climbing the wall, a green leaf streaked with pink the size of my face, rattling off some detail.
My wife, however, did not watch the leaf.
Her gaze was fixed on a painting.
