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A gasp cut him off. I looked back to the source to see Maela standing there. Placing my hand over Talin's, I shoved back my chair and then headed for her. When I reached the woman, I clasped her shoulders and turned her from the room, glancing back to catch Talin's eyes, because this conversation needed to be had. That didn't mean Maela should bear the brunt of it.
"Let them yell," I told her. "We can have tea in one of these other rooms, hm?"
Maela nodded. "The morning room, I think."
I wasn't sure which room that was, but she seemed to know. As we passed a servant, I paused to ask if they could send a breakfast tea service to the morning room. The young man nodded and hurried off.
The room Maela took me to was on the other side of the house, tucked away in a corner where the men wouldn't accidentally wander through. She claimed a seat, but her hands were clasped before her nervously. I took the corner of another couch, the one closest to her, then reached out to take her hand.
"I didn't mean to cause a problem," she breathed.
"I know. You've always been scared of the Temple of Temptation. Even when you were sent to the High Priest."
Maela sucked in a little breath. "That'swhy you look so familiar! You were the priestess in the Temple of All Gods!"
"I was. So, since the men aren't around, why don't you tell me what is so terrifying about our branch of the gods, and maybe I can help you understand it?" I gestured to my black dress. "I am a priestess, after all."
"And nothing like I was told to expect," she admitted. "The rumors say that you are all lecherous and insatiable. That you will steal a man away in a heartbeat as a sacrifice to your god. That you enjoy abuse, both giving and receiving, and so much more."
"There is truth in those things, but only in the worst way." I paused as a young lady entered the room pushing a cart filled with pastries and a pot of tea. "Can you tell Talin which room I'm in when you're done here?" I asked her. "I don't recommend hurrying about it, though, since I believe the Ranndor men are arguing right now."
The girl curtsied. "Yes, Priestess. Happy Darkest Night."
"To you as well," I replied. "I hope your temptations are the kind that bring you joy."
"Joy?" Maela asked.
"Mhm." I waited while the girl set out the trays, then leaned over and poured both of us a tea. "Do you know why Priests of Temptation offer their bodies?"
"Not really," Maela admitted.
"Well, it's much more complicated than people expect. You see, humans all have darker desires. We rage in anger, preen with pride, cower in fear, and can't help but chase the pleasures of the flesh. And yet, there's always a price to pay. That is one of the tenets of our faith: that temptation comes with a cost. Most people never think about that. They focus so much on what they want that they forget about what it costs later."
"Ok?"
She sounded nervous, so I kept going. "Zeal uses his priests as extensions of himself, and offers us up to mitigate that cost. Most people know about the sexual side of our duty. That we please our patrons' bodies, but there's more to it than that. Anyone in Calseth may request a session with a priest or priestess. It is not assumed to be an act of adultery. Do you know why?"
"Not at all," she admitted.
"Because no Priest of Temptation can create a child. I will never be pregnant so long as I am in Zeal's service. Talin will never impregnate a woman. We are sterile. That means that if a husband seeks out a priestess for his affairs, there will be no unwanted bastards to make a claim of inheritance. There will be no jealous lover to steal him away. Each of us has an emotional partner and a physical guardian. The act of pleasure is fleeting and unimportant, but offers an outlet that can save a marriage." I met her eyes. "For wives as well as husbands."
"Oh, I could never..." she breathed.
"No?" I cocked my head at her and smiled. "Are you honestly trying to convince me that you have not noticed how nicely Talin fills out his suit? Or how kissable his lips look? And you should see my partner!"
"He's not your partner?" she asked.
"Nope. Talin is my guardian. That is actually a closer bond for most of us. My partner is even more beautiful, and in the most gloriously arrogant way. He happens to also be one of the most considerate men I've met in my life, but don't tell him I said that. Eladehl is strikingly beautiful, amazingly sensual, and seductive in a way that's almost hypnotic. He's also why your husband has no problem with you staying away from the temple."
"What do you mean?" she asked.
"I mean that as Lady Ranndor, you would be granted any request for a session of any kind, with any priest or priestess in the temple. If you desired Eladehl, you would be allowed a night with him. A night with every desire you have being fulfilled and no risk of another child to bear. Time to understand what you truly like and do not like in the bedroom. Or a man to scream at, venting your frustrations, who would do nothing more than apologize and beg your forgiveness. Or maybe you want to take a horsewhip to him and just beat out all the stress in your daily life. He would take it, giving you the power and confidence to know what you're capable of."
"But why would a god allow that?" she asked.
"Mm." I pressed my lips together and nodded. "Because if you despise laying with a man, then you are not likely to bear a second, let alone a seventh child into this family. Because it's better for you to scream at someone who will take it than to berate your servants, who have done nothing wrong. Because the pain you inflict upon a priest is always mitigated for us, and it will be stopped before any lines are crossed. You would not be sent to jail for murder because it all finally broke free."
She nodded. "Mostly, I'm just afraid that if Tath spends too much time there, he'll fall into the arms of a priestess instead of me."
