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"And our temple doesn't care," I assured him. "Lady Ranndor is merely the other half of Lord Ranndor. Not his superior, and not his subservient. She is his partner, and as such, she is his equal under the laws of Temptation."
"You seem well-versed in some obscure laws," he pointed out.
All I could do was smile. "I am also a Priestess of the Word, Baron. My duty is to safeguard the faith and to help people believe in Zeal. Did you know she was scared of her temple?"
"We tried to involve our children in all of the gods, but Temptation is a little harder to teach them about while they're young," he admitted.
I nodded in understanding. "Well, we've been teaching her. We're also making sure that she doesn't feel like she has to do this alone. She's a wonderful woman, and so much stronger than I expected. Maela is my friend, Weiland. One of the few women I know who is nothing but a friend. I promise you that the priests with her today only want to see her succeed."
"Is she happy?" he asked.
"She will be," I promised. "We'll make sure of it."
"Which means no." He turned and let go of my side, using his hold on my hand to escort me off the dance floor. "It's easier to talk outside," he said softly.
At the side of the room, I noticed Talin keeping pace with us. He was subtle, simply looking like a man going for a drink, but he was still there. Across the room, I could almost feel Wraythe's eyes on me. Not on Ela, but me. Smiling at the Baron of Compassion, I tried to make it clear that this was just a friendly talk, even as the pair of us stepped onto the balcony.
The day was starting to cool a bit as the sun moved lower in the sky, but it was nice after the heat of the crowded room. Weiland led me a little further down, then pointed out across the yard at a lovely pond, making sure I saw it. When I nodded, he moved to lean beside me, a handspan between us.
"The colors of the sunset will reflect in the water," he told me. "It's a bit early to fully appreciate it, but soon the surface will turn to molten gold."
"Are all of the great houses this beautiful?" I asked.
He nodded. "They were built by the gods. White for the temples, black for the manors. The stories say that all six gods worked together on each one, which is why they're so similar. Every house got a focal point, though. For Ambition, it's the mirror pond. For Temptation, it's the view of what could be."
"And what does yours have?" I asked.
"A garden that always produces far too much. The staff gets first pick each harvest, and then we invite the citizens in to take what they can. It feeds quite a few families."
"Which is perfect for Merci's people," I said softly. "She must be very kind."
He chuckled. "We're taught that she's the most gentle of the gods, but that doesn't mean kind is the word I'd use. She's still a god, Nariana. Serving them can be hard at times, but it's rewarding at others." He sighed. "How do I help my daughter?"
"You tell her she's doing a good thing," I said. "You encourage her to embrace her new god, because he has embraced her."
"She was always a gentle child. Tath was a rake, and I tried to warn her away from him, but she was so certain it was a love match, and we couldn't find a better pairing. It's been a long time since Compassion and Temptation married together. I'm sure the culture shock has been hard on her."
"Not as much as you'd expect," I assured him. "You see, Temptation requires a lot of compassion. We need to be understanding. We have to be accepting. It's our duty to be a comfort of some kind, even if it's not what most would expect. Maela's background makes her perfect for this. She just needs to accept that being the wife of the baron doesn't make her his slave. She's allowed to rage now, because that's also a part of our faith."
"Rage against what?" he asked.
I looked over and met his eyes. "Ask her yourself, sir. Just know that if anything, she will make less of the situation than she should."
I turned, not surprised at all to find Talin leaning against the wall, holding a flute of something. With a smile, he lifted it in a clear invitation, so I headed straight for him. Talin passed me the glass, and then his eyes jumped over my shoulder, letting me know that Weiland had followed.
"You must be Talin Ranndor," Weiland said.
"Priest Talin," he corrected, "but otherwise, yes. It's a pleasure to see you again, Baron Bodnar."
"And you've lost none of the polish," Weiland praised. "I'm sorry, I was asking your ward about my daughter. I promise it was all permissible."
"And I was merely making sure she agreed," he said.
But we'd been spotted. Another woman made her way over. "Weiland, what have you found? Priests of Temptation?"
"Nariana, this is Lady Silesia, wife to the Baron of Perception," he introduced.
I bowed my head at her. "Lady Silesia, it's a pleasure."
