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Chapter 47
Nariana
Istayed for over an hour, catching up and getting to know my siblings again. It seemed Xakiri was a bit of a problem in his primary classes, willing to fight as much as forgive the others. Kynsana was the type of person who became everyone's friend. Jeerad loved knowledge, and the others picked on him for his obsession with books. Then there was Cesyr. He was clearly the one the rest looked up to, but as the oldest it made sense.
Eventually, it was time to head back. Talin and I found Maela with Merci in the nave. The pair were sitting with their heads together, but Merci looked up as we walked in. Maela clasped the goddess's hands almost appreciatively, then stood to make her way over. Merci simply dipped her head at me - and then was gone.
"I just had the most wonderful conversation with her," Maela beamed. "How'd it go with your siblings?"
"They don't hate me." Because that was what I'd feared on the way over. "They're so much like I remember as kids, and yet so very different. I mean, Cesyr is the responsible one! He was always a jokester type. But it was good." I let out a relieved sigh. "Thank you for pushing me, Maela."
She smiled at me like I'd just given her the greatest compliment. "I'm just trying to repay the favor, and Merci said you're right. I need to do this, and it doesn't matter if I'm terrified that the High Priest will belittle me. Someone has to act as the liaison between the temple and the people. If Tath won't do it..." She paused as we stepped through the back entrance and into the sun outside. "Then I have to."
A chuckle came from the bottom of the stairs. There, leaning on the railing, was Zeal. He smiled at Maela in greeting, then looked over at me.
"Was it a good visit, ladies?" he asked.
"Good afternoon, Zee," Maela said, thinking he was nothing more than the priest who'd been ice skating with her last year. "I didn't expect to see you here."
The God of Temptation pushed himself up and then offered her a hand. "You know that Zee is simply a shortened form of my name, right?"
She accepted his hand as she made it down the last two steps, then turned to thank him. Maela's eyes met Zeal's, and the woman's entire body stopped. Her breath slid from her lips and her eyes widened.
"You have eyes just like Merci," she breathed.
"I should," Zeal agreed, "since she's my sister. Zee is my first initial, Maela. It's short for Zeal."
The woman quickly looked back at me, then over to Talin as if she was hoping for some help. "You knew?"
"I assumed he had his reasons," I explained. "When a god isn't ready to reveal himself, it's not my place to say otherwise."
"You were scared of me back then," Zeal said, slipping Maela's arm into his and turning her towards his temple. "Talin and Nari were still settling in together. I didn't want to put too much strain on their new relationship, but I wanted to see if you were all I hoped for. Just so you know, you are. You are becoming a wonderful Baroness. Merci has given me her blessing to claim you as my own. She also said she's not giving you up."
"That's what she told me inside," Maela agreed. "I'm just worried that I'll say the wrong thing and end up giving Kinen more power."
Talin moved up beside me, the pair of us keeping pace, and offered his arm. I took it, leaning into him a little more. Maybe we had been new to each other back then, but I'd still trusted him. I was also starting to see exactly how devoted he was to me. Not to Zeal, but tome.He'd just sat through meeting my siblings without complaint, and now this?
"I don't think you can do any harm," Talin told his sister-in-law. "Maela, Kinen's already taking as much power as he can, and no one is standing against him. No one is holding the purse strings. He has no accountability, because my brother is off chasing his mistresses!"
"Let me tempt you to do this," Zeal offered. "You are falling out of love with your husband. You still want another child. If I can help with that - since I am much more powerful than I was last year - would that be enough for your help? I do not want to lose the Ranndor clan, you see."
"Why not?" Maela asked. "If Tath isn't doing his job, wouldn't it make sense to lift up a family who would? I know that would be hard for me, but whoever assumes the position could fix all of these problems!"
"Not all," Zeal admitted. "That's why I want the Ranndors, Maela. It might also be why I encouraged you to chase Tath. I'm sorry for that, but Merci and I both agree on this. You, my dear, are as much a child of Temptation as Nari is one of Compassion. I want women to stand up and scream for their place. I'm looking for a Baroness that refuses to be meek and submissive. Then she will raise her son to treat women as his equals, not his possessions. Maybe he'll comfort his brother when he's caught in a man's bed instead of shaming him. Right now, there is no more suitable family than the one you married into. The problem is that the Baron I need isn't the Baron I got. Tarben died much too soon."
"Can I bargain for this like Nari did?" Maela asked.
Zeal's response was to laugh. Not a polite chuckle, but a guffaw that seemed to break free of his control. He looked over at me and smiled, then back to Maela. "Oh, you are too perfect for this. Just for that, yes, I will bargain. What would you like in exchange if a child isn't enough?"
"Yamina doesn't want to get married yet," Maela said. "Zeal, she's not swooning over boys like I was at her age. She can play the games, but I'm convinced that marriage would break her spirit. The bright girl she is would become depressed and sullen at best, if she didn't simply give up and take her life!"
"So..." Zeal said, dragging the word out, "in exchange for Yamina's freedom and a second child for you, you will agree to speak to the High Priest and assume the responsibilities of the Baroness of Temptation? Is that all you want?"
"Ask for more," I told her. "The way he said that makes me think you're giving in too easily."
"You're supposed to be on my side," Zeal teased. "But I'll sweeten the deal. How about a safe future as well, regardless of what happens in the Ranndor household?"
"Sold," Maela agreed. "I'll make an appointment with the High Priest today." Then she looked at me. "But I want you to come with me when I speak to him."
