Lisette said no more, and so Esofi started off in the direction of her room. Lexandrie was nowhere to be found, but Mireille was waiting in the sitting room and leapt to her feet eagerly when Esofi entered.
“This came for you, Princess!” said Mireille, holding out a stack of parchment. Esofi went to accept it, but Lisette intercepted her, snatching the pages from Mireille’s hands and examining each one individually for poisons or powders before passing them on to Esofi.
Esofi scanned the text. It was a marriage contract, nearly identical to the one her parents had signed for her when she was three years old. The only difference seemed to be the name of her groom, but Esofi knew she had to read it carefully to be certain.
“His Majesty’s squire came and delivered it while you were gone,” explained Mireille. “If you are amenable to the terms, there will be an official signing in two days’ time.”
“I see,” said Esofi. “And where is Lexandrie?”
“She went to speak with Mistress Abbing, that housekeeper,” said Mireille. “She dislikes the layout of our room. I think she’s going to make those poor servants move our furniture around!”
Esofi gave a little sigh. “Very well. Mireille, will you please send a servant to tell Captain Henris that I require a chest with five thousand pieces of Rhodian gold to be fitted to my carriage and a formal escort to the Great Temple of Iolar? I believe the offering should be made today. If you should happen upon Lexandrie along the way, tell her that I would appreciate her company.”
Mireille was off in a flash, and Esofi went into her room to check that she had not become too disheveled during her meeting with the crown princess. She applied a new coat of paint to her lips and then sat down to review the contract His Majesty had sent.
Mireille was the first to return, and Lexandrie shortly thereafter. While Mireille was capable of restraining herself for fear of asking impertinent questions, Lexandrie had no such qualms.
“You met the crown princess, didn’t you?” asked Lexandrie, pushing the papers down out of Esofi’s face. “What was she like?”
“Tall,” said Esofi, turning her body away from her cousin so that she couldn’t damage the parchment. “Loud.”
“That’s what I’ve heard. They say she’s an inebriate.” Lexandrie looked pleased with herself for sharing this gossip. “And she has openly declared she does not wish to rule Ieflaria.”
“Then it is fortunate that the gods seldom grant wishes,” said Esofi, not taking her gaze off the contract.
“Esofi, I’m serious!” huffed Lexandrie. “What if she refuses to take the throne after her parents die? Where will that leave you?”
“There is time enough for that,” said Esofi. “Their Majesties are in excellent health. I understand your concerns, Lexandrie, but right now, there is little I can do about Adale’s poor ambitions.”
Eventually, a servant arrived with the news that Esofi’s carriage was ready, and so they all went down to the stables. A combination of royal Ieflarian guards and Rhodian battlemages stood in formation around the carriage, and Captain Henris was talking to another uniformed man. His breastplate was inscribed with the image of a dagger, marking him as a soldier of Reygmadra and the crown.
“Princess,” said Captain Henris, turning toward her. “Are you ready?”
“I am,” said Esofi. She glanced over at the other man. “Sir.”
“This is Captain Lehmann of the royal guard,” said Henris. “He has insisted upon adding his own guards to the procession.”
Esofi didn’t particularly care which soldiers accompanied her to the temple. It was less than two streets away, and she sincerely doubted anyone would be foolish enough to attack a royal carriage in broad daylight on a public street in the most expensive district of Birsgen. But it seemed Captain Henris was interpreting the offer to mean that Lehmann felt the battlemages would not be adequate protection.
Esofi decided not to press the issue. Henris’s pride would mend, and she wanted to get to the temple before it filled for evening prayer. She climbed into the carriage, ladies behind her. Resting on the floor was a small wooden chest that held the offering for Iolar.
The gold, jewels, and assorted luxury items that Esofi had brought from Rhodia had been stored in the Birsgenan vaults immediately after their arrival. These vaults were located deep beneath the castle, and everything Esofi had brought would remain there until it was needed, safe and secure, though some would be withdrawn and given to the Temple of Pemele on the day of Esofi’s wedding.
The carriage ride was barely fifteen minutes long, and Mireille spent the entire time peeking out the curtains to see how many Birsgeners were gawking.
“Someone needs to sew a dress onto that statue,” grumbled Lexandrie. Esofi followed her gaze to the Temple of Dayluue and immediately understood what her cousin meant. Dayluue was the Goddess of Romantic Love, and her iconography reflected that. Dayluue had not been highly regarded back in Rhodia, despite her status as Seventh of the Ten, and sometimes, it seemed like the Rhodian nobility wanted to forget she even existed. But in Ieflaria, the Temple of Dayluue was far more popular. The priestesses even conducted weddings for those who did not feel comfortable in the Temple of Pemele.
When the carriage came to a halt, Esofi waited for a footman to open the door before climbing out onto the front steps of the temple.
The Great Temple of Iolar was the largest religious building in all Ieflaria, but Esofi had only caught a glimpse of it when they’d initially come into the city. Now, with the walkways far less busy, Esofi could appreciate its beauty.
Unlike the majority of the city, which had been built in gray stone and dark wood, the temple was made of gleaming white marble. The sight of it made Esofi momentarily long for the palace that she had grown up in. The outer walls were covered in multiple raised carvings of the sun, the symbol of Iolar, gilded in gold. Two guards had been posted at each golden sun.
Henris came to stand beside Esofi while she waited for the servants to withdraw the offering chest from the carriage. When two of the footmen had it balanced between themselves, she unfurled her parasol and led the procession up the smooth steps into the temple’s main courtyard. The temple guards bowed as she passed.
Inside the courtyard was a well-maintained grassy lawn, with a curving path of marble cutting through it. The inner walls were even more ornate than the outer, depicting scenes of caravans traveling on roads, farmers working at their fields, and judges presiding over their courtrooms.
The large doors at the end of the path that led into the interior of the temple opened, and a graying man wearing the garments of an archpriest stepped out. He walked with great purpose, shoulders back and chin held high as his yellow robe fluttered behind him. Sunlight caught the rings on his fingers, casting orbs of multicolored light against the walls. He was not without his own attendants, either. Behind him was an entourage of priests and temple acolytes.
“I have come to pay tribute to Iolar in gratitude for my safe journey from Rhodia,” announced Esofi, inching aside so that the footmen could come forward with the chest, which the acolytes were happy to take off their hands. “You will find exactly five thousand gold Rhodian pieces within. Captain?”
Captain Henris withdrew a key from the pocket of his long coat and passed it over to the archpriest.
“Iolar’s eyes are upon you, Princess,” said the archpriest. “Your devotion has not gone unnoticed.”
“I would also like to spend a few moments in the temple in prayer,” said Esofi. From behind her, she heard Lexandrie give a quiet groan.
Esofi elected to ignore it.
Chapter Two
ADALE