Chapter Nineteen: Devotion

The dispute council was vastly populated, which was the norm when Erynda was called to stand and listen. Her presence had been requested more often than not in the last few months. The commoners had more disputes, more anger towards one another. Today there were already scheduled boundary disputes with two landowners, a tariff dispute with merchants and a guild conflict, though there were many more who came in hopes that their ruler would be able to decide which side was right in their own arguments. 

Erynda also wondered if there was more interest in the dispute council because Malrik had left the throne for these meetings and had given them to Prince Walric. It was one of the first signs the commoners had of Walric assuming the throne someday as king, and she wondered if the commoners found this as entertainment instead of actual arguments, but that seemed more like a hopeful dream. 

She took a seat on the edge. There were four seats besides the throne. One for her and for the Crowned Veil, Elmara. Beside her was one for Lord Jarreth, who somehow was always everywhere, maintaining everything. Erynda said constant prayers to the veil for that man. Sitting right beside the throne was Lord Odran Veyr, the Keeper of Petitions. His whole world revolved around this chamber, these councils of dispute. The throne might say the final verdict, but some questioned how many disputes were actually solved by Odran and not by a king or prince. He did seem to have joy helping Walric in these situations though, and from what Erynda could see from her place, Odran would guide, but he would give time for Walric to come to his own conclusions. 

The final seat, which was below the dias on which the other five sat, was for the scribe, Tavin Pell. A commoner himself, but with a gift for memory and literature. Erynda liked the boy, he still had a glimmer of awe in his eyes that a child has. As everyone came together, Elmara took her place in the center, in front of her brother. She stood tall and calm in front of the large gathering and Erynda swelled with pride at the pious princess. She held up her right hand, her thumb and two closest fingers outstretched as the commotion of the commoners quieted for the beginning prayer. 

“Flame above us, burn without hunger.

Veil around us, shelter without shadow.

Let every voice brought before this council be heard, 

whether it rises from hall or field,

from abundance or want.

Let pride find no louder voice than truth, 

and let power give no greater weight to one soul than another.” 

She then turned around toward her brother, still holding her hand high and did not waver in her gaze. 

“And for the one who must judge, 

grant patience before certainty, 

mercy before punishment, 

and wisdom before pride.

May the Flame reveal what is true, 

and may the Veil vaereth you until truth has found its place.

In Flame we see, Beneath the Veil, we endure.” 

Walric bowed his head and then looked up at his younger sister and smiled. Elmara bowed and walked back to her seat glowing with the approval of her brother. 

“She speaks much more clearly than you did at her age.” Odran said

“Thank you Odran, may we begin our first dispute?” Walric said with a sigh. 

“That was not praise, Your Highness.” Odran needed to make it clear before he began. Everyone on the dias stifled a laugh, everyone but Erynda. 

Her eyebrows had been pushed together since the last of Elmara’s prayer. She kept mouthing the word she heard Elmara use. The prayer was supposed to go, ‘may the Veil sere you until truth has found its place.’ Sere was an old word used in religious text, but one that meant to cover. She did not know what vaereth meant, but there was something stopping her from asking her protege, she had heard it before. 

She sat with her question for the two hour long council as argument after argument was dismantled by Odran and Walric. After each dispute, Elmara walked back up to the center and blessed the two sides to find peace with the outcome. Even in the merchant dispute where one of the men stormed out during the blessing, Elmara stayed calm and continued. Erynda should have been pleased with her student, but worry overcame her. 

At the end while Elmara was called over by Malrik to praise her prayers and self confidence, Erynda walked over to Tavin, who had started to pack up her briefcase of ink and paper. “Good afternoon Tavin. I was hoping that perhaps, you would be willing to make me a copy of our dear Elmara’s opening prayer. I would like to review the progress she has made.” 

Tavin was all smiles. “Of course, High Priestess. I will return to my chambers and make your copy at once.” 

Erynda thanked him and said her goodbyes to the royal children before she departed for her chambers, her forehead still creased. 

As she sat in her lounge chair, staring at her fireplace, waiting as patiently as she could, she kept thinking about the new whispers that had been going around the castle from the servants. They said that Elora had come from a strange place with a strange person and had been wounded. None of that made a lick of sense, and Erynda wasn’t that fond of gossip, but what she did cling onto was one such whisper that said the strange place was called the Veil. That rang out to the High Priestess as something she would definitely look into. The only issue was, the actual servants weren’t there anymore. Lioraen had sent them off to work at one of their summer homes, stating that more help was needed for upkeep. Erynda didn’t believe it for a second. She had heard rumors that Elmara had also been present, but knew that if the servants had been sent away, there was a good chance Lioraen had told her daughter to stay quiet as well. It had frustrated Erynda, but she was willing to let it go, perhaps it wasn’t any of the Veiled Flame’s business, and it had for the most part left her thoughts…until Elmara’s prayer. 

Tavin knocked on her door and presented the copy of the prayer himself with a low bow. She presented a coin for him for his efforts and read the prayer again, and again, and again. Vaereth. She knew she had heard it before. She placed the parchment on her desk and took down her tomes and read, scanned all the pages looking for the word, but none of her books had it. She figured as much, to be honest. Her books were too new, and this felt old. She dawned a shawl and folded the parchment and made her way to the royal library. It was cold and dust flowed freely, especially in the older aisles of the chamber. The librarian never even glanced her way as she rushed in. She knew where she was going, roughly. The older books could not be rented out, they were much too fragile to be brought about, and their worn leather cracked in places. But as soon as she saw The First Liturgies, she knew the chance was high finding the word. She pulled it out carefully, stifling a cough with all the dust it brought as well. 

The large volume made her wish she had more muscle, but she lowered it gently to the large table in the middle of the room with a thump and then prepared her space with light before she opened up the ancient book. She had read from this book before for knowledge about the current religious structure. The book was one one of a handful still around of an ancient collection that predated the current structure of the Veiled Flame. 

She read for hours, taking breaks to stand and stretch, walking over to one of the few windows to see what hour of the day it was. She had seen both day and night as she studied. Finally, after her eyes had begun to blur and her stomach rumbled with hunger many times, she found it. Vaereth. 

“Where the boundary thins, let the Flame reveal and the Veil vaereth, that what walks beyond shall not walk among us.”

Erynda read it once…twice….maybe a dozen times. Her face grew paler each time. Vaereth wasn’t another word for shroud. Not originally. It was another word for hold. 

Back before the modern time of the Veiled Flame, people thought the Veil was something more than something that hid the other side…people believed that the Veil was keeping something there. Somehow, Elmara spoke the ancient word, publicly, to her crowned brother without any sign she knew the actual meaning behind it. 

Erynda knew the path she was going was dark and terrifying, so before she put herself through anymore grief, she decided to make sure, do some sort of true test with Elmara, because if she was right, it would be pure blasphemy of what their religion chose to believe. 

A few days later, Erynda met Elmara by a carriage at the front gate of the castle. Elmara was almost bursting with excitement. It wasn’t too often that Erynda planned trips out of the castle walls to meet the common folk and pray over them. Usually those in need of prayer, who wanted prayer from the High Priestess or the Crowned Veil, would need to make an appointment with the castle priests months in advance. For Elmara and her mentor to go to them was a real treat. 

They both wore the solemn colors of navy blue and black of the Veiled Flame priests and climbed aboard the carriage that took them to the orphanage. Five soldiers had walked beside them, creating quite the spectacle, especially when they stopped in front of the orphanage doors. Solemn children peered out of windows and through the front door as exhausted women ushered them back inside, obviously annoyed at the break in the schedule of what usually went on. However this day Erynda took little notice in other’s annoyances, because she had her own worries at hand. 

They followed the children into their dining room where dozens of small, wide eyed children sat and looked at them as if they were there to give them a vast amount of gifts, and for the first time that day she smiled at the fact that Elmara had brought sweet loaves from the kitchen, bags of them, as well as jugs of milk from the castle’s cows. The soldiers brought them in and gave them to the caregivers, who were demanding the children wait until they were given the order to partake. Something so simple and mundane compared to the catastrophe that played in Erynda’s mind. 

“Good morning, sweet children, good morning, good morning.” Erynda began and the children hushed with the help of their caregivers. “Yes, we are so happy to be able to come and see you from the castle. So happy that our busy schedules gave us this moment to come and visit. Yes, lets begin with a prayer.” Quickly, she turned to Elmara, who was smiling and waving to a little girl in the crowd. She turned towards Erynda a little shocked to see she was being placed in the spotlight to lead the opening prayer. ‘Exactly’ Erynda thought. There was no warning of this, no time for Elmara to plan. She would need to make up a prayer at the moment. If she said a prayer that was like any other normal prayer, then perhaps Erynda was looking too much into the ancient tales and what they meant for prophecy. 

Elmara took her place in the center of the room, in between the four dining tables and looked around her at all the wide eyed children circling her. She smiled at one and then closed her eyes, put her left hand upon her chest, over her heart and the other outstretched with her thumb and two fingers straight. 

“Flame that warms without consuming,
we thank you for this table,
for the hands that prepared it,
and for every soul gathered around it.

Let no child here believe they have been forgotten.
Let no empty chair teach them they are unwanted,
and no absence convince them they are alone.

Where there is hunger, let there be enough.
Where there is fear, let there be shelter.
Where there is loneliness, let there be someone willing to stay.

And where the world has taken what should have remained—
let the Flame remind us that love may still be found
in hands we did not expect to hold us.”

A single flame moved towards the princess. Erynda saw it and shook her head. ‘Just a draft’ she thought, though she refused to listen to the rational part of her that knew it was too cold outside to have any window open.

Elmara hesitated, took a deep breath and continued.

“May the Flame find each of you wherever you wander.
May it know you even when you do not know yourself.
And may the Veil keep from you all that would cross to do you harm.”

Three flames moved this time. ‘Someone just opened a door’ Erynda told herself, though as she glanced at the entrance door she realized the door had been shut and all who occupied the room were still. 

“In Flame we are known. Beneath the Veil, we are kept.”

It happened faster than she could’ve prepared for, though it lasted longer than she thought. All the candles in the room, on the tables, on the banisters, on the sconces, all their flames moved directly to the center of the room, directly towards Elmara. As Elmara opened her eyes, the flames went back upward. 

Erynda couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe, and for a moment she wondered if everyone else saw it, until one of the children spoke up, “Can we eat now?” 

Elmara laughed. “Yes, of course you can.” 

The hall erupted into loud, unorganized chaos as the sweet loaves were brought out and the milk was poured into glasses and the children shouted with joy and laughter. 

Erynda stood in the corner and watched, unable to participate in anything, even if Elmara jumped around to all the children, talking and playing with them as they ate. Being the princess all commoners wanted her to be. Erynda knew that she should be absolutely proud of her protege, but fear had engulfed her. 

At the end of the gathering the children were let out of the building to play and run off all the sugar that had inhaled. The caregivers thanked them for their visit and the two sat in the carriage, back to the castle surrounded by their guards. 

Erynda looked over at the young girl and knew she had to know more. They had gone nearly half the distance back to the castle before Erynda spoke of the prayer.“The children liked you.”

Elmara smiled. “They liked lunch.”

“Both can be true.” Erynda explained. The road climbed gently ahead of them, the castle visible beyond the trees. Elmara held onto the side of the carriage as it went around a rut left by a wagon wheel. “You did well,” Erynda continued. “I should apologize. I gave you very little warning.”

Elmara scoffed with a laugh. “You gave me none.”

A laugh escaped Erynda. “Then I apologize for that instead.”

“I don't mind.” Elmara sighed and shrugged. 

“No?”

Elmara shook her head. “It was only a prayer.”

Only a prayer. Erynda looked ahead. “Do they often come to you like that?”

Elmara glanced at her. “Like what?”

“The words.” Erynda felt strain keeping her voice steady.

“Oh.” Elmara considered it. “Sometimes.”

“Sometimes?”

Elmara nodded. “When I haven't prepared anything.”

Erynda kept her expression pleasant. “And when you have?”

Elmara shrugged again. “Then I say what I've prepared.”

“That seems considerably safer.” Erynda said. Elmara laughed, Erynda did not. “Do you ever know what you're going to say before you begin?”

“I suppose.”

“Suppose?”

Elmara looked at her now, the amusement fading slightly. “High Priestess, I'm not certain I understand what you're asking.”

‘Neither am I,’ Erynda thought. “Forgive me. I am curious about how you experience prayer. You have taken to the duties of the Crowned Veil unusually well.”

Warmth touched Elmara's cheeks. “Thank you.”

Erynda pressed. “When the words come to you, do they feel like your own?”

That stopped her. Not physically. Elmara continued, but Erynda saw the hesitation. “They are my own.”

Erynda relaxed her shoulders and gave a slight smile. “I didn't mean to suggest otherwise.”

The furrow in Elmara’s brow didn’t leave. “Then what did you mean?”

Erynda chose her next words carefully. “Have you ever spoken during prayer and afterward wondered where a particular word came from?”

Elmara's chin rose ever so slightly.There. Erynda's stomach tightened. “You mean at the council.”

It was not a question. Erynda turned toward her. “You noticed?”

“Not until afterward. I thought I misspoke.” Elmara explained. 

“Vaereth.”

Elmara looked uncomfortable hearing it repeated. “Yes.”

Erynda nodded and sighed. “Do you know what it means?”

“I thought I did.” Elmara said quietly.

“And what did you think it meant?”

“To cover. To shelter.” Elmara hesitated. “Something like that.”

Erynda asked slowly.“Who taught it to you?”

“No one.” Elmara said in the same quiet voice. 

Erynda felt defeated, it would have erased part of the mystery of her mentee if someone else taught her. “Have you read it?”

Elmara shook her head. “Not that I remember.”

“Seris?” Erynda tried to think of anyone else, Seris had been by Elmara’s side for years now. 

“No.”

“Your mother?”

Elmara frowned. “Why would Mother teach me an old prayer word?”

“Then you knew it was old.” The question landed harder than Erynda intended.

Elmara's expression closed slightly. “I assumed it must be. You wouldn't be asking me about it otherwise.”

Erynda looked away. Clever girl. They rode for several more streets in silence. “Have there been others?”

“Other what?” Elmara sounded tired of the conversation. 

Erynda pressed on. “Words. Phrases. Things you've known without remembering where you learned them.”

“I don't know.”

“Think.” Erynda’s voice grew frustrated. 

Elmara stopped. Erynda took a moment to realize Elmara was looking at her seriously. “Why?”

There it was. Not defiance, unease. Erynda softened her voice. “Because I think something may be happening that neither of us understands.”

Her serious face took a frightened stance. “To me?”

Erynda took a breath, and then quietly said, “I don't know.” Elmara's face changed at that. For all her titles, for all the composure she wore so beautifully in public, she was still terribly young. Erynda regretted the words immediately. “Nothing is wrong with you.”

Elmara’s frown grew deeper. “I didn't ask if something was wrong with me.”

“No.”

“You answered anyway.” Elmara grumbled. 

Erynda almost smiled…almost. This time Erynda let the silence remain between them for a while. “Have you ever seen the Flame behave strangely?”

Elmara's eyes moved toward her. “No.”

“Never?”

“No.”

Erynda remembered the dining hall. Every flame bending. Every flame straightening when Elmara opened her eyes. “Have you ever felt anything while praying?”

Elmara shrugged. “I feel things every time I pray.”

Erynda wished Elmara wasn’t on the defense. “Anything you couldn't explain?”

Elmara gave a small sigh. “Isn't that rather the point of faith?”

That actually made Erynda smile. “Yes. Perhaps it is.” The castle was closer now. Erynda could have stopped. She should have stopped. Instead she asked, “Has anything unusual happened in your family recently?” Elmara's entire body changed. It was slight. A tightening through her shoulders. A shift of her hands. Her gaze left Erynda and settled firmly on the castle ahead. But Erynda saw it. “El?”

“No.”

Too quickly. Erynda felt something cold settle beneath her ribs. “Elmara.”

“Nothing has happened.”

Erynda tried to hide a growl of annoyance in her throat. “Your mother's servants seem to disagree.”

Elmara looked sharply at her. Erynda regretted that immediately. “What servants?”

“Several people have mentioned an unusual disturbance in Queen Lioraen's study.”

Elmara shook her head.“They shouldn't have.”

There was Lioraen in her voice then. Erynda had heard that tone from the queen more than once. “Perhaps not.”

“They don't know what happened.”

Erynda felt like she was willing to end the conversation until the girl said it. “Do you?” Elmara didn't answer. Erynda lowered her voice. “Was Elora hurt?”

Elmara stared at her again. This time Erynda knew she had found it. “How do you know that?”

Erynda shook her own head. “I don't. Not certainly.”

“My mother said we weren't to speak about it.” The words came before Elmara seemed able to stop them.

Erynda's heart began beating harder. “Then something did happen.”

Elmara's face fell. “I didn't say that.”

“You didn't need to.”

“That isn't fair.”

“No,” Erynda said quietly. “It isn't.”

Elmara stared toward the castle again, her legs began to bounce.

Erynda felt horrible for continuing.  “I won't ask you to tell me something simply because I am curious.”

“Good.”

“But if what happened concerns the Veil…”

Elmara stopped shaking her legs so abruptly that Erynda nearly lost her own balance in the carriage. For several seconds neither spoke. Erynda could hear birds in the trees. A wagon somewhere behind them. The distant clang of the castle gate. “How did you know?”

All hope Erynda had been holding disappeared. “I didn't.” Elmara stared at her. “I suspected.”

“My mother told us,” Elmara held back a sob. 

“I know.”

“No, you don't.” Elmara's voice was suddenly small. “She said it belonged to Elora. She said what happened was Elora's to tell.”

And there it was. Not merely Lioraen's command. Elora's confidence. That made what Erynda was about to do considerably worse. “If this were only about Elora, I would agree with your mother.” Elmara's brow furrowed. “But you are the Crowned Veil.”

Elmara shook her head. “That doesn't make my sister's secrets mine to give away.”

“No. It doesn't.” Erynda bent closer. “But if something crossed the Veil, or if Elora crossed it, then this may concern something older than your family.” Elmara went very still. Erynda continued, more softly. “You spoke a word three days ago that has not appeared in our prayers for centuries.” Elmara's eyes widened. “Today you prayed that the Veil should keep from those children anything that would cross to harm them.”

“I was thinking about…” She stopped.

Erynda waited. Elmara looked miserable. “Elora?” Elmara gave no answer. “Elmara, I am not asking you as a woman interested in palace gossip. I am asking you as High Priestess of the faith you have sworn to serve.”

That hurt her. Erynda saw it. Good gods, she saw it. Elmara looked toward the castle. “Mother will be angry.”

“Yes.”

“You're asking me to disobey her.”

“I am asking you to decide whether her authority is the only one you carry.” Erynda bit down on her back teeth. 

Elmara swallowed. For a moment, Erynda thought she had pushed too hard. Then Elmara whispered, “Elora was bleeding.” Erynda said nothing. “Her hand. Something had…” Elmara looked down at her own hand. “It had torn it.”

Erynda shivered. “Where had she been?”

“I don't know.”

“Was she alone?”

“No.”

Erynda's pulse jumped. “Who was with her?”

Elmara refused to look at her. “No one at first. Then Kossia came.”

Erynda clearly missed something. “Kossia?”

Elmara looked at her. “You know her?”

“No.” It was not entirely a lie. Erynda knew the name. She had read it, but she could not remember where. “What happened?”

Elmara continued. “Mother was trying to help Elora. Kossia was angry. She kept asking what Elora had done.”

Erynda was holding back waves of shivers now. “What had she done?”

“I don't know.”

“What did Kossia say?”

Elmara shook her head. “I shouldn't be telling you this.”

“Elmara—”

“She told Elora she wasn't allowed to go back.” Erynda's mouth went dry.

“Back where?”

Elmara said nothing.

“The Veil?” Still nothing, but her silence was enough. They had reached the road before the castle gates. “Did Kossia call it the Veil?”

“I don't remember.”

“Did Elora?”

“I said I don't remember.”

“Did anyone say what was on the other side?”

Elmara's face had gone pale. “High Priestess—”

“Did Elora say something followed her?” Erynda was panicked. 

“No.”

“Something touched her?”

“I don't know.” 

The carriage stopped inside the gates and Elmara was quick to get out. Erynda followed, not quite ready to be finished with the conversation. Elmara, like the sweet princess she was, thanked all the soldiers and the coachman. She then tried to walk away quickly, but Erynda caught up. 

Erynda tried another question. Elmara was frustratingly hard to get answers out of. “Did you touch Elora when she returned?”

Elmara stared at her. “What?”

“You were there. Did you touch her?”

Elmara sighed. “Of course I did.”

“What did you feel?” Erynda could hear the desperation in her voice and hated it. 

“I—”

“Princess Elmara.” Both of them turned. Thyren was coming through the castle gates. Elmara's relief was so immediate that Erynda hated herself for noticing it. Thyren noticed too. His eyes moved from Elmara to Erynda and back again. Then he bowed. “High Priestess.”

“Thyren.”

“Prince Nokon has been looking for his sister.” Thyren said confidently. 

Elmara blinked. “He has?”

“Yes.” Thyren stood there with a charming smile. 

Something about the speed of his answer made Erynda look at him. Thyren's expression remained perfectly innocent. “We aren't quite finished,” Erynda said.

“Of course.” Thyren stepped aside. And stayed there. Erynda waited. So did Thyren. Elmara looked between them. Finally Thyren said, “I'll escort the princess when you are.”

There was nothing improper in the words. Nothing Erynda could reasonably object to, and yet the message was perfectly clear. Elmara was no longer alone with her. Erynda looked at the girl. There were a hundred questions left, but she asked none of them. “We can continue another time.”

Elmara bowed her head. “High Priestess.”

Erynda walked through the gates without looking back.

Elmara waited until she was well beyond hearing. Then she turned on Thyren. “Nokon isn't looking for me.”

“No.”

“You lied to the High Priestess.”

Thyren nodded. “Yes.”

Elmara was confused. “Why?”

Thyren looked past her toward Erynda's retreating figure, then back at Elmara. “Because you looked like you wanted someone to.”

The relief she felt came unexpectedly. She almost wanted to give Thyren a hug…almost. Instead, she said. “I did not.” 

Thyren glanced toward the gate Erynda had disappeared through. “My mistake. I’ll go and fetch her then.” He took one step. 

“Don’t.” Thyren stopped. Elmara hated the smile threatening at the corner of his mouth. “Don’t look so pleased with yourself.” 

“I wouldn’t dare.” Thyren placed a hand on his chest. 

“You are.” Elmara glared. 

“A little.” Thyren shrugged. 

She started through the gates without him. Naturally, he followed. For several steps neither of them spoke. Elmara was painfully aware of him beside her, matching his pace to hers without seeming to. He did that often. She had never decided whether it was considerate or irritating. Today, she settled on being irritated. “Does Nokon know you use his name to lie to High Priestesses?” 

“No.” Thyren glanced at her. 

“Well, you should tell him you do.” Elmara bickered. 

“I imagine he’ll be devastated.” Thyren added. 

Elmara was quiet for a bit. She knew how Nokon was too. “He might be.” 

“He won’t.” Thyren said. Elmara almost smiled…almost. They crossed beneath the shadow of the gatehouse. “What did she want?” 

The smile disappeared. “Nothing.” 

“Ah…”

Elmara looked at him. “What?” 

Thyren shook his head. “Nothing.” 

She sighed. “You don’t believe me.” 

“I didn’t say that.” Thyren shook his head. 

“You made a sound.” Elmara argued. 

“I breathed.” Thyren lifted his eyebrows. 

“You breathed judgmentally.” 

That earned an actual smile from him. “I didn’t know that was possible.” 

“It is when you do it.” Elmara bickered. They walked a little farther. She wished he would leave it alone, but she also wished he would ask again. He did neither, and somehow that was worse. “She was asking about my prayers,” She finally said. Thyren nodded. “And the council.” Another nod. “I used a word I shouldn’t have.” 

That got his attention. “Shouldn’t?” 

“Couldn’t.” She said, but that didn’t sound better. Elmara picked at the edge of her sleeve. He waited. “I didn’t know I knew it.” 

“What word?” He asked. 

“Vaereth.”

Thyren repeated it quietly. “Vaereth.” 

Something about hearing it in his voice made her uncomfortable. “Do you know it?” 

“No.” 

“Neither do I.” 

One of Thyren’s eyebrows peaked. “But, you said it.” 

“Yes.” Elmara agreed. 

“During a prayer…” Elmara nodded. “And that concerns the High Priestess.” 

“Apparently.” Elmara sighed. 

“What does it mean?” Thyren asked, actually curious. 

“To hold.” Thyren frowned. “Or bind. She wasn’t entirely clear.” 

“What did you think it meant?” 

Elmara shrugged. “To cover.” 

Thyren nodded. “That seems different.” 

“It is different.” Elmara added. 

“Quite different.” 

“I know, Thyren.” 

Thyren raised both hands slightly. “I’m sorry, I was only agreeing with you.” 

Elmara groaned. “You were doing it annoyingly.” 

“It’s my preferred method.” Thyren smirked. Despite herself, Elmara laughed. It vanished quickly. Thyren noticed, of course he noticed. “What else?” 

Her steps faltered. “Nothing.” 

“Ahh, there it is again.” Thyren sighed. 

“What?” 

“The lie.” 

Elmara stopped. “You have absolutely no right to call me a liar.” 

Thyren’s look turned more serious. “I didn’t.”

“You just did.” Elmara demanded. 

“I said that was a lie. Very different accusation.” Thyren’s little smirk came back. 

“It isn’t.” Elmara grumbled. 

“I think it is.” Thyren argued back. She glared at him. Thyren’s expression softened. “Well then what else did she ask you?” 

Elmara looked away. “She asked about my family.” 

“And?” Thyren asked. 

“And…nothing.” 

“Elmara.” Thyren groaned. 

The use of her name stopped her more effectively than her title ever did. “She knew something happened.” 

“At the castle?” Thyren asked. 

Elmara nodded. 

“With Elora?” 

Her eyes snapped to his. 

Thyren’s face changed. “I guessed.” 

“How?” Elmara demanded. 

“Because since Elora had come back, a lot of ‘somethings’ have happened. And, you also looked terrified just now.” 

“I am not terrified.” 

“Uncomfortable then.” Thyren sounded annoyed. 

“That’s not the same thing.” 

“No.”  He let the word sit between them. 

Elmara resumed walked. “She knew there had been some disturbance in Mother’s study. Servants were talking before Mother sent them away.” 

“And Erynda wanted to know what happened.” Thyren assumed. 

“Yes.” 

“Did you tell her?” Elmara didn’t answer. Thyren stopped walking. She made it another two steps before stopping too. When she turned, there was no teasing left in his face. “You did.” 

“She is the High Priestess.” 

“I know who she is.” Thyren sighed. 

“You don’t understand.” Elmara grew angry. 

“Then explain it.” Both of Thyren’s eyebrows were raised. 

Elmara felt heat rise into her face. “If what happened concerns the Veil, then it concerns the faith. I am the Crowned Veil. I have obligations that are larger than…” She stopped. 

“Than your family?” Thyren asked bluntly. 

The words hurt more coming from him. “That isn’t what I meant.” 

Thyren shrugged. “It sounded like it.” 

“My mother doesn’t understand these things the way Erynda does.” 

Thyren considered that for a moment. “Does Erynda?” 

Elmara frowned. “Of course she does.” 

Thyren gave her a second to think. “Then why was she asking you?” 

Elmara opened her mouth, but nothing came out. Thyren continued walking. She hurried after him. “She knows more than I do.” 

Thyren kept walking, not looking at her. “That wasn’t my question.” 

“She has spent her entire life studying the Veil.” Elmara tried to explain. 

“Yet, she still needed you to tell her what happened.” Thyren thinned his lips. 

“That doesn’t mean she doesn’t understand it.” Elmara tried to convince him, though she didn’t know how much she was convinced. 

“No.” Thyren said with a sigh. 

His agreement irritated her more than an argument would have. “You don’t trust her.” 

“I don’t know her.” Thyren shook his head. 

“She is the High Priestess.” 

Thyren laughed dryly. “You keep saying that as though it answers everything.” 

Elmara stopped again, this time Thyren turned immediately. “It answers quite a lot, thank you very much.” 

“To you.” 

“Yes! To Me!” 

Something in her voice must have warned him, because his expression changed. He didn’t apologize, but when he spoke again, his voice was gentler. “I don’t think your faith is foolish, Elmara.” 

She hadn’t realized until then how badly she wanted to hear him say that. She shuffled her stance before she answered. “I know.” 

“Do you now?” Thyren asked. She nodded quickly. Thyren shoved his hands into his pockets. “You pray, you fast, you stand in rooms full of people and somehow make them quiet just by opening your mouth. Whatever you find in all of that…” He shrugged. “It’s yours.” Elmara didn’t know what to say to that. “But, Erynda isn’t the Flame.” 

Her chest tightened. “No.” 

“She isn’t the Veil either.” Thyren continued. 

“No.” Elmara answered again. 

“Then perhaps, you don’t owe her every answer simply because she asks for it.” 

Elmara looked toward the castle. “Mother told us not to speak about what happened.” 

“But you did.” Thyren told her. 

Elmara sighed loudly. “Yes.” 

Thyren was quiet for a moment. “Do you regret it?” 

The answer should’ve been simple. She had acted in service of the faith. If something involving Elora threatened the Veil, Erynda needed to know. Elmara knew that, she believed it. So why did she feel sick? “I don’t know.” Thyren nodded. He didn’t tell her what she should have done. Somehow that made it worse. “You think I was wrong?” 

He tousled his yellow hair. “I think you think you were.” 

Elmara looked at him sharply. “That isn’t an answer. 

“No.”

“You’re infuriating.” Elmara grumbled and walked faster. 

“So I’ve been told.” Thyren laughed. 

“By Nokon?” 

“Frequently.” She almost smiled again. They had reached the corridor that would eventually take Elmara toward her rooms. Thyren slowed his walk. “Will you tell your mother?” 

Elmara’s stomach dropped. “I don’t know.” 

“Elora?” 

That felt worse. “I don’t know.” 

Thyren studied her. Then, mercifully, he nodded. “All right.” 

Elmara frowned. “That’s all?” 

“What else would you like me to say?” He asked her with a laugh in his voice. 

“I don’t know.” Elmara grumbled. 

“You seem to be saying that a lot today.” Thyren mused. She glared at him. “There. That’s better.” 

“What is?” 

“You look like yourself again.” Elmara’s glare disappeared. For one strange moment, neither of them moved, then Thyren bowed. Not the exaggerated, mocking bow he sometimes gave her. A real one. “Princess.” He turned away. 

“Thyren.” Elmara said and he looked back. “Thank you.” 

His expression softened. “For lying to the High Priestess?” 

Elmara gave a slight smile. “For noticing.” 

Something flickered across his face. “Someone should.” Then, he turned again and left her standing there. 

Elmara watched him disappear around the corner. Only when he was gone did she realize she had reached for the pendant at her throat. Her fingers closed around it. The question of whether she should’ve said anything to the High Priestess rested on her heart like a hot skillet. She wanted to believe she had done what was required of her. She was almost certain of it…almost.