by Effie Calvin
“Maybe you can go yourself,” suggested Vitaliya. “Meet with them and show them you’re nothing like your family.”
“It’s probably not a good idea right now, but I’d like to someday. Though I’d not blame them for refusing to host me.”
“I’ll go ahead of you, then!” said Vitaliya. “And I’ll threaten them! I’ll tell them if they refuse to see you, I’ll—”
“Hold your breath until you faint?”
“Yes!” Vitaliya smiled. “How did you guess?”
Ioanna laughed and stepped away from her desk. The letter could wait. It would be weeks, perhaps even months, before she could really begin to think of reaching out to the Masimi people, and they might never forgive her for her father’s crimes.
She went to Vitaliya, who reached out her arms to receive her. Ioanna would miss her terribly, but at least it would only be a temporary separation. And she’d have more than enough work to keep her busy in the meantime. With any luck, the weeks would fly past.
“You’ve been working too hard,” said Vitaliya. “What’s the point of being empress if you can’t order people to do everything for you?”
“Unfortunately, there are some matters that only I can handle.”
“I warned you about this! Didn’t I? I said it would be much easier to just run away. We could have been fisherwomen in a driftwood hut, but now you’re stuck being empress for the rest of your life, and I’m stuck watching you be empress for the rest of my life.”
They fell onto the mattress together.
“The rest of your life?” Ioanna murmured. Their faces were only inches apart, and Vitaliya’s eyes glimmered in the candlelight. “That’s quite a long time.”
“Longer than you think! I’m going to live forever!”
“You just decided that, did you?”
“Yes, just now.” Vitaliya wriggled closer. Then she calmed a little. “Really though. If you ever want to run away, I’ll follow you. No questions.”
“I won’t run away,” said Ioanna.
“I know you won’t, but it’s nice to have options, even if you never use them.” Vitaliya smiled at her and wrapped one of her arms around Ioanna’s back. “Think about that when you’re sitting in those terrible meetings. Think about all the places we could run away to.”
“It might be difficult at first,” agreed Ioanna. “But I think things in Xytae are going to get better. Once things get settled, and people realize I’m not going to ruin their lives, I think things should improve.”
She was also looking forward to the formal assessment of her blessing. Of course, she had no doubt of her status as a Truthsayer, but it would put the matter to rest, assuring both those who supported her and those who still doubted.
Normally, such assessments would be carried out in the privacy of a temple, but Archpriest Lailus had rather gleefully suggested they assess her in the palace before the entire court. Ioanna could think of no reason to refuse. They were only waiting on the arrival of Justices from the Order of the Sun so the assessment would not have to be done twice.
“I told you they’d love you,” said Vitaliya. “Didn’t I? And I was right.”
“It’s still a bit early to say—”
“No, it’s not! I’ve been wandering around the palace all day, and nobody has a single bad thing to say about you. Even when I hide under tables to listen in. They’re even talking about attending Sunrise services. So much for Reygmadra!”
“It’s as you said. They know which way the wind is blowing.” Ioanna sighed. “But I suppose it’s a start. Until I can win them over truly.”
“You have time,” encouraged Vitaliya. “You have years. And I’ll be here too. Once the wedding is done, I’ll be back before you know it. And then…” Her voice trailed off as though she was uncertain.
“What?” asked Ioanna.
“I expect there will be a prince or two—”
“Stop that!” Ioanna sat up and seized a pillow, striking Vitaliya with it until she shrieked with laughter and feathers filled the air. “There will be no prince! There is only you! Now tell me you understand!”
“All right! All right!” Vitaliya gasped for air through her wild laughter. “I’m sorry! I take it back!”
Ioanna released the pillow and lay back down beside her. “You don’t really think I’d accept anyone else trying to court me, do you?”
“No,” Vitaliya said. “I don’t.”
It was not a lie. It was the truth. Ioanna reached her arm out again to pull Vitaliya close once more, determined to savor what little time they had together before her departure. “Maybe they’ll come, but I’ll send them away. I’ll be very clear about it. I’ll accept no would-be suitors so long as you’re with me.”
“You might never have a suitor again, in that case.”
“That is my hope,” said Ioanna. “That, I think, would be ideal.”
Major Gods of Inthya
INTHI: God of Creation and First of the Ten. Inthi is a contemplative and peaceful god who encourages innovation in their followers. Their plane in Asterium is called Ithis, and it is there that Inthi is said to design and build marvelous creations beyond the comprehension of mortals.
MERLA: Goddess of the Sea and Second of the Ten. Like the sea itself, she cannot be reasoned with and appears to lack empathy. However, she is not malevolent and can just as easily be a friend to lost sailors if the mood strikes her. Her plane, Salis, is an endless ocean.
EYVINDR: God of the Harvest and Third of the Ten. Eyvindr is a generous god who appreciates hard work and dedication, and farming communities usually feature his temples at their center. His plane, Cembra, is farmlands surrounded by verdant forests.
IOLAR: God of Law and Fourth of the Ten. He is the patron of regents and lawmakers. He commands people to be orderly, compassionate, and to value the collective over the individual. His plane, Solarium, is a city where those who have upheld the law are allowed to spend eternity.
TALCIA: Goddess of Magic and Fifth of the Ten. She is the patron of hunters, hermits, and magical creatures. She created unicorns, dragons, gryphons, and many species who all call her their mother. Her plane, Dia Asteria, is a mountainous wilderness.
PEMELE: Goddess of Family and Sixth of the Ten. She is the patron of parents, families, and midwives. Her teachings emphasize strength in numbers and the importance of community. Her plane, Vela, appears to viewers as the place where they spent their own childhood.
DAYLUUE: Goddess of Love and Seventh of the Ten. Dayluue is a joyful and carefree goddess, though her anger is a terrible thing to see. Her teachings emphasize the formation of healthy relationships and knowing one’s own wants, needs, and limitations, as well as respecting others’. Her plane, Vanya, is an endless summer garden.
REYGMADRA: Goddess of Warfare and Eighth of the Ten. Reygmadra values the pursuit of victory and freedom over all else. Her plane, Vailyon, is a battlefield where history’s greatest warriors gather to test their skills against one another.
ERAN: God of Dreams and Ninth of the Ten. Eran is a strange and enigmatic god associated with sleep, the future, and the subconscious. They devised dreams as a way for mortals to explore their own minds and discover new possibilities within themselves. Their plane, Ivoria, exists as a place of light and mist where anything and everything can happen.
ADRANUS: God of Death and Tenth of the Ten. He is the patron of healers and scientists. He encourages his followers to attempt to comprehend the unknown whenever they can. His plane, Iestil, is the final resting place for any mortals who have not been invited into the planes of any other gods.
About the Author
Effie is definitely a human being with all her own skin, and not a robot. She writes science fiction and fantasy novels and lives with her cat in the greater Philadelphia area.
Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @effiecalvin
Website: www.effiecalvin.com
Other books by this author
The Queen of Ieflaria
Daughter of the Sun
The Queen of Rhodia
Also Available from NineStar Press
Connect with NineStar Press
Website: NineStarPress.com
Facebook: NineStarPress
Facebook Reader Group: NineStarNiche
Twitter: @ninestarpress
Tumblr: NineStarPress
