Martin was reading the notice from the Empress of Kiam the next day. It was full of diplomacy but also condemning the High Elders for their fearmongering. She also noted that quite a few of the Gods and Goddesses of Kiam’s religion specifically had lovers of their same gender, and nothing evil or corrupt ever came of them. They also had a variety of people who lived such a way in Kiam, and they prided themselves on over two thousand years of recorded history. The thing Martin took from this was a tiny sense of relief that perhaps Rosa, Nathaniel, and Tolomon would still be alright in the next life.
Navir walked into his study without even knocking.
“Martin, I-”
“Have you read this?” Martin asked.
“What?” Navir looked at the paper. “From the Empress?”
“Yes,” Martin said.
Navir waved his hand in front of him. “Forget that. If needed, we can always prey on the fears of Kiam. The war is fresh over. The people still have their doubts about that country.”
“No, Navir, you will-”
“Get in the carriage. There are bigger things we need to concern ourselves right now. Indenuel is preaching among the Oraminians and the lower class, and we’ve got to stop it,” Navir said.
Martin frowned. “Navir-”
“Get in the carriage. We’ve got to make sure he’s not to be believed,” Navir said.
Martin shook his head but stood up. He was going to come, but only because he knew he had to keep Indenuel safe.
***
If Indenuel knew a year ago he would be giving a sermon, he would have laughed. No, he would have hidden in his hut and never come out due to panic. He wasn’t good. He had little practice. He had his paper there, trying to shout as loud as he could so the Oraminians and Santollians could hear, but also tried to emphasize the important and sacred nature of these words. At least Nathaniel and Adosina were there to translate, so he knew the Oraminians were understanding.
The Oraminians would be responsible for the mother of the Savior. Their prophecy was next. They would bring a different kind of hope to the world.
Indenuel had his bare feet in the dirt of the city, but just in case they wanted the actual words instead of the tree talking translation, Nathaniel and Adosina were doing their part, taking turns every other paragraph. They had drawn a huge crowd, not just Oraminian. Tolomon was next to Inessa, as Indenuel was now most concerned about her. It was huge that she came at all. The rock thrown through their window at her made her jittery and nervous, but Tolomon helped her feel more comfortable. Rosa was on the other side of Inessa, watching the crowd.
The crowd was starting to get nervous. Indenuel paused long enough in his sermon to look over and see the High Elder’s carriage.
“I got out a lot more than I thought I would,” Indenuel said, glancing at the few paragraphs he had left.
“Want to keep going?” Nathaniel asked.
Indenuel shook his head, folding up the paper. Nathaniel folded his arms, a ploy to keep his fingers ready to grab his sword if necessary.
Navir walked out of the carriage, smiling far too sweetly at Indenuel as he moved toward him, disregarding the Oraminians who needed to scramble away in fear of getting kicked. Indenuel turned to face him. “May I help you, Navir?”
“High Elder Navir to you, Indenuel,” Navir said.
Adosina took a step closer to Indenuel. “And that’s Warrior Indenuel to you, sir,” she said.
Navir continued to smile, though his eyes turned cold, ignoring Adosina. “Here we are again, finding you sharing information you’ve learned from the sacred High Elder’s library.”
“Seems like you, too, are guilty of that transgression. You, too, share sacred information when it suits your needs. I figured it was my responsibility as the Warrior to balance the hate with some hope,” Indenuel said.
“We meticulously plan what we are to say. We come to it by majority vote,” Navir said.
Indenuel tried not to glare. He promised everyone he wouldn’t get angry. “The Oraminians have a right to know.”
“No, they don’t. They must never know,” Navir said, almost in a sneer. “Don’t you realize what this could do? The power they might try to take, knowing one of their own will be the mother of the Savior?”
“I wouldn’t be too quick to judge people’s actions based on your own,” Indenuel said. “Just because you’re power hungry and need to be in constant control, doesn’t mean others are.”
“You are too young and too poor to remember the last war. Oramin would absolutely do that,” Navir said.
“It really doesn’t matter, though. Does it?” Adosina asked. Navir turned, finally focusing on Adosina. She stuck out more in this crowd for having a dress that was washed before she had worn it, but it wasn’t nearly as fancy as Rosa’s or Inessa’s.
“What are you talking about?” Navir said.
“All of this.” Adosina gestured to the four of them. “You’re not needed here. Indenuel is in a higher social class than you. He doesn’t have to get permission from you to decide what he wants to share. If he decrees the Divine Ages are not to be kept secret, there is really nothing more you can do but let him.”
“No one is meant to have that much power. Indenuel is not above us,” Navir said.
“Tolomon, the best Graduate this country has ever known, was the interchangeable bodyguard between the King, Queen, and the four of you for years before everyone agreed to place him with Indenuel permanently. Not one of you questioned it. Which means you all agreed in a way that Indenuel’s safety was of more importance than the six of you combined. Indenuel’s status came because a powerful prophetess in the second age saw his life and deemed it valuable enough to make everyone notice it. And a questionably valid prophet expounded on his life. None of them, from what I recall Indenuel saying, mentioned you that much at all,” Adosina said. Indenuel looked surprised Adosina remembered so much of what he told her, then glanced at Navir, who clearly showed his disdain for the way Adosina knew too much about the Divine Ages.
“I don’t expect someone of your gender to realize the political ramifications of letting Oramin know this information that could be abused,” Navir said.
“On the contrary, Navir the Tree Talker. It is your refusal to treat me and my sex as equals that has become its own political ramification. One you don’t even realize. You continue to alienate us women, refuse to let us truly live, and when we see you treating our border countries the same way, we feel sympathy for them, and our own allegiance begins to faulter. You honestly think all of us ignored the fact that Kiam has a woman as the highest political power in their country?” Adosina took another step forward. “You honestly think some of us haven’t already started learning all we could about Kiam to go visit her and learn how she manages her country? To see how we can learn to help our own? To use this beautiful treaty of unity to do exactly what it suggests? To strengthen each other through coexistence? And do you know how much some of us resent our own leadership, who continues to stifle who we are just because of our gender?”
Indenuel stared forward, wondering why they hadn’t invited Adosina to their group sooner. Nathaniel raised an eyebrow, his eyes bouncing between Navir and his little sister. Navir narrowed his eyes before he turned ever so slightly to Martin next to him. “You need to control your daughter.”
Martin had his lips pursed together to keep a smile hidden. He was staring at his feet but glanced up when Navir mentioned him. “Control her from what? Being intelligent?”
Navir closed his eyes, muttering a quiet curse before facing Adosina. “Control her from daring to speak to a High Elder in this way. To do nothing more than throw a temper tantrum because she doesn’t get her way. She should know the proper protocol between an unmarried woman and a married man. I do not care what schools you attended, girl, you do not get to speak to someone like me that way.”
Adosina simply smiled. “I understand this might be difficult for you to come to terms with, Navir. There are many, many women in Santollia, and you would have become aware of this internal political ramification if you were smart enough to actually listen to us.”
Navir ignored Adosina, turning to a guard. “Send the military and the Graduates to round these people up and send them on their way.”
Nathaniel shook his head. “No, not the Graduates. They don’t do that kind of work anymore.”
“Yes, they do, Captain Nathaniel,” Navir said.
“Just Nathaniel, thank you,” he said.
Navir turned his attention and, therefore, his glare, toward Nathaniel. “You honestly think you can disregard titles like your father to make you seem more approachable.”
Nathaniel was rubbing his chin, looking genuinely surprised. “No, sir, I mean Nathaniel is my title now. I got a promotion. I’m over the Graduates, so the Captain is dropped from my name.”
Adosina smirked. “It was only a few days ago, so we understand if you forgot.”
Navir’s nostrils flared. Indenuel couldn’t help it and chuckled, which seemed to enrage Navir further. But instead of looking angry, it seemed to drain the anger from his face and he turned cold. He looked at Nathaniel, calculating, and Indenuel felt like he had stumbled into a den of beasts.
“You remember Reynaldo, don’t you,” Navir asked Nathaniel.
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“Of course,” Nathaniel said.
“He was a bright, driven man when he was asked to be in charge of the Graduates. Much like you,” Navir said.
“I do not appreciate threats, sir,” Nathaniel said.
“No, that wasn’t a threat,” Navir said. “That was me informing you what Reynaldo was like. Now, if I had told you it only took us two months to figure out his secret sin, that would be a threat. But even that isn’t much of a threat. Everyone has one. A secret they wish to keep hidden. I always find that it is the ones who look so perfect on the outside who are hiding the most exploitable sins.”
Indenuel did everything in his power to make his face as unreadable as Tolomon makes his. He knew no one was looking at him, but he didn’t dare risk it. Indenuel hoped Nathaniel had the strength to not look at Rosa and Tolomon right now. It would give the nature of his secret away. Nathaniel kept his face steady, firm under the noble mask he often wore.
“It’s so easy to tell when a nobleman is trying to hide his sins.” Navir’s smile was cold. “Especially you. You try so hard not to let one emotion out of your face, but your eyes are so expressive. I see it there, the fear. The worry. You know what I’m capable of doing. I’ve watched you grow up, Nathaniel. I know your life. Every battle, the papers and letters about what you’ve done during your time as Captain, it’s all accessible to me. I will find the thing you want to hide from me.”
Nathaniel took a small step back, keeping his gaze fixed on Navir. “That, sir, is a threat, and will be dealt with accordingly. You do not have that kind of hold over Santollia anymore. I will not allow it.”
Navir’s smile grew, causing the hairs on the back of Indenuel’s neck to stand up. “We’ll see. And I must thank you, Adosina, for cluing me into Nathaniel’s secret sin.”
Adosina froze, then stared at Navir. “What?”
“Your entire family.” Navir shook his head at Nathaniel before smirking at Adosina. “So easy to read.” He then looked at Rosa, who was at the bottom of the stand between Tolomon and Inessa. Indenuel’s stomach twisted. Adosina must have figured it out, knowing that Nathaniel’s hypothetical questions he had asked her were actually dealing with a real situation with them. She was the one that glanced at Rosa and Tolomon, and Navir must have caught sight of it.
Tolomon did not show an inch of emotion on his face, but the hilt of a dagger dropped into his palm as Navir took a step toward Rosa. The dagger was nearly impossible to see, but Indenuel noticed. Saw how steady his hand was as he gripped the hilt. Navir’s eyes darted across Rosa’s face, picking up every inch of her facial expression. “Perhaps I was wrong. Perhaps Nathaniel is incapable of committing sin. But he is protecting you from something, isn’t he.”
Nathaniel grabbed Navir’s shoulder, keeping him from getting any closer to Rosa. Indenuel’s breathing turned shallow, but he did his best to not show emotion on his face. Navir turned to Nathaniel, with an almost bored look on his face. “I expected more of a challenge. Hiding your wife’s sins is such a simple thing to exploit. It will only be a matter of time before I find out the nature of what she did. Even without Cristoval’s help, I’m certain I could beat the record of two months.” Navir looked at Nathaniel’s hand on his shoulder before looking back, far too smug. “Release me now.”
Nathaniel’s face was still as steady as ever, his fingers gripping Navir’s shoulder. “It’s as you’ve said, sir.” The steadiness in Nathaniel’s voice was somehow frightening as well as heartening. “Everyone has secrets, and I know yours.”
Navir looked like Nathaniel had told a joke that was supposed to be funny. “Secrets? You mean everything coming out lately? Honestly, Nathaniel, you’ve seen how I’ve dealt with them. I have nothing more to hide.”
Nathaniel kept his face steady, but in his eyes Indenuel saw a man who he never wanted to cross. “I understand, now, why my father suggested I stay out of politics. It is far easier for me to kill a man than to kill his character. Both are repulsive to me, but I will kill your character to protect those I love if I have to.”
“Unhand me, or I will have you flogged again,” Navir said.
“I will let you go. Once I make myself perfectly clear,” Nathaniel said.
Navir snorted. “Are you about to threaten me now?”
“I assure you, sir, my wife has done nothing wrong, but I know you’d twist everything about her to fit what you want the people to think because you now see me as a threat.” Navir’s smile still held no warmth as he looked at Rosa again, studying her features. Rosa was noticeably trembling, and Tolomon kept the hilt of the dagger hidden from Navir’s view, but still squarely in his palm.
Inessa gripped Rosa’s hand to give her strength as Nathaniel continued. “It’s all a sick game you have. One might almost say you often try to take the place of God. Or should we say the Gods.” Navir’s eyes shot to Nathaniel again, the cold smile dropping from his face. Nathaniel lowered his voice. “Perhaps you still have sway with the people, but everyone can see you no longer have sway with the King and Queen of Santollia. You may have watched me grow up, but I’ve watched you use God’s existence to get the things you want into laws. I have information to greatly reduce that power with the monarchy. My prediction is as soon as the Monarchy knows about God’s true existence, it would only take another year before the title of High Elder is nothing more than ceremonial. Nothing that would have real power in government positions to pass laws. I doubt the King and Queen could possibly take your advice seriously once they knew the truth. And in another few years, even your ability to sway the people will be greatly reduced. You perhaps might find something out about my wife you’d twist into your sick game in two months, to threaten her position in the court and perhaps even mine. However, if you doubt the length I would go to protect those I love, please research my military record. You do, as you so mention, have access to it.”
Nathaniel let go of Navir’s shoulder. Indenuel stared at Nathaniel, wide-eyed, seeing a glimpse of the man that could have gone into politics. Despite his kind nature, Nathaniel could be ruthless in words as he was on the battlefield. Tolomon eased the dagger back into its sheath in his sleeve, the smallest hint of a smile on his face as Navir glared at Nathaniel. Navir had to know Nathaniel completely disarmed him like he was training a new recruit.
Martin placed a hand on Navir’s shoulder. “Indenuel has done no wrong. I suggest we return to the Cathedral.”
“No!” Navir hissed. “Everyone here needs to remember their place.”
“That includes you,” Martin said.
“Indenuel should not be telling commoners or Oraminians about the Divine Ages. This is an act of war,” Navir said.
“The Oraminians have been our allies for over fifteen years now. It’s time we started acting like they are.” Martin strode forward, looking at the Oraminians, speaking a string of sentences in a language Indenuel recognized as Oraminian, even if he didn’t understand it.
“‘The Warrior is right,’” Nathaniel translated to Indenuel. “‘A woman with eyes of blue has been prophesied to be born of kingly parentage among the Oraminians, and through her line, the Savior shall be born who will be tasked with ridding us of the devil completely.’”
“Martin, enough,” Navir said.
“I already told them,” Indenuel said. “He said nothing to these people they didn’t already know.”
“He confirmed it,” Adosina said with her arms crossed. “A High Elder confirmed the Warrior was right, and therefore he cannot continue with his plans to smear your character without smearing Api’s as well. One of their own.”
Navir’s barely contained rage was present as he glared at Adosina before he closed his eyes again, the rage melting away and opening his eyes again, smiling at Indenuel. The deadness of Navir’s eyes made him start to sweat. “I would never dream of tarnishing the reputation of one so grand as you, Warrior Indenuel. It’s already happened.” Indenuel’s eyes narrowed. Nathaniel placed a hand on his wrist, giving him a warning look. “You’re clearly rattled by this entire thing. You’re just too proud to admit your marriage is a sham.” Indenuel’s glare darkened.
“Don’t, sir,” Nathaniel said, a warning to his tone.
“You cannot tarnish the reputation of the Warrior’s wife without serious-”
“Her reputation? No, these are simple facts,” Navir said, interrupting Adosina. “You didn’t know what she was before you married her. You already knew she was well used before you got her, but now this? Loving both men and women?”
“No, she doesn’t,” Indenuel said.
“Obsessed with sex,” Fadrique said. “Getting it anytime and anyway she can.”
Indenuel’s chest heaved. He knew what they were doing. His friends had warned him this would happen, because Indenuel had a temper he was still managing. They were going to make him angry, because it was so damn easy to do.
“I’m sorry we couldn’t protect you from her. I am truly sorry you had to end up with a slut for a wife,” Fadrique said.
Anger flared, roaring through his ears. He had none of Nathaniel or Adosina’s skill at the word. He only knew one thing. Instinctively, Indenuel threw corruptive pain right at Fadrique’s gut, but he simply stood there, his calm smile turning into a smirk. Indenuel turned his head to see Martin, holding out his hand, blocking the corruptive pain.
“Damn you, Martin. Let me go,” Indenuel sneered.
“I will never let you hurt like this again,” Martin said. “Not as long as there is breath in my body. No matter who it is, no matter what they’ve done, I will not let the devil place his mark on you, my boy.”
Indenuel shot his power to the trees, but just as quickly Navir held up a hand, blocking him. His mind went to the sky before that too was blocked off, and he reached for the demonic realm before that was cut off. Indenuel opened his eyes, glaring at the men before him, filled with rage. He wanted to kill. He wanted to break that smile from Fadrique’s face. He wanted to ram a branch right through his skull to prove he was more powerful with the trees than Navir could ever be.
He strained against the blocks to his corruption, watched as the smirks turned more focused. Indenuel about threw all the power he could against the blocks when Inessa appeared out of nowhere, touching his wrist. “Indenuel. Please. Don’t do this. Please stop.”
He didn’t look at her. He glared at Fadrique, sensing it all. The corruptive powers hadn’t lit inside him. They were blocking it, blocking him from getting the red mark on his chest. But maybe he was going about this the wrong way. He shouldn’t have been trying to kill them with corruption. He could just kill him with his sword. Fadrique was not going to remain standing after this. None of them would.
“Indenuel,” Inessa whispered again, touching his face with one hand as she kept a hold of his wrist. “Let go of the corruption.”
Indenuel continued to glare at Fadrique, keeping his hands up, daring him to drop his block. Wanting nothing more than to kill him with a lightning strike. Inessa took Indenuel’s hand, placing it on her face. Indenuel realized he had been glaring at Fadrique the entire time. He tore his gaze away and looked at Inessa. Those perfect emerald eyes were full of tears. “Please. Let go of the evil.” She lifted his hand from her face to kiss his palm before placing it back on her cheek. “Don’t give them another reason to take you from me.”
The anger ebbed away, and with it the desire to use the corruptive power. His flash of anger robbed him of rational thought. Inessa was right. If he killed High Elder Fadrique, he’d be thrown in the dungeon to await his own death.
Martin walked over with purpose, grabbing the front of Navir and Fadrique’s robes, dragging them toward the carriage. Dalius followed.
“I cannot let you mark yourself because of me. I love you. I want you with me in heaven,” Inessa said.
Indenuel touched her face, his fingers brushing against her cheek. “I don’t think heaven will want someone like me.”
“I don’t believe that,” she whispered, kissing him. “Let’s go. The sermon is done, and you are not in the dungeon. It is more than I could have hoped for.”
Indenuel tried to smile, but he couldn’t. He simply looked out among the crowd. Saw their faces give Inessa a distrustful look.
“You’re still shaking,” Inessa said, hugging him.
“The vile lies they’re spreading about you are-”
“Not worth getting thrown in the dungeon for,” Inessa finished for Indenuel. She gave him a tight hug as the High Elder’s carriage rode away.
“I’m… sorry.” He glanced at Nathaniel. “I… knew what they were doing, and I gave in anyway.”
Nathaniel patted his shoulder. “It takes practice, containing a temper like that. And you did. I’m proud of you.”
Rosa ran up the steps, hugging Nathaniel, hiding her face in his chest. Nathaniel hugged her back, kissing the top of her head. There was a noise of Rosa trying to stifle a sob as Tolomon walked to his position beside Indenuel, which was also near Nathaniel and Rosa, watching them far more than he was Indenuel. Adosina walked forward, looking sober.
“Nathaniel, I’m… sorry. I… I looked at them and-” Adosina said.
“Don’t worry, Addy. We’ll be fine,” Nathaniel said.
“Whatever you have against Navir must be bad,” Adosina said.
Nathaniel gave an absent nod, holding Rosa closer. “It is. One no one will ever be prepared for. But I’d rather share it to bring an evil man down than to let him continue to gain power. What makes me nervous is I don’t understand how the King and Queen haven’t stumbled on it already, since they’ve seized the High Elder’s library.”
Indenuel frowned. “I hadn’t thought about that.”
“They’re clearly still trying to hide it,” Nathaniel said.
Rosa finished containing her sob, but rested her head against Nathaniel’s chest. Tolomon patted Nathaniel’s back, barely brushing Rosa’s hand, daring to do something like that in a crowd.
“Well, you were incredible. Not a lot of people can go up against Navir like that,” Adosina said.
Nathaniel smiled. “You too, Addy. Honestly, I’ve never seen such skill. I may have threatened him, but Navir losing to a woman will definitely keep him reeling.”
“Oldest trick in the book. False sense of security,” Tolomon said. “No one would expect it from Addy, which is why she’s so incredibly deadly with her brain.”
She beamed, even as her cheeks burned.