Chapter 1 #2
Harwick was one of the king’s favored noblemen.
He was not known to be a good man and had gone through three priestesses already.
He did not favor the opinions of women, and he was rumored to be teaching his son to take over for him.
An illness was what some people assumed plagued him, although no one had confirmed it as of yet.
Astrid would have to talk to the neighboring priestess, as she did not believe Harwick would reveal anything himself.
She strode toward Lord Tolly, where he sat in his usual plush chair.
The man had been handsome when she’d first been given to him.
She’d been a bright-eyed, new priestess who had sworn she would do whatever she could to serve him well.
Now he was old. His skin was wrinkled. His hands shook when he reached for a cup of tea.
He looked less like the man she knew and more like someone else she barely recognized.
He used to tell her everything. Now, it was a rare moment for her to be called into his parlor.
His voice did not waver as he murmured, “Ah, there you are. I was wondering when you would join us.”
She stood beside his chair and leaned down. Their conversations were expected. A lord always had a private conversation with his priestess when she entered the room. “I came as soon as I knew they were here.”
“Anything I should remember?”
“Lord Harwick is training his son to take his place; that’s why he’s bringing the young man everywhere. Rumors are of an illness that will take his life quickly, nothing confirmed.”
He patted her hip as if they were merely glad to see each other, before turning to the nobleman before him.
But Lord Harwick knew this game. All the noblemen did. He lifted a glass of brandy to his lips and saluted her, not her lord. “So, what does your priestess know of me?”
“I don’t know what you speak of,” Lord Tolly said. “I was merely about to ask after your health.”
Harwick’s brow lifted. “She’s only got that? Perhaps your priestess is losing her touch, Tolly. You should get another.”
These were the hardest times for her. Astrid wanted to reply.
She wanted to argue that there were few people who were capable of finding out anything regarding other noblemen, and she happened to know that was damn good information.
The favor she now owed to the man in his employ was sizeable indeed, and she’d been assured that no one else knew that Harwick was sick.
But she wasn’t allowed to say anything at all. Priestesses talked to no one other than their Lord, at least within sight of the man who employed them. So she bit her tongue and hoped that Tolly would stand up for her.
He didn’t, of course.
Lord Tolly just laughed and sipped at his tea, even though his shaking hand made that difficult. “Ah, you know I wouldn’t get another. Unlike you, I get attached.”
“A weakness.”
“Indeed.”
They talked of nothing for a while after that. These three men had no business to attend to. She listened to every word though, spending time peering through the veiled threats and the laughter of men who knew that they could end the other person’s career with a single word.
Until Harwick started speaking of the labyrinth itself, and she felt her blood run cold.
“It’s just that the king knows the labyrinth could be so much more than it currently is.
Understandably, we’re all aware that some people will find it distasteful to watch what we do.
But others will be very interested in it.
Those with money should be brought into the fold without fear of what would happen if the rest of the kingdom found out.
” Harwick gestured to his son. “Even my boy can see the reason in that.”
The labyrinth was what had been mentioned in the letter, wasn’t it? If that letter had been real and the trolls did have her sister, then they had wanted her to go to the labyrinth and release a particular troll.
But no. She wasn’t receiving letters from trolls. How would they even have gotten the letter to her? It was another cruel trick by someone who knew her story.
Harwick’s son spoke up, unusual for the young man who was known as oddly silent.
“The king is right. The efforts in the labyrinth can only be expanded upon. There are a great many things we could do with it, and the money that would come from the betting is impressive if you look at the expected revenue.”
Tolly rubbed a hand on the back of his neck. “Gambling? That’s what the king wishes to push for?”
Wait, no, they couldn’t gamble. Tolly’s house was already lacking money. They had convinced people everything was fine, and no one would guess that he was struggling, but this household couldn’t afford to be anywhere near Tolly’s greatest weakness.
Gambling.
Astrid leaned down and murmured, “It does not sound like a good idea. The noblemen of this kingdom already struggle with debts to each other. Betting more in this kingdom would only put everyone into ruin more quickly.”
Harwick spoke over her though, and she wondered if Tolly was listening to her at all. “The king would like to personally invite you to the labyrinth show this weekend. He said you would be a good investor if I could convince you.”
And she watched her lord crumble. That easily. He ignored everything she told him, all because a more powerful man had complimented him.
This was going to end poorly. She could feel it.
But if it got her close to the labyrinth, then perhaps this was a blessing in disguise.
She wouldn’t argue too hard, because she still had faith that she could control her nobleman.
It wasn’t like Harwick could hover over the man the entire time they were at the labyrinth. She still had Tolly’s ear.
Leaning down one last time, she had to try to get control over the situation. “My lord, perhaps we should speak on this matter privately—”
Again, Harwick interrupted her. “Tolly, I don’t believe I’ve ever seen so much of a priestess’s face before. Do you usually allow her to shirk her duties so often or is this a personal choice of her own?”
Lord Tolly looked up at her, and she saw his eyes narrow, his jaw clench, and she knew in an instant that the game had changed once again. He had been a man who enjoyed seeing her beauty flaunted, but now another man had told him that he should not.
Therefore, he did not.
Lifting a hand to her face, she covered her lower features with her palm. “I will replace the veil before we leave, my lord.”
“Do that, Priestess,” he spat. “I will not tolerate the king’s disappointment.”
“Of course not, my lord.” She bowed low and headed out of the room, her heart thundering in her chest.
She had to sway Tolly to her side, or she’d be back out on the streets. But perhaps the labyrinth was an opportunity. That letter still burned in her mind.
Perhaps she was one step closer to her sister, no matter how dangerous it was.