"What do you mean, he's not coming?"

Tahni struggled to keep the overwhelming outrage from her tone, but she wasn't that good an actress and she knew it. Fortunately, the other girl was too busy with setting up a memorial plate to pay much attention to subtle voice fluctuations.

"I mean what I've just said" replied the worker calmly, as she worked a pile of forget-me-nots into a rendition of Mogara's symbol on an empty white plate. Tahni had never really understood that custom, but she was well aware that looking for logic and common sense in centuries-old rituals was as hopeless as avoiding drawing attention to herself. Fortunately, she had made peace with the fact that the other contestants would keep on skewering her with accusing looks for the rest of the day, since the experience she'd had ignoring her aggravating family had proven enough to toughen her hide. But she didn't feel comfortable enough to mingle, so she'd asked one of the girls working in the glade for details.

"I've heard it, too," said Tahni. "Some guy who said he was from the palace just told us. But I wanted to ask for a second opinion, because I thought you had all these things organized."

The girl sighed, careful not to disturb the delicate arrangement on the golden platter before her. Tahni avoided looking at the item for too long, because stealing from the dead was one of those lines she would never cross. Still, it wouldn't do to flirt with temptation.

"We did have it all organized, because that's our job. The problem is that it's almost never up to us to hold to those plans. And it gets worse when we're talking about a really important figure - you never know when something's going to happen and they'll be late or cancel altogether."

"But this is the Monarchy Memorial," protested Tahni. "Even I - I mean, it's one of the most important days of the calendar for a royal. So I figured nothing short of a declaration of war would keep the king from coming."

The girl chuckled, and Tahni was struck by a sudden feeling of kinship towards her. It certainly was a breath of fresh air to converse with a normal human being, and not one of those stuffed peafowls railing in their fancy attires that their time had been wasted for nothing.

"You'd be surprised what excuses the old king used to come up with," confided the worker.

"Actually, I've heard stories about him, so there's little that could surprise me now."

"Not for delicate ears, those stories."

"I never claimed I possessed anything that was delicate."

They exchanged grins, but then the worker pointed her chin back towards the cluster of contestants.

"I think that woman wants you. She's not with us."

Sure enough, one of those rigid palace attendants, the twin of the chatelaine from the night before, came strolling towards the contestants, simply oozing unearned self-importance. Tahni's upper lip twitched of its own accord at the sight.

"Thank you, I better see what she wants," she muttered, squaring her shoulders and stepping away from the wooden beam she'd been leaning against.

"Good luck!"

"Happy days and fortune to you!" she called over her shoulder, catching the girl's startlement. It was an old and formal greeting among worshippers of Denera, the goddess of the harvest whose sigil was worn by the worker as a thin golden pendant. Fortunately, Tahni had paid enough attention during classes about the Pantheon to the point that she could name every god, including the minor ones, as well as common practices and beliefs among their priests and servants. Her motives for doing so hadn't exactly been pure - she'd tried to surmise which of the temples and houses of worship were amenable to being just a little bit plundered, without risking twinges of guilt or too much eternal damnation. So far, Tahni had stolen from several gods without being struck by lightning or succumbing to a particularly nasty accident, but there were also others she would never risk antagonizing. The first among those was of course Mogara, but Denera was not far behind; not because of some gruesome form of punishment, but due to the fact that the gifts and valuables in her temples were donated monthly to the poor and needy in every region of the country. Tahni would never take that away from anybody.

As she eyed the other contestants, she doubted any of them would lose sleep over depriving someone of their only hope of survival. And soon enough, one of these heartless harridans was going to be queen, sitting right alongside a clueless idiot who couldn't even arrange his schedule so as to make it to his forefathers' memorial service once a year. A bright future was certainly in store for the great nation of Kassinem, and Tahni could not be happier that she wasn't going to be a part of it.

"If I might have your attention, please," called out the palace attendant. She was wiry, with a creased face that reminded Tahni of a paper one had bunched up in a ball, then attempted to smooth over again, without ever getting rid of the ensuing wrinkles. She must have had sufficient experience dealing with official matters, so she wasn't bound to be impressed by a bunch of sniffy young nobles. Indeed, she spoke to them all as if she expected to be crowned alongside Eker in a few weeks.

"It has been decided that another gathering shall take place where you will help the workers prepare for the glorious day of tomorrow. We shall count on you to ready the ceremonial beverage. Now, if you will follow me..."

"What about the king?" called out one of the dozens of attendants flocking around the decidedly displeased contestants. "He's really not coming?"

Not a muscle twitched on the woman's face as she fixed the one who had spoken with an icy glare.

"His Majesty is unavailable at the moment," she said flatly. "He will attend us when he is able."

Several voices piped up just then, but the woman had already turned on her heels, striding away from the central path towards the western edge of the glade. Tahni winced as she eyed the uneven terrain she was expected to cross, and shifted her weight experimentally. Her ankle demanded rest, but she could hardly get that while there was still so much to be done, so she simply had to deal with it all as best as she could.

Swallowing a groan, she followed the others, remaining close to the middle of the pack. She considered if not having a lady-in-waiting at her side might have helped with turning her into a target for the not-so-subtle stares and derisive talk. 

It was unusual for a noble-born to go without assistance, but Tahni knew that she only had herself to blame for landing in this situation. Poor Ederra had been exhausted while trying to figure out a way to keep her in the contest, and she had to ask herself whether that hidden corridor had truly been worth the hassle.

It wasn't just the toll on her physical health that she had to consider. She had to admit that she'd felt far more stressed in the last few days than she had in years, and everything seemed to come at her all at once, without allowing her time to pause and relax. She couldn't believe how fast her heart had started beating when Ederra had casually informed her that the king was going to show up. She had no business with him, for Channa's sake! And why should she worry to this extent about losing the chance of pilfering the royal palace? Even if she were to be immediately and explicitly expelled from the trials, she could still very well attend the new crowning ceremony. She could also accompany her parents to any of the events she had done everything to avoid in the past, citing excuse upon excuse to not leave her own turf.

She must have felt it, at least instinctively, that had she gone around the palace more often, she would have begun feeling the temptation and would have therefore been likely to do something very stupid. She trusted her experience and instincts, as Ederra had put it, but also lacked in preparation. Her excuses were flimsy, and the scenarios she cooked up, highly unlikely. She also liked to take on more risk than was healthy for her and was now forced to conclude that she would probably get caught without someone like Ederra to coach her through it all - someone grounded, with a decidedly different perspective than her own.

But now she had no one to rely on but herself, and Ederra counted on her to not ruin it all. So she had to be disciplined for once.

As they approached a cozy gazebo at the end of an intricate path of smooth-cut river stones, the ladies-in-waiting and other servants drifted away, until only the contestants remained, trailing the demanding woman. They climbed up the steps to the platform single file, and Tahni did her best to balance her weight so as not to strain her injured ankle.

Once at the top, she noticed that the space was snug and strangely warm, despite its exposure to the changeful weather. A small bronze statuette stood atop a wooden ledge on the easternmost post, burning incense drifting towards it from a cleverly concealed indent in the floor.

As Ederra had predicted, eight cushions were placed neatly on the floor, in two rows of three and one of two at the very front. Tahni moved swiftly towards the cushion at the left corner nearest the exit, longing to sit down at last, but having to postpone that relief until the palace attendant finished with her instructions.

"This is the Shrine of the Clear-Eyed," she began, as soon as all the girls had ceased their shuffling. "It has been erected in honor of High Priestess Alerdan the Brave, who graced this earth with her exalted presence some three hundred years ago. Just like the lot of you, she was lucky enough to be born in a family of means and position, whose name she took to new heights with her renowned devotion to the Goddess of Solitary Tears."

Tahni lowered her head to hide her grimace upon hearing that presentation. In truth, Valina the Goddess of Grief wasn't so much a divine entity as a mere companion to Mogara herself. If she remembered correctly, there had been some serious religious reform four centuries back, when anything and everything could be turned into a god or goddess, a decision which only reflected the then government's desire to fragment the power of centralized religious institutions. She'd found it a fascinating subject in the beginning, but she quickly discovered that it proved a curse rather than a blessing, sprouting hundreds of minor deities, decades-long doctrine quarrels and overall doubt among the general population.

At the end of the day, every god whether big or small had gathered at least one cult of devout followers. Unfortunately, the ones who served the minor entities were the most particular about how things should get done, immediately taking offense if an outsider so much as blinked at the wrong moment. And unfortunately, Valina was as minor as minor could get.

Tahni could already make out a line of violet-clad women carrying loaded trays towards them and clutched her hands together to stop their trembling.

"The hour approaches for the rituals of remembrance," continued the attendant in a droning voice, "and nourishment has been asked for in accordance with the old traditions. You have been fortunate enough to be selected to offer your assistance, as any high lady is bound to be able to do."

Needless to add, the highest lady of them all was expected to know everything, including the right preparation methods in several common rituals of even the most obscure deities. Tahni wanted to throw her head back and groan. All she could remember about Valina was that she had no actual temples dedicated to herself, instead being attached to modest shrines wherever her priestesses could afford rent. There was hardly any paraphernalia to be mentioned - so nothing worth stealing, an attribute which Tahni considered to be a shameless rip-off of the far more popular Attira cult.

She gritted her teeth as the woman finished her tailored speech with a shallow bow towards them all, and followed the others' lead in sitting down primly on the thin, uncomfortable cushions.

The women she'd spied before entered the small "temple" - which Tahni still regarded as a glorified gazebo - bearing trays with every conceivable instrument one might need to make tea. There were cups, saucers, coals, spice bowls, small braziers, teaspoons, strainers, and delicate glass teapots. Tahni's eyes bulged as she comprehended what they were expected to do, and congratulated herself on having selected a corner seat where she could watch and emulate more of her fellow contestants. Now, if any of them made a mistake, she was done for as well, but at least she would have some chance of success.

A pale willowy priestess placed one of the trays before her and retreated respectfully before she could acknowledge Tahni's bow of gratitude. One by one, all the violet-clad women exited the floor, and she was surprised to see the palace attendant leaving as well. Tense silence settled over their group, and she took the opportunity to assess the competition.

Sat right in front of her was the same girl she had trailed along with Ederra the evening before. Immediately to her right was a fidgety one who betrayed more nervousness than Tahni herself, and if she strained her eyes and tried to glance to her own right, she could almost make out that crazy person who had crossed Channa's lake on foot. Unlike the second one, the other two appeared calm and confident, and Tahni prayed they knew what they were doing.

She dared a glance at the tray right under her nose, once again taking stock of the materials. She frowned when it dawned on her that there was a very important part missing.

Just then, she heard several pairs of footsteps climbing the staircase, and soon enough, a row of novices with blue-fringed robes brought forth pouches presumably containing their leaves.

Tahni swallowed nervously and tightened her grip on her skirts. She would have to pay close attention or else she would really botch it.

And pay close attention she did, only not in the way she would have initially imagined. It must have been ordained by fate, since all the variables aligned at that very moment to reveal to her something that only she could see. As she raised her head to smile at the novice proffering her pouch, she caught the same movement from the woman assigned to the girl in front of her, only this one added an almost imperceptible motion of her fingers which would have gone unnoticed if Tahni herself hadn't performed that very same trick dozens of times until she finally got it right.

Thinning her lips, she nodded curtly at the novice next to her, then let out a frustrated breath. Everything else faded away as she considered the implications. Was she about to witness a second elimination through foul play?

Whatever the case, she could not let it go, not this time. Picking up her tea bag, she felt its weight and concluded that she probably wouldn't have to use all of its contents. Glancing around, she saw that the other girls had already gone to work, including the unsuspecting victim right in front of her.

Only the instinct of self-preservation stopped her from standing up at once and proclaiming to the world at large what she had seen on the road to the glade, as well as just a few moments before. Questions were bound to arise about her own behavior, but they weren't as important as the goal to help and punish in equal measure. Someone must have been responsible for these dirty tricks, and Tahni liked to believe that the country would be better off with someone kind and understanding as its monarch. It was the least she could ensure, if she expected to be able to leave with a clean conscience.

Methodically, she followed the other girl's motions, guessing at what tools she was using and in what order. In her mind, she made up a bargain with her, promising to offer her assistance as soon as she could.

Sure enough, a few minutes later most of the contestants had finished their work, including Tahni, but the girl in front of her was still toiling ahead, having no doubt tasted the wrong flavor and thought she had made a mistake. For her part, Tahni couldn't tell if she'd gotten her own tea right since she had no idea how it was supposed to turn out, so she chose not to worry at all.

A new frenzy entered the girl's movements as the palace attendant stepped among them again. Tahni disentangled her feet and stood up gently, careful not to turn her ankle or upset the tray. She stepped around her cushion to follow the woman, dropping her pouch of leaves in the other girl's lap as subtly as she could. Several of the other contestants were already staring at her, but she paid them no mind.

This was to be one of those moments Ederra had talked about, the sort you couldn't really be prepared for, but which you had to seize anyway. Thinking of her friend who relied on her, Tahni drew new courage and stepped forward confidently.