~Eve's Message~

When Oris unrolled the scroll, she found that it had still been folded three more times so that the parchment ended up being twice the size of her palm in both length and width.

This was the first act of familiarity.

Bren folds letters like this when he sends them via messenger bird.

Her heart aching with fondness, Oris traced the creases and folds of the letter then looked up at Andrea. "This letter has been with Faeradaigh for days?"

"Yes, Mistress. At least three days," Andrea confirmed. "What does it say?"

The fact that there was no seal to close the letter meant that its contents would bring her no harm even if others were to read it themselves.

She set her eyes on the first line to find the answer to Andrea's question.

Dear Sister, were the words starting the message. The penmanship was definitely Bren's but he hadn't called her sister in a very long time.

She continued reading.

I am writing this letter to ask how you fare in the vast palace I could not confront myself. When you arrived at our convent, I did not think you would be such a kind woman. Oris, I remember when you had been asleep for days and the physician said that we should dig a grave to bury you. Oh, how I wept for the beauty that was to leave the world so soon. How I cried and wished I was the one to bear your fate. But the next day, you awoke, like a miracle.

Over the days we spent together, we grew close and I told you of my plights, my worries, my dreams. I did not know what I was thinking when I said such, for the last thing I expected was for you to replace me. I know that you must be worried for me, as I am worried for you. I have heard many rumors of your sufferings in the palace and rumors of your kindness. I had always known that you were my guardian and angel... for others to know it too brings me such joy I cannot explain.

The convent has moved to avoid gossip and trouble. I wish to start afresh, devote myself to the gods and repent of my sin and this new fief has such wonderful green hills that connected me to Mother Earth. It was here we found your brother. We told him what had happened to you and invited him to sup with us. That was when we realized that the town we had moved to was your hometown! I was so glad to find that I could send letters to you. I will never forget what you did for me and I will never forget the promise we made each other.

I look forward to knowing how you have been living in the palace.

Stay safe, Sister.

Love, Eve.

When Oris reached the end of the letter, a wide smile stretched her lips.

Andrea picked on it immediately. "Is it good news?"

"Very. Very. Good news." Oris laughed, feeling relief flood her body. "It is a letter from home. Come. Read it yourself."

Andrea did, taking the letter and plopping down on a nearby chair.

Oris clapped her hands to her cheeks, feeling her skin burn beneath her palms. That was close. That was really close.

Now, she understood why Hermes hadn't reacted to her confession the way she expected. He had to have read Bren's letter beforehand.

For at least three days, he had to have known that she wasn't who she pretended to be.

Summoning her to court to be rewarded had been nothing but a sham. He knew beforehand that the reason she wore a veil was to hide her identity but he had played along with her just to confront her when they were alone together.

He had anticipated his ministers moves and made plans accordingly. The only thing he couldn't predict was what choice she would make, he admitted that much during their conversation. He also admitted that to his surprise, she had played her part perfectly.

The original purpose of the conversation was to get me to free Nian Fey while using the crime of replacing Eve in the Selection to ensure my compliance.

He had used a second wish to bait her. Bait her into lowering her guard and thinking that she was so important in his plans that he needed to keep her at all costs and lull her into a false sense of security, but of course, she didn't take the bait and used the opportunity to ask for freedom instead.

He asked why I wore a veil, expecting me to lie and fall into the trap.

Instead, she questioned him about Mikeal and steered the conversation towards his own secrets.

Then he asked me who I was, no longer in the mood to prolong the inevitable, and I surprised him by telling him the truth. I revealed my crimes first and thwarted his plans to use them against me, without even knowing what he intended, and from then on our conversation no longer went according to plan.

The letter matched her confession perfectly because Bren knew her so well that he often predicted her thoughts before she thought them.

After getting the full story from Eve, he would have known which parts she would omit and what things she would add, resulting in a perfectly crafted letter that contained Eve's message and simultaneously painted her as some sort of martyr.

He had written it to show that he had made contact with Eve and also to pass along the message that he had made the necessary documentation to allow her to use her name without fear of being connected to the throne of Orse.

His identity as her brother would also be documented, legitimizing her reasons for contacting him privately.

This hometown though... Oris wasn't sure whether the letter referred to her real hometown or one Bren made up. Either way, it meant that Eve was safe in one of their hideouts but was also out in the open where people could see her and confirm her location.

The fact that the convent was also operational meant that Bren was using it as his new headquarters. He would be hiding by being visible. The brother of one of the Emperor's brides, who would dare touch him?

There has to be more to the letter, Oris thought. Bren sent this, knowing that it would be checked thoroughly before getting to me. Any mistake and I would be implicated. Why would he take such a risk just to get Eve's message to me?

"Andrea," she took her hands from her face and turned to the girl, "I want to reread the letter but it's getting dark. Can you please bring a candle here?"

"Of course, Mistress." Andrea got to her feet immediately.

"I think it was nice of you to help Eve," she said as she walked to one of the many candles in the room. "She sounds like a kind person."

"Kinder than your mistress?" Oris teased the girl.

Andrea shook her head thrice. "Never! I'm glad that you replaced her. I have never regretted serving you."

She handed the letter back and pulled the table close to place the candle.

"I appreciate your kind words," Oris said, holding the letter before the flame while waiting for something to happen.

She scanned the letter diligently, very aware of Andrea who stood beside her. If the secret message appeared, the girl could not be allowed to see it.

Just as she was about give up on finding Bren's message with this method, someone knocked on the door.

~

There we go! Noe we have the answer to why Hermes was so accepting of Oris switching places with someone.

Ha, I just needed to write this chapter and end it here. The letter decoding process is a tricky (and long) one! Oris is certain that there's a secret message, but Hermes and Magnus could not find any!

Also, there was a secret message hidden in Eve's message that only Oris would understand.

For all those curious, the letter is how Hermes knows her name. Now we see why he asked her again why she wore a veil and asked her who she was. If she had lied, she would have been in so much trouble!

Our girl is finally free to claim her name as hers!

Who do you think is at the door?