The Priestess' Affair [Books 1 &2]

𝐗𝐈𝐈. 𝐚 𝐭𝐞𝐚 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐲

"You make my blood boil," she sighed.

"I'm glad," I smiled while she collected the broken pieces.

"What made you go beyond the hut?" She inquired further, tossing the pieces out of the window before coming back to the table with a cloth to wipe the spilt tea.

"I just went," I shrugged. She stopped wiping for a moment and narrowed her eyes at me.

"You're telling me..." she began, "that you just went onto the dead mountain and dug out the former High Priestess purely on a whim?" Even though the tone of her voice was normal, her words injected the air with tension again.

"When I went to see my brother for the second time, I met Herran," I recalled. She cocked an eyebrow as I added, "He told me to go back and do some digging,"

Her body grew tense. I couldn't ignore how tightly she was clutching the cloth as she glared at the granite slab with such fierce glare; I was afraid of a crack emerging on that granite table. 

"What else did he say?" She asked, finishing wiping.

"He said," I swallowed, "The High Priestess lies masterfully, especially this young one, but the dead ones don't,"

"He seems to think too lowly of me when he is a Noble," Vittoria hissed, getting up and washing the cloth in a sink nearby, "Betrayal runs in their corrupt veins,"

I clenched my teeth but said nothing.

"But..." I trailed off for a moment as I thought about it, "how did he know about the dead High Priestess? I believed the Shrine matters weren't supposed to leave the Shrine,"

"Things have a way of finding their way to the outer world," Vittoria answered, arriving at the table again. A pensive look shrouded her face. "There are traitors everywhere," She muttered to herself.

"Traitors in the Shrine?" I asked, stunned.

"There always have been, and there shall always be," She replied and waved her hand dismissively. "But Herran is stepping his line. The Nobles aren't supposed to question our ways,"

"Even if there's something sketchy about the new and the youngest High Priestess to have ever reigned?" I incited.

"Even if I wake up one day and decide to end your existence," 

I chuckled and remarked, "I dislike Herran immensely, but I'm glad that he told me to dig," 

"Don't be so joyed that you know my secret. You still know nothing," she stated calmly, "What you saw in the grave was just the edge of the wedge,"

"Are you implying you have more scandals?" I gasped. She glared.

"I am merely warning you not to get yourself involved in something you know nothing about," She snapped.

"So you do have a lot of dirty laundries," I mused. 

"Everyone does, don't they?" She snarled.

"But you—the High Priestess of the Eternal Lagrifiri, the youngest one ever. You must have a lot more than everyone, especially due to the mysterious circumstances under which you were crowned the High Priestess," I mocked. She sat across the table, calmer than ever, but I could see the wheels spinning behind her eyes, plotting something... maybe my death? 

I'm not afraid of her anymore. 

"I've been crowded the High Priestess by the laws of nature. I don't know what mysterious circumstances you talk about,"

"I meant mysterious death of the former High Priestess,"

"You seem to have a death wish today,"

"Even if I had, I'm sure today's not the day I become resident of the dead mountain,"

"Of course not. I'm not done with you yet," she stated, making my eyes wide.

"What do you mean?" 

"I'm planning to send you to the mainlands next week again," she declared. "and I'll be accompanying you this time," 

"As an equal," I added. 

_

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