I returned to my room pretty late in the afternoon. Daivon and Marek—Marek especially—could only get away from their other duties for so long, but I was honored that they had chosen to spend that time with me. We had done a lot of archery, not just me shooting. Marek was even a better shot than I was.
After the archery, I had shown them my knife throwing skills. That had been a happy mistake because then the two boys insisted that I teach them that skill.
I spent the late afternoon and evening in my room, figuring out the details of what I needed to do to complete my rescue of Tobin and how to begin tearing the kingdom apart. The priest had told me that he and his brothers were in Arovia to end the current government system and make things more equal. They had explained that they had the true god—the One God—on their side. I had rolled my eyes because I am not religious. Then he had told me what they needed me to do. The priest had said that they had a plan to get me into the castle. My job was to wait for them to contact me and then figure out how to get all of the targets—I assumed they meant the king and queen—into a specific room in the castle. The priest assured me that that was my only job. I had laughed in his face and told him that it was impossible for me—me!—to get the sovereigns to do anything. The priest had said to do my part or Tobin would die.
Now he had gotten me into a position where I did have the power, or at least the potential, to control some of the monarchs' actions. Now I just had to wait until I was contacted again with the time and place. In the meantime, the goal was to make the royal family trust me so that they would do what I asked.
I had just moved on to imagining Tobin running up to me, me picking him up, spinning him around and then never letting him leave me again, but was interrupted by a knock on my door. I hadn't locked it this time so I yelled, "Come in."
The door opened slowly, as though unsure and Brinian walked into the room. Before he could open his mouth to say anything, I spoke first. "I'm sorry about earlier. It was unfair of me to treat you like that." I wasn't sure if it was my relaxing and fun day with Marek and Daivon or if I was just in a good mood from imagining Tobin safe in my arms, but all my anger from this morning was gone and I was ashamed of my previous actions.
He paused, still in the door and feigned shock. "Are you apologizing to me?" He grinned to let me know he was teasing.
"Yeah, yeah, just don't let it go to your head," I gave a broad grin back, still reclining on the cushions in my bed. I had stacked them up against the headboard so that I was leaning against a mountain of pillows.
He stepped farther into the room and closed the door behind him, serious again. "I actually came to apologize to you too. I know that this is a tough situation for you and instead of trying to help you, I've been trying to force you to be someone that you're not."
"I'm over it," I said, quickly. "I've been baiting you since the moment I met you so it's my own fault."
"It's really not. I am angry with myself for what I did to you, for hurting you for information and just generally being an ass, and so I directed that anger toward you, when I was really mad at myself. I am very sorry, Princess."
"Oh, please call me Kade. You don't understand how uncomfortable is it to hear everyone calling me 'Princess' or 'Alyssandra' or even 'lady'."
"Alright, Kade." He rubbed the back of his neck, glancing up at me. "Whatever you need to help you adjust to this new role, I'll do it," Brinian said seriously.
"Thanks, captain," I smiled at him.
"If I'm to call you by your name, then you can call me Brinian."
"Hello, Brinian. It's nice to meet you," I said, leaning forward and holding out my hand.
He glanced at me and then at my outstretched hand, confusion written on his face.
I rolled my eyes and explained, "We're meetin' each other again, so you don't have to feel guilty about our first encounter anymore."
He smiled and took my hand; he gave it a firm shake, "Pleasure to make your acquaintance, Kade."
I was delighted to discover all the calluses on his hand, formed from years of weapons training. I despised people who had been handed their position purely because of birth. The calluses told me that he had worked hard to be worthy of the post he occupied.
"I best be going," Brinian said, turning to leave.
"Wait!" I called before I even knew what I was doing. It was just nice to know that we where somewhat friends and I didn't want that to end so soon. "Can you explain a few things to me?" I asked sheepishly, thinking of some reason to make him stay.
"Uh, all right," he said, walking back over toward the bed, which I was still perched on cross-legged. "What do you want to know?"
I patted the bed next to me, forgetting for one small moment that we weren't sitting on a threadbare blanket in an abandoned house and that he wasn't Kiro or Miri, but his uncertain look brought me back to the present. "You don't have to stand," I explained. I scooted back, so that if he did choose to sit on the bed, he'd have more room.
Brinian stiffly sat on the corner of the mattress and then looked expectantly at me. "During breakfast Arak brought up a few topics that I know nothing about. I don't want to look like a fool again so can you tell me about them?" I studied Brinian's face, surprised when he immediately agreed.
"First, maybe you should tell me why Arak and his sister are even here?" I said.
"They are distant cousins from the kingdom of Bylea. Their father sent them to get to know their Arovian relatives."
"So then what is going on in Orcrest?" I asked, recalling Arak's words from the meal. "Arak mentioned a drought? And what is Orcrest? Is it some kingdom I've never heard of?"
Brinian patiently began to explain to me that Orcrest was a province in the south of Arovia. It had been experiencing a precipitation shortage for the last few months. The drought could be devastating for the country if it continued much longer because the majority of the fruits sold in the market's came from the south. If the drought continued, the harvest would be very small and the kingdom would be forced to import most of our fruits from the Cadaomas Isles, which was much more expensive. "The king also does not have a very good relationship with the Isles because they refuse to hunt down the pirate lord that has a base on one of the islands. Arovia loses twenty percent of their ships to him every year and the Cadaomas king does nothing."
I asked him about the other topics Arak had introduced to make me feel stupid until I reached the question I was most curious about. I did my best to keep my voice exactly the same as it had been for the rest of the questions. "What is the new theory of the One God?"
Brinian didn't think twice about me question and only thought for a moment before answering. "In Arovia most people still believe in the Sun God and his sister, the Moon Goddess, and in the lesser gods that they formed to serve them. The High Priest and Priestess are their highest servants on our earth and we give them almost as much respect as the royal family. The gods have great followings across our provinces and temples to every god are erected across Arovia. The same was to be said of our neighboring countries but not anymore.
"In the last ten years, the idea of the One God has spread quickly through Selia, Bylea and Kiret. The religion began in Selia with a young acolyte studying to be a priest of the Sun God. He began to teach that the sun and moon are not equal and that the sun is the ruler of the universe. He said that the other gods are just aspects of the Sun God or, as he began to say, the One God.
"The priests of the One God, called the Red Priests, are all men because they say that women exist to serve men. The priests do take women to clean their residences, to share their beds, and to care for their young children.
"They also perform animal sacrifices and, in every town that they frequent, they take the boys at the age of eight to train them in the magic of the One God.
"Despite the obvious flaws, such as the belief that women are inferior and their strange sacrificial nature, the religion has caught on in many countries because the men, the warriors of the kingdom, support it. The religion caters to men and, in most countries the men make the decisions. There are rumors that in the kingdoms where the One God's priests have the highest following that the priests hunt down and either convert or kill the people who still worship the Sun and Moon."
Brinian trailed off and I couldn't help but realize that he talked about the whole thing with disdain.
"You're a man. Do you support the One God?" I asked.
"Perhaps it's that I was raised by a strong willed woman or maybe it's the fact that in Arovia the eldest child inherits whether it's male or female, but I just can't get behind the idea that men are that much more superior to women. Also, the High Priestess has just as much power as the High Priest and so I don't see any evidence of the claim either," Brinian admitted.
"I guess that makes sense," I said, although I'd never really put much stock into the Sun God and Moon Goddess.
"What is the king's opinion on the One God and his priests?" I asked, remembering how the queen had changed the subject during breakfast.
Brinian chuckled. "Oh, the king despises them. He is infuriated about their beliefs about women. His wife is a wonderful ruler. I have heard him say many times that he could not do half so well as her in ruling Arovia. It is unlikely that he will allow the Red Priests to build their temples here."
I yawned and stretched my arms, getting out the kinks that had formed after sitting for so long. I glanced over at Brinian, who, distracted by all the talking had eventually loosened up and settled more comfortably on the bed.
He sprung up now though and looked embarrassed for having sat so close to me. I smiled at him to show I didn't mind and then thanked him.
"It was my pleasure. If you have any more questions, you can always come find me," He offered.
"I will." And I meant it.Minus breakfast, I had shockingly actually enjoyed my day.