Over the next week, social invitations began to arrive. Word had spread about my adventures since I first departed the countess’s estate, and now women of status were competing to have me attend their dinner parties and salons. My concerns left me in no mood for parties, but it would be necessary to participate in at least one or two in order to lure the marchioness.

  As I sorted through the pile of invitations, Rosa plucked a mundane-looking envelope out of the pile and, after sniffing it carefully, opened it.

  “What’s that, Rosa?”

  “It’s an invitation from the marchioness, Lady Saintess. I’m fairly certain it’s not poisoned, so it should be safe to read. If you start to feel ill for any reason, though, we should burn it.”

  The invitation was short and simple:

  Dear Saintess Helian,

  You are formally invited to join our gathering of intellectuals as a new member.

  I am certain your wisdom and expertise will enrich us all, and I believe attending will allow you to forge valuable connections.

  I look forward to seeing you at XX XXXXXX on the Xrd of XXXX.

  Sincerely,

  Marchioness Marigold

  This was what we had been waiting for.

  ------

  The gathering was held in a private event space attached to the greenhouse on the marchioness’s vacation estate in the county. As I entered, a dozen women were standing around in small groups, chatting about various topics. Once Marchioness Marigold caught sight of me, she clapped to draw the attention of the crowd, and announced:

  “Thank you for waiting, everyone. Our guest is here, so I think it’s only right that we officially start the meeting. Please take your seats.”

  Once everyone had taken their places, one empty seat remained for me—to Marigold’s left. She certainly wanted to make me feel welcome.

  I bowed politely and took my seat. She wasted no time in introducing me to each member of the group, and briefly described their backgrounds and interests. Then she gave me an overview of the group’s charter and typical activities.

  After that, the marchioness moved onto a new topic, one she’d clearly been waiting to broach.

  “Lady Helian. I think everyone here is eager to know about you and Duchess Coroban. If it’s not too painful to talk about, could you tell us more about your time together? It may be good for you to let out your emotions here, in a place where no one will judge you. It may help you move on.”

  I nodded. “Thank you, Marchioness… I think it may be time indeed. I will do my best.”

  Okay, Helian. Time to turn on the waterworks. Think about her.

  “She was kind and considerate, from the very first moment we met.”

  Even though I mocked her at our first meeting, she was always kind.

  “When I was nervous or afraid, she was there to reassure me.”

  When I felt overwhelmed by the future, or lost in this new world, she was by my side.

  “Even when I treated her with disregard or contempt, she endured it gracefully.”

  I was unkind to her. I was not considerate. In the end, I cast her aside.

  “She showed me her true self and made an effort to understand my true self as well.”

  She almost knows me better than I know myself. Even though I hid so much from her.

  “She didn’t look down on me for my weaknesses, but she also praised my strengths.”

  She didn’t expect me to be perfect. And she encouraged me to get stronger.

  “She was proud of her own strengths and admitted her own mistakes.”

  She wasn’t possessed by ego, even though her skill almost matched mine. She always worked hard.

  “In these ways and more, she was the ideal partner. And in the end, we were torn apart.”

  I tore us apart, because I was afraid. Even when we met again, she didn’t question it.

  Hearing my praise for the partner I’d lost, the gathered women nodded in agreement.

  “Thank you for sharing this with us, Lady Helian. I can tell it was difficult. But may I ask a question?”

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  “Yes, Marchioness?”

  “If that’s the case, then…”

  I held my breath.

  “... why did you kill Duchess Coroban? We’re all friends here, you can tell us the truth.”

  She must have gotten word from someone who attended. The crowd murmured in shock and confusion.

  “The late Duchess Coroban demanded things from me I was unwilling to give.”

  The marchioness traced the edge of her teacup with her pinky finger. “Such as?”

  “My eternal loyalty and affection.”

  She chuckled. “Yes, I can understand wanting to withhold that. I feel the same way. But is that all?”

  “Oh, of course not, Lady Marigold. She also hired assassins to attack me.”

  Many of the women present gasped in shock. Others seemed to be struggling to determine whether this was a joke.

  “I came to realize that the duchess craved gratitude most of all, and she was willing to do anything to get it. After the second time she burst into my bedroom to intercept hired killers at just the right moment, I realized I had grown tired of Her Grace’s affections.”

  The marchioness nodded and, smiling bitterly, looked around the table for assent. A few women offered knowing smiles. “The weight of a suitor’s affection can be a heavy burden indeed. Doubly so if it is unwanted.”

  I sipped my tea. Time for the final flourish. “Given all that, I’m sure you can imagine how I felt when I learned that the duchess planned to perform a dark ritual on our wedding day.”

  Baroness Rubica choked on her tea. Her lady-in-waiting slapped her mistress on the back in a fit of panic.

  Marigold sighed deeply. “I’m starting to see the big picture here. I had expected better from Duchess Coroban, to be sure. Between this and the other unfortunate incidents you’ve been tangled up in, it feels as if the Goddess Metis herself might wish for you to be miserable.”

  The seated women exchanged worried looks, as if they couldn’t believe the marchioness was saying this to the saintess, of all people.

  I grimaced and finished what remained of my tea, then waved over a maid to refill it. “I’ve started to wonder that myself, Marchioness. I confess that despite the temple’s assurances, I’ve yet to feel truly chosen by the heavens or protected by divine providence.”

  Marigold nodded. “In truth, Lady Helian, you are not the only person to suffer so. Despite the temple’s assurances, faith in our Goddess on high has long since ceased to be enough to ensure safety and happiness. Women like us must act to secure a future for ourselves and our families.”

  The gathered women all nodded in agreement. Baroness Santal took my hand to reassure me and continued the marchioness’s thought. “That is why we’re gathered here, Lady Helian.”

  Marigold smiled. “Noble though we may be, in the end, we are merely women. We lack the power and prestige afforded to our husbands and suitors. The world looks down upon us. Even His Majesty’s egalitarian gestures are mere pity. They consider us lesser, our efforts and our skills inadequate. Our only choice is to show them otherwise. And through great sacrifice, those of us gathered here have found a way to do just that. Are you familiar with the lost city to the south, Lady Helian?”

  I nodded. “I’ve heard of it, though I know little. I’ve never seen it for myself.”

  “Few people have.” The marchioness sipped her tea. “It’s long been lost to the world. You see, though its people were happy, and the city was prosperous, its rulers grew greedy and complacent. This ultimately led to its undoing.”

  She paused. All the gathered women were rapt with attention. The marchioness cleared her throat and continued.

  “At the city’s heart lived a massive, sprawling tree they called the Holy Root. It was a blessing from the heavens. It bestowed gifts upon them, gifts that granted strength and wisdom. But they were not thankful for these blessings. Instead, they squandered them, and in their folly, the tree was eventually starved of water. Soon it began to wither, but even as it did, they did not learn from their mistake. They continued to live without changing their ways. In the end, the city was sealed off from the world. No one has set foot inside for centuries.”

  I raised my eyebrows. “That’s a tragic tale, marchioness. But I must confess I don’t understand where this leads.”

  Her smile widened. “The gifts I spoke of did not go to waste. While the city’s rulers took them for granted, those of wisdom brought gifts out of the city, so that they could be shared with the world. We continue that effort to this day, by finding those gifts and putting them into the right hands. They bestow great strength and wisdom even now.”

  The relics.

  I smiled. “That’s wonderful. I’ve read of such things in storybooks, but I never thought they could be real, especially not in our modern era. I’m surprised word has not spread of their existence.”

  She nodded. “Good point. The city’s exiles hid their gifts throughout the world, buried beneath gravestones, nestled between rocks on mountaintops, sealed within locked chests inside ancient libraries, or hidden in dark corners of countryside caves. They wanted to ensure that only worthy successors would discover them, so that they would not end up in the wrong hands.”

  A possibility occurred to me, but I put it out of my mind. I refused to even consider it.

  “This brings us to you, Lady Helian. I believe you can aid us in the search for these relics. The exiles said that in the city’s earliest days, it was ruled over by a saintess, both noble and wise. The tree’s gifts were meant for the ruler and her followers, and only those who came after squandered its bounty. When the tree sealed off the city, it was merely safeguarding it until the arrival of the next saintess.”

  I did my best to feign surprise. “To learn that one of my predecessors founded a city… that’s quite something. I thought our fate was merely to serve either the temple or nobility.”

  “Just another example of how they do not value us for our skills or efforts, Lady Helian. Even you, a true saintess, are seen only as a tool. But I believe that you can enter the sealed city and recover the gifts that remain within. We can use them to revitalize the world and cleanse the rot that holds it back. We can make everyone equal.”

  This was the worst kind of cult. While their ideology was noble, they were deeply misinformed. They clearly had no knowledge of the Seekers and did not realize what the relics carried. If only I could open their eyes to the truth.

  “Marchioness, what you’ve just said could be seen as heresy, or worse, sedition… the fact of my mere presence here could get me killed. What’s more, I lack the protection of a title or spouse.”

  Marigold smiled. “You needn’t worry, Lady Helian. The exiles foresaw this too. Our meetings are protected by a Vow of Silence, magic they devised to protect this secret. None in this room will betray our trust, even if they wish to. The Vow has protected us since the day the city fell.”

  I thought the magical barrier around this room was a little strange...

  It had broken just as easily as any other when I gave it a little push as I entered, regardless. Even now, Selene’s agents were listening in.

  I just hoped the countess would show the women some measure of mercy. Perhaps if I begged and pleaded, she would withhold the worst of the evidence from the king, and they wouldn’t all have to be executed…