The sound of Shelly Munero's heels echoed across the marble floor as she made her way through the temple's grand entrance. Despite her usual confidence, there was an uncharacteristic stiffness in her stride.
The news had reached her mere moments ago: the mercenaries she hired to eliminate Evelyn Greengrass had failed, and worse, they had been captured.
Even more troubling, Goddess Auriel had been injured in the process.
Her servant scurried behind her, nervously whispering, "My Lady, are you certain it's wise to go directly to the temple? The situation is delicate."
Shelly turned sharply, her piercing eyes narrowing. "Do you think I don't know that? The only way to control the narrative is to address it directly. Now, silence."
The guards at the temple gates blocked her path, their expressions stern. "Lady Munero, the temple is not receiving visitors at this time. Goddess Auriel is recuperating from the recent... events."
Shelly clenched her jaw, forcing a smile onto her lips. "I am here to express my utmost concern for the goddess's well-being. Surely, you wouldn't deny me the opportunity to pay my respects and offer assistance in such a dire situation?"
The guards exchanged uncertain glances. Before they could respond, a familiar voice rang out from the hall behind them.
"What is she doing here?"
Evelyn Greengrass strode forward, her posture regal but her face twisted with barely concealed rage. Her supporters trailed behind her, muttering among themselves as they glared at Shelly.
Shelly raised her chin, meeting Evelyn's fiery gaze. "Lady Greengrass. I came to ensure the goddess is unharmed after the recent... incident. It's only proper, don't you think?"
Evelyn's eyes narrowed. "Proper? The gall of you, Shelly. Everyone knows you had a hand in that attack. If you think you can weasel your way out of this with false concern, you're mistaken."
Shelly's smile didn't waver, but her knuckles whitened as she gripped her fan tightly. "You accuse me without proof, Evelyn. How unbecoming of a noblewoman. I suggest you tread carefully—slander can have consequences."
The tension between the two women was palpable, drawing the attention of nearby priests and temple staff. Just as the confrontation seemed ready to boil over, one of the guards stepped forward.
"Ladies, please. If you wish to speak with the goddess, I will inform Priestess Lilith of your presence."
Evelyn crossed her arms but nodded, unwilling to create a scene that might reflect poorly on her. Shelly, satisfied for the moment, allowed herself to be escorted into the temple.
______
Inside Auriel's chambers, the goddess was reclining on a couch, her face pale but her posture composed. Lilith and Carol hovered nearby, fussing over her.
"You overexerted yourself again," Lilith said with a mixture of exasperation and concern. "I told you to conserve your energy."
"I didn't have a choice," Auriel replied, her voice soft but firm. "If I hadn't acted, Evelyn might have been seriously hurt—or worse."
Carol placed a tray of herbal tea on the table, glancing nervously at Lilith. "Should we tell her about—"
A knock at the door interrupted her. A young priest entered, bowing deeply. "Priestess Lilith, Lady Shelly Munero and Lady Evelyn Greengrass are here to see the goddess."
Lilith sighed, her brow furrowing. "Let them in, but keep their entourages outside. The last thing we need is a brawl in the temple."
Moments later, Shelly and Evelyn were ushered into the room. The tension between them was palpable, and Auriel's tired gaze shifted between the two women as they curtsied.
"Goddess Auriel," Shelly began, her voice dripping with honeyed concern. "I was devastated to hear of your injury. Please, allow me to express my deepest regrets that such a terrible incident occurred."
Auriel raised an eyebrow. "You seem very well-informed, Lady Munero. News travels fast in noble circles, it seems."
Shelly's smile faltered for a fraction of a second before she recovered. "Indeed. My only concern is your well-being, O Divine One."
Evelyn scoffed, stepping forward. "Save your theatrics, Shelly. We all know you're here to cover your tracks."
"Tracks?" Shelly's eyes widened in mock offense. "Lady Greengrass, you wound me. I've done nothing to warrant such accusations."
Auriel held up a hand, silencing them both. "Enough. If either of you has anything to say, say it plainly. I don't have the energy for riddles or accusations."
Evelyn crossed her arms, glaring at Shelly. "She's behind the attack. I know it."
Auriel's gaze shifted to Shelly, who met it with practiced poise. "Goddess, I assure you, I had no involvement. I would never endanger you or another candidate for the throne. Such actions are beneath me."
Before Auriel could respond, the door opened again, and a guard entered, escorting one of the captured attackers. The man was bound and bruised, his eyes darting around the room nervously.
"We're ready to begin interrogations," Lilith announced.
The room fell silent as the attacker was placed in front of them. Auriel straightened, her weariness momentarily forgotten. "Who sent you?" she asked, her voice firm.
The man hesitated, his eyes flicking toward Shelly. The brief glance didn't go unnoticed by anyone in the room.
"Speak," Lilith commanded, her tone cold.
"It... it was a noblewoman," the man stammered. "She didn't give her name, but she promised us wealth if we... eliminated Lady Greengrass."
Auriel's gaze sharpened. "Do you recognize her?"
The man shook his head. "She wore a mask."
Evelyn stepped forward, her hands clenched into fists. "Convenient," she muttered, her eyes fixed on Shelly.
Shelly, for her part, maintained her composure. "I trust you'll investigate this thoroughly, O Divine One. Baseless accusations benefit no one."
Auriel studied her carefully. "You're right. We will investigate."
Evelyn opened her mouth to protest, but Auriel shot her a warning look. "Both of you, leave. I need time to think."
Reluctantly, the two women curtsied and exited the room, their hostility lingering like a storm cloud.
Outside the chamber, Shelly's calm façade cracked as she stormed toward her carriage. Her servant hurried to keep up.
"What now, my lady?" he asked hesitantly.
Shelly's jaw tightened. "We prepare for the worst. If that man implicates me further, we'll need to discredit his testimony. And as for Lady Greengrass..." Her lips curled into a cold smile. "She's made an enemy of the wrong person."
______
Back in the temple, Lilith sat beside Auriel, her expression troubled. "These candidates are becoming more desperate. If this continues, you'll be caught in the crossfire."
Auriel sighed, closing her eyes. "I already am."
Lilith placed a hand on her shoulder. "Rest. We'll get to the bottom of this."
As Auriel drifted into an uneasy sleep, the wheels of intrigue continued to turn, setting the stage for even greater conflict to come.
She worried about her safety, but as a goddess blessed with a long life, Auriel was sure she would be fine.
The same could not be said about her mission and that concerned Auriel a lot.
"Goddess Auriel, please let me know if you need anything else and I will-"
Priestess Lilith's words were cut short as Auriel raised her hand to make her stop. She also rubbed her forehead to get rid of the headache that was building up behind her temple.
"Priestess Lilith, I will be fine. For now, can you leave me alone? I need some time to think about everything."
Auriel asked in a sincere voice. Auriel could tell that the Priestess did not want to leave her alone, but she did so anyway since Auriel had asked her to.
"Of course, O Divine One. Please, enjoy your rest. If you need me, then I will be just outside. Please call me if you feel like you are in danger…"
Priestess Lilith's voice was just as loud and proud as it had ever been and Auriel felt reassured.
Once outside, Lilith turned toward Carol and her concerned expression melted down her face to show a hard one.
"Carol, take up petrol around Goddess Auriel's room. I am afraid that we will need to change our strategy if we are going to stop the council from interfering with our temple. Tsk, how dare those fools try to influence us? Do they have a death wish or something?"
Priestess Lilith looked ready to fight and her temper made Carol flinch.
As someone who had seen Priestess before she took her current post, Carol knew that her temper never ended well for the enemy.
"Lady Lilith, please calm down. If you lose your temper now, then you will scare Goddess Auriel as well. Please, think about her safety here."
Carol reminded the priestess and her insistence was what made Priestess Lilith calm down.
"You are right. *Sigh* I need to keep my temper in check if I don't want Goddess Auriel to hate me. But still, we do need to do something. A political struggle is not something a goddess should be subjected to."
That was true, but in front of human greed, things like decency stood no chance of standing.